27.

And also would I that they all were dead,
Who do not think in love their life to lead;
For who is loth the God of Love to obey,
Is only fit to die, I dare well say,
And for that cause OSEE I cry; take heed!

28.

Ay, quoth the Cuckoo, that is a quaint law,
That all must love or die; but I withdraw,
And take my leave of all such company,
For mine intent it neither is to die,

Nor ever while I live Love's yoke to draw.

29.

For lovers of all folk that be alive,

The most disquiet have and least do thrive; Most feeling have of sorrow's woe and care, And the least welfare cometh to their share ; What need is there against the truth to strive?

30.

What! quoth she, thou art all out of thy mind,
That in thy churlishness a cause canst find
To speak of Love's true Servants in this mood;
For in this world no service is so good
To every wight that gentle is of kind.

31.

For thereof comes all goodness and all worth;

All gentleness and honour thence come forth;

Thence worship comes, content and true heart's pleasure, And full-assured trust, joy without measure,

And jollity, fresh cheerfulness, and mirth:

32.

And bounty, lowliness, and courtesy,
And seemliness, and faithful company,

And dread of shame that will not do amiss ;
For he that faithfully Love's servant is,

Rather than be disgraced, would chuse to die.

33.

And that the very truth it is which I

Now say-in such belief I'll live and die ;

And Cuckoo, do thou so, by my

advice.

Then, quoth she, let me never hope for bliss,

If with that counsel I do e'er comply.

34.

Good Nightingale! thou speakest wondrous fair,

Yet for all that, the truth is found elsewhere;
For Love in young folk is but rage, I wis;

And Love in old folk a great dotage is ;
Who most it useth, him 'twill most impair.

35.

For thereof come all contraries to gladness;

Thence sickness comes, and overwhelming sadness,

Mistrust and jealousy, despite, debate,

Dishonour, shame, envy importunate,

Pride, anger, mischief, poverty and madness.

36.

Loving is aye an office of despair,

And one thing is therein which is not fair;

For whoso gets of love a little bliss,

Unless it alway stay with him, I wis

He may

full soon go with an old man's hair.

37.

And, therefore, Nightingale! do thou keep nigh,
For trust me well, in spite of thy quaint cry,
If long time from thy mate thou be, or far,
Thou 'lt be as others that forsaken are;
Then shalt thou raise a clamour as do I.

38.

Fie, quoth she, on thy name, Bird ill beseen!
The God of Love afflict thee with all teen,
For thou art worse than mad a thousand fold;
For many a one hath virtues manifold,

Who had been nought, if Love had never been.

39.

For evermore his servants Love amendeth,
And he from every blemish them defendeth;
And maketh them to burn, as in a fire,

In loyalty, and worshipful desire,

And when it likes him, joy enough them sendeth.

40.

Thou Nightingale! the Cuckoo said, be still,
For Love no reason hath but his own will ;-
For to th' untrue he oft gives ease and joy;
True lovers doth so bitterly annoy,

He lets them perish through that grievous ill.

41.

With such a master would I never be *,

For he, in sooth, is blind, and may not see,

And knows not when he hurts and when he heals; Within this court full seldom Truth avails,

So diverse in his wilfulness is he.

42.

Then of the Nightingale did I take note,
How from her inmost heart a sigh she brought,
And said, Alas! that ever I was born,

Not one word have I now, I am so forlorn,—
And with that word, she into tears burst out.

⚫ From a manuscript in the Bodleian, as are also stanzas 44 and 45.

43.

Alas, alas! my very heart will break,

Quoth she, to hear this churlish bird thus speak Of Love, and of his holy services;

Now, God of Love! thou help me in some wise, That vengeance on this Cuckoo I

44.

may wreak.

And so methought I started up anon,
And to the brook I ran, and got a stone,
Which at the Cuckoo hardily I cast,
And he for dread did fly away full fast;
And glad, in sooth, was I when he was gone.

45.

And as he flew, the Cuckoo ever and aye,
Kept crying, "Farewell!-farewell Popinjay!"
As if in scornful mockery of me;

And on I hunted him from tree to tree,

Till he was far, all out of sight, away.

46.

Then straightway came the Nightingale to me, And said, Forsooth, my friend, do I thank thee, That thou wert near to rescue me; and now, Unto the God of Love I make a vow,

That all this May I will thy songstress be.