The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

THE ASSEMBLY OF FOWLS. 223
Were fitting most for her, if that her lest; 1 "Now fy, churl!" quoth the gentle terc6le%,
And of these three she knows herself, I trow,2 "Out of the dunghill came that word aright;
Which that he be; for it is light 3 to know." Thou canst not see which thing is well beset;
The water-fowles have their headeis laid Thou far'st by love, as owlis do by light,Together, and of short advisement,4 The day them blinds, full well they see by night;
When evereach his verdict had y-said Thy kind is of so low a wretchedness,
They saide soothly all by one assent, That what love is, thou cast not see nor guess."
How that " The goose with the facond gent,5 Then gan the cuckoo put him forth in press,20
That so desired to pronounce our need,6 For fowl that eateth worm, and said belive:21
Shall tell our tale; " and prayed God her speed. " So I," quoth he, " may have my mate in peace,
And for those water-fowlis then began I rec not how long that they strive.
The goose to speak, and in her cackeling Let each of them be solain22 all their life;
She saide, " Peace, now! take keep ev'rv man, This is my rede,' since they may not accord
And hearken what reas6n I shall forth bring; This shorte lesson needeth not record."
My wit is sharp, I love no tarrying; "Yea, have the glutton filld enough his
I say I rede him, though he were my brother, paunch,
But 7 she will love him, let him love another! " Then are we well! " saide the emerlon; 23
" Lo! here a perfect reason of a goose! " "Thou murd'rer of theheggsugg,4 on the branch
Quoth the sperhawke.8 "Never may she th 9 That brought thee forth, thou most rueful
Lo! such a thing'tis t' have a tongue loose! glutton,
Now, pardie! fool, yet were it bet 10 for thee Live thou solain,22 worm's corruptin!
Have held thy peace, than show'd thy nicet;11 For no force is to lack of thy natre; 25
It lies not in his wit, nor in his will, Go lewed be thou, while the world maydure!"
But sooth is said, a fool cannot be still." " Now peace," quoth Nature, " I commandi
The laughter rose of gentle fowlis all; here;
And right anon the seed-fowls chosen had For I have heard all your opinion,
The turtle true, and gan her to them call, And in effect yet be we ne'er the nere.2
And prayed her to say the soothi sad 12 But, finally, this is my conclusion,Of this matt6re, and asked what she rad; 13 That she herself shall have her election
And she answ6r'd, that plainly her intent Of whom herilist,27 whoso be wroth or blith;28
She woulde show, and soothly what she meant. Him that she chooseth, he shall her have as
swith.29
"Nay! God forbid a lover shoulde change!"
The turtle said, and wax'd for shame all red: "For since it may not here discussed be
" Though that his lady evermore be strange,14 Who loves her best, as said the tercelet,
Yet let him serve her ay, till he be dead; Then will I do this favour t her, that she
For, sooth, I praisi not the goose's rede; 1 Shall have right him on whom her heart is set,
For, though she died, I would none other And he her, that his heart hath on her knit:
make; 16 This judge I, Nature, for 30 I may not lie
I will be hers till that the death me take." To none estate; I have none other eye.31
"Well bourded! "17 quoth the'ducke, "by "But as for counsel for to choose a make,
my hat If I were Reason, [certes] then would I
That men should loven alway causeless, Counsaile you the royal tercel take,
Who can a reason find, or wit, in that? As saith the tercelet full skilfull,32
Danceth he merry, that is mirtheless? As for the gentilest, and most worth,
WVho shoulde reck of that is reckeless?18 Which I have wrought so well to my pleasfnce,
Yea! queke yet," quoth the duck, "full well That to you it ought be a suffisance." 33
and fair! With dreadful34 voice the formel her anThere be more starres, God wot, than a pair!" 19 sw6r'd:
1 If she pleased. its eggs in the nests of other and smaller birds, such as
2 Believe, am sure. 3 Easy. the hedge-sparrow (" heggsugg"); and its young, when
4 After brief deliberation. hatched, throw the eggs or nestlings of the true parent
5 Refined, flowing eloquence; Latin, "facundia." bird out of the nest, thus engrossing the mother's entire
6 Pronounce upon our business. care. The crime on which the emerlon comments so
7 Unless. 8 Sparrowhawk. sharply, is explained by the migratory habits of the
9 Thrive. 10 Better. cuckoo, which prevent its bringing up its own young;
11 Foolishness. 12 The serious truth. and nature has provided facilities for the crime, by
13 From " rede;" counselled. furnishing the young bird with a peculiarly strong and
14 Disdainful, uncomplying. broad back, indented by a hollow in which the sparrow's
15 Counsel, opinion. 16 Mate. egg is lifted till it is thrown out of the nest.
17 A pretty joke! 25 The loss of a bird of your depraved nature is no
18 Who should care for one that has no care for him. matter of regret.
19 The duck exhorts the contending lovers to be of 26 Nearer. 27 She pleases.
light heart and sing, for abundance of other ladies were 28 Adverse or willing; angry or glad.
at their command. 29 Immediately. 30 Because.
20 In the crowd. 21 Quickly. 31 I can see the matter in no other light.
22 Single, alone; the same word originally as " sullen." 32 Reasonably.
23 See note 15, page 220. 33 It should satisfy you (to have him for your mate.)
24 The cuckoo is distinguished by its habit of laying 34 Full of dread, timid.