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1

THE BEE AND THE STORK

2
3    The bee has thre kyndis. Ane es, þat scho es never ydill
4and scho es noghte with thaym þat will noghte wyrke, bot
5castys thaym owte and puttes thaym awaye. Anothire es,
6þat, when scho flyes, scho takes erthe in hyr fette, þat scho
7be noghte lyghtly overheghede in the ayere of wynde. The
8thyrde es, þat scho kepes clene and bryghte hire wyngez.
9Thus ryghtwyse men þat lufes God are never in ydyllnes; for
10owthyre þay ere in travayle, prayand or thynkande or redande
11or othere gude doande or withtakand ydill mene and schewand
12thaym worthy to be put fra þe ryste of heven, for þay will
13noghte travayle. Here þay take erthe, þat es, þay halde
14þamselfe vile and erthely, that thay be noghte blawen with
15þe wynde of vanyte and of pryde. Thay kepe thaire wynges
16clene, that es, þe twa commandementes of charyte þay fulfill
17in gud concyens; and thay hafe othyre vertus unblendyde
18with þe fylthe of syne and unclene luste.
19    Arestotill sais þat þe bees are feghtande agaynes hym þat
20will drawe þaire hony fra thaym. Swa sulde we do agaynes
21devells þat afforces tham to reve fra us þe hony of poure
22lyfe and of grace. For many are þat never kane halde þe
23ordyre of lufe ynence þaire frendys, sybbe or fremmede;
24bot outhire þay lufe þaym over mekill, settand thaire thoghte
25unryghtwysely on thaym, or þay luf thaym over lyttill, yf
26þay doo noghte all as þey wolde till þam. Swylke kane
27noghte fyghte for thaire hony, forthy þe develle turnes it to
28wormode, and makes þeire saules oftesythes full bitter in
29angwys and tene and besynes of vayne thoghtes and oþer
30wrechidnes; for thay are so hevy in erthely frenchype, þat
31þay may noghte flee intill þe lufe of Jhesu Criste, in þe wylke
32þay moghte wele forgaa þe lufe of all creaturs lyfande in erthe.
33    Wharefore accordandly Arystotill sais þat some fowheles
34are of gude flyghyng, þat passes fra a lande to anothire;

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35some are of ill flyghynge, for hefynes of body, and for þaire
36neste es noghte ferre fra þe erthe. Thus es it of thaym þat
37turnes þam to Godes servys; some are of gude flyeghynge,
38for thay flye fra erthe to heven and rystes thayme thare in
39thoghte and are fedde in delite of Goddes lufe, and has
40thoghte of na lufe of þe worlde; some are þat kan noghte
41flyghe fra þis lande, bot in þe waye late theyre herte ryste
42and delyttes þaym in sere lufes of men and women als þay
43come and gaa, nowe ane and nowe anothire, and in Jhesu
44Criste þay kan fynde na swettnes; or if þay any tyme fele
45oghte, it es swa lyttill and swa schorte, for othire thoghtes þat
46are in thaym, þat it brynges thaym till na stabylnes; for
47þay are lyke till a fowle, þat es callede strucyo or storke, þat
48has wenges and it may noghte flye for charge of body. Swa
49þay hafe undirstandynge and fastes and wakes and semes
50haly to mens syghte; bot thay may noghte flye to lufe and
51contemplacyone of God, þay are so chargede wyth othyre
52affeccyons and othire vanytes.