parliament of birds. No man may now speak of truth But his heed be broken and that is routhe The hawk ¶ The hawk swore by his heed of graye All sothes be not for to say It is better some be left by reason Than truth to be spoken out of season The popynge. ¶ Than spake the popynge jay of paradise Who saythe little he is wise For little money is sone spend And few words are sone amend The hawk ¶ The hawk bade for dread of pain speak not much of thy sovereign For who that will forge tales new when he weeneth masspriest his tale may rue the comynse ¶ Than desired they grete and small To ●●●e the hawk for good and all A place a one we wolde he had For his counsel to us was never glad The hawk ¶ The hawk answered ye fail all wit It is not time to mewe hawks yet Comyns of hawks can but little skill They shall not rule them as they will the nyghtynge. ¶ anon than sang the nyghtyngale With notes many grete and small The bird that can well speak and sing Shall be cherished with queen and king The hawk ¶ The hawk answered with grete fury The song is nought that is not merry And who so no bitter song can Maketh little cheer to ony man the donne. ¶ Than rombled the donne for her lot folk may be merry and sing not And how so hath no good voice Must make merry with little noise The haw●e ¶ when this reason was forth shewed learn quod the hawk or or be lewd For the bird that can not speak ne sing Shall to the kitchen to serve the king ●he pheasant ¶ Thou crowed the pheasant in the wode dumb men he saythe getteth little good Wode ne water ne other food It fleteth fro him as doth the flood The hawk ¶ The hawk said when all is sought Grete crowers were never nought For I swear thee by my folly He is not most wise that is most Ioly The morecocke. ¶ Than crowed again the morecocke The hawk bringeth much thing ou● o● nocke The ofyll wysteleth and birds black He must haue a do that a do doth make The hawk ¶ I must said the hawk by all my belles say for myself when none will elles He is not greatly to reprove That speaketh with his souerayns leave the botore. ¶ Than blussed the bottore in the fen The cote / the dobchyk / and the water hen The hawk that doth us all this dere We wolde he were soused in the mire The hawk ¶ The hawk said wysshers wanton will Whether they speak loud or still when all this done was said and last every man must live by his craft The malarde. ¶ Than creked the malarde and the goose They may best fle that are lose He is well that is at large That needeth not the kings grete charge The hawk ¶ The hawk said though they fle lose They must obey they may not choose Who hath a master or a make He is tied fast by the stake the heron ¶ Than creked the heron and the crane Grete trouble make wits lame He is well auysed that can bear him low And suffer every wind to ouerblowe The hawk ¶ The hawk said who can blow to please long necks done grete ease For the comyns that haue no rest meaneth not ever with the heste The pertryche / quail / and lark▪ The pertryche. ¶ The pertryche / quail / and lark in field said here may not avail but spear and shield The hawk with us maketh grete battle In every country where he may avail The hawk ¶ The hawk said who so wilfully will fight May make him wrong sone of his right Lawe is best I vnderstonde To right all thing in every lounde the robin And the wren. ¶ Than chide the robin and the wren And all small birds that beareth pen against the hawk the comunes must arise And help wolf on their best wise The hawk ¶ The hawk made the wren his answer Small power may little dere And who will live in rest long may not be busy with his tongue the comȳ. ¶ Than prayed all the common house That some might the hawk sons For foul ne bird by water ne land He was destroyed and he may grind In his nest may none abide In country where he doth glide their feathers plucked many a fold And leaveth them naked in full grete cold Vnthynketh therfore the reason good To destroy the hawk and all his blood the king & his lords. ¶ The king and his lords answered anon States may not the hawk foregone Nor by no lawe his kind destroy Nor deme himself for to die Nor put him to none other distress But keepeth him in a pair of guess That he fle not to no bird about But his keeper let him out The cornysshe daw. ¶ Than said the cornysshe daw little money little lawe For here is nought elles with friend ne so But go bet penny go bet go The hawk. ¶ Thou cornysshe quod the hawk by thy will Say well or hold the sty●l For thou hast herde of many a man A song breaketh bone and itself hath none the king ¶ Than answered the king of the birds by rue Why cometh not to the parliament the crow For good counsel reformeth every raysse And it betokeneth where it is The hawk. ¶ The hawek said it is no less counsel is good in war and pese But the crow hath no brain For to give counsel but of the rain the night whale. ¶ Then said the night whale with his heed gay He shameth us with his parliament array It is a term with johan and jack Broken sleue draweth arm a back The hawk. ¶ The hawk said he shall thrive full late That looketh to keep a grete estate And can not with all his wisdom Gete himself an hole gown ¶ The pecoke and the swan. ¶ Than said the pecoke and the swan Who no good hath no good can And little is his wit set by That hath not to bear out company The hawk. ¶ The hawk said he is worse than wode That maketh him fre●she with other mennes good Or ought will borrow and never pay Or with wrong getteth galaunt array the speck ¶ Than in his hole said the speck I wolde the hawk broke his neck Or brought into mischievous dale For of every bird he telleth a tale The hawk. ¶ The hawk said though thy castle be in the tre build not above thy degree For who so heweth over hye The chips will fall in his eye the king ¶ Than said the king it is our intent To mend the crows raiment And all the birds said anon Of each of our feders he shall haue one The hawk. ¶ The hawk said he may sone come to honest That every man helpeth in his post For as teacheth us the learned clerk Many hands maketh light work the tydyffre. ¶ I say quod the tydyffre we kentysshe men We may not give the crow a pen For with them that are not sober and good A bird in hand is worth two in the wood The hawk ¶ The hawk said I take me to my creed Who so will spend with you he may speed little ye give but ye wote why Ye make the blind eat many a fly the crow ¶ Than the crow was put in his array I am not now as I was yesterday I am able without offence To speak in the kings presence The hawk ¶ The hawk said to the comyns bydene envy and pride wolde fain be sene He is worthy none audience to haue That can not say but knave knave the comynse ¶ Than asked the birds by advisement Who is that taketh to us no tent He presumeth before us all to fle To the kings high majesty The hawk ¶ The hawk answered to the white semewe He is the sorry black crow And for him fareth no man the better let him crow therfore never the greater the lords ¶ Than said the lords every chone We will ask of the king anon That every bird shall resume again his feather and his plume And make the crow again a knave For he that nought hath nought shall haue The hawk ¶ Than said the hawk as some men say borrowed ware will home again And who will hearken what all men doos May go help to sho the goose The cormoraunt. ¶ For to crow spake the cormoraunt And of his rule made grete avaunt such worship is reason that every man haue As the kings highness vouchesaue The hawk ¶ Hit is loath quud the hawk that thou dost say when all turneth to sport and play Thou mayst masspriest speak for the crows pelf For all thing loveth that is like himself The hole {per}lyament. ¶ Then prayed the hole parlyamente To the king with one assent That every bird her feder might Take from that proud knight the king ¶ The king said ye shall leave haue A knight should never come of a knave All thing will show from whence it come Where is his place and his home The hawk ¶ Now trwely said the hawk then It is grete comfort to all men Of the kings grete prosperity when the king ruleth well his comynalte ¶ Than was plucked fro the crow anon All his feders by one and by one And left in black in stede of reed And called him a page. of the fyrs●e l●ed The hawk ¶ Quod the hawk the crow is now as he should be A kind knave in his degree And he that weeneth that no bird is him like when his feders are plucked he may hȳ go pike the comynse. ¶ Than made the comyns grete noise And asked of the lords with one voice That they wolde the hawk exile out of this land man 〈…〉 yle never to come again hither But the king send for 〈◇〉 thither him to trust we haue no ●heson For it is proved in trust is treason And sythe ye say he shall not not die pluck of this hokes and let him fly the lords ¶ To that said the lords we pretend This statute and other to amend So in this that ye accord To put all in our sovereign lord the comynse. ¶ The comyns said it is grete skill All thine to be at the kings will And under the hand of his grete might By grace his people to seek his right The hawk Than said the hawk now to now fro Thus goeth the world in well and wo the king ¶ Than said the king in his majesty We will dyssyuer this grete semble He commanded his chauncelere The best statutes to rede that he might here Thus the final judgment He red of the birds parliament whether they be white or black None shall others feders take Nor the rauyn pluck the pecockes tail To make him fresh for his avail For the comyns feders want For with some they be right skante