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

82 THE PARLAMENT OF FOULES.

XCIV.
"I wil nat serue Venus ne Cupide,
Forsothe as yit, be no manere weye."
"Now syn it may non othirwise betyde,"
Quod tho Nature, "here is no more to seye: 655
Thanne wolde I that these foulis were aweye,
Eche with his make, for taryinge lengere here;"
And seyde hem thus, as ye shul aftyr here.
XCV.
"To yow speke I, ye tersletis," quod Nature,
"Beth of good herte and seruyth alle thre:- 660
A yer nis nat so longe to endure: -
And eche of yow peyne hym in his degre
For to do wel, for, God wot, quyt is she
From yow this yer, what aftyr so befalle;
This entyrmes is dressid for yow alle." 665
XCVI.
And whan this werk al brought was to an ende,
To euery foule Nature gaf his make,
By euene acord, and on here weye they wende:
But, lord! the blisse and joye that they make!
For ech gan othir in his wyngis take, 670
And with here nekkis eche gan othyr wynde,
Thankynge alwey the noble queen of kynde.
655. [here] heere. 662. [peyne him] peignynge.
657. [here] heere. 663. [quyt] what.
658. [hem] hym. 664. [from] for.
661. [nis] ne is. 667. [foule] foul.