70 BOOKS ON FALCONRY. 



The falconer arrives at a deserted country house, deserted 

 parforce de morbre pestilentiel, dismounts from his horse, enters, 

 flings himself down, and, after a reverie of some hours, falls 

 asleep from sheer fatigue. While thus sleeping, Cupid, god of 

 Love, appears to him, holding in his hand the dart with which 

 he pierces men's hearts, upbraids him for his folly, and remon- 

 strates with him for his want of courage, reminds him of Paris 

 and the fair Helen, Jason, ^neas, and other heroes, and advises 

 him to return : 



" R'etourne autant quit soit plus tard 

 iu as trop longuement erre 

 va contetnpler le doux regard 

 dufaulcon gtie tu as leurreP 



The falconer, awaking, and seeing no one there, begins to 

 cogitate on the vision, and, reflecting on what he has heard, 

 takes comfort and courage. Quitting the house, he finds his 

 horse grazing in a meadow, and, quickly mounting him, swears 

 that, in spite of the jealousy of the Saker, the envy of the 

 Lanner, the false reports of the Tunisian falcon, and les abais des 

 maulvais chiefts, toute sa vie il rHoublira le faulcon mats raymera 

 jusques a la mort. 



Meanwhile the falcon has taken flight from the castle to the edge 

 of a wood, and, while meditating in uncertainty which way to go, 

 the sun sets, darkness supervenes, and the moon rises. It is 

 now the falcon's turn to have a vision. This time it is a beautiful 

 female figure, lightly draped, who announces herself as the 

 goddess of Reason. 



'■'■ Je suis Raison principe de vertus 

 de tout honneur la nourrtce et la merer 



And she adds : — 



"y<? viens a toy O faulcon ignorant 



car jay pitit qucttje te vols mourant 

 par folk erreur et par impatience'^ 



After a lengthy reproof and exhortation, the goddess gives 

 this good advice : — 



^^Femme se doit honnestement tenir 

 de beau maintien de simple contendce 



