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.”

47.

Well satisfied, I thanked her, and she said, “By this mishap no longer be dismayed, Though thou the Cuckoo heard, ere thou heard’st me; Yet if I live it shall amended be, When next May comes, if I am not afraid.

48.

“And one thing will I counsel thee alsó, The Cuckoo trust not thou, nor his Love’s saw; All that she said is an outrageous lie.”  “Nay, nothing shall me bring thereto,” quoth I, “For Love, and it hath done me mighty woe.”

49.

“Yea, hath it? Use,” quoth she, “this medicine, This May-time, every day before thou dine, Go look on the fresh daisy; then say I, Although for pain thou may’st be like to die, Thou wilt be eased, and less wilt droop and pine.

50.

“And mind always that thou be good and true, And I will sing one song, of many new, For love of thee, as loud as I may cry;” And then did she begin this song full high, “Beshrew all them that are in love untrue.”

51.

And soon as she had sung it to the end, “Now farewell,” quoth she, “for I hence must wend; And, God of Love, that can right well and may, Send unto thee as mickle joy this day As ever he to lover yet did send.”

52.

Thus takes the Nightingale her leave of me; I pray to God with her always to be, And joy of love to send her evermore; And shield us from the Cuckoo and her lore, For there is not so false a bird as she.

53.

Forth then she flew, the gentle Nightingale, To all the birds that lodged within that dale, And gathered each and all into one place; And them besought to hear her doleful case, And thus it was that she began her tale:—

54.

“The Cuckoo—’tis not well that I should hide How she and I did each the other chide, And without ceasing, since it was daylight; And now I pray you all 

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