To hearen of his clearë voice the soun’.
Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioún,
That with his singing walled the citý,
Could never singë half so well as he.
Thereto he was the seemliestë man
That is, or was since that the world began;
What needeth it his features to descrive?
For in this world is none so fair alive.
He was therewith full fill’d of gentleness,
Of honour, and of perfect worthiness.
This Phoebus, that was flower of bach’lery,
As well in freedom4947 as in chivalry,
For his disport, in sign eke of victóry
Of Python, so as telleth us the story,
Was wont to bearen in his hand a bow.
Now had this Phoebus in his house a crow,
Which in a cage he foster’d many a day,
And taught it speaken, as men teach a jay.
White was this crow, as is a snow-white swan,
And counterfeit the speech of every man
He couldë, when he shouldë tell a tale.
Therewith in all this world no nightingale
Ne couldë by an hundred thousand deal4948
Singë so wondrous merrily and well.
Now had this Phoebus in his house a wife,
Which that he loved morë than his life.
And night and day did ever his diligence
Her for to please, and do her reverence:
Save only, if that I the sooth shall sayn,
Jealous he was, and would have kept her fain.
For him were loth y-japed4949 for to be;
And so is every wight in such degree;
But all for nought, for it availeth nought.
A good wife, that is clean of work and thought,
Should not be kept in none await4950 certáin:
And truëly the labour is in vain
To keep a shrewë,4951 for it will not be.
This hold I for a very nicety,4952
To spillë4953 labour for to keepë wives;
Thus writen oldë clerkës in their lives.
But now to purpose, as I first began.
This worthy Phoebus did all that he can
To pleasë her, weening, through such pleasánce,
And for his manhood and his governánce,
That no man should have put him from her grace;
But, God it wot, there may no man embrace
As to distrain4954 a thing, which that natúre
Hath naturally set in a creatúre.
Take any bird, and put it in a cage,
And do all thine intent, and thy coráge,4955
To foster it tenderly with meat and drink
Of allë dainties that thou canst bethink,
And keep it all so cleanly as thou may;
Although the cage of gold be never so gay,
Yet had this bird, by twenty thousand fold,
Lever4956 in a forést, both wild and cold,
Go eatë wormës, and such wretchedness.
For ever this bird will do his business
T’ escape out of his cage when that he may:
His liberty the bird desireth aye.4957
Let take a cat, and foster her with milk
And tender flesh, and make her couch of silk,
And let her see a mouse go by the wall,
Anon she weiveth4958 milk, and flesh, and all,
And every dainty that is in that house,
Such appetite hath she to eat the mouse.
Lo, here hath kind4959 her dominatin,
And appetite flemeth4960 discretión.
A she-wolf hath also a villain’s kind;4961
The lewedestë wolf that she may find,
Or least of reputation, will she take
In timë when her lust4962 to have a make.4963
All these examples speak I by4964 these men
That be untrue, and nothing by womén.
For men have ever a lik’rous appetite
On lower things to pérform their delight
Than on their wivës, be they never so fair,
Never so truë, nor so debonair.4965
Flesh is so newëfangled, with mischance,4966
That we can in no thingë have pleasánce
That souneth4967 unto virtue any while.
This Phoebus, which that thought upon no guile,
Deceived was for all his jollitý;
For under him another haddë she,
A man of little reputatión,
Nought worth to Phoebus in comparison.
The more harm is; it happens often so,
Of which there cometh muchë harm and woe.
And so befell, when Phoebus was absént,
His wife anon hath for her leman4968 sent.
Her leman! certes that is a knavish speech.
Forgive it me, and that I you beseech.
The wisë Plato saith, as ye may read,
The word must needs accordë with the deed;
If men shall tellë properly a thing,
The word must cousin be to the workíng.
I am a boistous4969 man, right thus I say.
There is no differencë truëly
Betwixt a wife that is of high degree
(If of her body dishonést she be),
And any poorë wench, other than this
(If it so be they workë both amiss),
But, for4970 the gentle is in estate above,
She shall be call’d his lady and his love;
And, for that other is a poor womán,
She shall be call’d his wench and his lemán:
And God it wot, mine owen dearë brother,
Men lay the one as low as lies the other.
Right so betwixt a titleless tyránt4971
And an outlaw, or else a thief erránt,4972
The same I say, there is no differénce
(To Alexander told was this senténce),
But, for the tyrant is of greater might
By force of meinie4973 for to slay downright,
And burn both house and home, and make all plain,4974
Lo, therefore is he call’d a capitáin;
And, for the outlaw hath but small meinie,
And may not do so great an harm as he,
Nor bring a country to so great mischíef,
Men callë him an outlaw or a thief.
But, for I am a man not textuel,4975
I will not tell of texts never a deal;4976
I will go to my tale, as I began.
When Phoebus’ wife had sent for her lemán,
Anon they wroughten all their lust volage.4977
This whitë crow, that hung aye in the cage,
Beheld their work, and said never a word;
And when that home was come Phoebus the lord,
This crowë sung, “Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!”
“What? bird,” quoth Phoebus, “what song sing’st thou now?
Wert thou not wont so merrily to sing,
That to my heart it was a réjoicíng
To hear thy voice? alas! what song is this?”
“By
