PR. II. 2. C. cyte; A. sete; Lat. _sedem_. 5. C. enforsen; A. enforced; Ed. enforcen. 6. A. _om._ And blisfulnesse. 10. A. _om._ cleped. 14. C. enforsen; A. enforcen. 18. A. is (_for_ be). 20. C. ben; A. be. 22. C. nesshebors; A. neyghbours. 23. A. halden. // C. heyh; A. hey[gh]e; Ed. hye. 24: A. to b (_for_ be). 28. C. by (_for_ be); A. Ed. be. 29. A. _om._ thing. 32. A. rycchesse. 35. A. _om. 1st_ of. // C. fauor; A. fauo_ur_. 36. A. _om._ to men _and_ hem. 38. A. shollen. 39. A. Ed. the; C. tho. 45. C. sweft-; A. swifte-. 49. C. deffyned; A. Ed. diffined. 52. A. _om._ thy eyen; C. thy (_for_ thyn); Ed. thyn. // A. almost. 55. A. _om._ and _bef._ iuged. // C. A. establyssed; Ed. establysshed. 59. A. _ins._ of _after_ good (_wrongly_). 60. C. dirkyd; A. derke; Ed. dyrked. // A. _om._ but he ... path. // C. paath (_twice_). 62. C. foleyen; A. folyen. 65. C. A. _ins._ it _bef._ is; Ed. _om._ 66. C. A. foleyen; Ed. folyen. 69. C. wel neyh; Ed. wel nygh; A. _om._ // C. alle; A. Ed. al. 77. _I supply_ nat. // C. angwyssos. // C. subgyd; A. subgit. 81. A. rycches. 86. C. allegates; A. algates. // A. lyuynge (!).
It lyketh me to shewe, by subtil song, with slakke and delitable soun of strenges, how that Nature, mighty, enclineth and flitteth the governements of thinges, and by whiche lawes she, purveyable, kepeth the grete world; and how she, bindinge, restreyneth alle thinges by a bonde that may nat ben unbounde. Al be it so that 5 the lyouns of the contre of Pene beren the faire chaynes, and taken metes of the handes of folk that yeven it hem, and dreden hir sturdy maystres of whiche they ben wont to suffren betinges: yif that hir horrible mouthes ben be-bled, _that is to seyn, of bestes devoured_, hir corage of time passed, that hath ben ydel and rested, 10 repeyreth ayein; and they roren grevously and remembren on hir nature, and slaken hir nekkes fram hir chaynes unbounde; and hir mayster, first to-torn with blody tooth, assayeth the wode wrathes of hem; _this is to seyn, they freten hir mayster_. And the iangelinge brid that singeth on the heye braunches, _that is to seyn, 15 in the wode_, and after is enclosed in a streyt cage: al-though that the pleyinge bisinesse of men yeveth hem honiede drinkes and large metes with swete studie, yit natheles, yif thilke brid, skippinge out of hir streyte cage, seeth the agreables shadewes of the wodes, she defouleth with hir feet hir metes y-shad, and seketh 20 mourninge only the wode; and twitereth, desiringe the wode, with hir swete vois. The yerde of a tree, that is haled a-doun by mighty strengthe, boweth redily the crop a-doun: but yif that the hand of him that it bente lat it gon ayein, anon the crop loketh up-right to hevene. The sonne Phebus, that falleth at even in 25 the westrene wawes, retorneth ayein eftsones his carte, by privee path, ther-as it is wont aryse. Alle thinges seken ayein to hir propre cours, and alle thinges reioysen hem of hir retorninge ayein to hir nature. Ne non ordinaunce nis bitaken to thinges, but that that hath ioyned the endinge to the beginninge, and hath maked 30 the cours of it-self stable, _that it chaungeth nat from his propre kinde_.