from _THE_PARLEMENT_OF_FOULES_ Geoffrey Chaucer c. 1377? ====================================== . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On every bow the foules herde I synge, With voys of aungel in here armonye; Some besyde hem here bryddes forth to brynge. The litele conyes to here pley gunne hye. And ferther al aboute I gan aspye The dredful ro, the buk, the hert and hynde, Squyreles, and bestes smale of gentil kynde. (190-196) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And right as Aleyn in the _Pleynt_of_Kynde_ Devyseth Nature of aray and face, In swich aray men myghte hire there fynde. This noble emperesse, ful of grace, Bad every foul to take his owne place, As they were woned alwey, fro yer to yeere, Seynt Valentines day to stonden theere. That is to seyn, the foules of ravyne Were heyest set, and thanne the foules smale That eten as hem Nature wolde enclyne-- As werm or thyng of which I telle no tale; And water-foul sat loueste in the dale; But foul that lyveth by sed sat on the grene, And that so fele that wonder was to sene. There myghte men the ryal egle fynde, That with his sharpe lok perseth the sunne, And othere egles of a lowere kynde, Of whiche that clerkes wel devyse cunne. Ther was the tiraunt with his federys dunne And grey, I mene the goshauk, that doth pyne To bryddes for his outrageous ravyne. The gentyl faucoun that with his feet distrayneth The kynges hand; the hardy sperhauk eke, The quayles foo; the merlioun that payneth Hymself ful ofte the larke for to seke; There was the douve with hire eyen meke; The jelous swan, ayens his deth that syngeth; The oule ek that of deth the bode bryngeth; The crane, the geaunt, with his trompes soun; the thef, the chough; and ek the jangelynge pye; The skornynge jay; the eles fo, heroun; The false lapwynge, ful of trecherye; The stare that the conseyl can bewreye; The tame roddock; and the coward kyte; The kok, that orloge is of thorpes lyte; The sparwe, Venus sone; the nyghtyngale That clepeth forth the grene leves newe; The swalwe, motherere of the foules smale That maken hony of floures freshe of hewe; the wedded turtil with hire herte trewe; The pecok with his aungels fetheres bryghte; the fesaunt, skornere of the cok by nyghte; The waker goos; the cokkow ever unkynde; The popynjay ful of delicasye; The drake, stroyere of his owene kynde; The stork, the wrekere of avouterye; the hote cormeraunt of glotenye; The raven wys; the crowe with vois of care; the thrustil old; the frosty feldefare. What shulde I seyn? Of foules every kynde That in this world hath federes and stature, Men myghten in that place assemblede fynde Byfore the noble Goddesse of Nature, And everiche of hem ded his besy cure Benygnely to chese or for to take, By hire acord, his formel or his make. But to the poynt: Nature held on hire hond A formel egle, of shap the gentilleste That evere she among hire werkes fond, the moste benygne and the goodlieste. In hire was everi vertu at his reste So ferforth that Nature hirself hadde blysse To look on hire and ofte hire bek to kysse. (316-378) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ======== ========