This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 Excerpt: ...speche laste til dounward drow the sunne wonder faste. 490 The noyse of foules for to ben delyvered sg loude rgng, 'have don, and lat us wende!' that wel wende 1 the wode hadde al toshyvered. 'Com of, ' they cried, 'al/as, ye wol us shende: whan shal youre cursed plgtyng have an ende; 495 how sholde a jiige eyther partIe leve for yg or nay withouten any preve?' 72. The goos, the cokkow, and the doke alsg sg cryeden-kek kek! kokkow!-quek quek! hye that thurgh myne eres the noyse wente thg. 500 The goos seyde: 'al this nys nat worth a flye; but I can shape herof a remedie: and I wol seye my verdit fayre and swythe for water-foul, who sg be wrgth or blythe.' 73 'And 1 for worm-foul,' seyde the fol kokkow, 505 'and i wol of myn gwene autorite for comun spede take the charge now, for to delyvere us-is gret charite.' 'Ye may abyde a while yet parde,' seyde the turtel, 'if it be-youre wille, 510 a wight may speke, hym wgre as good be stylle. 74 I am a sed-foul, on the unworthieste, that wot i wel, and Htel of cunnynge; but bet is that a wyghtes tunge reste than entremgten hym of such doinge, 515 of which he neyther rede can ne synge; and who Sq doth, ful foule hymself acloyeth; for offys uncomwytted ofte anoyeth.' 75 Nature, which that alwey hadde an ere to murmour of the lewednesse behynde, 520 with facound voys seyde: 'Hold youre tunges there, and I shal sone, i hope, a conseyl fynde yow to delyvere and fro this noyse unbynde: i jiige, of qvery folk men shul n calle, to seyn the verdit for yow foules alle.' 525 76. Asjented were to this conclusioun the briddes alle; and foules of ravyne han chosen fyrst by playn eleccioun the terwlet of the faucoun to dif/yne al here sentence, and as hem lest termyne, 530 and to Nature hym gunne to presente, and she accepteth hy...