Problemies of old likeness and figures.  
which proved been fructuous of sentens  
And have authorities grounded on scripture  
By resemblance of notable apperannce  
with moralitees concluding on prudence.  
Like as to the bible rehercith by writing.  
How trees sometime those them a king   

first in their chose they named olive.  
To reign among them Judicum doth express  
But he himself 'gan excuse belive.  
That he might not forsake the fatness  
Nor the figgetre her amorous sweetness.  
Nor the vine tree his wholesome fresh courage.  
which giveth comfort to all manner of age.   

And semblably poets laureate.  
By dyrke parables full convenient.  
Feign that birds and beasts of estate  
As a ryol/ eagles and lions by assent.  
Scent out writeth to hold a parliament  
And made the cry briefly for to say.  
Some to have lordship and some to obey   

eagles in the air heest to take their flight  
Power of lions on the ground is seen.  
cedar among trees highest is of sight  
The laurelle of nature is aye green.  
Of flowers all flora aye goddess and queen.  
Thus in all things there been diversities  
Some of estate and some of low degrees   

poets write wondered likeness.  
And under covert keep thym self full close  
They take beasts and fowls to witness  
Of whose sayings fables first arose.  
And here I cast on my purpose  
Out of french a tale to translate.  
within a pamphlet I read & saw but late   

This tale which I make of mention  
In gross rehearseth plainly to declare  
The great proverbs pays for the ransom  
Of a little bird taken in a snare.  
Wondered desirous to escape out of care.  
Of mine author following the process.  
So as it fell in order shall express   

Sometime there dwelled in a small village.  
As mine author maketh mention.  
A churl which had lust and courage  
within himself by diligent travail.  
To array his garden with notable aparayl  
Of lenghe and breed alike & long  
Hedged and ditched to make it sure & strong   

all the allies were made plain with sonde  
The benches covered with new turfs green.  
With the sweet herbs and condutes at the hunde  
That welled up against the son sheen  
Like unto silver or any crystal clean  
The burbyl waves in their up boiling.  
Round as a beral their beams out showing.   

In mids of the garden stood a fresh laurel  
thereon a bird singing day and night.  
With shining feathers brighter than gold wire  
Which with her song made heavy hearts light.  
That her to biholde it was an heavenly sight  
How toward even and in the dawning.  
She did her pain most amerously to sing   

Esperus enforced her courage  
To ward ewyn when phoebus went to west  
Among the branches to take her advantage.  
To sing her compleyn and than to go to rest  
At at the rising of the queen alceste  
To sing again as it were her dew  
early on morrow the day after to salue   

It was a very heavenly melody  
even and morrow to here the birds song  
And the sweet sugared armony  
with uncouth warbles & tones draw a long  
That all the garden of the noise rung  
Till on the moro we when titan did shine clet  
The bird was trapped & caught in a pantere.   

The chorl was glad that he the bird had take  
Merry of cheer of look and of visage  
And in all haste he cast for to make  
within his house a pretty little cage.  
And with her song to rejoice his courage  
Till at the last the cely bird abraid.  
And soburly unto the churl she said   

I am now take and stand under danger  
Held straight that I may natfle.  
A dieu my song/ my lusty notes clear.  
Now have I lost my liberty.  
Now am I thrall that sometime was free.  
And trust me weal while I stand in distress  
I can not sing nor make no gladness   

And though my cage forged were of gold.  
And the penacles of beral and crystal  
I remember a proverb said of old  
who loseth his freedom he loseth all  
For I had liefer upon a branch small  
Merely sing among the wood green  
Than in a cage of silver bright and sheen   

Song and prison have noon accordance.  
Trowyst thou I will sing in prison  
Nay/ for song proceedeth of joy & pleasance.  
And prison causeth death and destruction  
ringing of feters maketh no merry sound.  
Or who should be merry or jocund.  
Against his will that lieth in chains hound   

what availeth a lion to be a king  
To be shut up in a tour of stone  
Or an eagle under straight keeping  
Called king of fowls everyone  
Fie on lordship when liberty is go  
Answer hereto and let it not asterte  
who singeth merely that sing not at heart   

But and thou wilt rejoice of my syngyuge  
Suffer me to go free from all danger.  
And every day in the grey morning  
I will repair unto thy laurel  
And merely sing with lusty notes clear  
under thy chamber or afore thine hall.  
Every season when thou list me call   

To be shit up and pinned under dread  
No thing accordeth to my nature  
Though I were fed with myllr & wastel breed  
And sweet curds brought to my pasture.  
yet I had liefer to do my busy cure.  
early on morrow to shrappe in the wall  
To find my dinner among the worms small.   

The labourer is gladder at the plough  
early on moro we to feed him with bacon  
Than some man is that hath treasure enough  
And of all dainties plenty and foison  
And no freedom with his possession  
To go at large but as a bear at a stake  
To pass his bonds if he leave take   

Take this answer for a full conclusion  
To sing in prison thou shalt me not constrain  
Till I have freedom in woods up and down  
To flee at large on bough rough & plain.  
And of reason thou shouldest not disdain  
Of my desire but laugh & have good game  
But he that is a chorl would each were the same.  
we'll quoth the chrole sith it will not be.  
That I desire as by thy talking.  
maugre thy will thou shalt cheese one of three  
within a cage merry to sing  
Or to the kitchen I shall thy body bring.  
Pluck thy feathers that been bright and clear.  
And after roast or bake the to my soupere   

weal quoth the bird as to reason I say not nay  
Touching my song a full answer thou hast  
And when my feathers be pulled a weigh  
If I be roasted and baken in a paste.  
On me thou shalt have a small repast  
But and if thou wilt work after my counsel  
By me thou mayst have great avail.   

If thou wilt to my reason assent  
And suffer me to go free from prison  
without ransom or any other rend  
I shall the give a notable guerdon  
Three great wisdoms according to reason.  
Moore of value take heed what I profre.  
Than all thy gold shut in thy coffer   

Trust me weal I shall the not deceive.  
we'll quoth the churl tell on let see  
Nay quoth the bird thou must afore conceive  
who that shall teach of reason must go free  
It sitteth a master to have his liberty.  
And at large to teach his lesson  
Have me not suspect I mean no treason   

weal quoth the churl I hold me content.  
I trust thy promise which thou madest me  
The bird flay forth the churl was of assent  
And took her flight unto the laurel tree  
Than thought she now stand I free  
with nor panters I cast not all my live.  
Nor with lime tuygges any more to strive   

He is a fool that scaped is danger.  
Broken his fetters and fled out of prison.  
To resort/ for brent child dreadeth fire.  
Each man be ware of wisdom and reason  
Of sugar strawed whichl hideth falls poison  
There is no poison venom so ꝑlous of sharpness  
As is when it hath of treacle a likeness   

who dreadeth no peril in peril he shall fall  
Smooth waters been oftentimes deep  
The quail pipe can most falsely call  
Till the qu ail under the net doth creep  
A blear-eyed fouler trust not though he weep  
Eschew his thumb of weeping take non heed  
That small birds can nip by the heed   

And I that now such danger am escaped  
I will be ware and afore provide  
That of no fouler I will no more be iaped.  
From their limetwigs I will i'll far aside.  
where peril is great peril is to abide.  
Come near thou churl & herkyn to my speech.  
Of three wisdoms that I will the teach.   

give not of wisdom to hasty credence  
To every tale and each tiding  
But consider of reason and prudence  
Among many tales is many a great losing.  
Hasty credence hath caused great hindering.  
Report of tales & tidings brought up new  
Caused many a man to be hold untrue.   

For one part take this of my ransom  
Learn the second grounded on scripture  
Desire thou not by no condition  
Through which is impossible to recure  
worldly desires stand in adventure  
As who desireth to climb high on fit  
By sudden turn he falleth unsoft   

The third is this beware both even & morrow.  
forget it not but learn this of me  
For treasure lost make never to great sorrow  
which in no wise may recovered be.  
For who so taketh sorrow for love of any degree  
Rekyn his love and ofter his pain.  
And of one sorrow he maketh sorrows twain   

after this lesson the bird began a song  
Of her escape greatly reiosing  
And she remembered also the great wrouge.  
Done by the churl first at her taking  
Of her affray and her imprisoning  
Glade that she was out of dread  
Said unto him hoving above his heed   

Thou were quoth she a very natural fool  
To suffer me depart of thy lewdness  
Thou aught complain & make dole  
And in thy heart to have great heaviness  
That thou lost so passing great richesses  
which might sufficed by value in reckoning  
To pay the ransom of a mighty king   

There is a stone which is called a iacounce  
Of old engendered in mine entrayl  
which of fine gold passeth a great ounce  
citrine of colour like a garnet of entable  
which maketh men victorious in battle  
And who soevir beareth on him this stone.  
Is fully assured against his mortal fone   

who that hath this stone in possession  
Shall suffer no poverty ne noon indigens  
Butt of all treasure have plenty and foison  
And every man shall do him reverence.  
And noon enemy shall do to him offence  
But fro thy hands now that I am go.  
Pleyn if thou wilt for thy part is none.   

If causeth love it maketh men gracious.  
And favourable in every man's sight  
It maketh accord bit ween men envious.  
It comforteth soroful it maketh heavy hearts light  
Like to poison in colour shineth bright  
I am a fool to tell all at any  
Or to teach a churl the price of precious stones.   

Men should not put a precious margarite.  
As rubies sapphires and other stones India  
Emeralds nor round pearls white  
afore rude swine that love draff of kind  
For a sow delighteth as I find  
Moore in foul draff her pigs for to glade  
Than in all the pery that cometh of garnade.   

Each thing draweth to his semblable  
fishes in the see beasts on the ground.  
The air for fowls is commendable  
And to the plough man for to till the land  
And a churl to have a muk fork in hand  
I lose my time any more to tarry.  
Or to teach a churl of the lapidary.   

That thou hadst thou gettyst no more again  
Thy lime twigs and thy panters I defy.  
To let me go thou were foul ovirseen  
To lose thy richesses only of folly  
I am now free to sing and to fly/  
where that me list he is a fool at all  
That goeth at large & maketh himself a thrall   

To here to wisdom thine ears been deaf  
Like an ass that listeth to an harp  
Thou mayst go pipe in an ivy leaf  
For better is to sing on thorns sharp  
Than in a cage with a churl to carp.  
For it was said of follres year a go  
That a churl's hired is often woby gone  
The churl felt his heart at weyn  
For very sorrow and asunder rive  
Alas quoth he I may weal weep and plain.  
As a wretch never like to the nor thrive.  
But to morn in poverty all my live  
For of folly and of wilfulness  
I have lost holy all my richesses   

I was a lord I cried out on fortune.  
And had great treasure late in my keeping  
which might have made long for to continue.  
with that stone to have lived like a king  
Or if that I had set it in a ring  
Born it upon me I had good enough  
Me needed no more to have gone to plough.   

when the bird heard the churl thus morn.  
And how that he was heavy of his cheer.  
She took her flight and 'gan again return  
Toward him and said as ye shall here.  
O thou dull churl wisdom for to lere  
That I the taught all is left behind  
Razed away and clean out of thy mind   

Taught I the not this wisdom in sentence  
To every tale brought up a new  
not to hastily to give credence  
Unto the time thou knew that it were true  
all is not gold that showeth goldisshe hew.  
Nor stones all by nature as I find.  
Be not sapphires that shewyn colour ynde   

In this doctrine I have lost my labour  
To teach the such proverbs of substance  
Here mayst thou see thy lewd blind error.  
For all my body paysed in a balance.  
weigheth not an ounce rude is thy remembrance.  
I to have more poise closed in mine entrayl  
Than all my body set for the counterayl.   

Albina my body weigheth not an ounce/  
How might I than have in me a stone.  
That poiseth more than doth a great iaconce.  
Thy brain is dull thy wit is almost gone  
Of three wisdoms thou haste forgotten one.  
For thou shouldest not after my sentence.  
To every tale to give to hasty credence   

I bad also be ware both even and morrow.  
For thing lost by sudden adventure  
Thou shouldest not make to much sorrow  
when thou seest thou mayst it not recurne  
And here thou failest that dost thy busy cure.  
In thy snare to cache me again  
Thou art a fool thy labour is in vain   

In the third thou dost rave.  
For I bad thou shouldest in no manner.  
covet thing which thou mayst not have.  
In which thou haste forgotten mine emprise.  
Thus I may say plainly to devise  
That thou hast of madness forgotten all three  
Notable wisdoms that I taught the.   

It were folly more with the to carp  
Or preach of wisdoms more or less  
I hold him mad that bringeth forth an harp  
thereon to teach a rude dull ass.  
And madder is he that singeth a fool a mass  
And he is most mad that both his business  
To teach a chorse terms of gentleness   

And semblably in april and in may  
when gentle birds maken most melody  
The gucko we singeth but one lay  
Of other tones he hath no fantasy  
Thus every thing as books specify  
As fowls beasts of every age  
From whence they came thy take tallage  
The vyntener tretyth of his wholesome wines.  
Of gentle fruits bostith the gardener.  
The fisher cassiteth his books and his synes.  
To cache fish in every fresh river.  
Of tysth of land tretyth the labourer  
The gentleman tretyth of gentry  
And the churl delighteth him in all rebaudry.   

all one to the a falcon as a kite.  
As good an owl as a popinjay  
A donghyl duck as deynte as a snipe  
who serveth a churl hath many a careful day  
Adieu sir churl far weal I i'll my weigh  
For I cast me never henceforth in my liking  
A fore a churl any more to sing   

ye folk that shall this fable see or read  
New forged tales I council you to i'll  
For loss of gods take never to great heed.  
Nor be not sorry for noon adversity  
Ne covet thing that may not recovered be.  
And remember where ever ye gove  
That a churl's bird is ever wobigone.   

Unto purpose this proved is full rive  
Reed and report by old remembrance  
That a churl's bird and a knaves wife.  
Have oftentimes great sorrow & mischance  
And who that hath freedom hath all suffisance.  
For better is freedom with little in gladesse.  
Than to be thrall with all worldly richesses   

Go little squire and recommend me  
Unto my master with humble affection  
Beseeching him lowle of mercy and pity  
Of this rude making to have compassion.  
And as touching the translation.  
Dute of french how so it englished be  
all thing is said under correctioy  
with supportation of your benignynte    

Here endeth the tale of the churl & the bird. imprinted by me Richard Pinson.