THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES. [Chaucer dreams that he sees the birds assembled on St. Valentine's Day to choose their mates, the Goddess Nature presiding. Among the mates is a formel, or female eagle, wooed by three tercels: the formel being probably Anne of Bohemia, and the tercel royal King Richard II.] And in a launde, upon an hille of floures, There myghtë men the royal egle fynde, Of which that clerkës wel devysen konne ; There was the tiraunt with his fethres donne And grey, I mene the goshauke that doth pyne 3 The gentil faucount, that with his feet distreyneth The jalouse swanne, ayens hys deth that syngeth; 8 1 ready. causes torment. 2 judgment. ⚫ the peregrine. The crane the geaunt, with his trompes soune : The sparow, Venus sone, and the nyghtyngale 4 The waker goos, the cukkow ever unkynde, The drakë, stroyer of his owën kynde; The storkë, wreker of avowterie; Tho hoote cormeraunt, ful of glotonye; The ravene and the crowe, with voys of care; The throstel old, the frosty feldëfare. [The question as to which tercel is to have the formel eagle is referred to the Parliament of Birds. Some of the opinions given are as follows.] The watir foulës han her hedës leyd 5 Whan everych had hys large golee seyd, They seyden sothly al by on assent, How that the goos, with hir faconde gent, Shal telle our tale, and preyde to God hir spede. 1 that talks and reveals secrets. small villages. 1 wakeful. 2 robin. 5 mouthful. that is clock to 6 gentle eloquence. And for these watir foulës tho began The goos to speke, and in hir cakëlynge, She seydë, 'Pes now, tak kepe1 every man, And herkneth which a resoun I shal forth bringe ! I sey I rede hym, though he were my brother, 'Loo! here a parfyte resoun of a goos!' The laughtre aroos of gentil foulës alle, 'Nay, God forbede a lover shulde chaunge!' 'Wel bourded,' quod the dukë, 'by my hat! Who kan a resoun fynde, or wyt in that? 9 Daunceth he murye that ys murtheles? Who shulde rechche 10 of that ys rechcheles? Ye! quek yet,' quod the dukë, 'wel and faire ! 'Now fy, cherl!' quod the gentil tercëlet,- Thoo gan the cukkow put hym forth in pres1 Lat ech of hem be soleyn al her lyve, This ys my reed, syne they may not acorde; 'Yee, have the glotoun fild ynogh hys paunche, For no fors ys of lak of thy nature; Goo, lewëd be thou while the world may dure!' 'Now pes,' quod Nature, 'I commaundë here, And in effect yet be we never the nere; But fynally, this ys my conclusioun,— That she hir self shal have the eleccioun Of whom hir lyst, who-so be wrooth or blythe ; among the crowd. 2 quickly. 3 the merlin. * failure of thy whole species would not matter. THE HOUS OF FAME. [Chaucer dreams that he is carried up by an eagle to the House of Fame, midway between heaven, earth, and sea. The eagle thus explains why Jove does him this honour.] 'But er I bere thee mochë ferre1, I wol thee tellë what I am, And whider thou shalt, and why I cam To do al hys comaundëment. And for this cause he hath me sent To thee now herkë, be thy trouthe! Certeyn he hath of thee routhe, Hast served so ententyfly" Hys blynde nevew Cupido, Withoutë guerdoun ever yit, 1 further. 2 ⚫ attentively. |