And so bifel, whan Phebus was absent,
His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent, (100)
Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavish speche! 205
Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche.
The wyse Plato seith, as ye may rede,
The word mot nede accorde with the dede.
If men shal telle proprely a thing,
The word mot cosin be to the werking. 210
I am a boistous man, right thus seye I,
Ther nis no difference, trewely,
Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree,
If of hir body dishonest she be, (110)
And a povre wenche, other than this— 215
If it so be, they werke bothe amis—
But that the gentile, in estaat above,
She shal be cleped his lady, as in love;
And for that other is a povre womman,
She shal be cleped his wenche, or his lemman. 220
And, god it wool, myn owene dere brother,
Men leyn that oon as lowe as lyth that other.
214. E. Cp. dishoneste; Hn. deshoneste. 215. _For_ a, Tyrwhitt
_reads_ any. 217. E. Cm. hir estaat (stat); _rest om._ hir.
Right so, bitwixe a titlelees tiraunt
And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt, (120)
The same I seye, ther is no difference. 225
To Alisaundre told was this sentence;
That, for the tyrant is of gretter might,
By force of meynee for to sleen doun-right,
And brennen hous and hoom, and make al plain,
Lo! therfor is he cleped a capitain; 230
And, for the outlawe hath but smal meynee,
And may nat doon so greet an harm as he,
Ne bringe a contree to so greet mescheef,
Men clepen him an outlawe or a theef. (130)
But, for I am a man noght textuel, 235
[563: T. 17185-17219.]
I wol noght telle of textes never a del;
I wol go to my tale, as I bigan.
Whan Phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman,
Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage.
223. In Hn., titlelees _is glossed by_ sine titulo. 226. Hl. told
was; _rest_ was told. 235, 236. E. textueel, deel.
The whyte crowe, that heng ay in the cage, 240
Biheld hir werk, and seyde never a word.
And whan that hoom was come Phebus, the lord,
This crowe sang ‘cokkow! cokkow! cokkow!’
240. E. they (_for_ that). E. heeng; Ln. honge; _rest_ heng. 241.
E. Biheeld.
‘What, brid?’ quod Phebus, ‘what song singestow? (140)
Ne were thow wont so merily to singe 245
That to myn herte it was a reioisinge
To here thy vois? allas! what song is this?’