Man, of Þi schuldres and of Þi side
Þou mi3*te hunti luse and flee:
of such a park i ne hold no pride;
Þe dere nis nau3*te Þat Þou mighte sle.
Early English Poems, ed. F.J.F., 1862, p. 1, l. 5.
and remember that one of the blessings of the early Paradisaical Land of Cokaygne is:
Nis Þer flei, fle, no lowse,
In cloÞ, in toune, bed, no house.
Ib., p. 157, l. 37-8.
We may also compare the following extract about Homer's death from
"Pleasant and Delightfull Dialogues in Spanish and English: Profitable
to the Learner, and not vnpleasant to any other Reader. By John
Minsheu, Professor of Languages in London. 1623," p. 47.
"F … a foole with his foolishnesse framed in his owne imagination may giue to a hundred wise men matter to picke out.
"I, So it hapned to the Poet Homer, that as he was with age blinde, and went walking by the sea shoare, & heard certaine Fishermen talking, that at that time were a lowsing themselues, and as he asked them, what fish they caught, they vnderstanding that he had meant their lice, they answered, Those that we [1]haue, we seeke for, and those that we [2]haue not wee finde, but as the good Homer could not see what they did, and for this cause could not vnderstand the riddle, it did so grieue his vnderstanding to obtaine the secret of this matter, which was a sufficient griefe to cause his death."
[Footnote 1: i. Haue in their clothes. i. lice.]
[Footnote 2: i. Haue not in hand.]