<B CMROLLBE>
<Q M2/4 IR RELT BEE>
<N BEE AND STORK>
<A ROLLE RICHARD>
<C M2/4>
<O 1250-1350>
<M 1420-1500>
<K NON-CONTEMP>
<D NO>
<V PROSE>
<T REL TREAT>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X MALE>
<Y X>
<H OTHER>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z INSTR REL>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^ROLLE, RICHARD.
TEXT:  THE BEE AND THE STORK.
A HANDBOOK OF MIDDLE ENGLISH.
ED. F. MOSSE.
TRANSLATED BY J. A. WALKER. 
BALTIMORE: THE JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS, 1952. 
PP. 231.1 - 232.50^]

<P 231>
[}THE BEE AND THE STORK}]

   The bee has thre kyndis. Ane es, +tat scho es never ydill
and scho es noghte with thaym +tat will noghte wyrke, bot
castys thaym owte and puttes thaym awaye. Anothire es,
+tat, when scho flyes, scho takes erthe in hyr fette, +tat scho
be noghte lyghtly overheghede in the ayere of wynde. The
thyrde es, +tat scho kepes clene and bryghte hire wyngez.
Thus ryghtwyse men +tat lufes God are never in ydyllnes; for
owthyre +tay ere in travayle, prayand or thynkande or redande
or othere gude doande or withtakand ydill mene and schewand
thaym worthy to be put fra +te ryste of heven, for +tay will
noghte travayle. Here +tay take erthe, +tat es, +tay halde
+tamselfe vile and erthely, that thay be noghte blawen with
+te wynde of vanyte` and of pryde. Thay kepe thaire wynges
clene, that es, +te twa commandementes of charyte` +tay fulfill
in gud concyens; and thay hafe othyre vertus unblendyde
with +te fylthe of syne and unclene luste.
   Arestotill sais +tat +te bees are feghtande agaynes hym +tat
will drawe +taire hony fra thaym. Swa sulde we do agaynes
devells +tat afforces tham to reve fra us +te hony of poure
lyfe and of grace. For many are +tat never kane halde +te 
ordyre of lufe ynence +taire frendys, sybbe or fremmede;
bot outhire +tay lufe +taym over mekill, settand thaire thoghte
unryghtwysely on thaym, or +tay luf thaym over lyttill, yf
+tay doo noghte all as +tey wolde till +tam. Swylke kane
noghte fyghte for thaire hony, forthy +te develle turnes it to
wormode, and makes +teire saules oftesythes full bitter in
angwys and tene and besynes of vayne thoghtes and o+ter 
wrechidnes; for thay are so hevy in erthely frenchype, +tat
+tay may noghte flee intill +te lufe of Jhesu Criste, in +te    #
wylke
+tay moghte wele forgaa +te lufe of all creaturs lyfande in     #
erthe.
   Wharefore accordandly Arystotill sais +tat some fowheles
are of gude flyghyng, +tat passes fra a lande to anothire;
<P 232>
some are of ill flyghynge, for hefynes of body, and for +taire
neste es noghte ferre fra +te erthe. Thus es it of thaym +tat
turnes +tam to Godes servys; some are of gude flyeghynge,
for thay flye fra erthe to heven and rystes thayme thare in
thoghte and are fedde in delite of Goddes lufe, and has
thoghte of na lufe of +te worlde; some are +tat kan noghte
flyghe fra +tis lande, bot in +te waye late theyre herte ryste
and delyttes +taym in sere lufes of men and women als +tay
come and gaa, nowe ane and nowe anothire, and in Jhesu
Criste +tay kan fynde na swettnes; or if +tay any tyme fele
oghte, it es swa lyttill and swa schorte, for othire thoghtes   #
+tat
are in thaym, +tat it brynges thaym till na stabylnes; [{f{]or
+tay are lyke till a fowle, +tat es callede strucyo or storke,  #
+tat
has wenges and it may noghte flye for charge of body. Swa
+tay hafe undirstandynge and fastes and wakes and semes
haly to mens syghte; bot thay may noghte flye to lufe and
contemplacyone of God, +tay are so chargede wyth othyre
affeccyons and othire vanyte`s. 



