content, and dressed hym with bowes, and set hym by his oule, and bad
hym say nothynge. Whan he saw the byrdes alyght a pace, he sayde: there
be many byrdes alyghted, drawe thy nettes; where with the byrdes flewe
awaye. The byrder was very angry, and blamed him greatly for his
speakyng. Than he promysed to hold his peace. Whan the byrder was in
agayn, and many byrdes were alyghted, mayster doctour said in latyn:
_aves permultae adsunt_; wherwith the byrdes flewe away. The byrder came
out ryghte angrye and sore displeased, and sayde, that by his bablynge
he had twyse loste his pray.[284] Why, thynkest thou, foole (quod the
doctour), that the birdes do vnderstand latin? This doctour thought that
the vnderstandynge, and nat the noyse, hadde feared awaye the byrdes.

FOOTNOTES:

[284] "He that will take the bird, must not skare it."--Herbert's
_Outlandish Proverbs_, 1640, No. 41.

+ _Of hym that vndertoke to teache an asse to rede._ xcix.

+ There was a certayne tyran,[285] the which, to pylle one of his
subiectes of his goodes, commaunded hym to teache an asse to spelle and
rede. He sayd it was impossible, except he might haue space inough
therto. And whan the tyran bade hym aske what tyme he wolde, he desyred
x yeres respite. But yet, bycause he vndertoke a thynge impossible,
euerye bodye laughed hym to scorne. He tourned towarde his frendes and
sayde: I am nothynge affrayde: for in that space, either I, the asse, or
elles my lorde may dye.

By whiche tale appereth, that it is holsome to take leyser inough aboute
a thynge that is harde to do, specially whanne a man can nat chose to
take hit on hande.[286]

FOOTNOTES:

[285] This word, which frequently occurs in the course of the present
work, must be understood to be merely equivalent to the Greek [Greek:
tyrannos], a prince whose authority is unlimited by constitutional
restraints. There seems to be some ground for the supposition that
[Greek: tyrannos] is nothing more than the Doric form of [Greek:
koipanos]. It may be mentioned that in middle-Greek the word _despota_
([Greek: despotes]) bore no harsher meaning than that of a _petty
prince_, acting independently, but acknowledging a suzerain. It is to be
found in this sense, I think, in almost all the Byzantine historians.

[286] _i.e._ when the undertaking is no matter of choice.

+ _Of the fryer that confessed the woman._[287] c.

+ As a fayre yong woman of the towne of Amilie confessed her