PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV, LIBR. 47

(5)

This bok of which I make of mencioun

Tullyus of the drem of sothion

Entytlt was al thus as I schal telle

Chapiteris seuene It hadde / of heuene & helle

32

And erthe and soulis that thereon' dwelle [o altered from y]

Of whiche as shortly as I can it trete

Of his centence I wele 30w seyn the greete

(6)

35

Fyrst tellith it whan scipion was come

[leaf 481, back]

In Affrik how he metyh massynisse

That hym for Ioie in armys hath I-nome

Thanne tellyth he here spche / & of the blysse

39

That was be-twixsyn hem thil that day gan mysse

And how his Auncestre Affrycan so deere
Gan in his slep that ny3t to hym a-pere

42

(7)

Thanne tellith it / that from a sterry place
How Affrycan hath hym cartage schewid /
And warnede hym be-forn of al his grace
And seyde what man lernyd oper lewid
That louede comoun profyt wel I-thewid
He shulde in to a blysful place wende
There as Ioye is pat last with outyn ende

46

49

Nys but a maner deth what weye we trace
And rightful folk schul gon aftyr they deye
To heuene & schewede hym the galylye

56

48 PARLAMENT OF FOULES. GJ. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR.

(9)

Thanne shewede he hym the erthe that here is

At regard of the heuenys quantite

And after shewede he hym the nyne speris

And was sumdel disseyuable & ful of harde grace
That he ne schulde hym in the world delyte

Thanne tolde he hym in certeyn zeris space

67

That euery sterre shulde come in to his place
Ther it was ferst & al schulde out of mynde
That in this world is don of al mankynde

(11)

Thanne preyede hym cypyon to telle hym al
The weye to come In to that heuene blis
And he seyde know thyn self ferst inmortal
And loke ay besyly thow werche & wysse
To comoun profit & thow shat not mysse
To comyn swiftly to this place deere

That ful of blysse is & soulys cleere

(12)

70

[leaf 482]

74

77

PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR. 49

(13)

The day gan folwyn & the derke nyzt
That revith bestis from here besynesse
Berafte me myn bok for lak of lyght
And to myn self I gan me for to dresse
Fulfyld of thou3t & busy heuynesse
For bothe I hadde thyng that I nolde
And ek I ne hadde thyng that I wolde

(14)

But fynally myn spirit at the laste
For-wery of myn labour al the day
Tok reste that made me to slepe faste
And In myn slep I mette as pat I lay
How affrican ryzt in the same a-ray
That1 cipion hym say by-fore that tyde
Was come & stod rizt at myn bedis syde

88

91

95

[1 That corrected]

98

The Iuge dremyth how hise pleis been sped

The cartere dremyth how his carte is gon

102

The riche of gold / the knyght fy3t with his fon

The syke met he drynkyth of the tunne

105

The louere met he hath his lady wonne

(16)

Can I nat seyn If that the cause were

For I hadde red of affrican by-foren
That made me to mete that he stod theerc
But thus seyde he thow hast the so wel born

[leaf 482, back]

109

In lokynge of myn olde bok by-forn
Of whiche Macrobye roughte nat a lyte

That sumdel of thyn labour wolde I quyte

112

50 PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR.

(17)

[Invocation.]

Cythera thow blysful lady swete

That with thyn ferbrond dauntist whom thow lest

And madist me this sweuene for to mete

Be thow myn helpe in this for thow mayst best

116

As wisely as I seye the north nor west
Whan I began myn sweuene for to write
So 3if me myght to ryme & ek tendyte

(18) [The Story.]

119

This forseyde Affrican me hente a-non

And forth with hym vnto a gate brouzte

Ry3t of a park wallid of grene ston

And ouyr the gatis with letteris large I-wrowht

123

Of hertis hele & dedly woundis cure
Thorw me men gon on-to the welle of grace
Theere grene & lusty may shal euere endure
This is the weye to al good auenture
Be glad thow redere & thyn sorwe ouercaste
Al opyn am I. passe in & sped the faste

130

133

(20)

Thorw me men gon than spat that othir side
Onto the mortal strokis of the spere

Of whiche disdayn & daunger is the gyde
That neuere 3it shal freut ne leuys bere
This strem 30w ledith to sorweful were
There as the fisch in prysoun is al drye
Ther'1 shewyng is only the remedye

137

[1 er inserted]

140

PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR. 51

(21)

These wers of gold & blak I wetyn were
Of whiche I gan a-stonyd to be-holde
For whi that on encresede ay myn fere
And with that othir gan myn herte bolde
That on me hette that othir dede me colde
No wit hadde I for errour for to chese
To entre. or flen. or me to saue. or lese

(22)

Right as be-twixsyn adamauntis two
Of euene my3t a pece of yryn set
Ne hath no my3t to meue too ne fro
For what that on may hale that othir let
1 Ferde I that nyste whethir me was best
To entre or leue til Affrycan myn gide
Ne hente & shof in at the gatis wide

(23)

And seyde it stant writyn In thyn face
Thyn errour though thow telle it not to me
But dred the not to come in to this place
For this writyng nys no thyng ment bi the
Ne by non but he louys serwaunt be

[leaf 483]

144

147

151

[so in margin]

154

158

For thow of loue hast lost thyn stat I gesse
As sek man hat of swet & byttyrnesse

161

(24)

But natheles al-thow that thow be dul

3it that thow canst not do zit mayst thow se For manye a man that may nat stonde a pul

It likyth hym at wrastelyng for to be

165

And demyn zit wher he do bet or he

And there If thow haddist / cunnyng for tendite
I shal the shewe / mater for to wryte

168