THE TALE（第9页）

readdavidinhispsalms，andreadsenec.

myson，speaknot，butwiththineheadthoubeck，**beckon，nod

dissimuleasthouwertdeaf，ifthatthouhear

ajanglerspeakofperilousmattere.

theflemingsaith，andlearn*ifthattheelest，***ifitpleasethee*

thatlittlejanglingcausethmucherest.

myson，ifthounowickedwordhastsaid，

*theetharnotdreadefortobebewrayd;**thouhastnoneedto

buthethathathmissaid，idarewellsayn，feartobebetrayed*

hemaybynowaycallhiswordagain.

thingthatissaidissaid，andforthitgoth，

thoughhimrepent，orbeheneersoloth;

heishisthrall，*towhomthathehathsaid*slave

atale，*ofwhichheisnowevilapaid.**whichhenowregrets*

myson，beware，andbenoauthornew

oftidings，whethertheybefalseortrue;

wheresothoue，angeshighorlow，

keepwellthytongue，andthinkuponthecrow."

"thefableofthecrow，saystyrwhitt，"whichisthesubjectofthemanciplestale，hasbeenrelatedbysomanyauthors，froviddowntogower，thatitisimpossibletosaywhomchaucerprincipallyfollowed.hisskillinnewdressinganoldstorywasnever，perhaps，essfullyexerted."

seetheparalleltothispassageinthesquirestale，andnote34tothattale.

wantrust:distrust—wantoftrust;so"wanhope，"despair--wantofhope.

thisisquotedinthefrench"romanceoftherose，"fromcato"deribus，"1.i.，dist.3:"virtutemprimamesseputapescerelingua"（"thefirstvirtueistobeabletocontrolthetongue"

"semelemissumvolatirrevocabileverbu"（"awordonceutteredfliesawayandcannotbecalledback"）—horace，epist.1.，18，71.

thiscautionisalsofromcato"deribus，"1.i.，dist.12:"rurisfugeneincipiasnovusauctorhaberi."（"donotpassonruursorbetheauthorofnewones"）