The parlament of foules, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Ed., with introduction, notes, and glossary, by T. R. Lounsbury.

70 THE PARLAMENT OF FOULES.

LVIII.
"And aftyr hym by ordre shul ye chese, 400
Aftyr youre kynde, eueriche as yow lykyth,
And as youre hap is shul ye wynne or lese;
But which of yow that loue most entrikyth
God synde hym hire that sorest for hym sykyth:"And therwithal the tersel gan she calle 405
And seyde, "My sone, the choys is to the falle.
LIX.
"But, natheles, in this condicioun
Mot be the choys of euerich that is here,
That she agre to his eleccioun,
What so he be, that shulde ben hire fere; 410
This is oure vsage alwey yer by yere,
And who so may at this tyme haue his grace,
In blisful tyme he cam into this place."
LX.
With hed enclyned and with humble chere
This ryal tersel spak and tariede noht:- 415
" Vnto my souereyn lady and not my fere
I chese and ches, with wil and herte and thought,
The formel on youre hond, so wel iwrought,
Whos I am al, and euere wil hire serue,
Do what hire list, to do me lyue or sterve. 420
400. [ordre] ordere. 4I1. from beforeyer in the MS.
400. [ye] they. 411. [by] to.
401. [yow]ye. 412. [who] ho.
404. [sorest] soryest. 414. [chere] cheere.
406. [he] yow. 417. [ches] shes.
408. [here] heere. 420. [list] lest.
410. [ben] be. 420. [lyue] leue.
410. (fere] feere.