FRENCH. 69 



With this lure he brings down his falcon. Meantime, jealousy, 

 envy, and evil report, symbolized respectively by three hawks 

 (a Saker, a Lanner, and a Tunisian falcon), are at work to the 

 discomfiture of the falcon. The owner of the falcon is repre- 

 sented as missing her from the perch whereon the other three 

 hawks are tied, and, on inquiry, learns that she has gone off 

 with the falconer. The other hawks, each speaking in turn, 

 malign the absent one, the Saker jealously, the Lanner enviously, 

 and the Tunisian hawk, like an ill-boding raven, is described as 

 *' ung oyseau doultre lesfleuves marins nonie Tunicien qui de sa 

 propre nature resemble au corbeau, car il est vouletiers raporteur 

 defaulces nouvelles." 



Beneath the perch four hounds, " lesqlx chiens quant a condition 

 de chasse se monstroient totalemet de semblables" (as hounds usually 

 are, all coloured alike), yelp in chorus, iappoyent centre lonneur 

 du faulcon, and represent the hue and cry following the evil 

 reports. 



" Faux raport toujours raporte 

 plus tost le mal que le bien /" 



The falcon breaks forth into lamentation, and, apostrophizing 

 the falconer at some length, determines to fly away : 



" Giray prendre perche et apuy 

 es montaignes devers le puy 

 ou en Auvergne quelque part 

 apres mon douleureulx depart 

 cerchez amours en aultre lieu 



Ne pesez plus au plaisir de mes yeulx 

 mais regretez nostrefolle acointace 

 et ayez bie toujo's en convenance 

 lesfaulx rapors des maudiz envieux." 



The falconer, overcome with grief, throws himself upon a seat, 

 and, bewailing his fate, moralizes at some length. Eventually, 

 while wandering about the grounds of the chateau, he is roused 

 from his meditations by the lady of the castle, who, after 

 upbraiding him for losing the falcon, concludes by dismissing 

 him from her service. Thus the lovers are parted — " I'un lira 

 vers r orient, V autre vers t accident, et ne securent rien lun de H autre 

 car leur ptemet fut tdt soudain quilz neurit loisir de cdserer en- 

 semble de leurs besdgfies." 



