Ben heled al with grene leves；
So that a brid hire hyde mai；
Betwen Averil and March and Maii；
Sche that the wynter hield hir clos；
For pure schame and noght aros； 5970
Whan that sche seth the bowes thikke；
And that ther is no bare sticke；
Bot al is hid with leves grene；
To wode comth this Philomene
And makth hir ferste yeres flyht；
Wher as sche singeth day and nyht；
And in hir song al openly
Sche makth hir pleignte and seith； 〃O why；
O why ne were I yit a maide？〃
For so these olde wise saide； 5980
Which understoden what sche mente；
Hire notes ben of such entente。
And ek thei seide hou in hir song
Sche makth gret joie and merthe among；
And seith； 〃Ha； nou I am a brid；
Ha； nou mi face mai ben hid：
Thogh I have lost mi Maidenhede；
Schal noman se my chekes rede。〃
Thus medleth sche with joie wo
And with hir sorwe merthe also； 5990
So that of loves maladie
Sche makth diverse melodie；
And seith love is a wofull blisse；
A wisdom which can noman wisse；
A lusti fievere； a wounde softe：
This note sche reherceth ofte
To hem whiche understonde hir tale。
Nou have I of this nyhtingale；
Which erst was cleped Philomene；
Told al that evere I wolde mene； 6000
Bothe of hir forme and of hir note；
Wherof men mai the storie note。
And of hir Soster Progne I finde；
Hou sche was torned out of kinde
Into a Swalwe swift of winge；
Which ek in wynter lith swounynge；
Ther as sche mai nothing be sene：
Bot whan the world is woxe grene
And comen is the Somertide；
Than fleth sche forth and ginth to chide； 6010
And chitreth out in hir langage
What falshod is in mariage；
And telleth in a maner speche
Of Teres the Spousebreche。
Sche wol noght in the wodes duelle；
For sche wolde openliche telle；
And ek for that sche was a spouse；
Among the folk sche comth to house；
To do thes wyves understonde
The falshod of hire housebonde； 6020
That thei of hem be war also；
For ther ben manye untrewe of tho。
Thus ben the Sostres briddes bothe；
And ben toward the men so lothe；
That thei ne wole of pure schame
Unto no mannes hand be tame；
For evere it duelleth in here mynde
Of that thei founde a man unkinde；
And that was false Teres。
If such on be amonges ous 6030
I not； bot his condicion
Men sein in every region
Withinne toune and ek withoute
Nou regneth comunliche aboute。
And natheles in remembrance
I wol declare what vengance
The goddes hadden him ordeined；
Of that the Sostres hadden pleigned：
For anon after he was changed
And from his oghne kinde stranged； 6040
A lappewincke mad he was；
And thus he hoppeth on the gras；
And on his hed ther stant upriht
A creste in tokne he was a kniht；
And yit unto this dai men seith；
A lappewincke hath lore his feith
And is the brid falseste of alle。
Bewar； mi Sone； er thee so falle；
For if thou be of such covine；
To gete of love be Ravine 6050
Thi lust； it mai thee falle thus；
As it befell of Teres。
Mi fader； goddes forebode！
Me were levere be fortrode
With wilde hors and be todrawe；
Er I ayein love and his lawe
Dede eny thing or loude or stille；
Which were noght mi ladi wille。
Men sein that every love hath drede；
So folweth it that I hire drede； 6060
For I hire love； and who so dredeth；
To plese his love and serve him nedeth。
Thus mai ye knowen be this skile
That no Ravine don I wile
Ayein hir will be such a weie；
Bot while I live； I wol obeie
Abidinge on hire courtesie；
If eny merci wolde hir plie。
Forthi； mi fader； as of this
I wot noght I have don amis： 6070
Bot furthermore I you beseche；
Som other point that ye me teche；
And axeth forth； if ther be auht；
That I mai be the betre tauht。
Whan Covoitise in povere astat
Stant with himself upon debat
Thurgh lacke of his misgovernance；
That he unto his sustienance
Ne can non other weie finde
To gete him good； thanne as the blinde； 6080
Which seth noght what schal after falle；
That ilke vice which men calle
Of Robberie； he takth on honde；
Wherof be water and be londe
Of thing which othre men beswinke
He get him cloth and mete and drinke。
Him reccheth noght what he beginne；
Thurgh thefte so that he mai winne：
Forthi to maken his pourchas
He lith awaitende on the pas； 6090
And what thing that he seth ther passe；
He takth his part； or more or lasse；
If it be worthi to be take。
He can the packes wel ransake；
So prively berth non aboute
His gold； that he ne fint it oute；
Or other juel； what it be；
He takth it as his proprete。
In wodes and in feldes eke
Thus Robberie goth to seke； 6100
Wher as he mai his pourpos finde。
And riht so in the same kinde；
My goode Sone； as thou miht hiere；
To speke of love in the matiere
And make a verrai resemblance；
Riht as a thief makth his chevance
And robbeth mennes good aboute
In wode and field； wher he goth oute；
So be ther of these lovers some；
In wylde stedes wher thei come 6110
And finden there a womman able；
And therto place covenable；
Withoute leve； er that thei fare；
Thei take a part of that chaffare：
Yee； though sche were a Scheperdesse；
Yit wol the lord of wantounesse
Assaie； althogh sche be unmete；
For other mennes good is swete。
Bot therof wot nothing the wif
At hom； which loveth as hir lif 6120
Hir lord； and sitt alday wisshinge
After hir lordes hom comynge：
Bot whan that he comth hom at eve；
Anon he makth his wif beleve；
For sche noght elles scholde knowe：
He telth hire hou his hunte hath blowe；
And hou his houndes have wel runne；
And hou ther schon a merye Sunne；
And hou his haukes flowen wel；
Bot he wol telle her nevere a diel 6130
Hou he to love untrewe was；
Of that he robbede in the pas；
And tok his lust under the schawe
Ayein love and ayein his lawe。
Which thing； mi Sone； I thee forbede；
For it is an ungoodly dede。
For who that takth be Robberie
His love； he mai noght justefie
His cause； and so fulofte sithe
For ones that he hath be blithe 6140
He schal ben after sory thries。
Ensample of suche Robberies
I finde write； as thou schalt hiere；
Acordende unto this matiere。
I rede hou whilom was a Maide；
The faireste； as Ovide saide；
Which was in hire time tho；
And sche was of the chambre also
Of Pallas； which is the goddesse
And wif to Marte； of whom prouesse 6150
Is yove to these worthi knihtes。
For he is of so grete mihtes；
That he governeth the bataille；
Withouten him may noght availe
The stronge hond； bot he it helpe；
Ther mai no knyht of armes yelpe；
Bot he feihte under his banere。
Bot nou to speke of mi matiere；
This faire； freisshe； lusti mai；
Al one as sche wente on a dai 6160
Upon the stronde forto pleie；
Ther cam Neptunus in the weie；
Which hath the See in governance；
And in his herte such plesance
He tok； whan he this Maide sih；
That al his herte aros on hih；
For he so sodeinliche unwar
Behield the beaute that sche bar。
And caste anon withinne his herte
That sche him schal no weie asterte； 6170
Bot if he take in avantage
Fro thilke maide som pilage；
Noght of the broches ne the Ringes；
Bot of some othre smale thinges
He thoghte parte； er that sche wente；
And hire in bothe hise armes hente；
And putte his hond toward the cofre；
Wher forto robbe he made a profre；
That lusti tresor forto stele；
Which passeth othre goodes fele 6180
And cleped is the maidenhede；
Which is the flour of wommanhede。
This Maiden； which Cornix be name
Was hote； dredende alle schame；
Sih that sche mihte noght debate；
And wel sche wiste he wolde algate
Fulfille his lust of Robberie；
Anon began to wepe and crie；
And seide； 〃O Pallas； noble queene；
Scheu nou thi myht and let be sene； 6190
To kepe and save myn honour：
Help； that I lese noght mi flour；
Which nou under thi keie is loke。〃
That word was noght so sone spoke；
Whan Pallas schop recoverir
After the will and the desir
Of hire； which a Maiden was；
And sodeinliche upon this cas
Out of hire wommanisshe kinde
Into a briddes like I finde 6200
Sche was transformed forth withal；
So that Neptunus nothing stal
Of such thing as he wolde have stole。
With fetheres blake as eny cole
Out of hise armes in a throwe
Sche flih before his yhe a Crowe；
Which was to hire a more delit；
To kepe hire maidenhede whit
Under the wede of fethers blake；
In Perles whyte than forsake 6210
That no lif mai restore ayein。
Bot thus Neptune his herte in vein
Hath upon Robberie sett；
The bridd is flowe and he was let；
The faire Maide him hath ascaped；
Wherof for evere he was bejaped
And scorned of that he hath lore。
Mi Sone； be thou war therfore
That thou no maidenhode stele；
Wherof men sen deseses fele 6220
Aldai befalle in sondri wise；
So as I schal thee yit devise
An other tale therupon；
Which fell be olde daies gon。
King Lichaon upon his wif
A dowhter hadde； a goodly lif；
A clene Maide of worthi fame；
Calistona whos rihte name
Was cleped； and of many a lord
Sche was besoght； bot hire acord 6230
To love myhte noman winne；
As sche which hath no lust therinne；
Bot swor withinne hir herte and saide
That sche wolde evere ben a Maide。
Wherof to kepe hireself in pes；
With suche as Amadriades
Were cleped； wodemaydes； tho；
And with the Nimphes ek also
Upon the spring of freisshe welles
Sche schop to duelle and nagher elles。 6240
And thus cam this Calistona
Into the wode of Tegea；
Wher sche virginite behihte
Unto Diane； and therto plihte
Her trouthe upon the bowes grene；
To kepe hir maidenhode clene。
Which afterward upon a day
Was priveliche stole away；
For Jupiter thurgh his queintise
From hire it tok in such a wise； 6250
That sodeinliche forth withal
Hire wombe aros and sche toswal；
So that it mihte noght ben hidd。
And therupon it is betidd；
Diane； which it herde telle；
In prive place unto a welle
With Nimphes al a compainie
Was come； and in a ragerie
Sche seide that sche bathe wolde；
And bad that every maide scholde 6260
With hire al naked bathe also。
And tho began the prive wo；
Calistona wax red for schame；
Bot thei that knewe noght the game；
To whom no such thing was befalle；
Anon thei made hem naked alle；
As thei that nothing wolden hyde：
Bot sche withdrouh hire evere asyde；
And natheles into the flod；
Wher that Diane hirselve stod； 6270
Sche thoghte come unaperceived。
Bot therof sche was al deceived；