[Sidenote: [ij]] [Sidenote: If the caged bird though daintily fed, gets a sight of the pleasant grove where she was wont to sing, she will spurn her food, and pine for the beloved woods.] ¶ And þe Iangland brid þat syngiþ on þe heye braunches. þis is to sein in þe wode {and} 1868 after is inclosed in a streit cage. ¶ al þouȝ [þ{a}t] þe pleiyng besines of men ȝeueþ hem honied[e] drinkes {and} large metes. wiþ swete studie. ¶ ȝit naþeles yif þilke brid skippynge oute of hir streite cage seeþ þe 1872 agreable shadewes of þe wodes. she defouleþ wiþ hir fete hir metes yshad {and} sekeþ mournyng oonly þe wode {and} twitriþ desirynge þe wode wiþ hir swete voys. [Sidenote: [iij]] [Sidenote: The sapling, bent down by a mighty hand, will resume its natural position as soon as the restraining force is removed.] ¶ þe ȝerde of a tree þat is haled adou{n} by myȝty 1876 strengþe bowiþ redely þe croppe adou{n}. but yif þat þe [[pg 69]] hande of hym þat it bente lat it gon aȝein. ¶ An oon þe crop lokeþ vp ryȝt to heuene. [Sidenote: [iiij]] [Sidenote: Though the sun sets in the western main at eve, yet by a secret path he takes his wonted journey toward the east.] ¶ þe sonne phebus þat failleþ at euene in þe westrene wawes retorniþ aȝein 1880 eftsones his cart by a priue paþe þere as it is wont aryse. [Sidenote: All things pursue their proper course, obedient to the source of order.] ¶ Alle þinges seken aȝein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle þinges reioisen hem of hir retournynge aȝein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis bytaken to 1884 þi{n}ges but þat. [Sidenote: Hence, throughout the world entire stability is found, for all things, having fulfilled their appointed course, return from whence they came.] þat haþ ioignynge þe endynge to þe bygynnynge. {and} haþ makid þe cours of it self stable þat it chaungeþ nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde. [Linenotes: 1851 _shew[e]_--shewe 1854 _whiche_--MS. swiche, C. whyche _worlde_--world 1856 _be_--ben _vnbounden_--vnbownde 1857 _fair[e]_--fayr{e} 1860 [_betinges_]--from C. 1862 _passeþ_--passed 1864 _from_--fram _vnbounden_--vnbownde 1865 _to-teren_--to-torn _toþe_--toth 1867 _Iangland_--Iangelynge 1869 _streit_--streyht 1870 _pleiyng_--MS. pleinyng, C. pleyynge _besines_--bysynesse _honied[e]_--honyede 1872 _oute_--owt 1873 _agreable_--agreables 1874 _fete_--feet 1875 _twitriþ_--twiterith 1877 _croppe_--crop 1878 _hande_--hand _bente_--bent 1880 _failleþ_--falleth 1881 _cart_--carte _a_--omitted _paþe_--paath 1883 _of_--MS. of of 1885 _haþ_--MS. haþe _ioignynge_--Ioyned 1886 _haþ_--MS. haþe]