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Prologue Thocht feinyeit fabils of ald poetre Be not al grunded upon truth, yit than Thair polite termes of sweit rhetore Richt plesand ar unto the eir of man And als the caus quhy that thay first began Wes to repreif thee of thi misleving, O man, be figure of ane uther thing, In lyke maner as throw a bustious eird, Swa it be laubourit with grit diligence, Springis the flouris and the corne abreird Hailsum and gude to mannis sustenence, Sa springis thar a morall sweit sentence Oute of the subtell dyte of poetry To gude purpois, quha culd it weill apply. The nuttis schell thocht it be hard and teuch Haldis the kirnell sweit and delectabill, Sa lyis thair ane doctrine wyse aneuch And full of frute under ane fenyeit fabill, And clerkis sayis it is richt profitabill Amangis ernist to ming ane merie sport To blyth the spreit and gar the tyme be schort. For as we se, ane bow that ay is bent Worthis unsmart and dullis on the string Sa dois the mynd that ay is diligent In ernistfull thochtis and in studying. With sad materis sum merines to ming Accordis weill; thus Esope said iwis, Dulcius arrident seria picta iocis.1 Of this authour, my maisteris, with your leif, Submitting me to your correctioun, In mother toung, of Latyng, I wald preif To mak ane maner of translatioun, Nocht of myself for vane presumptioun Bot be requeist and precept of ane lord Of quhome the name it neidis not record. In hamelie language and in termes rude Me neidis wryte for quhy of eloquence Nor rethorike I never understude, Thairfoir meiklie I pray your reverence Gif ye find ocht that throw my negligence Be deminute or yit superfluous, Correct it at your willis gratious. My author in his fabillis tellis how That brutal beistis spak and understude And to gude purpois dispute and argow, Ane sillogisme propone and eik conclude, Puttyng exempill and similitude How mony men in operatioun Ar like to beistis in conditioun. Na mervell is ane man be lyke ane beist Quhilk lufis ay carnall and foull delyte That schame cannot him renye nor arreist Bot takis all the lust and appetyte Quhilk throw custum and the daylie ryte Syne in the mynd sa fast is radicate That he in brutal beist is transformate. This nobill clerk Esope, as I haif tauld, In gay metir and facound purpurat Be figure wrait his buke for he nocht wald Tak the disdane off hie nor low estate, And to begin, first of ane cok he wrate, Seikand his meit, quhilk fand ane jolie stone, Of quhome the fabill ye sall heir anone. The Cock and the Jasp Ane cok sumtyme with feddram fresch and gay, Richt cant and crous albeit he was bot pure, Flew furth upon ane dunghill sone be day. To get his dennar set was al his cure. Scraipand amang the as be aventure He fand ane jolie jasp richt precious Wes castin furth in sweping of the hous. As damisellis wantoun and insolent That fane wald play and on the streit be sene, To swoping of the hous thay tak na tent Quhat be thairin swa that the flure be clene,2 Jowellis ar tint as oftymis hes bene sene Upon the flure and swopit furth anone. Peradventure sa wes the samin stone. Sa mervelland upon the stane, quod he, “O gentill jasp, O riche and nobill thing, Thocht I thee find, thow ganis not for me. Thow art ane jowell for ane lord or king. It wer pietie thow suld in this mydding Be buryit thus amang this muke and mold And thow so fair and worth sa mekill gold. “It is pietie I suld thee find for quhy Thy grit vertew nor yit thy cullour cleir I may nouther extoll nor magnify, And thow to me may mak bot lyttill cheir, To grit lordis thocht thow be leif and deir. I lufe fer better thing of les availl As draf or corne to fill my tume intraill. “I had lever ga skraip heir with my naillis Amangis this mow and luke my lifys fude As draf or corne, small wormis or snaillis, Or ony meit wald do my stomok gude Than of jaspis ane mekill multitude, And thow agane upon the samin wyis May me as now for thin availl dispyis. “Thow hes na corne and thairof I had neid. Thy cullour dois bot confort to the sicht And that is not aneuch my wame to feid For wyfis sayis that lukand werk is licht. I wald sum meit have, get it geve I micht, For houngrie men may not weil leif on lukis. Had I dry breid, I compt not for na cukis. “Quhar suld thow mak thy habitatioun, Quhar suld thow dwell bot in ane royall tour, Quhar suld thow sit bot on ane kingis croun, Exaltit in worschip and in grit honour? Rise, gentill jasp, of all stanis the flour, Out of this fen and pas quhar thow suld be. Thow ganis not for me nor I for thee.” Levand this jowell law upon the ground To seik his meit this cok his wayis went; Bot quhen or how or quhome be it wes found As now I set to hald na argument, Bot of the inward sentence and intent Of this fabill as myne author dois write I sall reheirs in rude and hamelie dite. Moralitas This jolie jasp hes properteis sevin. The first, of cullour it is mervelous, Part lyke the fyre and part is lyke the hevin. It makis ane man stark and victorious, Preservis als fra cacis perrillous. Quha hes this stane sall have gude hap to speid. Of fyre nor fallis him neidis not to dreid.3 This gentill jasp richt different of hew Betakinnis perfite prudence and cunning Ornate with mony deidis of vertew Mair excellent than ony eirthly thing, Quhilk makis men in honour ay to ring, Happie and stark to haif the victorie Of all vicis and spirituall enemie. Quha may be hardie, riche, and gratious? Quha can eschew perrell and aventure? Quha can governe ane realme, cietie, or hous? Without science, no man, I yow assure. It is riches that ever sall indure Quhilk maith nor moist nor uther rust can freit. To mannis saull it is eternall meit. This cok, desyrand mair the sempill corne Than ony jasp, may till ane fule be peir Makand at science bot ane knak and scorne And na gude can, als lytill will he leir. His hart wammillis wyse argumentis to heir As dois ane sow to quhome men for the nanis In hir draf troich wald saw the precious stanis. Quha is enemie to science and cunning Bot ignorants that understandis nocht Quhilk is sa nobill, precious, and ding That it may with na eirdlie thing be bocht. Weill wer that man over all uther that mocht All his lyfe dayis in perfite studie wair To get science for him neidit na mair. Bot now allace this jasp is tynt and hid. We seik it nocht nor preis it for to find. Haif we richis, na better lyfe we bid, Of science thocht the saull be bair and blind. Of this mater to speik, it wair bot wind, Thairfore I ceis and will na forther say. Ga seik the jasp quha will for thair it lay. The Two Mice Esope myne authour makis mentioun Of twa myis and thay wer sisteris deir Of quham the eldest in ane borous toun, The yungir wynnit uponland weill neir Richt soliter, quhyle under busk and breir, Quhilis in the corne in uther mennis skaith As owtlawis dois and levit on hir waith. This rurall mous into the wynter tyde Had hunger, cauld, and tholit grit distres. The tother mous that in the burgh couth byde, Was gild brother and made ane fre burges, Toll-fre alswa but custum mair or les And fredome had to ga quhairever scho list Amang the cheis and meill in ark and kist. Ane tyme quhen scho wes full and unfutesair, Scho tuke in mynd hir sister uponland And langit for to heir of hir weilfair To se quhat lyfe scho led under the wand. Bairfute, allone, with pykestaf in hir hand As pure pylgryme scho passit owt off town To seik hir sister baith oure daill and down. Throw mony wilsum wayis can scho walk, Throw mure and mosse, throw bankis, busk, and breir,4 Fra fur to fur, cryand fra balk to balk, “Cum furth to me, my awin sweit sister deir, Cry peip anis!” With that the mous couth heir And knew hir voce as kinnismen will do Be verray kynd and furth scho come hir to. The hartlie cheir, lord God geve ye had sene Beis kythit quhen thir sisteris twa war met, Quhilk that oft syis wes schawin thame betwene! For quhylis thay leuch and quhylis for joy thay gret, Quhyle kissit sweit and quhilis in armis plet And thus thay fure quhill soberit wes their mude, Syne fute for fute unto the chalmer yude. As I hard say, it was ane semple wane Of fog and farne full misterlyk wes maid, Ane sillie scheill under ane erdfast stane Of quhilk the entres wes not hie nor braid And in the samin thay went but mair abaid Withoutin fyre or candill birnand bricht For comonly sic pykeris luffis not lycht. Quhen thay wer lugit thus, thir sely myse, The youngest sister into hir butterie hyid And brocht furth nuttis and peis insteid of spyce. Giff thair wes weilfair, I do it on thame besyde. The burges mous prompit forth in pryde And said, “Sister, is this your dayly fude?” “Quhy not?” quod scho, “Think ye this meis nocht gude?” “Na be my saull I think it bot ane scorne.” “Madame,” quod scho, “ye be the mair to blame. My mother sayd, efter that we wer borne, That I and ye lay baith within ane wame. I keip the ryte and custome of my dame And of my syre, levand in povertie, For landis hald we nane in propertie.” “My fair sister,” quod scho, “hald me excusit. This rude dyat and I can not accord. To tender meit my stomok is ay usit For quhy I fair alsweill as ony lord. Thir wydderit peis and nuttis or thay be bord Wil brek my teith and mak my wame ful sklender Quhilk usit wes before to meitis tender.” “Weil, weil, sister,” quod the rurall mous, “Geve it yow pleis, sic thing as ye se heir, Baith meit and dreink, harberie and hous Sal be your awin will ye remane al yeir. Ye sall it have wyth blyith and hartlie cheir And that suld mak the maissis that ar rude Amang freindis richt tender, sweit, and gude. “Quhat plesans is in festis delicate The quhilkis ar gevin with ane glowmand brow? Ane gentill hart is better recreate With blyith visage than seith to him ane kow; Ane modicum is mair for till allow Swa that Gude Will be kerver at the dais, Than thrawin vult with mony spycit mais.” For all this mery exhortatioun This burges mous had littill will to sing Bot hevilie scho kest hir browis doun For all the daynteis that scho culd hir bring, Yit at the last scho said halff in hething, “Sister, this victuall and your royall feist May weill suffice for sic ane rurall beist. “Lat be this hole and cum unto my place, I sall yow schaw be trewe experience My Gude Friday is better nor your Pace, My dische likingis is worth your haill expence. I have housis anew of grit defence. Of cat, na fall, na trap I have na dreid.” “I grant,” quod scho, and on togidder yeid. In skugry ay throw rankest gers and corne Under covert full prevelie couth thay creip. The eldest was the gyde and went beforne, The younger to hir wayis tuke gude keip. On nicht thay ran and on the day can sleip Quhill in the morning or the laverok sang Thay fand the town and in blythlie couth gang. Not fer fra thyne unto ane worthie wane This burges brocht thame sone quhare thay suld be. Withowt godspeid thair herberie wes tane Into ane spence with vittell grit plentie, Baith cheis and butter upon skelfis hie, Flesche and fische aneuch, baith fresche and salt, And sekkis full of grotis, meile, and malt. Efter quhen thay disposit wer to dyne, Withowtin grace thay wesche and went to meit, With all coursis that cukis culd devyne, Muttoun and beif strikin in tailyeis greit. Ane lordis fair thus couth thay counterfeit Except ane thing, thay drank the watter cleir Insteid of wyne bot yit thay maid gude cheir. With blyith upcast and merie countenance, The eldest sister sperit at hir gest Giff that scho thocht be ressoun difference Betwix that chalmer and hir sarie nest. “Ye, dame!” quod scho. “bot how lang will this lest?” “For evermair, I wait, and langer to.” “Gif it be swa, ye ar at eis,” quod scho. Till eik thair cheir ane subcharge furth scho brocht, Ane plait of grottis and ane disch full of meill. Thraf caikkis als I trow scho spairit nocht Aboundantlie about hir for to deill And mane full fyne scho brocht insteid of geill And ane quhyte candill owt of ane coffer stall Insteid of spyce to gust thair mouth withall. Thus maid thay merie quhill thay micht na mair And “Haill, Yule, haill!” thay cryit upon hie, Yit efter joy oftymes cummis cair And troubill efter grit prosperitie. Thus as thay sat in all thair jolitie, The spenser come with keyis in his hand, Oppinnit the dure, and thame at denner fand. They taryit not to wesche as I suppose Bot on to ga quha micht formest win. The burges had ane hole and in scho gois. Hir sister had na hole to hyde hir in. To se that selie mous it wes grit sin, So desolate and will off all gude reid. For verray dreid scho fell in swoun neir deid. Bot as God wald, it fell ane happie cace. The spenser had na laser for to byde, Nowther to seik nor serche, to char nor chace, Bot on he went and left the dure up wyde. This bald burges his passage weill hes spyde. Out of hir hole scho come and cryit on hie, “How, fair sister! Cry peip, quhairever ye be!” This rurall mous lay flatlingis on the ground And for the deith scho wes full sair dredand For till hir hart straik mony wofull stound, As in ane fever trimbillit fute and hand. And quhan hir sister in sic ply hir fand, For verray pietie scho began to greit, Syne confort hir with wordis hunny sweit. “Quhy ly ye thus? Ryse up, my sister deir, Cum to your meit, this perrell is overpast.” The uther answerit with a hevie cheir, “I may not eit, sa sair I am agast. I had lever thir fourty dayis fast With watter caill and gnaw benis or peis Than all your feist in this dreid and diseis.” With fair tretie yit scho gart hir upryse. To burde thay went and on togidder sat And scantlie had thay drunkin anis or twyse Quhen in come Gib Hunter our jolie cat And bad godspeid. The burges up with that. And till hir hole scho fled as fyre of flint. Bawdronis the uther be the bak hes hint. Fra fute to fute he kest hir to and fra, Quhylis up, quhylis doun, als tait as ony kid. Quhylis wald he lat hir rin under the stra, Quhylis wald he wink and play with hir buk-heid. Thus to the selie mous grit pane he did Quhill at the last throw fair fortune and hap Betwix the dosor and the wall scho crap, Syne up in haist behind the parraling So hie scho clam that Gilbert micht not get hir And be the clukis craftelie can hing Till he wes gane. Hir cheir wes all the better, Syne doun scho lap quhen thair wes nane to let hir. Apon the burges mous loud can scho cry, “Fairweill, sister, thy feist heir I defy. “Thy mangerie is mingit all with cair, Thy guse is gude, thy gansell sour as gall. The subcharge of thy service is bot sair, Sa sall thow find heir-efterwart ma fall. I thank yone courtyne and yone perpall wall Of my defence now fra yone crewell beist. Almichtie God keip me fra sic ane feist! “Wer I into the kith that I come fra For weill nor wo I suld never cum agane.” With that scho tuke hir leif and furth can ga Quhylis throw the corne and quhylis throw the plane. Quhen scho wes furth and fre, scho wes full fane And merilie scho markit unto the mure. I can not tell how eftirwart scho fure Bot I hard say scho passit to hir den Als warme as woll suppose it wes not greit, Full beinly stuffit baith but and ben Of beinis and nuttis, peis, ry, and quheit. Quhenever scho list, scho had aneuch to eit In quyet and eis withoutin ony dreid Bot to hir sisteris feist na mair scho yeid. Moralitas Freindis, heir may ye find, will ye tak heid, In this fabill ane gude moralitie. As fitchis myngit ar with nobill seid Swa intermellit is adversitie With eirdlie joy swa that na state is frie Without trubill or sum vexatioun And namelie thay quhilk clymmis up maist hie And not content with small possessioun. Blissed be sempill lyfe withoutin dreid, Blissed be sober feist in quietie. Quha hes aneuch, of na mair hes he neid Thocht it be littill into quantatie. Grit aboundance and blind prosperitie Oftymes makis ane evill conclusioun. The sweitest lyfe thairfoir in this cuntrie Is sickernes with small possessioun. O wantoun man that usis for to feid Thy wambe and makis it a god to be, Luke to thyself, I warne thee weill ondeid. The cat cummis and to the mous hes ee. Quhat is avale than thy feist and royaltie With dreidfull hart and tribulatioun? Thairfoir best thing in eird, I say for me, Is merry hart with small possessioun. Thy awin fyre, freind, thocht it be bot ane gleid, It warmis weill and is worth gold to thee. As Solomon sayis, gif that thow will reid, “Under the hevin I can not better se Than ay be blyith and leif in honestie,” Quhairfoir I may conclude be this ressoun, Of eirthly joy it beiris maist degree, Blyithnes in hart with small possessioun. The Cock and the Fox Thocht brutall beistis be irrationall, That is to say, wantand discretioun, Yit ilkane in thair kyndis naturall Hes mony divers inclinatioun: The bair busteous, the wolf, the wylde lyoun, The fox fenyeit, craftie, and cautelows, The dog to bark on nicht and keip the hows. Sa different thay ar in properteis Unknawin unto man and infinite, In kynd havand sa fell diversiteis, My cunning it excedis for to dyte. Forthy as now I purpose for to wryte Ane cais I fand quhilk fell this ather yeir Betwix ane foxe and gentill Chantecleir. Ane wedow dwelt intill ane drop thay dayis Quhilk wan hir fude off spinning on hir rok And na mair had forsuth as the fabill sayis Except of hennis scho had ane lyttill flok And thame to keip scho had ane jolie cok Richt curageous that to this wedow ay Devydit nicht and crew befoir the day. Ane lyttill fra this foirsaid wedowis hows, Ane thornie schaw thair wes, of grit defence, Quhairin ane foxe, craftie and cautelous, Maid his repair and daylie residence Quhilk to this wedow did grit violence In pyking off hir pultrie day and nicht And na way be revengit on him scho micht. This wylie tod, quhen that the lark couth sing, Full sair hungrie unto the toun him drest Quhair Chantecleir into the gray dawing, Werie for-nicht, wes flowen fra his nest. Lowrence this saw and in his mynd he kest The juparteis, the wayis, and the wyle, Be quhat menis he micht this cok begyle. Dissimuland into countenance and cheir, On kneis fell and simuland thus he said, “Gude morne, my maister, gentill Chantecleir.” With that the cok start bakwart in ane braid. “Schir, be my saull, ye neid not be effraid Nor yit for me to start nor fle abak; I come bot heir yow service for to mak. “Wald I not serve to yow, it wer bot blame As I have done to yowr progenitouris. Your father oft fulfillit hes my wame And send me meit fra midding to the muris And at his end I did my besie curis To hald his heid and gif him drinkis warme, Syne at the last the sweit swelt in my arme.” “Knew ye my father?” quod the cok and leuch. “Yea my fair sone, forsuth I held his heid Quhen that he deit under ane birkin beuch, Syne said the dirigie quhen that he wes deid. Betwix us twa how suld thair be ane feid? Quhame suld ye traist bot me your servitour That to your father did sa grit honour? “Quhen I behald your fedderis fair and gent, Your beik, your breist, your hekill, and your kame, Schir, be my saull and the blissit Sacrament, My hart warmys, me think I am at hame. Yow for to serve I wald creip on my wame In froist and snaw, in wedder wan and weit, And lay my lyart loikkis under your feit.” This fenyeit foxe fals and dissimulate Maid to this cok ane cavillatioun. “Me think yow changit and degenerate Fra your father and his conditioun. Of craftie crawing he micht beir the croun For he wald on his tais stand and craw. This is na le, I stude beside and saw.” With that the cok upon his tais hie Kest up his beik and sang with all his micht. Quod schir Lowrence, “Weill said, sa mot I the! Ye ar your fatheris sone and air upricht Bot of his cunning yit ye want ane slicht — “Quhat!” quod the cok — “he wald, and haif na dout, Baith wink and craw and turne him thryis about.” The cok inflate with wind and fals vanegloir That mony puttis unto confusioun, Traisting to win ane grit worschip thairfoir, Unwarlie winkand, walkit up and doun, And syne to chant and craw he maid him boun And suddandlie be he had crawin ane note, The foxe wes war and hint him be the throte, Syne to the woid but tarie with him hyit, Of countermaund haifand bot lytill dout. With that Pertok, Sprutok, and Toppok cryit. The wedow hard and with ane cry come out. Seand the cace, scho sichit and gaif ane schout, “How! murther! reylok!” with ane hiddeous beir, “Allace, now lost is gentill Chantecleir!” As scho wer woid, with mony yell and cry, Ryvand hir hair, upon hir breist can beit, Syne paill of hew, half in ane extasy, Fell doun for cair in swoning and in sweit. With that the selie hennis left thair meit And quhill this wyfe wes lyand thus in swoun Fell of that cace in disputatioun. “Allace,” quod Pertok, makand sair murning With teiris grit attour hir cheikis fell, “Yone wes our drowrie and our dayis darling, Our nichtingall and als our orlege bell, Our walkryfe watche us for to warne and tell Quhen that Aurora with hir curcheis gray Put up hir heid betwix the nicht and day. “Quha sall our lemman be, quha sall us leid, Quhen we ar sad quha sall unto us sing? With his sweit bill he wald brek us the breid — In all this warld wes thair ane kynder thing? — In paramouris he wald do us plesing At his power as nature did him geif. Now efter him allace how sall we leif?” Quod Sprutok than, “Ceis, sister, of your sorrow. Ye be to mad, for him sic murning mais. We sall fair weill I find, Sanct Johne to borrow. The proverb sayis, ‘Als gude lufe cummis as gais.’ I will put on my halydais clais And mak me fresch agane this jolie May, Syne chant this sang, ‘Wes never wedow sa gay!’ “He wes angry and held us ay in aw And woundit with the speir of jelowsy. Of chalmer glew, Pertok, full weill ye knaw Waistit he wes, of nature cauld and dry. Sen he is gone thairfoir sister, say I, Be blyith in baill for that is best remeid. Let quik to quik and deid ga to the deid.” Than Pertok spak that feinyeit faith befoir, In lust but lufe that set all hir delyte. “Sister, ye wait of sic as him ane scoir Wald not suffice to slaik our appetyte. I hecht yow be my hand sen ye ar quyte, Within ane oulk, for schame and I durst speik, To get ane berne suld better claw oure breik.” Than Toppok lyke ane curate spak full crous, “Yone wes ane verray vengeance from the hevin. He wes sa lous and sa lecherous, Seis coud he nocht with kittokis ma than sevin Bot rychteous God haldand the balandis evin, Smytis rycht sair, thocht he be patient, Adulteraris that list thame not repent. “Prydefull he wes and joyit of his sin And comptit not for Goddis favour nor feid Bot traistit ay to rax and sa to rin, Quhill at the last his sinnis can him leid To schamefull end and to yone suddand deid. Thairfoir it is the verray hand of God That causit him be werryit with the tod.” Quhen this wes said, this wedow fra hir swoun Start up on fute and on hir kennettis cryde, “How! Birkye, Berrie, Bell, Bawsie Broun, Rype-schaw, Rin-weil, Curtes, Nuttieclyde, Togidder all but grunching furth ye glyde, Reskew my nobill cok or he be slane Or ellis to me se ye cum never agane.” With that but baid thay braidet over the bent, As fyre off flint thay over the feildis flaw, Full wichtlie thay throw wood and wateris went And ceissit not schir Lourence quhill thay saw; Bot quhen he saw the raches cum on raw Unto the cok in mynd he said, “God sen That I and thow wer fairlie in my den.” Then spak the cok with sum gude spirit inspyrit, “Do my counsall and I sall warrand thee. Hungrie thow art and for grit travell tyrit, Richt faint of force and may not ferther fle. Swyith turne agane and say that I and ye Freindis ar maid and fellowis for ane yeir. Than will thay stint, I stand for it, and not steir.” This tod, thocht he wes fals and frivolus And had fraudis his querrell to defend, Desavit wes be menis richt mervelous For falset failyeis ay at the latter end. He start about and cryit as he wes kend. With that the cok he braid unto a bewch. Now juge ye all quhairat schir Lowrence lewch. Begylit thus, the tod under the tre On kneis fell and said, “Gude Chantecleir, Cum doun agane and I but meit or fe Sal be your man and servand for ane yeir.” “Na, murther, theif, and revar, stand on reir. My bludy hekill and my nek sa bla Hes partit love for ever betwene us twa. “I wes unwyse that winkit at thy will, Quhairthrow almaist I loissit had my heid.” “I wes mair fule,” quod he, “coud nocht be still But spake to put my pray into pleid.” “Fair on, fals theif, God keip me fra thy feid.” With that the cok over the feildis tuke his flicht. In at the wedowis lever couth he licht. Moralitas Now worthie folk, suppose this be ane fabill And overheillit wyth typis figurall, Yit may ye find ane sentence richt agreabill Under thir fenyeit termis textuall. To our purpose this cok weill may we call Nyse proud men, woid and vaneglorious Of kin and blude, quhilk ar presumpteous. Fy, puft up pryde, thow is full poysonabill. Quha favoris thee on force man haif ane fall. Thy strenth is nocht, thy stule standis unstabill. Tak witnes of the feyndis infernall Quhilk houndit doun wes fra that hevinlie hall To hellis hole and to that hiddeous hous Because in pryde thay wer presumpteous. This fenyeit foxe may weill be figurate To flatteraris with plesand wordis quhyte, With fals mening and mynd maist toxicate To loif and le that settis thair haill delyte. All worthie folk at sic suld haif despyte For quhair is thair mair perrellous pestilence Nor gif to learis haistelie credence? The wickit mynd and adullatioun, Of sucker sweit haifand the similitude, Bitter as gall and full of fell poysoun To taist it is, quha cleirlie understude. Forthy as now, schortlie to conclude, Thir twa sinnis, flatterie and vaneglore, Ar vennomous. Gude folk, fle thame thairfoir. The Fox and the Wolf Leif we this wedow glaid, I yow assure, Of Chantecleir mair blyith than I can tell, And speik we of the fatal aventure And destenie that to this foxe befell Quhilk durst na mair with miching intermell Als lang as leme or licht wes of the day Bot bydand nicht full styll lurkand he lay Quhill that Thetes the goddes of the flude Phebus had callit to the harbery And Hesperous put off his cluddie hude Schawand his lustie visage in the sky, Than Lourence luikit up quhair he couth ly And kest his hand upon his ee on hicht, Merie and glade that cummit wes the nicht. Out of the wod unto ane hill he went Quhair he micht se the twinkling sternis cleir And all the planetis of the firmament, Thair cours and eik thair moving in the spheir, Sum retrograde and sum stationeir And off the zodiak in quhat degree Thay wer ilkane as Lowrence leirnit me: Than Saturne auld wes enterit in Capricorne And Juppiter movit in Sagittarie And Mars up in the Rammis heid wes borne And Phebus in the Lyoun furth can carie, Venus the Crab, the Mone wes in Aquarie, Mercurius the god of eloquence Into the Virgyn maid his residence. But astrolab, quadrant, or almanak, Teichit of nature be instructioun, The moving of the hevin this tod can tak Quhat influence and constellatioun Wes lyke to fall upon the eirth adoun And to himself he said withoutin mair, “Weill worth thee, father, that send me to the lair. “My destenie and eik my weird I wait, My aventure is cleirlie to me kend. With mischeif myngit is my mortall fait, My misleving the soner bot I mend. Deid is reward of sin, and schamefull end. Thairfoir I will ga seik sum confessour And schryiff me clene of all sinnis to this hour.” “Allace,” quod he, “richt waryit ar we thevis. Our lyif is set ilk nicht in aventure. Our cursit craft full mony man mischevis For ever we steill and ever alyk ar pure. In dreid and schame our dayis we indure, Syne ‘Widdinek’ and ‘Crakraip’ callit als And till our hyre ar hangit be the hals.” Accusand thus his cankerit conscience, Into ane craig he kest about his ee, So saw he cummand ane lyttill than frome thence Ane worthie doctour of divinitie, Freir Wolff Waitskaith, in science wonder sle, To preiche and pray wes new cum fra the closter With beidis in hand, sayand his Pater Noster. Seand this wolff, this wylie tratour tod On kneis fell with hude into his nek. “Welcome, my gostlie father under God,” Quod he with mony binge and mony bek. “Ha,” quod the wolff, “schir tod, for quhat effek Mak ye sic feir? Ryse up, put on your hude!” “Father,” quod he, “I haif grit cause to dude: “Ye ar the lanterne and the sicker way Suld gyde sic sempill folk as me to grace. Your bair feit and your russet coull of gray, Your lene cheik, your paill and pietious face, Schawis to me your perfite halines For weill wer him that anis in his lyve Had hap to yow his sinnis for to schryve.” “Na, selie Lowrence,” quod the wolf and leuch, “It plesis me that ye ar penitent.” “Of reif and stouth, schir, I can tell aneuch That causis me full sair for to repent. Bot father, byde still heir upon the bent, I yow beseik, and heir me to declair My conscience that prikkis me sa sair.” “Weill,” quod the wolff, “sit doun upon thy kne.” And he doun bairheid sat full humilly And syne began with “Benedicitie.” Quhen I this saw, I drew ane lytill by, For it effeiris nouther to heir nor spy Nor to reveill thing said under that seill But to the tod thisgait the wolf couth mele, “Art thow contrite and sorie in thy spreit For thy trespas?” “Na, schir, I can not duid. Me think that hennis ar sa honie sweit And lambes flesche that new ar lettin bluid, For to repent my mynd can not concluid Bot of this thing that I haif slane sa few.” “Weill,” quod the wolf, “in faith thow art ane schrew. “Sen thow can not forthink thy wickitnes, Will thow forbeir in tyme to cum and mend?” “And I forbeir, how sall I leif allace, Haifand nane uther craft me to defend? Neid causis me to steill quhairever I wend. I eschame to thig, I can not wirk ye wait, Yit wald I fane pretend to gentill stait.” “Weill,” quod the wolf, “thow wantis pointis twa Belangand to perfyte confessioun. To the thrid part of pennance let us ga. Will thow tak pane for thy transgressioun?” “A, schir, considder my complexioun, Seikly and waik and of my nature tender; Lo, will ye se, I am baith lene and sklender. “Yit nevertheles I wald, swa it wer licht, Schort, and not grevand to my tendernes, Tak part of pane, fulfill it gif I micht, To set my selie saull in way of grace.” “Thow sall,” quod he, “forbeir flesch hyne to Pasche To tame this corps, that cursit carioun, And heir I reik thee full remissioun.” “I grant thairto swa ye will giff me leif To eit puddingis or laip ane lyttill blude Or heid or feit or paynchis let me preif In cace I faut of flesch unto my fude.” “For grit mister I gif thee leif to dude Twyse in the oulk, for neid may haif na law.” “God yeild yow schir, for that text weill I knaw.” Quhen this wes said, the wolf his wayis went. The foxe on fute he fure unto the flude. To fang him fisch haillelie wes his intent Bot quhen he saw the walterand wallis woude, All stonist still into ane stair he stude And said, “Better that I had biddin at hame Nor bene ane fischar in the devillis name. “Now man I scraip my meit out of the sand For I haif nouther boittis, net, nor bait.” As he wes thus for falt of meit murnand, Lukand about his leving for to lait, Under ane tre he saw ane trip of gait. Than wes he blyith and in ane hewch him hid, And fra the gait he stall ane lytill kid, Syne over the heuch unto the see he hyis And tuke the kid be the hornis twane And in the watter outher twyis or thryis He dowkit him and till him can he sayne, “Ga doun schir kid, cum up schir salmond agane,” Quhill he wes deid, syne to the land him drewch And of that new-maid salmond eit anewch. Thus fynelie fillit with young tender meit, Unto ane derne for dreid he him addrest Under ane busk quhair that the sone can beit To beik his breist and bellie he thocht best And rekleslie he said quhair he did rest, Straikand his wame aganis the sonis heit, “Upon this wame set wer ane bolt full meit.” Quhen this wes said, the keipar of the gait, Cairfull in hart his kid wes stollen away, On everilk syde full warlie couth he wait Quhill at the last he saw quhair Lowrence lay. Ane bow he bent, ane flane with fedderis gray He haillit to the heid, and or he steird The foxe he prikkit fast unto the eird. “Now,” quod the foxe, “allace and wellaway. Gorrit I am and may na forther gane. Methink na man may speik ane word in play Bot now on dayis in ernist it is tane.” The hird him hynt and out he drew his flane And for his kid and uther violence He tuke his skyn and maid ane recompence. Moralitas This suddand deith and unprovysit end Of this fals tod without contritioun Exempill is exhortand folk to mend For dreid of sic ane lyke conclusioun For mony gois now to confessioun Cannot repent nor for thair sinnis greit Because thay think thair lustie lyfe sa sweit. Sum bene also throw consuetude and ryte Vincust with carnall sensualitie. Suppose thay be as for the tym contryte, Cannot forbeir nor fra thair sinnis fle. Use drawis nature swa in propertie Of beist and man that neidlingis thay man do As thay of lang tyme hes bene hantit to. Bewar, gude folke, and feir this suddane schoit Quhilk smytis sair withoutin resistence. Attend wyislie and in your hartis noit, Aganis deith may na man mak defence. Ceis of your sin, remord your conscience, Do wilfull pennance here and ye sall wend Efter your deith to blis withouttin end. The Trial of the Fox This foirsaid foxe that deit for his misdeid Had not ane barne wes gottin richteouslie That to his airschip micht of law succeid Except ane sone the quhilk in lemanrie He gottin had in purches privelie And till his name wes callit Father-war That luifit weill with pultrie tig and tar. It followis weill be ressoun naturall And gre be gre of richt comparisoun, Of evill cummis war, of war cummis werst of all, Of wrangus get cummis wrang successioun. This foxe, bastard of generatioun, Of verray kynde behuifit to be fals. Swa wes his father and his grandschir als. As nature will, seikand his meit be sent, Off cace he fand his fatheris carioun, Nakit, new slane and till him is he went, Tuke up his heid and on his kne fell doun Thankand grit God of that conclusioun And said,”Now sall I bruke, sen I am air, The boundis quhair thow wes wont for to repair.” Fy covetice, unkynd and venemous. The sone wes fane he fand his father deid Be suddand schot for deidis odious That he micht ringe and raxe intill his steid, Dreidand nathing the samin lyfe to leid In stouth and reif as he had done befoir Bot to the end attent he tuke no moir. Yit nevertheles throw naturall pietie The carioun upon his bak he tais. “Now find I weill this proverb trew,” quod he, “Ay rinnis the foxe, als lang as he fute hais,” Syne with the corps unto ane peitpoit gais Of watter full and kest him in the deip And to the Devill he gaif his banis to keip. O fulische man plungit in wardlynes To conqueis wrangwis guidis, gold and rent, To put thy saull in pane or hevines, To riche thy air quhilk efter thow art went, Have he thy gude, he takis bot small tent To sing or say for thy salvatioun. Fra thow be dede, done is thy devotioun. This tod to rest he carit to ane craig And thair he hard ane buisteous bugill blaw Quhilk as him thocht maid all the warld to waig, Than start he up quhen he this hard and saw Ane unicorne come lansand over ane law, With horne in hand, ane bill in breist he bure, Ane pursephant semelie, I yow assure. Unto ane bank quhair he micht se about On everilk syde, in haist he culd him hy, Schot out his voce full schyll, and gaif ane schout And “Oyas, oyas” twyse or thryse did cry. With that the beistis in the feild thairby, All mervelland quhat sic ane thing suld mene, Govand agast, thay gaderit on ane grene. Out of his buste ane bill sone can he braid And red the text withoutin tarying. Commandand silence, sadlie thus he said: “‘We, nobill Lyoun, of all beistis the king, Greting to God ay lestand but ending, To brutall beistis and irrationall I send as to my subjectis grit and small. “‘My celsitude and hie magnificence Lattis yow to wit that evin incontinent Thinkis the morne with royall deligence Upon this hill to hald ane parliament. Straitlie thairfoir I gif commandement For to compeir befoir my tribunall Under all pane and perrell that may fall.’” The morrow come, and Phebus with his bemis Consumit had the mistie cluddis gray. The ground wes grene and as the gold it glemis With gresis growand gudelie, grit, and gay. The spyce thay spred to spring on everilk spray. The lark, the maveis, and the merll full hie Sweitlie can sing, trippand fra tre to tre. Thre leopardis come, a croun of massie gold Beirand thay brocht unto that hillis hicht With jaspis jonit and royall rubeis rold And mony diveris dyamontis dicht. With pollis proud ane palyeoun doun thay picht And in that throne thair sat ane wild lyoun In rob royall with sceptour, swerd, and croun. Efter the tennour off the cry befoir That gais on fut all beistis in the eird As thay commandit wer withoutin moir Befoir thair lord the lyoun thay appeird And quhat thay wer, to me as Lowrence leird, I sall reheirs ane part of everilk kynd Als fer as now occurris to my mynd. As much The minotaur, ane monster mervelous, Bellerophont, that beist of bastardrie, The warwolf and the pegase perillous Transformit be assent of sorcerie, The linx, the tiger full of tiranie, The elephant and eik the dromedarie, The cameill with his cran-nek furth can carie, The leopard as I haif tauld beforne, The anteloip the sparth furth couth speid, The peyntit pantheir and the unicorne, The rayndeir ran throw reveir, rone, and reid, The jolie jonet and the gentill steid, The asse, the mule, the hors of everilk kynd, The da, the ra, the hornit hart, the hynd, The bull, the beir, the bugill, and the bair, The wodwys, wildcat, and the wild wolfyne, The hardbakkit hurcheoun and the hirpland hair, Baith otter and aip and pennit porcupyne, The gukit gait, the selie scheip, the swyne, The baver, bakon, and the balterand brok, The fowmart with the fibert furth can flok, The gray grewhound with slewthound furth can slyde With doggis all divers and different, The rattoun ran, the globard furth can glyde, The quhrynand quhitret with the quhasill went, The feitho that hes furrit mony fent, The mertrik with the cunning and the con, The bowranbane and eik the lerion, The marmisset the mowdewart couth leid Because that nature denyit had hir sicht. Thus dressit thay all furth for dreid of deid. The musk — the lytill mous with all hir micht In haist haikit unto that hillis hicht — And mony kynd of beistis I couth not knaw Befoir thair lord the lyoun thay loutit law. Seing thir beistis all at his bidding boun, He gaif ane braid and blenkit him about, Than flatlingis to his feit thay fell all doun. For dreid of deith, thay droupit all in dout. The lyoun lukit quhen he saw thame lout And bad thame with ane countenance full sweit, “Be not efferit bot stand up on your feit. “I lat yow wit my micht is merciabill And steiris nane that ar to me prostrait, Angrie, austerne, and als unamyabill To all that standfray ar to myne estait. I rug, I reif all beistys that makis debait Aganis the micht of my magnyficence. Se nane pretend to pryde in my presence. “My celsitude and my hie majestie With micht and mercie myngit sall be ay. The lawest heir I can full sone uphie And mak him maister over yow all I may. The dromedarie giff he will mak deray, The grit camell thocht he wer never sa crous, I can him law als lytill as ane mous. “Se neir be twentie mylis quhair I am The kid ga saiflie be the gaittis syde, Se tod Lowrie luke not upoun the lam Na revand beistis nouther ryn nor ryde.” Thay couchit all efter that this wes cryde. The justice bad the court for to gar fence, The sutis call, and foirfalt all absence. The panther with his payntit coit-armour Fensit the court as of the law effeird. Tod Lowrie lukit up quhair he couth lour And start on fute all stonist and all steird. Ryifand his hair, he rarit with ane reird, Quaikand for dreid and sichand couth he say, “Allace this hour, allace this dulefull day. “I wait this suddand semblie that I se Haifand the pointis of ane parliament Is maid to mar sic misdoars as me. Thairfoir geve I me schaw, I will be schent, I will be socht and I be red absent, To byde or fle it makis no remeid, All is alyke, thair followis not bot deid.” Perplexit thus in his hart can he mene Throw falset how he micht himself defend. His hude he drew far doun attoure his ene hood; And winkand with the ane eye furth he wend. Clinscheand he come that he micht not be kend And for dreddour that he suld thoill arreist He playit bukhude behind fra beist to beist. O fylit spreit and cankerit conscience Befoir ane roy renyeit with richteousnes, Blakinnit cheikis and schamefull countenance, Fairweill thy fame, now gone is all thy grace! The phisnomie, the favour of thy face For thy defence is foull and disfigurate, Brocht to the licht basit, blunt, and blait. Be thow atteichit with thift or with tressoun For thy misdeid wrangous and wickit fay, Thy cheir changis, Lowrence, thow man luke doun. Thy worschip of this warld is went away. Luke to this tod how he wes in effray And fle the filth of falset, I thee reid, Quhairthrow thair fallowis syn and schamefull deid. Compeirand thus befoir thair lord and king In ordour set as to thair stait effeird, Of everilk kynd he gart ane part furth bring And awfullie he spak and at thame speird Geve there wes ony beist into this eird Absent and thairto gart thame deiplie sweir And thay said nane except ane gray stude meir. “Ga make ane message sone unto that stude.” The court than cryit, “My lord, quha sall it be?” “Cum furth, Lowrie, lurkand under thy hude.” “Aa, schir, mercie, lo I have bot ane ee, Hurt in the hoche and cruikit as ye may se. The wolff is better in ambassatry And mair cunning in clergie fer than I.” Rampand he said, “Ga furth, ye brybouris baith!” And thay to ga withowtin tarying. Over ron and rute thay ran togidder raith And fand the meir at hir meit in the morning. “Now,” quod the tod, “Madame, cum to the king. The court is callit, and ye ar contumax.” “Let be, Lowrence,” quod scho, “your cowrtlie knax.” “Maistres,” quod he, “cum to the court ye mon. The lyoun hes commandit so indeid.” “Schir tod, tak ye the flyrdome and the fon. I have respite ane yeir and ye will reid.” “I can not spell,” quod he, “sa God me speid. Heir is the wolff, ane nobill clerk at all And of this message is maid principall. “He is autentik and ane man of age And hes grit practik of the chancellary. Let him ga luke and reid your privilage And I sall stand and beir witnes yow by.” “Quhair is thy respite?” quod the wolff in hy. “Schir, it is heir under my hufe, weill hid.” “Hald up thy heill,” quod he, and so scho did. Thocht he wes blindit with pryde, yit he presumis To luke doun law quhair that hir letter lay. With that the meir gird him upon the gumis And straik the hattrell of his heid away. Halff out of lyif, thair lenand doun he lay. “Allace,” quod Lowrence, “Lupus, thow art loist.” “His cunning,” quod the meir, “wes worth sum coist. “Lowrence,” quod scho,”will thow luke on my letter Sen that the wolff nathing thairoff can wyn?” “Na, be Sanct Bryde,” quod he. “me think it better To sleip in haill nor in ane hurt skyn. Ane skrow I fand and this wes writtin in (For fyve schillingis I wald not anis forfaut him), Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.”5 With brokin skap and bludie cheikis reid, This wretchit wolff weipand on his wayis went Of his menye markand to get remeid — To tell the king the cace wes his intent. “Schir,” quod the tod, “byde still upon this bent And fra your browis wesche away the blude And tak ane drink for it will do yow gude.” To fetche watter this fraudfull foxe furth fure. Sydelingis a bank he socht unto ane syke. On cace he meittis, cummand fra the mure, Ane trip of lambis dansand on ane dyke. This tratour tod, this tirrant and this tyke, The fattest of this flock he fellit hais And eit his fill, syne to the wolff he gais. Thay drank togidder and syne thair journey takis Befoir the king, syne kneillit on thair kne. “Quhair is yone meir, schir tod, wes contumax?” Than Lowrence said, “My lord, speir not at me. This new-maid doctour of divinitie With his reid cap can tell yow weill aneuch.” With that the lyoun and all the laif thay leuch. “Tell on the cais now, Lowrence, let us heir.” “This wittie wolf,” quod he, “this clerk of age, On your behalff he bad the meir compeir And scho allegit to ane privilage: ‘Cum neir and se, and ye sall haiff your wage.’ Because he red hir rispite plane and weill, Yone reid bonat scho raucht him with hir heill.” The lyoun said, “Be yone reid cap I ken This taill is trew, quha tent unto it takis. The greitest clerkis ar not the wysest men, The hurt of ane happie the uther makis.” As thay wer carpand in this cais with knakis And all the court in garray and in gam, Swa come the yow, the mother of the lam, Befoir the justice on hir kneis fell, Put out hir playnt on this wyis wofully, “This harlet huresone and this hound of hell, He werryit hes my lamb full doggitly Within ane myle in contrair to your cry. For Goddis lufe my lord, gif me the law Of this lurker.” With that Lowrence let draw. “Byde!” quod the lyoun, “Lymmer, let us se Giff it be suthe the selie yow hes said.” “Aa soverane lord, saif your mercie,” quod he, “My purpois wes with him for to haif plaid, Causles he fled as he had bene effraid, For dreid of deith he duschit over ane dyke And brak his nek.” “Thow leis,” quod scho, “fals tyke.” “His deith be practik may be previt eith: Thy gorrie gumis and thy bludie snout, The woll, the flesche yit stikkis on thy teith And that is evidence aneuch but dout.” The justice bad ga cheis ane sis about And so thay did and fand that he wes fals Of murther, thift, and party tressoun als. Thay band him fast, the justice bad belyif To gif the dome and tak of all his clais, The wolf that new-maid doctour couth him schrif, Syne furth him led and to the gallows gais And at the ledder fute his leif he tais. The aip wes basare and bad him sone ascend And hangit him and thus he maid his end. Moralitas Richt as the mynour in his minorall Fair gold with fyre may fra the leid weill wyn, Richt so under ane fabill figurall Sad sentence men may seik and efter fyne As daylie dois the doctouris of devyne Apertly be oure leving can apply And preve thare preching be a poesye. The lyoun is the warld be liklynace To quhome loutis baith empriour and king And thinkis of this warld to get mare grace And gapis daylie to get mair leving, Sum for to reull and sum to raxe and ring, Sum gadderis geir, sum gold, sum uther gude, To wyn this warld, sum wirkis as thay wer wod. This wolf I likkin to sensualitie As quhen lyke brutall beistis we accord Our mynd all to this warldis vanitie, Lyking to tak and loif him as our lord. Fle fast thairfra gif thow will richt remord, Than sall ressoun ryse, rax, and ring And for thy saull thair is na better thing. The meir is men of contemplatioun Of pennance walkand in this wildernes As monkis and othir men of religioun That presis God to pleis in everilk place, Abstractit from this warldis wretchitnes In wilfull povertee fra pomp and pryde, And fra this warld in mynd ar mortyfyde. Hir hufe I likkin to the thocht of deid. Will thow remember, man, that thow man de, Thow may brek sensualiteis heid And fleschlie lust away fra thee sall fle. Wis Salomon sais — will thow nocht see — “For as thow may thy sely saull now wyn, Think on thy end — thow sall not glaidlie sin.” This tod I likkin to temptationis Beirand to mynd mony thochtis vane That daylie sagis men of religounis, Cryand to thame, “Cum to the warld agane!” Yit gif thay se sensualitie neir slane And suddand deith with ithand panis sore, Thay go abak and temptis thame no more. O Mary myld mediatour of mercy meik Sitt doun before thy sone celestiall, For us synnars his celsitude beseke Us to defend fra pane and perrellis all And help us up unto that hevinlie hall In gloir quhair we may se the face of God And thus endis the talking of the tod. The Sheep and the Dog Esope ane taill puttis in memorie How that ane doig because that he wes pure Callit ane scheip unto the consistorie Ane certane breid fra him for to recure. Ane fraudfull wolff wes juge that tyme and bure Authoritie and jurisdictioun And on the scheip send furth ane strait summoun, For by the use and cours and commoun style On this maner maid his citatioun, “I, Maister Wolff, partles of fraud and gyle, Under the panis of hie suspensioun, Of grit cursing and interdictioun, Schir Scheip, I charge thee straitly to compeir And answer to ane doig befoir me heir.” Schir Corbie Ravin wes maid apparitour Quha pykit had full mony scheipis ee, The charge hes tane and on the letteris bure, Summonit the scheip befoir the wolff that he “Peremptourlie within the dayis thre Compeir under the panis in this bill To heir quhat Perrie doig will say thee till.” This summondis maid befoir witnes anew, The ravin, as to his office weill effeird, Indorsat hes the write and on he flew. The selie scheip durst lay na mouth on eird Till he befoir the awfull juge appeird Be oure off cause quhilk that court usit than — 6 Quhen Hesperus to schaw his face began. The foxe wes clerk and noter in the cause, The gled, the graip up at the bar couth stand As advocatis expert into the lawis, The doggis pley togidder tuke on hand Quhilk wer confidderit straitlie in ane band Aganis the scheip to procure the sentence. Thocht it wes fals thay had na conscience. The clerk callit the scheip, and he wes thair. The advocatis on this wyse couth propone: “Ane certane breid worth fyve schilling or mair Thow aw the doig of quhilk the terme is gone.” Of his awin heid, but advocate, allone, Avysitlie gaif answer in the cace: “Heir I declyne the juge, the tyme, the place. “This is my cause in motive and effect: The law sayis it is richt perrillous Till enter pley befoir ane juge suspect And ye, schir wolff, hes bene richt odious To me for with your tuskis ravenous Hes slane full mony kinnismen of myne, Thairfoir as juge suspect I yow declyne. “And schortlie, of this court ye memberis all, Baith assessouris, clerk, and advocate, To me and myne ar ennemies mortall And ay hes bene as mony scheipheird wate. The place is fer, the tyme is feriate In quhilk no jugeis suld sit in consistory Sa lait at evin. I yow accuse for-thy.” Quhen that the juge in this wyse wes accusit, He bad the parteis cheis with ane assent Twa arbeteris as in the law is usit For to declair and gif arbitriment Quhidder the scheip suld answer in jugement Befoir the wolff and so thay did but weir, Of quhome the namis eftir ye sall heir. The beir, the brok, the mater tuke on hand For to discyde gif this exceptioun Wes of na strenth or lauchfully mycht stand, And thairupon as jugis thay sat doun And held ane lang quhyle disputatioun, Seikand full mony decreitis of the law And glosis als, the veritie to knaw. Of civile mony volum thay revolve, The codies and digestis new and ald, Pro and contra, strait argumentis resolve, Sum a doctryne and sum anothir hald. For prayer nor price, trow ye, thay wald fald Bot held the glose and text of the decreis As trew jugis. I schrew thame ay that leis. Schortlie to mak ane end of this debait, The arbiteris than summar and plane The sentence gave and proces fulminait: The scheip suld pas befoir the wolff agane And end his pley. Than wes he nathing fane For fra thair sentence couth he not appeill. On clerkis I do it gif this sentence wes leill. The scheip agane befoir the wolff derenyeit, But advocate, abasitlie couth stand. Up rais the doig and on the scheip thus plenyeit, “Ane soume I payit have befoir the hand For certane breid.” Thairto ane borrow he fand That wrangouslie the scheip did hald the breid, Quhilk he denyit, and thair began the pleid. And quhen the scheip this stryif had contestait, The justice in the cause furth can proceid. Lowrence the actis and the proces wrait And thus the pley unto the end thay speid. This cursit court, corruptit all for meid, Aganis gude faith, gude law, and conscience, For this fals doig pronuncit the sentence. And it till put to executioun, The wolff chargit the scheip without delay Under the panis of interdictioun The soume of silver or the breid to pay. Of this sentence allace quhat sall I say, Quhilk dampnit hes the selie innocent And justifyit the wrangous jugement? The scheip, dreidand mair persecutioun, Obeyand to the sentence and couth tak His way unto ane merchand of the toun And sauld the woll that he bure on his bak Syne bocht the breid and to the doig couth mak Reddie payment as he forjugeit was, Naikit and bair syne to the feild couth pas. Moralitas This selie scheip may present the figure Of pure commounis that daylie ar opprest Be tirrane men quhilkis settis all thair cure Be fals meinis to mak ane wrang conquest In hope this present lyfe suld ever lest; Bot all begylit thay will in schort tyme end And efter deith to lestand panis wend. This wolf I likkin to ane schiref stout Quhilk byis ane forfalt at the kingis hand And hes with him ane cursit assyis about, And dytis all the pure men uponland. Fra the crownar haif laid on him his wand, Suppois he be als trew as wes Sanct Johine, Slain sall he be or with the juge compone. This ravin I likkin to ane fals crownair Quhilk hes ane porteous of the inditement And passis furth befoir the justice air All misdoaris to bring to jugement; Bot luke gif he be of ane trew intent To scraip out “Johne” and wryte in “Will” or “Wat” And swa ane bud at boith the parteis skat. Of this fals tod of quhilk I spak befoir And of this gled, quhat thay micht signify, Of thair nature, as now I speik no moir, Bot of this scheip and of his cairfull cry I sall reheirs for as I passit by Quhair that he lay, on cais I lukit doun And hard him mak sair lamentatioun. “Allace,” quod he, “this cursit consistorie In middis of the winter now is maid Quhen Boreas with blastis bitterlie And frawart froistes thir flouris doun can faid. On bankis bair now may I mak na baid,” And with that word into ane coif he crap Fra hair wedder and froistis him to hap. Quaikand for cauld, sair murnand ay amang, Kest up his ee unto the hevinnis hicht And said, “O lord, quhy sleipis thow sa lang? Walk and discerne my cause groundit on richt, Se how I am be fraud, maistrie, and slicht Peillit full bair and so is mony one Now in this warld richt wonder wobegone. “Se how this cursit syn of covetice Exylit hes baith lufe, lawtie, and law. Now few or nane will execute justice, In falt of quhome the pure man is overthraw. The veritie suppois the jugis knaw, Thay ar so blindit with affectioun But dreid for meid thay thoill the richt go doun.7 “Seis thow not, lord, this warld overturnit is As quha wald change gude gold in leid or tyn. The pure is peillit, the lord may do na mis, And simonie is haldin for na syn. Now is he blyith with okker maist may wyn. Gentrice is slane and pietie is ago. Allace gude lord, quhy tholis thow it so? “Thow tholis this evin for our grit offence. Thow sendis us troubill and plaigis soir As hunger, derth, grit weir, or pestilence Bot few amendis now thair lyfe thairfoir. We pure pepill as now may do no moir Bot pray to thee: sen that we ar opprest Into this eirth, grant us in hevin gude rest.” The Lion and the Mouse Prologue In middis of June that joly sweit seasoun Quhen that fair Phebus with his bemis bricht Had dryit up the dew fra daill and doun And all the land maid with his lemis licht, In ane mornyng betwix midday and nicht I rais and put all sleuth and sleip asyde And to ane wod I went allone but gyde. Sweit wes the smell of flouris quhyte and reid, The noyes of birdis richt delitious, The bewis braid blomit abone my heid, The ground growand with gresis gratious. Of all plesance that place wes plenteous, With sweit odouris and birdis harmony, The morning myld, my mirth wes mair forthy. The rosis reid arrayit rone and ryce, The prymeros and the purpour viola. To heir it wes ane poynt of paradice Sic mirth the mavis and the merle couth ma. The blossummis blythe brak upon bank and bra, The smell of herbis and the fowlis cry Contending quha suld have the victory. Me to conserve than fra the sonis heit, Under the schaddow of ane hawthorne grene I lenit doun amang the flouris sweit Syne maid a cors and closit baith my ene. On sleip I fell amang thir bewis bene And in my dreme methocht come throw the schaw The fairest man that ever befoir I saw. His gowne wes of ane claith als quhyte as milk, His chymmeris wes of chambelate purpour broun, His hude of scarlet bordowrit weill with silk On hekillit wyis untill his girdill doun, His bonat round and of the auld fassoun, His beird wes quhyte, his ene wes grit and gray With lokker hair quhilk over his schulderis lay. Ane roll of paper in his hand he bair, Ane swannis pen stikand under his eir, Ane inkhorne with ane prettie gilt pennair, Ane bag of silk all at his belt he weir, Thus wes he gudelie grathit in his geir. Of stature large and with ane feirfull face, Evin quhair I lay he come ane sturdie pace And said, “God speid, my sone,” and I wes fane Of that couth word and of his cumpany. With reverence I salusit him agane, “Welcome, father,” and he sat doun me by. “Displeis yow not my gude maister thocht I Demand your birth, your facultye, and name, Quhy ye come heir or quhair ye dwell at hame.” “My sone,” said he, “I am of gentill blude. My natall land is Rome withoutin nay And in that towne first to the sculis I yude, In civile law studyit full mony ane day And now my winning is in hevin for ay. Esope I hecht. My writing and my werk Is couth and kend to mony cunning clerk.” “O maister Esope, poet lawriate, God wait ye ar full deir welcum to me. Ar ye not he that all thir fabillis wrate Quhilk in effect suppois thay fenyeit be, Ar full of prudence and moralitie?” “Fair sone,” said he, “I am the samin man.” God wait gif that my hert wes merie than. I said, “Esope, my maister venerabill, I yow beseik hartlie for cheritie Ye wald dedene to tell ane prettie fabill Concludand with ane gude moralitie.” Schaikand his heid, he said, “My sone, lat be For quhat is it worth to tell ane fenyeit taill Quhen haly preiching may nathing availl? “Now in this warld me think richt few or nane To Goddis word that hes devotioun. The eir is deif, the hart is hard as stane, Now oppin sin without correctioun, The e inclynand to the eirth ay doun, Sa roustit is the warld with canker blak That now my taillis may lytill succour mak.” “Yit, gentill schir,” said I, “For my requeist, Not to displeis your fatherheid I pray, Under the figure off ane brutall beist Ane morall fabill ye wald denye to say. Quha wait nor I may leir and beir away Sumthing thairby heirefter may availl?’ “I grant,” quod he, and thus begouth ane taill. The Fable Ane lyoun, at his pray wery foirrun, To recreat his limmis and to rest, Beikand his breist and belly at the sun, Under ane tre lay in the fair forest. Swa come ane trip of myis out off thair nest Richt tait and trig, all dansand in ane gyis And over the lyoun lansit twyis or thryis. He lay so still, the myis wes not effeird Bot to and fro out over him tuke thair trace. Sum tirlit at the campis of his beird, Sum spairit not to claw him on the face. Merie and glaid thus dansit thay ane space Till at the last the nobill lyoun woke And with his pow the maister mous he tuke. Scho gave ane cry and all the laif, agast, Thair dansing left and hid thame sone alquhair. Scho that wes tane cryit and weipit fast And said allace oftymes that scho come thair. “Now am I tane ane wofull presonair And for my gilt traistis incontinent Of lyfe and deith to thoill the jugement.” Than spak the lyoun to that cairfull mous, “Thow cative wretche and vile unworthie thing, Over malapart and eik presumpteous Thow wes to mak out over me thy tripping. Knew thow not weill I wes baith lord and king Of beistis all?” “Yes,” quod the mous, “I knaw, Bot I misknew because ye lay so law. “Lord, I beseik thy kinglie royaltie Heir quhat I say and tak in patience. Considder first my simple povertie And syne thy mychtie hie magnyfycence. Se als how thingis done of neglygence, Nouther of malice nor of prodissioun, Erer suld have grace and remissioun. “We wer repleit and had grit aboundance Off alkin thingis sic as to us effeird. The sweit sesoun provokit us to dance And mak sic mirth as nature to us leird. Ye lay so still and law upon the eird That be my saull we weind ye had bene deid, Elles wald we not have dancit over your heid.” “Thy fals excuse,” the lyoun said agane, “Sall not availl ane myte, I underta. I put the cace I had bene deid or slane And syne my skyn bene stoppit full of stra, Thocht thow had found my figure lyand swa, Because it bare the prent of my persoun, Thow suld for feir on kneis have fallin doun. “For thy trespas thow can mak na defence My nobill persoun thus to vilipend. Of thy feiris nor thy awin negligence For to excuse thow can na cause pretend. Thairfoir thow suffer sall ane schamefull end And deith sic as to tressoun is decreit, Onto the gallous harlit be the feit.” “A, mercie, lord, at thy gentrice I ase As thow art king of beistis coronate, Sober thy wraith and let thi yre overpas And mak thy mynd to mercy inclynate. I grant offence is done to thyne estate, Quhairfoir I worthie am to suffer deid Bot gif thy kinglie mercie reik remeid. “In everie juge mercy and reuth suld be As assessouris and collaterall. Without mercie, justice is crueltie As said is in the lawis spirituall. Quhen rigour sittis in the tribunall, The equitie of law quha may sustene? Richt few or nane but mercie gang betwene. “Alswa ye knaw the honour triumphall Of all victour upon the strenth dependis Of his conqueist quhilk manlie in battell Throw jeopardie of weir lang defendis. Quhat pryce or loving quhen the battell endis Is said off him that overcummis ane man Him to defend quhilk nouther may nor can? “Ane thowsand myis to kill and eik devoir Is lytill manheid to ane strang lyoun, Full lytill worschip have ye wyn thairfoir, To quhais strenth is na comparisoun. It will degraid sum part of your renoun To sla ane mous quhilk may mak na defence Bot askand mercie at your excellence. “Also it semis not your celsitude Quhilk usis daylie meittis delitious To fyle your teith or lippis with my blude Quhilk to your stomok is contagious. Unhailsum meit is of ane sarie mous And that namelie untill ane strang lyoun Wont till be fed with gentill vennesoun. “My lyfe is lytill worth, my deith is les, Yit and I leif I may peradventure Supplie your hienes beand in distres For oft is sene ane man of small stature Reskewit hes ane lord of hie honour Keipit that wes in poynt to be overthrawin Throw misfortoun. Sic cace may be your awin.” Quhen this wes said, the lyoun his langage Paissit and thocht according to ressoun And gart mercie his cruell ire asswage And to the mous grantit remissioun, Oppinnit his pow and scho on kneis fell doun And baith hir handis unto the hevin upheild, Cryand, “Almichty God mot yow foryeild!” Quhen scho wes gone, the lyoun held to hunt For he had nocht bot levit on his pray And slew baith tayme and wyld as he wes wont And in the cuntrie maid ane grit deray Till at the last the pepill fand the way This cruell lyoun how that thay mycht tak. Of hempyn cordis strang nettis couth thay mak And in ane rod quhair he wes wont to ryn With raipis rude fra tre to tre it band, Syne kest ane range on raw the wod within, With hornis blast and kennettis fast calland. The lyoun fled and throw the ron rynnand Fell in the net and hankit fute and heid. For all his strenth he couth mak na remeid. Welterand about with hiddeous rummissing, Quhyle to, quhyle fra, quhill he mycht succour get Bot all in vane, it vailyeit him nathing. The mair he flang, the faster wes he knet. The raipis rude wes sa about him plet On everilk syde that succour saw he nane Bot styll lyand, thus murnand maid his mane. “O lamit lyoun liggand heir sa law, Quhair is the mycht of thy magnyfycence Of quhome all brutall beist in eird stude aw And dred to luke upon thy excellence? But hoip or help, but succour or defence, In bandis strang heir man I ly allace Till I be slane, I se nane uther grace. “Thair is na wy that will my harmis wreik Nor creature do confort to my croun. Quha sall me bute, quha sall my bandis breik, Quha sall me put fra pane off this presoun?” Be he had maid this lamentatioun, Throw aventure the lytill mous come neir And of the lyoun hard the pietuous beir. And suddanlie it come intill hir mynd That it suld be the lyoun did hir grace And said, “Now wer I fals and richt unkynd Bot gif I quit sum part thy gentilnes Thow did to me,” and on with that scho gais To hir fellowis and on thame fast can cry, “Cum help, cum help!” and thay come all in hy. “Lo,” quod the mous, “this is the same lyoun That grantit grace to me quhen I wes tane And now is fast heir bundin in presoun, Brekand his hart with sair murning and mane. Bot we him help, of souccour wait he nane. Cum help to quyte ane gude turne for ane uther, Go lous him sone”; and thay said, “Ye, gude brother.” Thay tuke na knyfe, thair teith wes scharpe aneuch. To se that sicht forsuith it wes grit wounder How that thay ran amang the rapis tewch, Befoir, behind, sum yeid abone, sum under And schuir the raipis of the mastis in schunder, Syne bad him ryse and he start up anone And thankit thame, syne on his way is gone. Now is the lyoun fre of all danger, Lows and delyverit to his libertie Be lytill beistis of ane small power As ye have hard because he had pietie.” Quod I, “Maister, is thair ane moralitie In this fabill?” “Yea, sone,” he said, “richt gude.” “I pray yow, schir,” quod I, “Ye wald conclude.” Moralitas “As I suppois, this mychtie gay lyoun May signifie ane prince or empriour, Ane potestate or yit ane king with croun Quhilk suld be walkrife gyde and governour Of his pepill and takis na labour To reule and steir the land and justice keip, Bot lyis still in lustis, sleuth, and sleip. The fair forest with levis lowne and le, With foulis sang and flouris ferlie sweit Is bot the warld and his prosperitie As fals plesance myngit with cair repleit. Richt as the rois with froist and wynter weit Faidis, swa dois the warld and thame desavis Quhilk in thair lustis maist confidence havis. Thir lytill myis ar bot the commountie, Wantoun, unwyse without correctioun. Thair lordis and princis quhen that thay se Of justice mak nane executioun, Thay dreid nathing to mak rebellioun And disobey for quhy thay stand nane aw That garris thame thair soveranis misknaw. Be this fabill, ye lordis of prudence May considder the vertew of pietie And to remit sumtyme ane grit offence And mitigate with mercy crueltie. Oftymis is sene ane man of small degree Hes quit ane kinbute baith for gude and ill As lord hes done rigour or grace him till. Quha wait how sone ane lord of grit renoun Rolland in wardlie lust and vane plesance May be overthrawin, destroyit, and put doun Throw fals fortoun quhilk of all variance Is haill maistres and leidar of the dance Till injust men and blindis thame so soir That thay na perrell can provyde befoir? Thir rurall men that stentit hes the net In quhilk the lyoun suddandlie wes tane Waittit alway amendis for to get. For hurt, men wrytis in the marbill stane. Mair till expone as now I lett allane Bot king and lord may weill wit quhat I mene. Figure heirof oftymis hes bene sene.” Quhen this wes said, quod Esope, “My fair child, Persuaid the kirkmen ythandly to pray That tressoun of this cuntrie be exyld And justice regne and lordis keip thair fay Unto thair soverane lord baith nycht and day,” And with that word he vanist and I woke, Syne throw the schaw my journey hamewart tuke. The Preaching of the Swallow The hie prudence and wirking mervelous, The profound wit of God omnipotent Is sa perfyte and sa ingenious, Excellent far all mannis argument For quhy to him all thing is ay present Rycht as it is or ony tyme sall be Befoir the sicht of his divinitie, Thairfoir our saull with sensualitie So fetterit is in presoun corporall, We may not cleirlie understand nor se God as he is, a thing celestiall. Our mirk and deidlie corps materiale Blindis the spirituall operatioun Lyke as ane man wer bundin in presoun. In Metaphisik Aristotell sayis That mannis saull is lyke ane bakkis ee Quhilk lurkis still als lang as licht of day is And in the gloming cummis furth to fle. Hir ene ar waik, the sone scho may not se. Sa is our saull with fantasie opprest To knaw the thingis in nature manifest. For God is in his power infinite, And mannis saull is febill and over small, Of understanding waik and unperfite To comprehend him that contenis all; Nane suld presume be ressoun naturall To seirche the secreitis of the Trinitie, Bot trow fermelie and lat dirk ressounis be. Yit nevertheles we may haif knawlegeing Of God almychtie be his creatouris, That he is gude, fair, wyis, and bening. Exempill takis be thir jolie flouris Rycht sweit of smell and plesant of colouris, Sum grene, sum blew, sum purpour, quhyte, and reid, Thus distribute be gift of his godheid. The firmament payntit with sternis cleir From eist to west rolland in cirkill round, And everilk planet in his proper spheir, In moving makand harmonie and sound, The fyre, the air, the watter, and the ground: Till understand it is aneuch iwis That God in all his werkis wittie is. Luke we the fische that swimmis in the se, Luke we in eirth all kynd of bestyall, The foulis fair sa forcelie thay fle, Scheddand the air with pennis grit and small; Syne luke to man that he maid last of all Lyke to his image and his similitude; Be thir we knaw that God is fair and gude. All creature he maid for the behufe Of man and to his supportatioun Into this eirth, baith under and abufe, In number, wecht, and dew proportioun, The difference of tyme and ilk seasoun Concorddand till our opurtunitie As daylie be experience we may se. The somer with his jolie mantill grene With flouris fair furrit on everilk fent, Quhilk Flora goddes of the flouris quene Hes to that lord as for his seasoun lent And Phebus with his goldin bemis gent Hes purfellit and payntit plesandly With heit and moysture stilland from the sky. Syne harvest hait quhen Ceres that goddes Hir barnis benit hes with abundance And Bachus god of wyne renewit hes Hir tume pyipis in Italie and France With wynis wicht and liquour of plesance And copia temporis to fill hir horne That never wes full of quheit nor uther corne. Syne wynter wan quhen austerne Eolus God of the wynd with blastis boreall The grene garment of somer glorious Hes all to-rent and revin in pecis small. Than flouris fair faidit with froist man fall, And birdis blyith changit thair noitis sweit In styll murning, neir slane with snaw and sleit. Thir dalis deip with dubbis drounit is, Baith hill and holt heillit with frostis hair And bewis bene ar bethit bair of blis. Be wickit windis of the winter wair, All wyld beistis than from the bentis bair Drawis for dreid unto thair dennis deip, Coucheand for cauld in coifis thame to keip. Syne cummis ver quhen winter is away, The secretar of somer with his sell Quhen columbie up keikis throw the clay Quhilk fleit wes befoir with froistes fell. The mavis and the merle beginnis to mell, The lark on loft with uther birdis smale Than drawis furth fra derne over doun and daill. That samin seasoun into ane soft morning, Rycht blyth that bitter blastis wer ago, Unto the wod to se the flouris spring And heir the mavis sing and birdis mo, I passit furth, syne lukit to and fro To se the soill that wes richt sessonabill, Sappie, and to resave all seidis abill. Moving thusgait, grit myrth I tuke in mynd Of lauboraris to se the besines, Sum makand dyke and sum the pleuch can wynd, Sum sawand seidis fast frome place to place, The harrowis hoppand in the saweris trace. It wes grit joy to him that luifit corne To se thame laubour baith at evin and morne, And as I baid under ane bank full bene, In hart gritlie rejosit of that sicht, Unto ane hedge under ane hawthorne grene, Of small birdis thair come ane ferlie flicht And doun belyif can on the leifis licht On everilk syde about me quhair I stude, Rycht mervellous, ane mekill multitude. Amang the quhilks ane swallow loud couth cry On that hawthorne hie in the croip sittand, “O ye birdis on bewis heir me by, Ye sall weill knaw and wyislie understand Quhair danger is or perrell appeirand It is grit wisedome to provyde befoir It to devoyd for dreid it hurt yow moir.” “Schir swallow,” quod the lark agane and leuch, “Quhat have ye sene that causis yow to dreid?” “Se ye yone churll,” quod scho, “beyond yone pleuch Fast sawand hemp, lo se, and linget seid, Yone lint will grow in lytill tyme indeid And thairof will yone churll his nettis mak Under the quhilk he thinkis us to tak. “Thairfoir I reid we pas quhen he is gone At evin and with our naillis scharp and small Out of the eirth scraip we yone seid anone And eit it up for giff it growis we sall Have cause to weip heirefter ane and all. Se we remeid thairfoir furthwith instante, Nam levius laedit quicquid praevidimus ante. “For clerkis sayis it is nocht sufficient To considder that is befoir thyne ee Bot prudence is ane inwart argument That garris ane man provyde befoir and see Quhat gude, quhat evill, is liklie for to be Of everilk thingis at the fynall end, And swa fra perrell ethar him defend.” The lark lauchand the swallow thus couth scorne And said scho fischit lang befoir the net. “The barne is eith to busk that is unborne. All growis nocht that in the ground is set. The nek to stoup quhen it the straik sall get Is sone aneuch. Deith on the fayest fall.” Thus scornit thay the swallow ane and all. Despysing thus hir helthsum document, The foulis ferslye tuke thair flicht anone, Sum with ane bir thay braidit over the bent And sum agane ar to the grene wod gone. Upon the land quhair I wes left allone, I tuke my club and hamewart couth I carie Swa ferliand as I had sene ane farie. Thus passit furth quhill June that jolie tyde And seidis that wer sawin of beforne Wer growin hie that hairis mycht thame hyde And als the quailye craikand in the corne. I movit furth betwix midday and morne Unto the hedge under the hawthorne grene Quhair I befoir the said birdis had sene, And as I stude be aventure and cace The samin birdis as I haif said yow air, I hoip because it wes thair hanting place, Mair of succour or yit mair solitair, Thay lychtit doun and quhen thay lychtit wair, The swallow swyth put furth ane pietuous pyme, Said, “Wo is him can not bewar in tyme. “O blind birdis and full of negligence, Unmyndfull of your awin prosperitie, Lift up your sicht and tak gude advertence, Luke to the lint that growis on yone le. Yone is the thing I bad forsuith that we, Quhill it wes seid, suld rute furth off the eird. Now is it lint, now is it hie on breird, “Go yit quhill it is tender, young, and small, And pull it up, let it na mair incres. My flesche growis, my bodie quaikis all, Thinkand on it I may not sleip in peis.” Thay cryit all and bad the swallow ceis And said, “yone lint heirefter will do gude, For linget is to lytill birdis fude. “We think quhen that yone lint bollis ar ryip To mak us feist and fill us of the seid Magré yone churll and on it sing and pyip.” “Weill,” quod the swallow, “freindes, hardilie beid, Do as ye will bot certane sair I dreid Heirefter ye sall find als sour as sweit Quhen ye ar speldit on yone carlis speit. “The awner of yone lint ane fouler is, Richt cautelous and full off subteltie. His pray full sendill tymis will he mis Bot gif we birdis all the warrer be. Full mony of our kin he hes gart de And thocht it bot ane sport to spill thair blude. God keip me fra him, and the halie rude.” Thir small birdis haveand bot lytill thocht Of perrell that mycht fall be aventure, The counsell of the swallow set at nocht Bot tuke thair flicht and furth togidder fure, Sum to the wode, sum markit to the mure. I tuke my staff quhen this wes said and done And walkit hame for it drew neir the none. The lynt ryipit, the carll pullit the lyne, Rippillit the bollis and in beitis set, It steipit in the burne and dryit syne And with ane bittill knokkit it and bet, Syne swingillit it weill and hekkillit in the flet. His wyfe it span and twynit it into threid Of quhilk the fowlar nettis maid indeid. The wynter come, the wickit wind can blaw, The woddis grene wer wallowit with the weit, Baith firth and fell with froistys wer maid faw, Slonkis and slaik maid slidderie with the sleit. The foulis fair for falt thay fell of feit. On bewis bair it wes na bute to byde Bot hyit unto housis thame to hyde. Sum in the barn, sum in the stak of corne Thair lugeing tuke and maid thair residence. The fowlar saw and grit aithis hes he sworne Thay suld be tane trewlie for thair expence. His nettis hes he set with diligence And in the snaw he schulit hes ane plane And heillit it all over with calf agane. Thir small birdis, seand the calff, wes glaid. Trowand it had bene corne, thay lychtit doun Bot of the nettis na presume thay had Nor of the fowlaris fals intentioun. To scraip and seik thair meit thay maid thame boun. The swallow into a branche litill by, Dreiddand for gyle, thus loud on thame couth cry: “Into that calf scraip quhill your naillis bleid, Thair is na corne, ye laubour all in vane, Trow ye yone churll for pietie will yow feid? Na, na, he hes it lyit heir for ane trane. Remove, I reid, or ellis ye will be slane; His nettis he hes set full prively, Reddie to draw; in tyme be war forthy. “Grit fule is he that puttis in dangeir His lyfe, his honour, for ane thing of nocht. Grit fule is he that will not glaidlie heir Counsall in tyme quhill it availl him mocht. Grit fule is he that nathing hes in thocht Bot thing present and efter quhat may fall Nor of the end hes na memoriall.” Thir small birdis, for hunger famischit neir, Full besie scraipand for to seik thair fude, The counsall of the swallow wald not heir, Suppois thair laubour dyd thame lytill gude. Quhen scho thair fulische hartis understude Sa indurate, up in ane tre scho flew. With that, this churll over thame his nettis drew. Allace it wes rycht grit hertis sair to se That bludie bowcheour beit thay birdis doun And for till heir quhen thay wist weill to de Thair cairfull sang and lamentatioun. Sum with ane staf he straik to eirth on swoun, Sum off the heid, off sum he brak the crag, Sum half on lyfe he stoppit in his bag. And quhen the swallow saw that thay wer deid, “Lo,” quod scho, “thus it happinnis mony syis On thame that will not tak counsall nor reid Of prudent men or clerkis that ar wyis. This grit perrell I tauld thame mair than thryis. Now ar thay deid, and wo is me thairfoir.” Scho tuke hir flicht, bot I hir saw no moir. Moralitas Lo worthie folk, Esope that nobill clerk, Ane poet worthie to be lawreate, Quhen that he vaikit from mair autentik werk With uther ma, this foirsaid fabill wrate Quhilk at this tyme may weill be applicate To gude morall edificatioun, Haifand ane sentence according to ressoun. This carll and bond of gentrice spoliate, Sawand this calf thir small birdis to sla, It is the feind quhilk fra the angelike state Exylit is as fals apostata Quhilk day and nycht weryis not for to ga Sawand poysoun and mony wickit thocht In mannis saull quhilk Christ full deir hes bocht. And quhen the saull as seid into the eird Gevis consent in delectatioun, The wickit thocht beginnis for to breird In deidlie sin quhilk is dampnatioun. Ressoun is blindit with affectioun And carnall lust growis full grene and gay Throw consuetude hantit from day to day. Proceding furth be use and consuetude, The sin ryipis and schame is set on syde, The feynd plettis his nettis stark and rude, And under plesance previlie dois hyde, Syne on the feild he sawis calf full wyde, Quhilk is bot tume and verray vanitie Of fleschlie lust and vaine prosperitie. Thir hungrie birdis wretchis we may call Ay scraipand in this warldis vane plesance, Greddie to gadder gudis temporall, Quhilk as the calf ar tume without substance, Lytill of vaill and full of variance, Lyke to the mow befoir the face of wind Quhiskis away and makis wretchis blind. This swallow quhilk eschaipit thus the snair The halie preichour weill may signifie, Exhortand folk to walk and ay bewair Fra nettis of our wickit enemie Quha sleipis not bot ever is reddie Quhen wretchis in this warld calf dois scraip To draw his net that thay may not eschaip. Allace, quhat cair, quhat weiping is and wo, Quhen saull and bodie partit ar in twane: The bodie to the wormis keitching go; The saull to fyre, to everlestand pane. Quhat helpis than this calf, thir gudis vane, Quhen thow art put in Luceferis bag And brocht to hell and hangit be the crag? Thir hid nettis for to persave and se, This sarie calf wyislie to understand, Best is bewar in maist prosperitie For in this warld thair is na thing lestand. Is na man wait how lang his stait will stand, His lyfe will lest, nor how that he sall end Efter his deith nor quhidder he sall wend. Pray we thairfoir quhill we ar in this lyfe For four thingis: the first, fra sin remufe, The secund is to seis all weir and stryfe, The thrid is perfite cheritie and lufe, The feird thing is and maist for our behufe That is in blis with angellis to be fallow, And thus endis the Preiching of the Swallow. The Fox, the Wolf, and the Cadger Quhylum thair wynnit in ane wildernes (As myne authour expreslie can declair) Ane revand wolff that levit upon purches On bestiall and maid him weill to fair. Wes nane sa big about him he wald spair, And he war hungrie, outher for favour or feid, Bot in his breith he weryit thame to deid. Swa happinnit him in waithing as he went To meit ane foxe in middis of the way. He him foirsaw and fenyeit to be schent And with ane bek he bad the wolff gude day. “Welcum to me,” quod he, “thow Russell gray.” Syne loutit doun and tuke him be the hand, “Ryse up, Lowrence, I leif thee for to stand. “Quhair hes thow bene this sesoun fra my sicht? Thow sall beir office and my stewart be, For thow can knap doun caponis on the nicht And lourand law thow can gar hennis de.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “that ganis not for me And I am rad gif thay me se on far That at my figure beist and bird will skar.” “Na,” quod the wolff, “thow can in covert creip Upon thy wame and hint thame be the heid And mak ane suddand schow upon ane scheip, Syne with thy wappinnis wirrie him to deid.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “ye knaw my roib is reid And thairfoir thair will na beist abyde me Thocht I wald be sa fals as for to hyde me.” “Yis,” quod the wolff, “throw buskis and throw brais Law can thow lour to come to thy intent.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “ye wait weill how it gais. Ane lang space fra thame, thay will feill my sent, Than will thay eschaip suppois thay suld be schent And I am schamefull for to cum behind thame Into the feild thocht I suld sleipand find thame.” “Na,” quod the wolff, “thow can cum on the wind. For everie wrink forsuith thow hes ane wyle.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “that beist ye mycht call blind That micht not eschaip than fra me ane myle. How micht I ane of thame that wyis begyle? My tippit twa eiris and my twa gray ene Garris me be kend quhair I wes never sene.” Than said the wolff, “Lowrence, I heir thee le And castys for perrellis thy ginnes to defend, Bot all thy sonyeis sall not availl thee About the busk with wayis thocht thow wend. Falset will failye ay at the latter end. To bow at bidding and byde not quhill thow brest Thairfoir I giff thee counsall for the best.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “it is Lentring, ye se; I can nocht fische, for weiting of my feit, To tak ane banestikill, thocht we baith suld de. I have nane uther craft to win my meit. Bot wer it Pasche, that men suld pultrie eit, As kiddis, lambis, or caponis into ply, To beir your office than wald I not set by.” Than said the wolff in wraith, “Wenis thou with wylis And with thy mony mowis me to mat? It is ane auld dog doutles that thow begylis; Thow wenis to draw the stra befoir the cat.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “God wait, I mene not that; For and I did it wer weill worth that ye In ane rude raip had tyit me till ane tre. “Bot now I se he is ane fule perfay That with his maister fallis in ressoning. I did bot till assay quhat ye wald say. God wait, my mynd wes on ane uther thing. I sall fulfill in all thing your bidding Quhat-ever ye charge on nichtis or on dayis.” “Weill,” quod the wolf, “I heir weill quhat thou sayis “Bot yit I will thow mak to me ane aith For to be leill attour all levand leid.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “that ane word maks me wraith, For now I se ye have me at ane dreid; Yit sall I sweir, suppois it be nocht neid, Be Juppiter and on pane of my heid, I sall be trew to you quhill I be deid.” With that ane cadgear with capill and with creillis Come caryand furth. Than Lowrence culd him spy; The foxe the flewer off the fresche hering feillis And to the wolff he roundis prively, “Schir, yone ar hering the cadgear caryis by; Thairfoir I reid that we se for sum wayis To get sum fische aganis thir fasting dayis. “Sen I am stewart, I wald we had sum stuff; And ye ar silver-seik, I wait richt weill. Thocht we wald thig yone verray churlische chuff, He will not giff us ane hering off his creill, Befoir yone churle on kneis thocht we wald kneill. Bot yit I trow alsone that ye sall se Gif I can craft to bleir yone carlis ee. “Schir, ane thing is and we get of yone pelff, Ye man tak travell and mak us sum supple For he that will not laubour and help himselff Into thir dayis he is not worth ane fle. I think to work als besie as ane be And ye sall follow ane lytill efterwart And gadder hering for that sall be your part.” With that he kest ane cumpas far about And straucht him doun in middis of the way. As he wer deid he fenyeit him but dout And than upon lenth unliklie lay: The quhyte he turnit up of his ene tway, His toung out hang ane handbreid of his heid, And still he lay als straucht as he wer deid. The cadgear fand the foxe and he wes fane And till himself thus softlie can he say, “At the nixt bait, in faith, ye sall be flane, And off your skyn I sall mak mittenis tway.” He lap full lichtlie about him quhair he lay And all the trace he trippit on his tais; As he had hard ane pyper play he gais. “Heir lyis the Devyll,” quod he, “deid in ane dyke; Sic ane selcouth saw I not this sevin yeir. I trow ye have bene tussillit with sum tyke That garris you ly sa still withoutin steir. Schir Foxe, in faith ye ar deir welcum heir. It is sum wyfis malisone, I trow, For pultrie pyking, that lychtit hes on yow. “Thair sall na pedder, for purs nor yit for glufis Nor yit for poyntis, pyke your pellet fra me. I sall of it mak mittenis to my lufis Till hald my handis hait quhairever I be. Till Flanderis sall it never saill the se.” With that in hy he hint him be the heillis And with ane swak he swang him on the creillis Syne be the heid the hors in hy hes hint. The fraudfull foxe thairto gude tent hes tane And with his teith the stoppell or he stint Pullit out and syne the hering ane and ane Out of the creillis he swakkit doun gude wane. The wolff wes war and gadderit spedilie. The cadgear sang, “Huntis up, up,” upon hie. Yit at ane burne the cadgear lukit about. With that the foxe lap quyte the creillis fray. The cadgear wald have raucht the foxe ane rout Bot all for nocht; he wan his hoill that day. Than with ane schout thus can the cadgear say, “Abyde, and thou ane nekhering sall haif Is worth my capill, creillis, and all the laif.” “Now,” quod the foxe, “I schrew me and we meit. I hard quhat thou hecht to do with my skyn. Thy handis sall never in thay mittinnis tak heit And thou wer hangit, carll, and all thy kyn. Do furth thy mercat, at me thou sall nocht wyn And sell thy hering thou hes thair till hie price, Ellis thow sall wyn nocht on thy merchandice.” The cadgear trimmillit for teyne quhair that he stude. “It is weill worthie,” quod he, “I want yone tyke That had nocht in my hand sa mekill gude As staff or sting yone truker for to stryke.” With that lychtlie he lap out over ane dyke And hakkit doun ane staff, for he wes tene, That hevie wes and of the holyne grene. With that the foxe unto the wolff could wend And fand him be the hering quhair he lyis. “Schir,” said he than,”maid I not fair defend? Ane wicht man wantit never, and he wer wyis. Ane hardie hart is hard for to suppryis.” Than said the wolff, “Thow art ane berne full bald And wyse at will, in gude tyme be it tald. “Bot quhat wes yone the carll cryit on hie And schuke his hand,” quod he, “Hes thou no feill?” “Schir,” said the foxe, “that I can tell trewlie. He said the nekhering wes intill the creill.” “Kennis thou that hering?” “Ye, schir, I ken it weill And at the creill mouth I had it thryis but dout. The wecht of it neir tit my tuskis out. “Now suithlie schir, micht we that hering fang, It wald be fische to us thir fourtie dayis.” Than said the wolf, “Now God nor that I hang Bot to be thair I wald gif all my clays To se gif that my wappinnis mycht it rais.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “God wait I wischit you oft Quhen that my pith micht not beir it on loft. “It is ane syde of salmond as it wair And callour, pypand lyke ane pertrik ee. It is worth all the hering ye have thair, Ye and we had it swa, is it worth sic thre.” Than said the wolff, “Quhat counsell gevis thou me?” “Schir,” said the foxe, “wirk efter my devyis And ye sall have it and tak you na suppryis. “First, ye man cast ane cumpas far about, Syne straucht you doun in middis of the way. Baith heid and feit and taill ye man streik out, Hing furth your toung, and clois weill your ene tway,8 Syne se your heid on ane hard place ye lay And dout not for na perrell may appeir Bot hald you clois quhen that carll cummis neir. “And thocht ye se ane staf, have ye na dout, Bot hald you wonder still into that steid And luke your ene be clois as thay wer out And se that ye schrink nouther fute nor heid. Than will the cadgear carll trow ye be deid And intill haist will hint you be the heillis As he did me and swak you on his creillis.” “Now,” quod the wolff, “I sweir thee be my thrift, I trow yone cadgear carll dow not me beir.” “Schir,” said the foxe, “on loft he will you lift Upon his creillis and do him lytill deir. Bot ane thing dar I suithlie to you sweir. Get ye that hering sicker in sum place, Ye sall not fair in fisching mair quhill Pasche. “I sall say In principio upon yow And crose your corps from the top to tay. Wend quhen ye will, I dar be warrand now That ye sall de na suddand deith this day.” With that the wolff gird up sone and to gay And caist ane cumpas about the cadgear far, Syne raucht him in the gait or he come nar. He laid his halfheid sicker, hard, and sad, Syne straucht his four feit fra him and his heid And hang his toung furth as the foxe him bad. Als styll he lay as he wer verray deid, Rakkand nathing of the carlis favour nor feid Bot ever upon the nekhering he thinkis And quyte foryettis the foxe and all his wrinkis. With that the cadgear, als wraith as ony wind Come rydand on the laid, for it wes licht, Thinkand ay on the foxe that wes behind Upon quhat wyse revenge him best he micht And at the last of the wolff gat ane sicht Quhair he in lenth lay streikit in the gait, Bot gif he lichtit doun or nocht, God wait! Softlie he said, “I wes begylit anis; Be I begylit twyis, I schrew us baith, That evill bat it sall licht upon thy banis He suld have had that hes done me the skaith.” On hicht he hovit the staf for he wes wraith And hit him with sic will upon the heid Quhill neir he swonit and swelt into that steid.9 Thre battis he bure or he his feit micht find Bot yit the wolff wes wicht and wan away. He mycht not se, he wes sa verray blind, Nor wit reddilie quhether it wes nicht or day. The foxe beheld that service quhair he lay And leuch on loft quhen he the wolf sa seis, Baith deif and dosinnit, fall swonand on his kneis. He that of ressoun cannot be content Bot covetis all, is abill all to tyne. The foxe, quhen that he saw the wolff wes schent, Said to himself, “Thir hering sall be myne.” (I le or ellis he wes a stewart fyne That fand sic wayis his maister for to greif!) With all the fische thus Lowrence tuke his leif. The wolff wes neir weill dungin to the deid That uneith with his lyfe away he wan For with the bastoun weill brokin wes his heid. The foxe into his den sone drew him than That had betraisit his maister and the man. The ane wantit the hering of his creillis; The utheris blude wes rynnand over his heillis. Moralitas This taill is myngit with moralitie As I sall schaw sumquhat or that I ceis. The foxe unto the warld may likkinnit be, The revand wolf unto ane man but leis, The cadgear deith quhome under all man preis; That ever tuke lyfe throw cours of kynd man dee As man and beist and fische into the see. The warld, ye wait, is stewart to the man Quhilk makis man to haif na mynd of deid Bot settis for winning all the craftis thay can. The hering I likkin unto the gold sa reid, Quhilk gart the wolf in perrell put his heid; Richt swa the gold garris landis and cieteis With weir be waistit daylie, as men seis. And as the foxe with dissimulance and gyle Gart the wolf wene to haif worschip forever, Richt swa this warld with vane glore for ane quhyle Flatteris with folk as thay suld failye never; Yit suddandlie men seis it oft dissever With thame that trowis oft to fill the sek. Deith cummis behind and nippis thame be the nek. The micht of gold makis mony men sa blind That settis on avarice thair felicitie That thay forget the cadgear cummis behind To stryke thame, of quhat stait sa ever thay be. Quhat is mair dirk than blind prosperitie? Quhairfoir I counsell mychtie men to haif mynd Of the nekhering interpreit in this kynd. The Fox, the Wolf, and the Husbandman In elderis dayis, as Esope can declair, Thair wes ane husband quhilk had ane plewch to steir.10 His use wes ay in morning to ryse air, Sa happinnit him in streiking tyme of yeir Airlie in the morning to follow furth his feir, Unto the pleuch bot his gadman and he, His stottis he straucht with Benedicité. The caller cryit, “How! Haik!” upon hicht, “Hald draucht, my dowis,” syne broddit thame full sair. The oxin wes unusit, young, and licht And for fersnes thay couth the fur forfair. The husband than woxe angrie as ane hair, Syne cryit and caist his patill and grit stanis: “The wolff,” quod he, “mot have you all at anis!” Bot yit the wolff wes neirar nor he wend, For in ane busk he lay and Lowrence baith, In ane rouch rone wes at the furris end And hard the hecht. Than Lowrence leuch full raith, “To tak yone bud,” quod he, “it wer na skaith.” “Weill,” quod the wolff, “I hecht thee be my hand, Yone carlis word as he wer king sall stand.” The oxin waxit mair reulie at the last, Syne efter thay lousit fra that it worthit weill lait.11 The husband hamewart with his cattell past, Than sone the wolff come hirpilland in his gait Befoir the oxin and schupe to mak debait. The husband saw him and worthit sumdeill agast And bakwart with his beistis wald haif past. The wolff said, “Quhether dryvis thou this pray? I chalenge it for nane of thame ar thyne!” The man thairoff wes in ane felloun fray And soberlie to the wolff answerit syne, “Schir, be my saull, thir oxin ar all myne: Thairfoir I studdie quhy ye suld stop me, Sen that I faltit never to you, trewlie.” The wolff said, “Carll, gaif thou not me this drift Airlie quhen thou wes eirrand on yone bank, And is thair oucht, sayis thou, frear than gift? This tarying wyll tyne thee all thy thank: Far better is frelie for to gif ane plank Nor be compellit on force to gif ane mart. Fy on the fredome that cummis not with hart!” “Schir,” quod the husband, “ane man may say in greif And syne ganesay fra he avise and se. I hecht to steill, am I thairfoir ane theif? God forbid, schir, all hechtis suld haldin be. Gaif I my hand or oblissing,” quod he, “Or have ye witnes or writ for to schaw? Schir, reif me not bot go and seik the law.” “Carll,” quod the wolff, “ane lord and he be leill, That schrinkis for schame or doutis to be repruvit, His saw is ay als sickker as his seill. Fy on the leid that is not leill and lufit. Thy argument is fals and eik contrufit For it is said in proverb, “But lawte, All uther vertewis ar nocht worth ane fle.” “Schir,” said the husband, “remember of this thing: Ane leill man is not tane at half ane taill. I may say and ganesay, I am na king. Quhair is your witnes that hard I hecht thame haill?” Than said the wolff, “Thairfoir it sall nocht faill. Lowrence,” quod he, “cum hidder of that schaw, And say nathing bot as thow hard and saw.” Lowrence come lourand for he lufit never licht And sone appeirit befoir thame in that place. The man leuch na thing quhen he saw that sicht. “Lowrence,” quod the wolff, “thow man declair this cace Quhairof we sall schaw the suith in schort space. I callit on thee leill witnes for to beir Quhat hard thou that this man hecht me lang eir.” “Schir,” said the tod, “I cannot hastelie Swa sone as now gif sentence finall Bot wald ye baith submit yow heir to me To stand at my decreit perpetuall, To pleis baith I suld preif gif it may fall.” “Weill,” quod the wolff, “I am content for me.” The man said, “Swa am I, however it be.” Than schew thay furth thair allegeance but fabill And baith proponit thair pley to him compleit. Quod Lowrence, “Now I am juge amycabill; Ye sall be sworne to stand at my decreit Quhether heirefter ye think it soure or sweit.” The wolf braid furth his fute, the man his hand And on the toddis taill sworne thay ar to stand. Than tuke the tod the man furth till ane syde And said him, “Freind, thou art in blunder brocht. The wolf will not forgif thee ane oxe hyde Yit wald myself fane help thee and I mocht Bot I am laith to hurt my conscience ocht. Tyne nocht thy querrell in thy awin defence; This will not throu but grit coist and expence. “Seis thou not buddis beiris bernis throw And giftis garris crukit materis hald full evin? Sumtymis ane hen haldis ane man in ane kow. All ar not halie that heifis thair handis to hevin.” “Schir,” said the man, “ye sall have sex or sevin Richt off the fattest hennis of all the floik. I compt not all the laif, leif me the coik.” “I am ane juge!” quod Lowrence than and leuch, “Thair is na buddis suld beir me by the rycht. I may tak hennis and caponis weill aneuch For God is gane to sleip as for this nycht. Sic small thingis ar not sene into his sicht. Thir hennis,” quod he, “sall mak thy querrell sure: With emptie hand na man suld halkis lure.” Concordit thus, than Lowrence tuke his leif And to the wolff he went into ane ling, Syne prevelie he plukkit him be the sleiff, “Is this in ernist,” quod he, “ye ask sic thing? Na be my saull, I trow it be in heithing.” Than said the wolf, “Lowrence, quhy sayis thou sa? Thow hard the hecht thyself that he couth ma. “The hecht,” quod he, “yone man maid at the pleuch, Is that the cause quhy ye the cattell craif?” Half into heithing said Lowrence than and leuch, “Schir, be the rude, unroikit now ye raif. The devill ane stirk tail thairfoir sall ye haif. Wald I tak it upon my conscience To do sa pure ane man as yone offence? “Yit haif I commonnit with the carll,” quod he, “We ar concordit upon this cunnand: Quyte off all clamis swa ye will mak him fre, Ye sall ane cabok have into your hand That sic ane sall not be in all this land For it is somer cheis baith fresche and fair, He sayis it weyis ane stane and sumdeill mair.” “Is that thy counsell,” quod the wolff, “I do That yone carll for ane cabok suld be fre?” “Ye be my saull and I wer sworne yow to, Ye suld nane uther counsell have for me, For gang ye to the maist extremitie, It will not wyn yow worth ane widderit neip. Schir, trow ye not I have ane saull to keip?” “Weill,” quod the wolff, “it is aganis my will That yone carll for ane cabok suld ga quyte.” “Schir,” quod the tod, “ye tak it in nane evill, For be my saull, yourself had all the wyte.” Than said the wolff, “I bid na mair to flyte Bot I wald se yone cabok of sic pryis.” “Schir,” said the tod, “he tauld me quhair it lyis.” Than hand in hand thay held unto ane hill. The husband till his hous hes tane the way For he wes fane he schaippit from thair ill And on his feit woke the dure quhill day. Now will we turne unto the uther tway. Throw woddis waist thir freikis on fute can fair Fra busk to busk quhill neir midnycht and mair. Lowrence wes ever remembring upon wrinkis And subtelteis, the wolff for to begyle. That he had hecht ane caboik he forthinkis Yit at the last he findis furth ane wyle, Than at himself softlie couth he smyle. The wolf sayis, “Lowrence, thou playis bellie blind.12 We seik all nycht bot nathing can we find.” “Schir,” said the tod, “we ar at it almaist; Soft yow ane lytill and ye sall se it sone.” Than to ane manure place thay hyit in haist. The nycht wes lycht, and pennyfull the mone. Than till ane draw-well thir senyeours past but hone Quhair that twa bukkettis severall suithlie hang. As ane come up ane uther doun wald gang. The schadow off the mone schone in the well. “Schir,” said Lowrence, “anis ye sall find me leill, Now se ye not the caboik weill yoursell, Quhyte as ane neip and round als as ane seill? He hang it yonder that na man suld it steill. Schir, traist ye weill, yone caboik ye se hing Micht be ane present to ony lord or king.” “Na,” quod the wolff, “mycht I yone caboik haif On the dry land as I it yonder se, I wald quitclame the carll of all the laif. His dart oxin I compt thame not ane fle, Yone wer mair meit for sic ane man as me. Lowrence,” quod he, “leip in the bukket sone And I sall hald the ane quhill thow have done.” Lowrence gird doun baith sone and subtellie, The uther baid abufe and held the flaill. “It is sa mekill,” quod Lowrence, “it maisteris me. On all my tais it hes not left ane naill. Ye man mak help upwart and it haill: Leip in the uther bukket haistelie And cum sone doun and mak me sum supple.” Than lychtlie in the bukket lap the loun. His wecht but weir the uther end gart ryis. The tod come hailland up, the wolff yeid doun. Than angerlie the wolff upon him cryis, “I cummand thus dounwart, quhy thow upwart hyis?” “Schir,” quod the foxe, “thus fairis it of fortoun: As ane cummis up, scho quheillis ane uther doun.” Than to the ground sone yeid the wolff in haist. The tod lap on land, als blyith as ony bell And left the wolf in watter to the waist. Quha haillit him out I wait not, of the well. Heir endis the text, thair is na mair to tell, Yyt men may find ane gude moralitie In this sentence thocht it ane fabill be. Moralitas This wolf I likkin to ane wickit man Quhilk dois the pure oppres in everie place And pykis at thame all querrellis that he can Be rigour, reif, and uther wickitnes. The foxe the feind I call into this cais, Arctand ilk man to ryn unrychteous rinkis, Thinkand thairthrow to lok him in his linkis. The husband may be callit ane godlie man With quhome the feynd falt findes, as clerkis reids, Besie to tempt him with all wayis that he can. The hennis ar warkis that fra ferme faith proceidis. Quhair sic sproutis spreidis, the evill spreit thair not speids Bot wendis unto the wickit man agane, That he hes tint his travell is full unfane. The wodds waist quhairin wes the wolf wyld Ar wickit riches, quhilk all men gaipis to get. Quha traistis in sic trusterie ar oft begyld, For mammon may be callit the devillis net Quhilk Sathanas for all sinfull hes set. With proud plesour quha settis his traist thairin But speciall grace, lychtlie can not outwin. The cabok may be callit covetyce Quhilk blomis braid in mony mannis ee. Wa worth the well of that wickit vyce For it is all bot fraud and fantasie Dryvand ilk man to leip in the buttrie That dounwart drawis unto the pane off hell. Christ keip all Christianis from that wickit well. The Wolf and the Wether Quhylum thair wes, as Esope can report, Ane scheipheird dwelland be ane forrest neir Quhilk had ane hound that did him grit comfort. Full war he wes to walk his fauld but weir, That nouther wolf nor wildcat durst appeir Nor foxe on feild nor yit no uther beist Bot he thame slew or chaissit at the leist. Sa happinnit it, as everilk beist man de, This hound of suddand seiknes to be deid, Bot than, God wait, the keipar of the fe For verray wo woxe wanner nor the weid. “Allace,” quod he, “now se I na remeid To saif the selie beistis that I keip For with the wolf weryit beis all my scheip.” It wald have maid ane mannis hart sair to se The selie scheiphirdis lamentatioun. “Now is my darling deid allace,” quod he, “For now to beg my breid I may be boun, With pyikstaff and with scrip to fair off toun For all the beistis befoir that bandonit bene Will schute upon my beistis with ire and tene.” With that ane wedder wichtlie wan on fute. “Maister,” quod he, “mak merie and be blyith. To brek your hart for baill it is na bute. For ane deid dog ye na cair on yow kyith. Ga fetche him hither and fla his skyn off swyth, Syne sew it on me and luke that it be meit, Baith heid and crag, bodie, taill, and feit. “Than will the wolf trow that I am he For I sall follow him fast quharever he fair. All haill the cure I tak it upon me Your scheip to keip at midday, lait, and air; And he persew, be God I sall not spair To follow him as fast as did your doig Swa that I warrand ye sall not want ane hoig.” Than said the scheipheird, “This come of ane gude wit. Thy counsall is baith sicker, leill, and trew. Quha sayis ane scheip is daft, thay lieit of it.” With that in hy the doggis skyn off he flew And on the scheip rycht softlie couth it sew. Than worth the wedder wantoun of his weid: “Now of the wolff,” quod he, “I have na dreid.” In all thingis he counterfait the dog For all the nycht he stude and tuke na sleip Swa that weill lang thair wantit not ane hog. Swa war he wes and walkryfe thame to keip That Lowrence durst not luke upon ane scheip For and he did, he followit him sa fast That of his lyfe he maid him all agast. Was nowther wolff, wildcat, nor yit tod Durst cum within thay boundis all about Bot he wald chase thame baith throw rouch and snod. Thay bailfull beistis had of thair lyvis sic dout, For he wes mekill and semit to be stout, That everilk beist thay dred him as the deid, Within that woid that nane durst hald thair heid. Yit happinnit thair ane hungrie wolff to slyde Out-throw his scheip quhair thay lay on ane le: “I sall have ane,” quod he, “quhatever betyde, Thocht I be werryit, for hunger or I de.” With that ane lamb intill his cluke hint he. The laif start up for thay wer all agast Bot God wait gif the wedder followit fast. Went never hound mair haistelie fra the hand Quhen he wes rynnand maist raklie at the ra Nor went this wedder baith over mois and strand, And stoppit nouther at bank, busk, nor bra, Bot followit ay sa ferslie on his fa With sic ane drift quhill dust and dirt over-draif him, And maid ane vow to God that he suld have him. With that the wolff let out his taill on lenth For he wes hungrie and it drew neir the ene And schupe him for to ryn with all his strenth. Fra he the wedder sa neir cummand had sene, He dred his lyfe, and he overtane had bene; Thairfoir he spairit nowther busk nor boig, For weill he kennit the kenenes of the doig. To mak him lycht, he kest the lamb him fra, Syne lap over leis and draif throw dub and myre. “Na,” quod the wedder, “in faith we part not swa. It is not the lamb bot thee that I desyre. I sall cum neir for now I se thee tyre.” The wolf ran till ane rekill stude behind him Bot ay the neirar the wedder he couth bind him. Sone efter that, he followit him sa neir Quhill that the wolf for fleidnes fylit the feild, Syne left the gait and ran throw busk and breir And schupe him fra the schawis for to scheild. He ran restles for he wist of na beild. The wedder followit him baith out and in Quhill that ane breir busk raif rudelie off the skyn. The wolff wes wer and blenkit him behind And saw the wedder come thrawand throw the breir, Syne saw the doggis skyn hingand on his lind. “Na!” quod he, “Is this ye that is sa neir, Richt now ane hound and now quhyte as ane freir? I fled over fer and I had kennit the cais. To God I vow that ye sall rew this rais. “Quhat wes the cause ye gaif me sic ane katche?” With that in hy he hint him be the horne. “For all your mowis, ye met anis with your matche, Suppois ye leuch me all this yeir to scorne. For quhat enchessoun this doggis skyn have ye borne?” “Maister,” quod he, “bot to have playit with yow. I yow requyre that ye nane uther trow.” “Is this your bourding in ernist than?” quod he, “For I am verray effeirit and on flocht; Cum bak agane and I sall let yow se.” Than quhar the gait wes grimmit he him brocht. “Quhether call ye this fair play or nocht To set your maister in sa fell effray, Quhill he for feiritnes hes fylit up the way? “Thryis, be my saull, ye gart me schute behind: Upon my hoichis the senyeis may be sene; For feiritnes full oft I fylit the wind. Now is this ye? Na, bot ane hound, I wene! Me think your teith over schort to be sa kene. Blissit be the busk that reft yow your array, Ellis, fleand, bursin had I bene this day.” “Schir,” quod the wedder, “suppois I ran in hy, My mynd wes never to do your persoun ill. Ane flear gettis ane follower commounly In play or ernist, preif quha sa ever will. Sen I bot playit, be gracious me till And I sall gar my freindis blis your banis. Ane full gude servand will crab his maister anis.” “I have bene oftymis set in grit effray Bot be the rude, sa rad yit wes I never As thow hes maid me with thy prettie play. I schot behind quhen thow overtuke me ever Bot sikkerlie now sall we not dissever.” Than be the crag bane smertlie he him tuke Or ever he ceissit, and it in schunder schuke. Moralitas Esope that poet, first father of this fabill, Wrait this parabole quhilk is convenient Because the sentence wes fructuous and agreabill, In moralitie exemplative prudent Quhais problemes bene verray excellent Throw similitude of figuris to this day, Gevis doctrine to the redaris of it ay. Heir may thow se that riches of array Will cause pure men presumpteous for to be. Thay think thay hald of nane, be thay als gay, Bot counterfute ane lord in all degree. Out of thair cais in pryde thay clym sa hie That thay forbeir thair better in na steid Quhill sum man tit thair heillis over thair heid. Richt swa in service uther sum exceidis; And thay haif withgang, welth, and cherising That thay will lychtlie lordis in thair deidis And lukis not to thair blude nor thair ofspring Bot yit nane wait how lang that reull will ring. Bot he was wyse that bad his sone considder, “Bewar in welth, for hall benkis ar rycht slidder.” Thairfoir I counsell men of everilk stait To knaw thameself and quhome thay suld forbeir, And fall not with thair better in debait, Suppois thay be als galland in thair geir. It settis na servand for to uphald weir Nor clym sa hie quhill he fall off the ledder Bot think upon the wolf and on the wedder. The Wolf and the Lamb Ane cruell wolff richt ravenous and fell Upon ane tyme past to ane reveir Descending from ane rotche unto ane well, To slaik his thrist drank of the watter cleir. Swa upon cace ane selie lamb come neir Bot of his fa the wolff na thing he wist And in the streme laipit to cule his thrist. Thus drank thay baith bot not of ane intent, The wolfis thocht wes all on wickitnes, The selie lamb wes meik and innocent. Upon the rever in ane uther place Beneth the wolff he drank ane lytill space Quhill him thocht gude, presomyng thair nane ill. The wolff this saw and rampand come him till. With girnand teith and angrie, austre luke, Said to the lamb, “Thow cative, wretchit thing, How durst thow be sa bald to fyle this bruke Quhar I suld drink with thy foull slavering! It wer almous thee for to draw and hing That suld presume with thy foull lippis vyle To glar my drink and this fair watter fyle.” The selie lamb quaikand for verray dreid On kneis fell and said, “Schir, with your leif, Suppois I dar not say thairoff ye leid Bot be my saull, I wait ye can nocht preif That I did ony thing that suld yow greif. Ye wait alswa that your accusatioun Failyeis fra treuth and contrair is to ressoun. “Thocht I can nocht, nature will me defend And of the deid perfyte experience. All hevie thing man of the self discend Bot giff sumthing on force mak resistence, Than may the streme on na way mak ascence Nor ryn bakwart. I drank beneth yow far, Ergo for me your bruke wes never the war. “Alswa my lippis, sen that I wes ane lam, Tuitchit na thing that wes contagious Bot sowkit milk from pappis of my dam, Richt naturall, sweit, and als delitious.” “Weill,” quod the wolff, “thy language rigorus Cummis thee of kynd; swa thy father before Held me at bait baith with boist and schore. “He wraithit me and than I culd him warne, Within ane yeir and I brukit my heid I suld be wrokkin on him or on his barne For his exorbetant and frawart pleid. Thow sall doutles for his deidis be deid.” “Schir, it is wrang that for the fatheris gilt The saikles sone suld punist be or spilt. “Haiff ye not hard quhat halie scripture sayis Endytit with the mouth of God almycht, ‘Of his awin deidis ilk man sall beir the pais As pyne for sin, reward for werkis rycht.’ For my trespas quhy suld my sone have plycht? Quha did the mis, lat him sustene the pane.” “Yaa,” quod the wolff, “yit pleyis thow agane? “I let thee wit quhen that the father offendis I will cheris nane of his successioun And of his barnis I may weill tak amendis Unto the twentie degree descending doun. Thy father thocht to mak ane strang poysoun And with his mouth into my watter spew.” “Schir,” quod the lamb, “thay twa ar nouther trew. “The law sayis and ye will understand, Thair suld na man for wrang nor violence His adversar punis at his awin hand Without proces of law and audiens Quhilk suld have leif to mak lawfull defence And thairupon summond peremtourly For to propone, contrairie, or reply. “Set me ane lauchfull court, I sall compeir Befoir the lyoun, lord and leill justice, And be my hand I oblis me rycht heir That I sall byde ane unsuspect assyis. This is the law, this is the instant wys, Ye suld pretend thairfoir ane summondis mak Aganis that day to gif ressoun and tak.” “Ha,” quod the wolff, “thou wald intruse ressoun Quhair wrang and reif suld dwell in propertie. That is ane poynt and part of fals tressoun For to gar reuth remane with crueltie. Be Goddis woundis, fals tratour, thow sall de For thy trespas and for thy fatheris als.” With that anone he hint him be the hals. The selie lamb culd do nathing bot bleit. Sone wes he heidit, the wolff wald do na grace, Syne drank his blude and of his flesche can eit Quhill he wes full, syne went his way on pace. Of his murther quhat sall we say allace, Wes not this reuth, wes not this grit pietie, To gar this selie lamb but gilt thus de? Moralitas The pure pepill this lamb may signifie As maill men, merchandis, and all lauboureris Of quhome the lyfe is half ane purgatorie To wyn with lautie leving as efferis. The wolf betakinnis fals extortioneris And oppressouris of pure men as we se Be violence or craft in sutelté. Thre kynd of wolfis in this warld now rings. The first ar fals perverteris of the lawis Quhilk under poleit termis falset mingis, Lettand that all wer gospell that he schawis, Bot for ane bud the pure man he overthrawis, Smoirand the richt, garrand the wrang proceid. Of sic wolfis hellis fyre sall be thair meid. O man of law, let be thy subteltie With nice gimpis and fraudis intricait And think that God in his divinitie The wrang, the richt of all thy werkis wait. For prayer, price, for hie nor law estait, Of fals querrellis se thow mak na defence, Hald with the richt, hurt not thy conscience. Ane uther kynd of wolfis ravenous Ar mychtie men haifand aneuch plentie Quhilkis ar sa gredie and sa covetous Thay will not thoill in peax ane pureman be. Suppois he and his houshald baith suld de For falt of fude, thairof thay gif na rak Bot over his heid his mailling will thay tak. O man but mercie, quhat is in thy thocht, War than ane wolf and thow culd understand! Thow hes aneuch, the pure husband richt nocht Bot croip and crufe upon ane clout of land. For Goddis aw, how durst thow tak on hand And thow in barn and byre sa bene and big To put him fra his tak and gar him thig? The thrid wolf ar men of heritage As lordis that hes land be Goddis lane And settis to the mailleris ane village And for ane tyme gressome payit and tane, Syne vexis him or half his terme be gane With pykit querrellis for to mak him fane To flit or pay his gressome new agane. His hors, his meir, he man len to the laird To drug and draw in cairt and cariage, His servand or his self may not be spaird To swing and sweit withoutin meit or wage. Thus how he standis in labour and bondage That scantlie may he purches by his maill To leve upon dry breid and watter caill! Hes thow not reuth to gar thy tennentis sweit Into thy laubour with faynt and hungrie wame And syne hes lytill gude to drink or eit With his menye at evin quhen he cummis hame? Thow suld be rad for richteous Goddis blame For it cryis ane vengeance unto the hevinnis hie To gar ane pure man wirk but meit or fe. O thow grit lord that riches hes and rent, Be nocht ane wolf thus to devoir the pure. Think that nathing cruell nor violent May in this warld perpetuallie indure. This sall thow trow and sikkerlie assure: For till oppres, thow sall haif als grit pane As thow the pure with thy awin hand had slane. God keip the lamb quhilk is the innocent From wolfis byit and men extortioneris, God grant that wrangous men of fals intent Be manifest and punischit as effeiris. And God, as thow all rychteous prayer heiris, Mot saif our king and gif him hart and hand All sic wolfis to banes of the land. The Paddock and the Mouse Upon ane tyme as Esope culd report, Ane lytill mous come till ane rever syde. Scho micht not waid, hir schankis wer sa schort, Scho culd not swym, scho had na hors to ryde, Of verray force behovit hir to byde And to and fra besyde that revir deip Scho ran cryand with mony pietuous peip. “Help over! Help over!” this silie mous can cry, “For Goddis lufe, sumbodie, over the brym.” With that ane paddok in the watter by Put up hir heid and on the bank can clym Quhilk be nature culd douk and gaylie swym. With voce full rauk scho said on this maneir, “Gude morne schir mous, quhat is your erand heir?” “Seis thow,” quod scho, “of corne yone jolie flat Of ryip aitis, of barlie, peis, and quheit? I am hungrie and fane wald be thair at Bot I am stoppit be this watter greit And on this syde I get nathing till eit Bot hard nuttis quhilkis with my teith I bore. Wer I beyond, my feist wer fer the more. “I have no boit, heir is no maryner And thocht thair war, I have no fraucht to pay.” Quod scho, “Sister, lat be your hevie cheir, Do my counsall and I sall find the way Withoutin hors, brig, boit, or yit galay To bring yow over saiflie, be not afeird, And not wetand the campis of your beird.” “I haif mervell than,” quod the lytill mous, “How thow can fleit without fedder or fin. This rever is sa deip and dangerous, Methink that thow suld drowin to wed thairin. Tell me thairfoir quhat facultie or gin Thow hes to bring thee over this watter wan.” That to declair the paddok thus began. “With my twa feit,” quod scho, “lukkin and braid Insteid off airis I row the streme full styll And thocht the brym be perrillous to waid Baith to and fra I swyme at my awin will. I may not droun for quhy my oppin gill Devoidis ay the watter I resaif Thairfoir to droun forsuith na dreid I haif.” The mous beheld unto hir fronsit face, Hir runkillit cheikis and hir lippis syde, Hir hingand browis and hir voce sa hace, Hir loggerand leggis and hir harsky hyde. Scho ran abak and on the paddok cryde, “Giff I can ony skill of phisnomy, Thow hes sumpart of falset and invy. “For clerkis sayis the inclinatioun Of mannis thocht proceidis commounly Efter the corporall complexioun To gude or evill, as nature will apply. Ane thrawart will, ane thrawin phisnomy: The auld proverb is witnes of this lorum, Distortum vultum sequitur distortio morum.” “Na,” quod the taid, “that proverb is not trew For fair thingis oftymis ar fundin faikin, The blaberyis thocht thay be sad of hew Ar gadderit up quhen primeros is forsakin, The face may faill to be the hartis takin, Thairfoir I find this scripture in all place, ‘Thow suld not juge ane man efter his face.’ “Thocht I unhailsum be to luke upon I have na wyt quhy suld I lakkit be. Wer I als fair as jolie Absolon I am no causer of that grit beutie. This difference in forme and qualitie Almychtie God hes causit dame Nature To prent and set in everilk creature. “Of sum the face may be full flurischand With silkin toung and cheir rycht amorous With mynd inconstant, fals, and variand, Full of desait and menis cautelous.” “Let be thy preiching,” quod the hungrie mous, “And be quhat craft thow gar me understand That thow wald gyde me to yone yonder land.” “Thow wait,” quod scho, “ane bodie that hes neid To help thameself suld mony wayis cast. Thairfoir ga tak ane doubill twynit threid And bind thy leg to myne with knottis fast: I sall thee leir to swym, be not agast, Als weill as I.” “As thow?” than quod the mous. To preif that play, it wer rycht perrillous! “Suld I be bund and fast quhar I am fre In hoip of help, na, than I schrew us baith For I mycht lois baith lyfe and libertie. Gif it wer swa, quha suld amend the skaith Bot gif thow sweir to me the murthour aith But fraud or gyle to bring me over this flude But hurt or harme.” “In faith,” quod scho, “I dude.” Scho goikit up and to the hevin can cry, “O Juppiter, of nature god and king, I mak ane aith trewlie to thee that I This lytill mous sall over this watter bring.” This aith wes maid; the mous but persaving The fals ingyne of this foull crappald pad Tuke threid and band hir leg as scho hir bad. Than fute for fute thay lap baith in the brym Bot in thair myndis thay wer rycht different, The mous thocht nathing bot to fleit and swym, The paddok for to droun set hir intent. Quhen thay in midwart of the streme wer went, With all hir force the paddok preissit doun And thocht the mous without mercie to droun. Persavand this, the mous on hir can cry, “Tratour to God, and manesworne unto me! Thow swore the murthour aith richt now that I But hurt or harme suld ferryit be and fre.” And quhen scho saw thair wes bot do or de, Scho bowtit up and foirsit hir to swyme, And preissit upon the taiddis bak to clym. The dreid of deith hir strenthis gart incres And forcit hir defend with mycht and mane. The mous upwart, the paddok doun can pres. Quhyle to, quhyle fra, quhyle doukit, up agane, This selie mous, this plungit in grit pane, Gan fecht als lang as breith wes in hir breist Till at the last scho cryit for ane preist. Fechtand thusgait, the gled sat on ane twist And to this wretchit battell tuke gude heid And with ane wisk or owthir of thame wist, He claucht his cluke betwix thame in the threid, Syne to the land he flew with thame gude speid, Fane of that fang, pyipand with mony “Pew!” Syne lowsit thame and baith but pietie slew, Syne bowellit thame, that boucheour with his bill, And bellieflaucht full fettislie thame fled Bot all thair flesche wald scant be half ane fill, And guttis als, unto that gredie gled. Of thair debait thus quhen I hard outred, He tuke his flicht and over the feildis flaw. Gif this be trew, speir ye at thame that saw. Moralitas My brother, gif thow will tak advertence Be this fabill thow may persave and se It passis far all kynd of pestilence Ane wickit mynd with wordis fair and sle. Bewar thairfore with quhome thow fallowis thee For thow wer better beir of stane the barrow Or sweitand dig and delf quhill thow may dre Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow. Ane fals intent under ane fair pretence Hes causit mony innocent for to de. Grit folie is to gif over sone credence To all that speiks fairlie unto thee. Ane silkin toung, ane hart of crueltie, Smytis more sore than ony schot of arrow. Brother, gif thow be wyse, I reid the flee To matche thee with ane thrawart fenyeit marrow. I warne thee als, it is grit nekligence To bind thee fast quhair thow wes frank and free. Fra thow be bund, thow may mak na defence To saif thy lyfe nor yit thy libertie. This simpill counsall, brother, tak at me And it to cun perqueir see thow not tarrow: Better but stryfe to leif allane in le Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow. This hald in mynd, rycht more I sall thee tell Quhairby thir beistis may be figurate. The paddok usand in the flude to dwell Is mannis bodie swymand air and lait Into this warld with cairis implicate Now hie, now law, quhylis plungit up, quhylis doun, Ay in perrell and reddie for to droun, Now dolorus, now blyth as bird on breir, Now in fredome, now wardit in distres, Now haill and sound, now deid and brocht on beir, Now pure as Job, now rowand in riches, Now gounis gay, now brats laid in pres, Now full as fysche, now hungrie as ane hound, Now on the quheill, now wappit to the ground. This lytill mous heir knit thus be the schyn The saull of man betakin may indeid, Bundin and fra the bodie may not twin Quhill cruell deith cum brek of lyfe the threid, The quhilk to droun suld ever stand in dreid Of carnall lust be the suggestioun Quhilk drawis ay the saull and druggis doun. The watter is the warld ay welterand With mony wall of tribulatioun In quhilk the saull and bodye ay waverand, Standis distinyt in thair opinioun, The spreit upwart, the body precis doun, The saull rycht fane wald be brocht over iwis Out of this warld into the hevinnis blis. The gled is deith that cummis suddandlie As dois ane theif and cuttis sone the batall. Be vigilant thairfoir and ay reddie For mannis lyfe is brukill and ay mortall. My freind, thairfoir mak thee ane strang castell Of gud deidis for deith will thee assay Thow wait not quhen, evin, morrow, or midday. Adew my freind and gif that ony speiris Of this fabill sa schortlie I conclude, Say thow I left the laif unto the freiris To mak a sample or similitude. Now Christ, for us that deit on the rude, Of saull and lyfe as thow art salviour, Grant us till pas intill ane blissit hour.

(t-note) Though fictitious tales of old poetry; (see note) completely; but even so polished; sweet rhetoric; (see note) Very pleasing are; ear; (t-note) also; why; (t-note) reprove; your evil way of life; (t-note) by [the] representation of a different; (see note); (t-note) similar; through; intractable soil; (see note); (t-note) If; cultivated; great effort The flowers shoot up; wheat in early growth; (see note) Healthy and good for man's sustenance In this way there grows; meaning; (t-note) subtle artifice good purpose, if one could interpret it well nut’s shell though; tough; (see note) Contains; sweet; delectable; (t-note) And thus there lies a; wise enough; (see note) fruitful implication beneath a fictitious story scholars say; most advantageous serious matters to mix some amusing fun; (see note) delight the spirit; make; short; (t-note) see; is always bent; (t-note) Becomes weak; slackens As does; always; (t-note) toilsome thoughts serious matters some merriment to mix; (see note) well; Aesop; indeed (see note) leave; (see note); (t-note) myself tongue; out of Latin; want to try; (see note) make a kind of my own will; vain arrogance; (see note) But by request whom; is not necessary [to] homely; plain words; (see note) It is necessary for me to write because rhetoric I never did understand meekly I request of your worships If; anything; through; (t-note) diminished or else according to your gracious wishes (t-note) irrational beasts spoke; understood good purpose [did]; argue; (see note); (t-note) Advance a hypothetical argument; also Providing [an] example; likeness; (see note); (t-note) How [it is that] many; manner of action Are in a condition like that of the beasts [It] is no surprise; likened to a beast; (see note) Who constantly loves; foul delight Whom shame cannot challenge or restrain; (t-note) But indulges Which through; daily routine; (t-note) Subsequently; so firmly is rooted; (t-note) into an irrational beast is turned; (see note); (t-note) scholar; have told fine meter and purpled eloquence; (see note); (t-note) Figuratively wrote; wish; (see note) To suffer scorn from high; social class; (t-note) about a rooster; wrote; (see note) Seeking; food, who found About whom; you shall hear forthwith; (t-note) Rooster; Jasper; (t-note) plumage Very lively; bold; poor just at daybreak all his effort was committed Scraping among the ashes, by chance found a brilliant piece of chalcedony very; (see note) [That] had been cast out during the sweeping As when irresponsible and rebellious maidservants Who would rather; be seen in the street About the sweeping; take no care (t-note) Jewels; lost; often has been seen swept out at once By accident; same marveling at the stone, he said excellent jasper Though; are of no use Thou; jewel; (see note); (t-note) It would be a pity should you; dung heap; (see note); (t-note) buried; among this dung and dirt; (see note); (t-note) When you; beautiful; so much because great power; bright color; (see note) exalt; glorify; (t-note) can; hardly any feast By great; precious and dear; (t-note) love far; something of less value Such as malt; grain; empty guts rather go scrape here; claws; (t-note) dust; seek the sustenance needed for my life Such as any food [that] would; stomach good a great in the same way despise me now in terms of your wellbeing; (t-note) [if] I had need thereof; (t-note) color provides comfort only to the sight enough to feed my belly wives say; the act of looking; unsustaining; (see note); (t-note) would have some food, if I might get it; (t-note) hungry; live adequately on looks; (t-note) If I had; bread, I would not care; any chefs Where should; (see note) except; tower Exalted in glory; great stones; flower filth; go; (t-note) Thou art of no use to me Leaving; low seek his food; went on his way when; by whom it was intend; carry on no debate meaning (t-note) give an account; rough; homely style Moralization; (t-note) has seven attributes; (see note); (t-note) (t-note) mighty also; dangerous situations good luck; succeed; (t-note) (t-note) highly variegated of hue Signifies perfect; intelligence deeds of virtue; (see note) earthly always to reign; (t-note) Fortunate; capable; have; (t-note) Over all vices and [the] devil Who is able to be courageous; benevolent avoid peril and jeopardy city knowledge maggots; damp; consume; (see note); (t-note) desiring more; mere to a fool be equivalent; (see note) Making of; merely a mockery; (t-note) can do no good, and as little; learn heart shudders; hear; (t-note) does; for whom; for example; (see note) swill trough might strew; stones; (t-note) learning and wisdom ignorant people who do not understand [Something] that; exalted; (t-note) earthly; bought; (see note); (t-note) Favored would be; others who could expend nothing more was needful; (t-note) alas; lost; hidden hasten not to find it; (t-note) If we have; we aspire to though; soul; destitute About; matter; speak, it only wastes breath; (see note); (t-note) cease; say no more Go seek; whoever wants; (see note); (t-note) (t-note) dear whom; borough town; (t-note) dwelt up-country very nearby; (t-note) alone, sometimes; bush; briar; (see note); (t-note) Sometimes; to other men’s loss; (t-note) live; gleanings; (t-note) time cold; suffered great other; who dwelt in the town; (t-note) Was a guild member; citizen; (see note) also without the greater tax; (see note) wherever she wished cheese; milled grain; coffer; chest; (t-note) Once when; comfortable She remembered longed to hear; prosperity “out in the sticks”; (t-note) Barefoot; walking stick; (see note) Like a poor; went out from over hill and dale Along; lonely paths did; (t-note) (t-note) From furrow; crying; ridge; (t-note) own; (t-note) Just cry "peep"!; did hear; (t-note) recognized her voice; kinfolk; (t-note) By sheer instinct; came to her heartfelt show of affection; if you; (t-note) Was displayed when these; (t-note) many times; displayed between them; (t-note) sometimes; laughed; wept; (see note) embraced carried on until; mood Then with joint step; room [they] went heard; humble dwelling; (t-note) Of winter grass; fern; poorly was built; (t-note) mere hut; firmly fixed stone; (t-note) entry; high or broad the same; without more delay burning bright; (t-note) such pilferers love not the light lodged; these poor little mice; (see note) hastened into the pantry; (t-note) brought; peas instead; (see note); (t-note) If; abundance; leave it to; (t-note) started; (t-note) nourishment not good; (t-note) by; soul; only an insult (t-note) both inside the same womb routine; mother; (t-note) father, living; (t-note) (see note) said; consider me excused coarse diet delicate food; is invariably accustomed Because; live as well; (t-note) These withered; before; gnawed into stomach very slender; (see note) accustomed; to; (t-note) Well; said If it please you, such; here; (t-note) shelter even should you stay in a joyous and sincere spirit; (see note); (t-note) servings; crude both; (t-note) pleasure is there; feasts; (t-note) which; given; scowling delighted joyful face; cook up a cow for him; (t-note) of much more account As long as; carver frowning face; spiced dishes Despite; cheerful encouragement; (t-note) little inclination to sing along gloomily; cast Despite; dainties; could bring her derision victuals; feast such Give up; come shall show you by actual; (t-note) Good Friday fast; than your Easter feast; (see note) lickings; whole outlay aplenty; great security nor; box-trap(?); dread; (see note); (t-note) accept; went ahead together; (t-note) Under cover always; thickest grass; (t-note) secretly did they creep; (t-note) guide; ahead paid good attention At night; went ahead; slept; (see note) Until; before the lark found; joyously did walk in from thence; fine building brought; soon where; should Without any word of blessing; shelter; taken; (see note); (t-note) pantry; most abundant foodstuffs shelves; (see note); (t-note) aplenty; (t-note) sacks; groats, meal; (t-note) Afterwards when; were ready to eat Without prayer; washed; feast cooks could dream up cut; great slices lord’s style of dining but nevertheless demeanor; merry asked her guest If; noticed by her judgment [there was any] Between; room; miserable Yes; long; last; (t-note) Forever after; suppose; longer too; (see note) If it is so, you; ease To increase; side dish; brought; (see note); (t-note) plate; groats; more fine-ground grain flat oatcakes; believe; did not neglect to serve out around her fine bread; meat jelly; (see note); (t-note) white; out from a stand of boxes; (see note) Instead; flavor their mouth[s] as well; (see note); (t-note) until they could at the top of their voices; (see note); (t-note) often comes care steward approached found them at dinner tarried; wash; (see note) go, whoever could take the lead; (see note) goes hide herself in deprived of; good advice; (t-note) dread; swoon; dead wished; turned out in a happy way no extra time to stay around Neither; seek; knock aside; (t-note) door open bold citizen [the elder mouse]; (t-note) came Ho; wherever outstretched; (t-note) death; dreading very grievously struck; grievous pang; (t-note) foot; (t-note) found her in such a plight weep words sweet as honey are you lying [there] like that peril has been overcome gloomy expression; (t-note) severely upset rather have fasted these forty days; (see note) watery cabbage soup unease entreaty; she made her get up table; again sat together; (t-note) scarcely; once When; came “Gilbert”; fine; (see note) welcome; [got] up like fire from a flint; (see note); (t-note) “Baldwin” [the cat] the other [mouse] by; seized; (see note) tossed Sometimes; nimble; any; (see note); (t-note) let her run under the straw hide and seek great pain to the poor mouse he caused through good fortune and luck; (t-note) Between; curtain; crept; (see note); (t-note) Then; haste; wall hanging; (t-note) climbed; could; (t-note) claws; did hang; (t-note) gone. Her mood came; no one; prevent Against; loudly did she; (t-note) renounce banquet is mixed sauce; (see note) second course; utter pain; (t-note) shall; hereafter may come to pass; (t-note) that curtain; partition For; cruel beast protect; from such a feast native district woe; (t-note) took her leave open country out; eager merrily; headed to; moor; (t-note) how she fared afterwards; (t-note) heard; went [Which was] as; wool although amply; outer; inner [rooms of the house] rye; wheat; (t-note) was inclined; enough ease went Moralization if you choose to pay attention; (see note); (t-note) (t-note) vetches are mixed intermingled; (see note); (t-note) unencumbered some distress they who climb most high (see note); (t-note) simple moderate meal in quietude Whoever Though; small in amount Often bring about; unhappy end country security; few belongings who is accustomed to feed; (see note); (t-note) belly; turn it into a god Look; indeed; (t-note) has an eye What is then the use [of] fearful as far as I am concerned; (t-note) heart; (t-note) ember; (t-note) if; read; (see note) I can see nothing better; (t-note) always to be carefree; live with this thought bears highest rank; (see note) (t-note) Rooster; (t-note) Although brute beasts; (see note) lacking the ability to discern each one; their species different tendencies the violent boar deceptive; devious at night and guard in [their respective] traits Undiscovered by; (t-note) By nature having so many understanding; transcends to write; (see note); (t-note) Therefore; intend event I learned; befell; other Between; noble Chantecleer [the rooster]; (see note) widow; in a hamlet [in] those; (see note) Who earned; from; distaff no more; indeed hens to guard them; (see note) Very spirited; for; regularly Measured; crowed little way; foresaid thicket there was, of great security; (see note) In which; devious Made; residence; daily lodging Who snatching away her poultry; (t-note) by no means; she could wily fox; did sing sorely; farm betook himself Where; in the gray dawn Weary from staying up; had flown from; (see note) [the fox]; considered; (see note) risks; subterfuges; cunning; (t-note) what means he might Feigning; look; manner knees; pretending Good morning; master recoiled with a jump Sir, by; soul; need; afraid on my account; recoil come here only to do you service; (see note); (t-note) Did I not wish; [nothing] but ancestors often has filled up; belly; (t-note) sent; food; midden; moors devoted my full energies hold; head; give Until; darling passed away laughed son, indeed; (t-note) died; the bough of a birch Then; dirge when; dead; (see note) Between; two; could; feud trust but; servant paid such great respect feathers; noble beak; breast; neck-feathers; comb by; holy Mass grows warm; it seems to me; (t-note) To serve you; creep; (t-note) gloomy and wet weather gray hair insincere; hypocritical groundless objection You seem to me changed; (see note); (t-note) From; character; (t-note) crowing; could take; crown toes; crow no lie; stood tiptoes Raised Well tried, so may I prosper son and rightful heir technique you lack a special touch have no doubt; (t-note) himself thrice puffed up bring many to perdition Trusting; great accolade Heedlessly closing his eyes; (t-note) made himself ready suddenly by the time that; crowed alert; grabbed; by the throat forest without delay; rushed forbiddance having; fear; (t-note) that [outcome]; cried out; (see note) widow heard; came Seeing; situation; sighed Ho!; robbery; yell; (t-note) noble As if; insane Tearing at; did beat pale; complexion; trance grief; fainting; a sweat; (see note) poor; food while; was lying about that situation; debate; (t-note) making heavy mourning great tears over; cheeks amour also; clock tower; (see note) wakeful lookout kerchiefs Raised up her head between lover; who shall lead us When; who shall would break; bread During sex; give us pleasure nature endowed him live Cease too; [who] make such mourning do fine, I expect, trust me As good love comes; goes holiday clothes; (see note) make myself over in time for Then sing restrained; always; fear wounded; spear bedroom pleasure; you know very well Exhausted; by nature cold Since glad in misfortune; remedy the living; the dead go spoke who pretended loyalty earlier without love know [that] of such; score Would not be enough; satisfy promise; by; since; free; (t-note) week; if I dare speak man; tickle; crotch like; priest; boldly That; true so promiscuous Cease; wenches more; (see note); (t-note) holding; scales [of justice] Smites very painfully though Adulterers who prefer not to; (t-note) delighted in took no account; enmity expected; gain power; reign sins led him that sudden death veritable snatched by the fox When; out of her swoon Jumped; called to her dogs Ho! Birchy; Clumsy Brown; (see note); (t-note) Tear-thicket, Run-well, Bobtail without complaining; hasten before else; see that; never return delay; raced; ground; (see note) flew across the fields energetically; through did not stop; while hounds; in a row; (t-note) in his mind; God grant were actually spoke; by some; inspired; (see note); (t-note) shall protect and tired after great effort low in energy; flee further Turn back at once Have made friends; year Then; quit; promise it; move deceptive to cover up his scheme Deceived; means; amazing falsehood fails always called out; taught shot up onto a bough; (t-note) judge; at what sir; laughed Tricked Fell to [his] knees without food or wages Shall murderer; rustler, stand back; (t-note) so lividly bruised broken affection; two; (t-note) closed my eyes; wish Because of which; lost the bigger fool; [who] could; (t-note) make my prey a matter for legal negotiation; (see note); (t-note) Go your way; from; enmity took his flight; (see note) louver he landed; (t-note) Moralization; (see note) granted [that] covered over; figurative images a very suitable lesson fictional language of the text For; we may well term Conceited; crazy; vain About family; lineage, who; arrogant; (t-note) puffed-up; very poisonous Whoever; needs must have nothing; stool; (see note) Take as an example the devils of hell Who were hounded down compared; (see note) pleasant, shining words meaning; most toxic; (t-note) flatter; lie; commit; whole for such [people]; contempt a more dangerous plague Than [to] give; liars hastily; (t-note) flattery; (t-note) sweet sugar having; likeness deadly poison; (t-note) whoever clearly Therefore for now, briefly These two flee them (t-note) Let us leave; glad widow; (see note); (t-note) About; more blithe occurrence; (t-note) dared not get more mixed up in pilfering; (t-note) brightness; from awaiting night very; hiding Until Thetis; goddess; sea; (see note); (t-note) Had called Phoebus home took off his cloudy hood; (t-note) Showing; handsome face looked; from the place where placed; over his upturned eyes the night had come (see note) stars; (see note) orbits and also; celestial hemisphere Some moving backward; stationary what They each were; taught (see note) moved forward in Sagittarius was ascendent in the Ram’s head (Aries) hastened ahead in Leo in Cancer; Moon; Aquarius; (see note) Resided in Virgo Without; astronomical calendar; (see note) Taught by the instruction of nature fox did perceive What; stellar power likely; descend down to earth without hesitation May good befall; who sent; school; (t-note) also my fate I know; (see note); (t-note) risk; known misadventure mixed; fate; (t-note) sinful life; sooner unless; (t-note) Death; and a shameful end; (t-note) go seek some confessor purge myself; (t-note) utterly accursed; thieves placed each night at risk; (t-note) brings very many a man to grief steal; always are just as poor; (t-note) Noose-neck; Crack-rope; too for our reward; throat Blaming; cankered Upon; crag; directed; eyesight coming; a little way from there; (t-note) doctor; theology; (see note); (t-note) Friar Do-harm; learning most expert newly arrived; cloister; (t-note) prayer beads; saying wily traitor fox knees; hood [down] around spiritual father many a servile bow; nod reason [Do] you put on such an act do it; (see note) dependable path; (see note); (t-note) [That] should guide such homespun, undyed cowl lean; pale; compassionate perfect holiness [it] were well for him [who] opportunity; you; confess O, poor; said; laughed; (t-note) pleases plunder; pilfering, sir; plenty sorely stay; here in the open beseech; hear pricks get down on thy knees bareheaded; humbly “Give blessing”; (see note) withdrew a little away is fitting neither; listen reveal; vow of secrecy in this way; did speak; (see note); (t-note) spirit sin?” "O, sir; do it hens; so honey-sweet freshly bled resolve Except for; have slain Since; feel regret [for] refrain; reform If; shall I live to support myself Necessity; steal wherever; go am ashamed; beg; work; know; (see note) gladly lay claim; rank lack two elements; (see note) Pertaining third; proceed; (t-note) submit to a penalty my physical constitution; (t-note) Sickly and weak; (t-note) both lean would, if; easy; (see note) painful if I could carry it out poor soul refrain; meat from now; Easter; (t-note) body; accursed carrion here; offer as long as you give me leave eat sausage; sip a little blood head; feet; entrails; taste case I lack flesh in my diet; (t-note) In sore necessity; leave to do it Twice; week; need; have; (see note) reward; I know well went on his way proceeded towards the water; (see note) get himself [some]; wholly was wild, heaving waves; (see note); (t-note) discouraged motionless; horror; stood; (t-note) stayed at home Than [to have] been a fisher must I scrape my food neither boats; (t-note) While; lack; grumbling Seeking around to find his sustenance a herd of goats happy; hid himself in a ravine from the goats; stole Then; sea; hastens took; by; two horns either twice or thrice dunked; to him did he say sir; salmon; (see note) Until; dead; then; dragged ate plenty nicely stuffed; meat secret spot; made his way bush; the sun shone brightly warm; thought; (see note) recklessly; where Outstretching; belly in it would be very fitting to place an arrow keeper; goats Aggrieved at heart every; carefully did he peer Until; where arrow; feathers drew; before he moved skewered; earth woe is me Punctured; can no further go; (t-note) It seems to me; say; in jest nowadays; taken goatherd seized him; pulled his arrow; (t-note) other violent offenses Moralization unprepared-for; (see note) (t-note) exhorting; reform; (t-note) such a similar; (t-note) many now go; (t-note) lament; (t-note) Some [there] are; custom and habit Vanquished Although; for a while [They] cannot forbear; flee from their sins Habit pulls; in such a way; (see note) necessarily; must have been accustomed fear; shot That smites hard; opposition Pay attention; take note no one can mount a defense Desist from; penitently examine willing; shall go; (t-note) (t-note) (t-note) died; misdeeds child [who]; legally sired estate; (t-note) a son; which in illicit love; (t-note) begotten in clandestine appropriation Who for; Father-worse loved; poultry tussle; tease; (t-note) according to natural reason step by; by proper analogy From; worse From illegitimate offspring; (t-note) parentage By true nature had to be grandfather too demands; seeking; food by scent By chance; found; corpse Flayed; freshly slain; to him has he gone; (t-note) Lifted; head Thanking; outcome possess, since; heir territories where thou; resort Shame on covetousness, unnatural pleased; found; dead By sudden; hateful deeds reign; grow strong in; stead Fearing; to lead the same life filching; plunder as his [father]; (t-note) he paid no further heed sentiment; (t-note) takes I certainly find; true The fox keeps going; has; (see note) goes to a pool in the peat bog threw; deep bones; keep immersed; worldliness amass wrongful possessions; (t-note) subject; soul; pain; anguish enrich; heir; have deceased; (see note) When he has; small pains recite [a dirge]; (t-note) Once; dead; finished; (t-note) In order to rest, this fox went to a crag; (t-note) heard; blaring bugle blow; (see note) [it] seemed to him; rock; (t-note) Then he leapt; (t-note) bounding; hill; (see note) document; carried proper pursuivant [herald of junior rank] could look around every; did betake himself Projected; voice out high; gave “Hear ye, hear ye” twice; (see note); (t-note) At that [sign]; nearby wondering what such Staring; gathered; field; (t-note) box; quickly did; pull; (t-note) read; without hesitation solemnly [the “royal We”]; the king of all the beasts; (see note); (t-note) Greetings; everlasting without; (t-note) [And] to brute; unreasoning great eminence; high Permits; know; exactly now Intends tomorrow convene Strictly; give meet Subject to; befall came; sunbeams; (see note) Dissolved gleams; (t-note) grasses growing; tall; (t-note) spices spread; bud; each twig thrush; blackbird; loud hopping; (t-note) came; solid; (see note); (t-note) Carrying; brought; summit jasper stones attached; adorned diverse; decked out poles; pavilion; pitched robe Following; proclamation All beasts that go on foot; (t-note) without delay appeared what; as Lowrence the fox taught me recite a sample of each (see note) Chimera; beast; illegitimate birth werewolf; dangerous flying horse Transformed; means lynx; of cruelty also the dromedary neck like a crane’s; hurried on; (see note) have mentioned before antelope hastened forth the ax(?); (see note) colorfully marked panther river, thicket; reeds small Spanish horse; noble stallion; (t-note) every doe; roe-deer; antlered male red deer bear; wild ox; wild boar wild man; she-wolf; (t-note) hedgehog; limping hare; (see note) Both; ape; spiny foolish goat; harmless sheep bison(?); tumbling badger; (see note); (t-note) polecat; otter(?) bloodhound; did lope forth; (t-note) rat; dormouse; (t-note) squeaking stoat; weasel ferret; furred; gown marten; rabbit; squirrel [unidentified animal]; also the garden dormouse; (see note); (t-note) did guide the mole not given her sight proceeded; fear of death civet she trudged towards that hilltop; (t-note) did not know bowed low these; ready at his command sudden movement; glanced around him; (t-note) stretched out flat; feet all sank in fear noticed; bow; (t-note) commanded them; gentle afraid; (see note) know [that] my power; merciful troubles none who; prostrate severe, and also unloving who are in opposition to my exalted rank tug, I rend Against; authority; grandeur See [that]; lay claim to status eminence; high shall be conjoined always lowest; very quickly exalt I have the power if he wants to make trouble though; bold debase him Ensure; within; miles where; (see note) walks safely alongside the goat not look; lamb; (t-note) Nor [any] predatory; neither run nor go raiding lay down; announced judge; to prepare to begin call the suits; condemn; (t-note) painted coat of arms Constituted; by law was proper; (see note) Lowrie the fox looked; was skulking; (t-note) leapt; astonished; upset Tearing; howled; loud voice; (t-note) Quaking; groaning doleful know; assembly; see Having; qualities made to harm such evildoers if; show myself; punished looked for if; declared stay or flee; provides; solution there; nothing but death did he consider falsehood; could over his eyes; (t-note) with the one eye shut; went; (t-note) Limping; came; recognized terror; suffer detention; (t-note) blindman’s buff; [moving] from beast defiled spirit; cankered; (t-note) Summoned with justice before a king Pale cheeks; ashamed face Goodbye to your good reputation expression, appearance In; repulsive and disfigured cowed, dull-witted; oafish If you are accused of criminal misdeed; bad faith expression; must look status in this world is gone Consider this fox; terror flee; falsehood; counsel you Through which there Assembling Placed as befit their rank; (t-note) each; had; brought forth awe-inspiringly; spoke; asked If; any beast in this world; (t-note) made them solemnly swear to that breeding mare; (see note); (t-note) at once who shall [the messenger] be; (t-note) skulking only one eye leg-joint; lame diplomacy far more learned in the clerkly disciplines Rearing up [the lion] said; wretches; (t-note) they [proceeded] to go; delay thicket; root; quickly food come called; in contempt; (see note) Cease; legal jargon Mistress; you must has indeed commanded this you undergo; mockery; folly letter permitting absence; if said; so God help me Here; scholar in every way designated chief duly qualified; maturity; (see note) experience; chancellor’s office serve as a witness here with you document; in haste here; hoof heel Though; undertakes look; where struck; gums struck; the top of his skull right off his head life; there he lay crumpled over Wolf; defeated learning; deserved; payment look at gain nothing from that [letter] by Saint Bridget; it seems to me sleep in an undamaged rather than a scroll; found; written in [it]; (see note) shillings; once disobey it scalp; red weeping; (t-note) Aiming to get some remedy from his folk the situation was stay in this place from; wash; blood went forth Along; searched for; stream; (t-note) By chance; coming; moor flock; dancing; embankment bully; cur has struck down ate; then; goes then make their way that mare; in contempt do not ask me newly-made; theology; (see note); (t-note) red; well enough rest; laughed situation; hear clever; scholar of mature age ordered; mare appear cited a special right near; shall have read her letter of permission bonnet; gave that; know true, whoever pays heed to it greatest scholars; (see note) of one makes the other lucky chatting; witty comments uproar; playfulness; (t-note) Just then came; ewe judge in this way rascal son of a whore has dismembered; doggishly; (t-note) proclamation love; enact for my sake Upon; drew back Wait; Villain If; truth; poor ewe Ah; preserve to have played with him; (see note) Without cause; afraid plunged; embankment broke; You lie; cur by observation; proven easily gory gums are still sticking; teeth enough, without doubt choose; jury; (t-note) found; guilty partly treason as well; (see note); (t-note) bound; tight; ordered promptly The sentence to be pronounced; clothes; (see note) did give him confession led him forth; goes foot of the ladder; says farewell ape; executioner; at once; (t-note) Moralization miner; metallurgy from; lead; extract figurative fable Serious meaning; seek; refine teachers of theology; (see note) Explicitly according to our lives; apply a moralization; (see note); (t-note) demonstrate their; by means of a poetical composition; (t-note) likeness; (see note); (t-note) whom bow both emperors and kings expect from; more favor; (t-note) desire daily; more livelihood; (t-note) Some govern; prevail; reign gather possessions; goods gain; work as if; insane liken; (see note); (t-note) brute beasts; reconcile completely Wishing; extol [the world] Flee; from that; rightly repent gain power, and reign soul mare; people of the contemplative life; (see note); (t-note) For; walking; (t-note) Such as; (t-note) Who seek to please God; every; (t-note) Withdrawn; wretchedness willing; away from vainglory; (t-note) are made as if dead hoof; thought; death thou must die break; head shall flee away from you Wise; says; (t-note) So that; can save thy sorry soul; (t-note) Consider thy death; willingly liken Bringing; vain thoughts daily besieges members of religious orders; (t-note) Come back to the world; (t-note) see; nearly killed incessant, grievous pains; (t-note) pull back; tempt themselves kindly intermediary of gentle mercy; (t-note) in front of thy heavenly son; (t-note) beseech his highness; (t-note) To defend us (t-note) glory; see story; (see note) (t-note) tale poor; (see note) bishop’s court; (see note); (t-note) loaf of bread; recover judge; wielded strict summons procedure summons devoid; guile penalties of; deprival of rights excommunication; exclusion Sir Sheep; strictly; appear in court; (t-note) before; here designated summoner; (see note) had pecked out; eye [he] has taken; forth; carried Without delay; three; (t-note) subject to the penalties hear what; wishes to say to you; (see note) before sufficient witnesses well pertained Endorsed; writ poor; did not dare; earth awe-inspiring judge (t-note) When the Evening Star; show notary; case; (see note) kite; vulture; did stand; (see note); (t-note) lawyers plea together [they] Who; allied strictly; pact Though; remorse present in this style did state the plea shillings; more owe; of which [debt]; expired On his own behalf, without Judiciously [the sheep]; (t-note) object to case; purpose; intent very dangerous; (see note) plea; biased judge; (t-note) have been very hateful fangs Have slain; kinsmen biased judge; reject you; (t-note) in short, all you members of this court judicial advisors my [friends and kin] always; been; many a shepherd knows remote; out of session; (see note) During which; judges; court; (t-note) late in the evening; therefore in this way commanded; parties choose; (see note) arbitrators; customarily done give [an] arbitration Whether; had to without doubt whom; you shall hear now; (t-note) bear; badger; matter; in decide whether; objection lawfully; (t-note) a debate [for] a long while Researching; decrees of canon law; (t-note) commentaries too Very many volumes of civil law; study; (see note); (t-note) codes [of Justinian]; digests For and against, precise; (t-note) one opinion; (t-note) entreaty; bribe; compromise; (t-note) gloss; decrees; (see note); (t-note) curse; lie; (t-note) Quickly; bring this dispute to a conclusion summarily; plainly; (t-note) issued the summons had to go before cease his plea; in no way pleased from; he could not appeal leave it [to prove] if; legal arraigned Without; dejectedly The dog got up; against; complained A sum; in advance witness’ statement; produced wrongfully; keep dispute had contested this lawsuit judge; case [The fox]; record; proceedings wrote they progress to the outcome bribery (t-note) In favor of to put it into commanded Subject to the penalty of a prohibition; (see note) sum of money About; alas what has condemned wrongful fearing more; (t-note) Submitting; did take; (t-note) merchant sold; wool; bore Then bought; did make as he was legally required; (t-note) Naked; bare; did go Moralization likeness poor commoners; oppressed cruel; who exert; their effort evil methods; unjust belief; last forever utterly mistaken; die go to everlasting torments liken; oppressive sheriff; (see note) buys; power of forfeiture accursed judicial panel convened indicts; poor; in the outlying countryside Once; coroner; laid on [a poor man]; (see note) Even if he [the poor man]; honest; (t-note) make payment to the judge coroner Who; a list of those named in; (t-note) goes; sitting of circuit court felons consider whether; (t-note) scrape; “Walt” thus exacts a bribe from both sides; (t-note) fox of whom; spoke; (see note) kite According to their; say; more sorrowful complaint speak; passed Where; by chance; looked heard him make [a] bitter lament bishop’s court; (see note) [the] midst; held the north wind; gusts harsh frosts these; wither; (t-note) bare; can; delay cave he crept icy weather; to protect himself; (t-note) Shivering; mourning all along Raised; eyes; height why do you sleep; (t-note) Wake; perceive; based; justice See; by; oppression; trickery Stripped utterly bare very shockingly miserable accursed sin; covetousness; (t-note) Has exiled; loyalty; (t-note) none; carry out lack; whom; overthrown Even if the judges were to know the truth; (t-note) blinded; selfishness; (t-note) (t-note) Do you not see; is turned upside-down As [if] one; into lead; tin fleeced; can do no wrong; (see note) considered to be no sin happy [who] can profit most from usury Gentility; slain; pity; gone why endure tolerate even this [injustice] because of; (see note) grievous plagues famine; war their lives for this reason at this time can do no more since; oppressed Upon; earth; good (t-note) midst; sweet time of year; (see note); (t-note) Phoebus; bright sunbeams dried; valley and hill made light with his rays; (t-note) On a; between noon; nightfall arose; set aside all sloth and sleep forest; without a guide Sweet; flowers white; red noise; utterly delightful broad branches bloomed above flourishing; pleasant grasses; (t-note) Of; pleasure; was plentiful sweet fragrances; birdsong joy was greater therefore red roses; bush; stem; (t-note) primrose; purple violet; (t-note) hear; a foretaste of Such; thrush; blackbird did make merrily opened; hillside plants; song; (t-note) Competing [to see] who To protect myself; from; sun’s heat green lay down among Then; sign of the cross; closed both; eyes; (t-note) these fine boughs through; wood [made] of; cloth; white; (see note) robe; deep purple camel’s hair; (t-note) hood; edged well In a fringed style down to his waist cap [was] round and in the old style eyes were large curling; which; shoulders carried swan’s quill sticking inkwell; an artfully gilded pen-case ready at; wore; (t-note) finely dressed; apparel an awe-inspiring face Up to where; [at] a brisk pace save [you]; son; gladdened; (see note) By; familiar; by greeted him in return down beside me Do not be displeased; though Ask about; profession (learning) Why; here; where; home noble lineage; (see note) native; without doubt I went to the schools [I] studied Roman law very many dwelling; heaven for always am named; work known and familiar; learned scholar knows; most dearly welcome who wrote all these fables Which; even if they are fictional wisdom same knows if; then honored master beseech sincerely; good will would deign; (t-note) Concluding; moral Shaking; let [it] be what; made-up story When holy preaching very; none who have reverence ear; deaf; heart; stone Now [there is] blatant sin eye directed; always down; (t-note) So rotten; black tales can bring little help noble sir; request; (see note); (t-note) offend; fatherhood likeness of a brute beast you would deign Who knows if; learn; carry thereby [that] hereafter agree; began; tale (t-note) prey; exhausted by running; (t-note) relax his limbs Warming; breast; in Lay under a tree Just then; troupe of mice; their Very glad; nimble; dancing; masquerade hopped twice; thrice were not afraid across; took; dance-steps plucked; whiskers; beard did not refrain from clawing awhile paw; master; grabbed She; all the rest, terrified themselves soon everywhere who was captured; wept incessantly alas often; she [had]; there taken; woeful prisoner guilt expects at once suffer spoke; sorrowful Thou miserable Overly rude; also make across; dancing well; was both Of all beasts; know; (see note) was fooled; low beseech Hear what; receive [it] then; mighty high See also; through Neither from; treason; (t-note) Sooner; receive; forgiveness; (t-note) full of food; great all sorts of; such; suited inspired as nature taught us low; earth by; soul; thought; been dead Otherwise we would; head in reply help [even] a little; assert pose; hypothesis; slain; (see note) then; stuffed; straw Even though; lying thus bore the image ought; fear; knees offense; make no treat with contempt your companions; own you can offer no defense shall death such; decreed gallows dragged; feet; (see note); (t-note) Ah; from; noble mercy; ask; (see note); (t-note) Since; crowned Calm; wrath; ire pass away; (t-note) make; inclined your rank Because of which; death Unless your; offer help judge; pity should exist advisors; colleagues the canon laws; (t-note) When severity who can uphold Very; unless mercy intervene Also; know; (see note) depends on the strength captives who; (t-note) Through the peril of war maintain a long defense prize; praise when the battle is over who overcomes Who neither may nor can defend himself? mice; also devour paltry prowess for; strong Very little honor; won Since to your strength [there] degrade; renown slay; who can Except for begging; from is not fitting to your majesty consumes; delicious foods defile; blood stomach; infectious Unwholesome food; from; vile; (see note) especially for Accustomed to; noble venison death; less Yet if I live; perhaps Assist; highness being it is often seen; low rank Has rescued Imprisoned who was about Through; Such a situation; own When; way of speaking Calmed; thought; reason made; assuage his cruel ire granted forgiveness Opened; paw both; raised up Crying, “May Almighty God reward you!” continued owned nothing but lived; prey both tame; accustomed made; great disturbance people found could capture Out of hemp; strong; did path; run strong ropes from tree; bound it sent; line [of beaters]; row in the forest fanfare; hounds eagerly calling running through the bushes entangled feet; head did not make any progress Struggling; roaring Now; until he could get relief; (see note) vain; availed; not at all more; jerked; tighter; tied; (t-note) were so twisted around him every lying; lamenting; complaint; (t-note) lamed; lying here; low; (see note) Where; power whom; on earth stood in awe dreaded; look Without hope bonds; here must see no other relief no person who; avenge offer; crown Who shall help me; break get me out of the pain Once; made By chance; came near heard the sad voice of the lion into this had to be; [that] showed disloyal; very wicked Unless; repaid part of; (t-note) goes; (t-note) eagerly did call in haste same; (t-note) when; captured here tied up tightly; prison Breaking; bitter; lament Unless; he expects none pay; another loose; at once; Yes; (see note) brought; sharp enough; (see note) see; indeed; great wonder among; tough ropes went above; (t-note) cut; meshes asunder; (t-note) Then told; got up at once them free from; (see note) Loose; rescued into By heard; showed clemency [a] very good [one] ask; sir; [If] you would Moralization suppose; powerful splendid; (see note) ruler; or else Who should; vigilant guide exerts no effort; (t-note) rule; direct relaxes always; sloth; sleep sheltered and restful leaves; (see note) birds’ song; wonderfully only pleasure mixed; ample grief Just; rose; wintry storm Fades, so; deceives those Who; pleasures; have most confidence mice; only; common folk Unruly; [if] lacking when they [the commons] see exact no penalty They are not at all afraid because; have no respect causes them; to disregard By; prudent rulers virtue; pity pardon occasionally cruelty by means of mercy Often; seen; low rank; (see note) compensated an injury both; (t-note) shown severity; mercy to him Who knows; soon Abounding; vain pleasure overthrown Through; which; mutability complete; leader For unjust; them so utterly can prepare for no danger have outstretched; (see note) which; suddenly; taken Watched; to get restitution [To record] injury; write More; explain; I leave unsaid; (t-note) well perceive what; mean Examples of this often have When; said; (see note) clergy continually; (t-note) from this country reign; maintain their loyalty; (see note) both night; (t-note) vanished Then; wood; took homeward exalted; wonderful operation intellect of; (see note) so perfect; discerning Exceeding; human reasoning; (t-note) Because; everything is always; (see note) Exactly; shall In the perception of Therefore; soul; (see note) fettered; bodily prison clearly; see a heavenly being; (t-note) dark; mortal material body; (t-note) function Just as if a; confined; prison Metaphysics; (see note) the eye of a bat Which hides; daylight lasts dusk comes out to fly Her eyes; weak; she cannot see the sun hampered by delusion From knowing; manifested infinite in power feeble; too weak; imperfect contains everything No one should; by penetrate believe firmly; cease arcane speculations; (t-note) have knowledge; (see note) through his creations good; wise; benevolent Take the example of these pretty flowers; (t-note) Very sweet of blue; purple, white, and red distributed by; from; divine being sphere of heaven painted; bright stars; (see note) east; revolving; a complete revolution each; own orbit motion making earth; (see note) To; certainly enough works is wise; (see note) Let us study; sea; (t-note) earth; kinds of animals; (t-note) birds; vigorously; fly Cleaving; feathers large Then look; made In his; resemblance By these [things]; know created things; benefit; (see note) for his support On; as well as below and above weight; due diversity of; each; (see note) Suited to; needs daily by; see lovely green robe; (t-note) like fur on each opening in the garment Which; goddess; flowers queen Has lovely golden sunbeams adorned; pleasantly heat; distilled Then hot autumn when Has blessed her children has refilled Her empty casks; (t-note) strong wines; pleasing liquor the bounty of the season wheat nor other grain dismal winter when grim Aeolus; (see note) wind; northern gusts glorious summer Has; torn up; ripped; pieces flowers; faded; must changed their sweet tunes; (see note) Into ceaseless; nearly slain; sleet These valleys; puddles wood covered; hoary frosts fine branches; dried bare of bliss; (t-note) By wicked; warned empty fields Withdraw; fear; deep dens Crouching; caves themselves Then comes spring when confidential servant; seal; (see note) the columbine peers out was scared; by grim frosts thrush; blackbird; sing; (see note) aloft; other little birds; (t-note) comes out; hiding; hill; dale same; on a fine; (see note) Very happy; winds were gone wood; see; flowers bud hear; other birds went out, then looked was very seasonable Moist, and ready to receive all seeds; (see note) in this way; took laborers; see; hard work digging ditches; guide the plow sowing seeds harrow hopping; track loved grain; (see note) them; both at evening rested; very pleasant hillside greatly delighted by; sight Into; green hawthorn tree; (see note) came a marvelous flock down suddenly; did alight on the leaves where I stood large Among; which; did cry aloud; (see note) high; treetop sitting branches here beside me shall well know; wisely Where; approaching get ready in advance To avoid it; fear; you more said; in reply; laughed; (see note) What; seen; causes; dread Do you see that; plow sowing hemp there, see; flax seed; (t-note) flax; in a little while indeed from it; that; make his nets which; intends to catch us advise [that]; go when sharp little claws earth we scrape that; at once eat; if; shall reason; weep hereafter one We must remedy this; at once (see note); (t-note) scholars; not; (see note) think about what; before; eye inner mental process causes; get ready in advance; (t-note) What good; likely to emerge Of all things [to come to pass] at the time of death; (t-note) thus from; more readily; (t-note) laughing; did mock fished far ahead of; (see note) baby; easy; dress Not everything grows bend when; blow shall soon enough; most fated they mocked her beneficial advice birds fiercely took; at once; (t-note) rush; hastened; field again are; greenwood where staff; homeward did; hurry Just as astonished as if; supernatural vision time passed until; lovely time planted before hares could hide themselves also; quail clucking; grain went out between previously mentioned stood, by luck; chance same; have told; earlier suppose; their usual place to go More sheltered; quiet alighted; were promptly let out; plaintive cry Woe; look out heedlessness own well-being sight; take good notice flax; that pasture commanded indeed When; uproot out; ground high in first growth yet while; (t-note) grow no bigger flesh shudders; trembles about; cannot sleep in peace ordered; cease later on; good food for little birds those; pods; ripe make ourselves a feast; seed In spite of that; peep friends, by all means be it so wish; certainly I sorely dread What comes; just as; sweet When; split open; churl’s spit owner; bird catcher Very tricky; cunning prey; few times; miss Unless; be all the warier Very many; caused to die thought; merely a game protect; from; holy cross These; having only little care befall by chance valued at nothing took; went away together headed; moor when near; noon ripened; flax plants; (see note) Raked off; seed pods; put [the stalks] in bundles Soaked it; stream; then dried mallet pounded; beat scraped; combed; indoors on the floor; (t-note) spun it; twisted; thread which; bird catcher made nets wicked; did blow withered; wet forest; hill; frosts; mottled Hollows; valleys; slippery; sleet fine birds; hunger; feet bare branches; use; stay hastened; to hide themselves Some; stack of grain Took their lodging; made has sworn great oaths; (t-note) should certainly be caught; depredations He has laid out his nets shoveled; flat area covered; chaff again seeing the chaff, were glad; (see note) Supposing; grain; flew down But; no expectation bird catcher’s wicked plan food; set themselves to work in a sapling off to one side; (t-note) Fearing trickery; to them did scrape until; bleed vain Do you believe that; pity; feed laid it out here; trick; (t-note) Get away; advise; else very covertly Ready; pull; beware therefore [A] great fool; (t-note) a thing of no value willingly pay heed to while it might help him nothing in mind Except; what may occur later of the outcome; thought almost starving Very busily; find their food did not want to hear Even though; did them understood [to be] So stubborn; into a tree pulled his nets over them Alas; great pain at heart; see; (t-note) bloody butcher beat those they fully expected to die sorrowful song Some; struck; unconscious The heads from some; neck; (t-note) alive; stuffed when; dead times To those who; advice From; scholars; wise told them [about] more woe I saw her no more; (see note) Moralization noble scholar relaxed; valuable work; (see note) many others; previous; wrote Which; explained instruction Having; meaning accordant bondman; void of gentility Sowing; chaff these; slay devil, who from angelic rank; (see note) Exiled; traitorous rebel Who; does not weary; go poison; wicked thought soul; very dearly; redeemed when; like seed in the ground; (see note) Gives; in delight; (t-note) sprout; (see note) mortal; which Reason; willful emotion fleshly desire; lush By habit indulged; (see note) by; custom ripens; aside weaves his strong and rough nets; (t-note) secretly hides [them] Then; sows chaff very widely Which; empty; total vanity These; we may term wretches Always scraping; delight Greedy; amass temporal goods Which like; chaff; empty Of little use; changeability; (t-note) dust [that]; (see note) Whirls; makes that has escaped; (t-note) holy preacher Exhorting; watch; always Against Who does not sleep do scrape chaff; (t-note) cannot escape Alas, what sorrow When soul; are parted; two; (t-note) worms’ kitchen; (see note) everlasting torment these worthless goods; (t-note) When brought; hanged; neck concealed; perceive; see miserable chaff wisely [It] is best [to]; greatest there is nothing permanent [There]; [who] knows; state shall After; death; where; go We should pray; while withdraw from sin cease; conflict and strife; (t-note) perfect charity fourth; most for our benefit bliss; angels; comrades; (see note) Fish Peddler; (t-note) Once there dwelt explicitly does state A thieving; lived; poaching animals; himself manage well [There] was no one; spare; (see note) If; were; either bribe; threat; (see note) fury; shook them to death; (t-note) [It] so befell; poaching; (t-note) meet; middle of the path saw first; pretended; in awe nod; wished good said [the wolf]; (see note) Then leaned; took; by [the fox’s name]; permit Where hast thou; out of my sight hold office; be my steward; (see note) knock down capons in; night; (see note) crawling low; make hens die Sir; that does not suit me afraid if they see me afar appearance; take fright under cover crawl belly; grab them by; head sudden sortie; sheep Then; teeth and claws shake; death know; robe; red wait for me Even though; hide myself across thickets; hillsides Low; crawl; reach your goal understand well; goes long distance; notice; smell; (see note) escape, unless; killed; (t-note) ashamed; come up behind them even though; sleeping approach upwind precaution indeed; trick animal you could could; escape; a mile off trick one of them in that way two [black-]tipped ears; two gray eyes Makes; recognized where hear; you lying [you] search; risks; tricks; protect excuses shall; (t-note) around the bush; ruses; you beat Falsehood; always fail; (see note) not wait until; break [that is] for Lent; see; (see note) not fish; getting my feet wet; (t-note) catch a stickleback; should both starve; (see note) no other; get; food But if it were Easter, when kids, in [fine] condition hold; would; not refuse wrath; Do you suppose many tricks to defeat me doubtless; you deceive expect to pull; straw; (see note) knows; do not mean if I; were entirely proper strong rope; tied; to a tree; (t-note) see; he is indeed a fool master enters into debate did [it] only to find out what knows; another in every respect; command Whatever; require; nights hear; what yet I want; [to] make; oath; (see note) loyal; above; living being single; makes; angry see; hold me in suspicion swear, even if; no need; (see note) By; under penalty; head shall; true; until; dead fish peddler; horse; baskets; (see note) proceeding along; did; see; (t-note) aroma; fresh herring; smells whispers stealthily there; is carrying along Therefore; advise; look fish in readiness for these Since; intend [that]; goods sick with poverty; know very well beg; truly boorish miser give; from his basket In front of; knees though; kneel believe that very soon you shall see If; know how to pull the wool over the churl’s eyes there is one thing, if; some of; prize; (see note) make an effort; give; help that does not want to work In these days; a flea; (see note) intend; as busily as a bee; (see note) shall; a short way behind gather herring; shall; job took a circuitous route outstretched himself; middle made himself seem indeed then lay in an unnatural pose; (see note) whites; upturned; two eyes hung; hand’sbreadth; head motionless; stiff as if; were found; delighted to; quietly did next rest-stop; shall be flayed from; make a pair of mittens leapt very nimbly; where way; danced; toes As if; heard; moves Here; said; dead; ditch; (see note) Such a freak occurrence suppose; attacked by; dog makes; lie so; without motion indeed; warmly welcome here some wife’s curse poaching poultry; has landed There; peddler; purse; gloves laces; swindle; pelt from shall from; for my hands To keep; hot wherever; am To; sail the sea; (see note) in haste; grabbed; by; heels thud; threw; baskets Then by; head; haste has seized has paid close attention stopper as quickly as he could [He] pulled; one by one flung down a good number was ready; gathered [them] in a loud voice; (see note) But; stream; glanced behind leapt completely free from the baskets given; punch nothing; made it to safety; (t-note) Then; shout; did Wait; “neck-herring”; have; (see note) worth my horse; all the rest curse myself if we meet heard what; promised those; take warmth Even if; hanged [for it], churl Continue; trade, from; profit have left for a high Or else; not profit shook; rage where; stood just deserts; [that] I have lost; cur Who; nothing; of so much use pole; trickster nimbly; leapt; ditch cut down; infuriated; (t-note) of green holly did go found; beside; where did I not make a brave defense strong; never lacked, if brave heart; take by surprise a very bold man when wanted; let it be said what was that; cried aloud shook; fist; no idea Sir; accurately was inside Know; Yes rim; thrice without doubt weight; nearly pulled; teeth truly; if we could; grab these forty God let me be hanged there; give; clothes if; teeth and claws could lift it knows; wanted; often strength could; lift it up high side of salmon as it were fresh; speckled; partridge eye; (see note) there if; thus; three times as much proceed according to; plan suffer no ambush must take a circular route Then outstretch yourself Both; you must stretch make sure do not be afraid keep yourself still; comes though; see; have no concern keep yourself utterly; place make sure; tight shut as if twitch believe in haste; grab; heels throw; baskets swear to you by; luck expect; cannot lift me; (t-note) up high cause himself little strain Only; I dare honestly If you get; safe; some go fishing again until Easter “In the beginning” over you; (see note) sign the cross on; body; toe Go when; wish; venture to be a guarantor die no sudden sprang; at once; left went a circular route around stretched himself; path; before; near cheek securely, firmly; heavily feet away from; head hung out; tongue; taught him As; were indeed dead Caring; kindness; enmity But continually about quite forgets; tricks as furious; (t-note) riding; cartload; light Thinking continually about How to avenge himself; (t-note) caught a sight Where; lay prone; path Whether he got down; knows was fooled once If I am fooled twice; curse the both of us wicked blow; land; bones; (t-note) [That]; injury Up high; raised; furious such purpose; head blows; received before; feet strong; got could; see; truly know readily whether watched; treatment from where laughed out loud; sees thus Both deaf; dazed; fainting; knees according to reason; (see note) covets everything; likely to lose everything when; was beaten These; shall; (t-note) I lie; else; a fine steward; (t-note) found such; to torment took his leave nearly thrashed quite to death hardly; he escaped staff his head was nearly broken quickly withdrew himself then betrayed his master and the cadger lacked; from his baskets other’s blood; running; heels Moralization tale is mingled show in part before; cease may be likened thieving; without lies under whom everyone must hasten came to; nature’s course; die in the sea you understand; steward Who; pay no heed to death engages; profit; they know liken; so red [i.e., pure] Which made Just so; makes; cities war; devastated; men see trickery; guile Made; expect; have respect Just so; vanity; while Fawns upon; as if they should never fail suddenly; see the world often part company For those who expect; sack Death pinches them by; neck power; makes; so make greed their greatest joy So that; comes whatever rank they hold What; more dark; (see note) Wherefore; advise; have interpreted; way Farmer; (t-note) ancestors’; does declare practice; always; rise early; (see note) [It] so befell; plowing; of year; (see note) Early; proceed according to his custom; (see note) At the plow only; drover young oxen; urged; blessing; (see note) driver; “Hey! Move!” out loud Pull straight; doves; goaded inexperienced; frisky from exuberance they ruined the furrow; (see note) then grew; hare; (see note) Then yelled; threw; spade; big rocks said; may take; once yet; nearer than he supposed thicket; [the fox] also; (see note) Under; gnarled rowan [that]; furrow’s end heard; vow; laughed; eagerly that offer; were no hardship promise you by That churl’s; were king shall; (see note) became more disciplined (see note) homeward; went hobbling; in [the husbandman’s] path; (see note) Ahead of; got ready; dispute grew somewhat afraid would have gone Where are you driving; prey; (see note) none of them for that reason; great shock gravely [he] then replied to the wolf Sir, by; soul, these oxen wonder why; should obstruct Since; never defaulted; truly Churl, gave; team Earlier when; plowing; that slope anything; more free than a delay; lose; thanks willingly; fourpenny coin; (see note) Than; by necessity; fat ox generosity; comes; sincerity said; annoyance then contradict once; reflect vow; steal vows should be adhered to Did I give; [a] contract show rob; take legal proceedings if he is loyal; (see note) shrinks from; fears; rebuked word; always as secure; seal Shame; man who; trustworthy; respected also fabricated; (t-note) Without trustworthiness; (see note) other virtues; not; a flea farmer; about this honest; taken in; partial story speak and contradict heard; promised; entirely For that reason; shall come here from; thicket except; heard crawling; loved; [the] light quickly appeared did not laugh at all when must settle; case Of which; reveal; truth; time called; to bear true witness heard; promised; a while ago fox As soon; give final sentence were you both; yourselves abide by my binding decree please both; try if; it so turn out Well; for my part So showed; cases without deceit presented; entire pleas to him benevolent judge; (t-note) shall; pledged; abide by my ruling Whether afterwards; sweet extended out; foot they have sworn to abide took; fox; away on one side told him; brought into trouble forgive; ox hide willingly; if I might loath; in any way Do not lose; claim; own [go] through without Seest; [that] bribes carry men through make crooked; straight a hen keeps a cow for a man holy; raise their shall; six Of the very; flock do not care [about]; rest, leave; rooster laughed; (see note) deflect me from justice capons; enough gone; sleep; night; (see note) Such; seen in; sight These; shall; case assured will lure hawks; (see note) Agreed; then; took his leave went directly Then covertly; pulled; sleeve earnest; request such believe; mockery why; so heard; vow; did make that; made; plow why; demand the cattle in mockery; then Sir, by the cross, unrocked; rave; (see note) calf’s; have Would I wish to undertake it so poor a man as that [an] I have talked; churl; said settled; agreement Clear; claims as long as; without condition shall; cheese such [a] one shall soft cheese weighs; fourteen pounds; rather more [that] I make it that churl; should; free Yes; if; bound to you by oath as far as I am concerned if you go; furthest extreme the value of a withered turnip; (see note) do you not suppose; keep against go free you [should] not take it hard by my soul; blame intend to quarrel no more wish to see that; such esteem told; where headed toward to; taken the path; (t-note) glad; escaped; their harm feet [he] guarded; door until other two empty woods these men; go From bush; until near; later always thinking; wiles stratagems; to deceive promised; cheese; regrets comes up with a trick quietly did he smile search; night we have almost reached it Quiet; shall soon see it manor; hurried; haste round as a penny; moon to; elders went without delay two separate buckets did indeed hang one; another down; go reflection; shone; (see note) for once; trustworthy see; cheese clearly yourself White; turnip; also; seal hung; there so that; steal it trust; see hanging Could; for If I could get that cheese I see it there declare the churl free; rest worthless(?); value; flea That would be finer food; such said; leap; at once hold the [other] bucket until sprang down both fast; nimbly stayed above; crank [The cheese]; big; defeats; (see note) toes; a single claw must give; and haul it up Leap; quickly come down now; give; aid promptly; leapt; fool weight without doubt; made rising quickly; went down angrily coming down thus; hasten goes it according to fortune; (see note) comes; wheels another down well-bottom at once went leapt; blithe as any bell hauled; do not know, from Here; no more But passage; although Moralization liken; wicked; (see note) Who oppresses the poor starts quarrels with them all harshness, theft I call the devil; situation Compelling each; follow; courses; (t-note) by that means; lock; chains farmer; called; devout; (t-note) whom; finds fault; scholars teach Busy; methods; knows [good] works; from firm; (see note) grow; does not prosper goes back to the wicked man wasted; effort; displeased empty woods; wild wolf which; yearn Whoever trusts; trash(?) evil wealth; called Which Satan; all sinful people whoever places; trust Without exceptional; easily; get out cheese; covetousness Which blooms broad; eye Woe betide; source; wicked vice all entirely; delusion Spurring each; jump; pantry pulls downward; torment preserve Ram; (t-note) Once there; does report A shepherd dwelling by; near Who; gave him great service Very diligent; guard; enclosure without doubt So that neither; dared in; nor even any other animal Unless; killed them; least So; every; must die to die of a sudden sickness then; knows; keeper; livestock utter; grew paler than; [withered] weed; (see note) Alas; I see no help save; poor animals; keep all my sheep are savaged made a man’s heart sore; see pitiable shepherd’s lament dead; (see note) bread; destined; (see note) walking stick; bag; leave the farm that were kept under control before; (t-note) attack my animals; anger; rage; (see note) valiantly approached; (t-note) Master; make merry; blithe break; sorrow; no use should show no grief in your appearance Go; here; flay; at once; (see note) Then; check; well-fitting Both head and neck; feet Then; believe; I am the dog shall; persistently wherever he goes The complete responsibility keep; noon, late, and early If he goes hunting, by God; cease dog So; pledge; lose; one young sheep came from; good mind both reliable, loyal; trustworthy Whoever; stupid; lied about it haste; he flayed off very gently did sew it the ram grew proud; clothes; (see note) no fear imitated stood guard; took no sleep So; for a long time; lacked; a young sheep alert; watchful to guard them [the fox] did not dare to look if; the wether chased him so for his life; made; afraid neither; fox Dared enter any part of that district Lest; over rough; even [ground] Those miserable; for; such fear large; seemed; powerful every; feared him like death [So that]; forest; raise a hungry wolf chanced to sneak there Amongst; where; pasture shall; whatever happens attacked, or else I die of hunger he seized in his claws rest leapt; terrified God knows if the ram Never went; from being held; (see note) running; speedily; roe deer Than; bog; brook neither; thicket, nor slope always; fiercely; foe such a pace; spattered over [he] made; should capture stretched; length it was getting close to evening gathered himself up to run Once; coming so close; seen feared for; if; overtaken avoided neither thicket; bog well; knew; fierceness unburden himself; threw leapt; fields; rushed; puddles; mire will not be separated thus that I am after get close; see you grow weak a pile of peats [that] lay(?); (see note); (t-note) always; closer; did stick to followed him so close Until; terror befouled Then; path; bush and brier braced himself to ward off the thickets without pause; knew of no safe haven both in and out Until; tore roughly alert; glanced behind him hurtling Then; hanging; buttocks; (t-note) O!; Are you the one who Just now; white; friar too far if; known; situation regret this pursuit What; gave; such a chase haste; seized; by jests; have met finally; match; (see note) Even if; laughed; year what reason; worn just to have played with you ask; believe nothing else Is then this joke in earnest totally terrified; in a fright Retrace the route; shall; see where; path; befouled; brought Do you call; or [do you] not put; such dreadful fright Until; fear; mucked; path Thrice; made; defecate haunches; evidence; seen fear; sullied the air is it you; without a; I think It seems; too short; fierce Blessed; bush; stripped; costume Or else, fleeing, ruptured granted that I ran at top speed intent; do ill to your person; (see note) An escaper; chaser prove it whoever wishes Since; only; merciful to me make; pray for your bones wholly good; annoy; once often been put; great fear by the cross; terrified yet made; charming game shat; each time; (see note) truly; we shall not part neck bone roughly he took him Before he ever stopped; apart Moralization The poet Aesop; originator; (see note) Wrote; parable that; fitting beneficial; suitable Wise in exemplary moral instruction Whose analogies are truly similarity; likenesses [And] give precepts; always Here; see; richness; clothing poor; to be arrogant owe loyalty to no one; so fine counterfeit; in every respect; (see note) Above their rank; climb; (see note) submit to; betters; no place Until someone tips; heels Just as; some outdo others If they; free access; encouragement scorn; actions pay no heed; lineage no one knows; regime; last who instructed his son to hall benches are very slippery every class know; whom; should respect; (see note) their betters Even if; as stylish; apparel suits; keep up a dispute climb; until; ladder about (t-note) very; fierce At one time went; a river cliff; pool quench; thirst; clear It so happened that a little; came foe; he knew nothing sipped; cool both; with the same idea thought was; wickedness poor little lamb; meek At; river; another Downstream from; while While; supposing; no harm; (t-note) saw this; raging; to him; (t-note) gnashing; fierce look; (t-note) [He] said; Thou miserable, wretched dare; so bold; defile; brook; (t-note) Where; might; slobbering would be a good deed; to drag and hang; (see note) vile beslime; defile shaking; utter dread knees; by your leave Even if; dare; you lied about that by; soul; know; cannot prove anything that should; annoy know as well Deviates from; contrary Though; am not able; defend me perfect knowledge of the fact heavy; must descend from its place Unless something forcibly Thus can; in no way make an ascent flow backwards; below you Therefore; brook; worse; (see note) Also; lips, since; was; lamb Touched; infectious sucked; teats of my mother sweet; also delightful "Well,” said; strict manner of speech Comes to you by nature; so in dispute; both boast; threat; (see note) annoyed; did warn him if I kept my head should; avenged; child outrageous; perverse lawsuit shall doubtless; actions; dead Sir; wrong; guilt; (see note) innocent son; ruined Have; heard; holy Dictated by own deeds each; bear; weight torment; good deeds; (t-note) why should; blame Whoever; wrong, let; suffer the pain are you arguing a legal case yet again understand, when; (see note) befriend none; descendants; (t-note) from; children; compensation twentieth intended to make a strong poison; (see note) vomit into my drinking water; (t-note) those two [allegations] if you care to There should; for injury Punish his adversary with legal proceedings; hearing; (t-note) Which should have permission to that end [be]; promptly To put forward a countercharge, refute, or respond; (t-note) legitimate; appear lawful judge by; pledge myself; here undergo; impartial inquiry present practice; (t-note) undertake; to make In readiness for; give and receive arguments intrude; (see note); (t-note) oppression; plunder; ownership an element and aspect make mercy By God’s wounds, false traitor; shall die; (t-note) offense; father’s as well at once; grabbed; throat nothing but bleat beheaded; show no mercy; (t-note) Then; did eat; (see note) Until, went swiftly on his way; (t-note) murder; what shall Was this not mercy; great pity make; poor; without guilt; die Moralization poor people; can represent Like renters; laborers For whom earn; dutifulness a living as is proper represents poor; see By; skill; mental subtlety; (t-note) Three; now reign deceitful misinterpreters Who; polished; mix falsehood; (see note); (t-note) Pretending; alleges bribe; he ruins the poor man Smothering; right, making; succeed For such; shall; their reward relinquish; mental dexterity; (t-note) trivial details; tricks divine nature Knows the wrong and right of all thy deeds request, reward; high or low rank wrongful disputes see Remain Another; (see note) possessing more than enough; (t-note) Who are allow a poor man to live in peace; (t-note) Even though; family as well should die lack of food; give no care head; leased property; seize without; what; intention Worse; if you could poor farmer absolutely not Except crop; hovel; scrap; (t-note) fear of God; dare; undertake cowshed so fine and solid evict; from; lease; make; beg third; with inherited property by God’s permission leases; renters a single common pasture annual fee [is] paid; received; (see note) Then harasses; before; over fabricated complaints; eager decamp or else; over mare; must lend; landlord drag; haul; (t-note) servant; cannot be exempted From toiling; sweating; food In what a way does he; remains So that barely; afford after; rent live; cabbage broth no pity; make; sweat weak; belly then has; good; eat household; evening when; home should; afraid; reproof; (t-note) demands make; without food or wage who has wealth; property devour the poor Can; last forever must; believe; firmly expect To engage in oppression; have as As if; poor; slain preserve; who wolf’s bite and human extortioners; (t-note) evildoing made known; as is fitting since you hear all righteous prayers May; determination; strength such wolves; banish from Frog; (t-note) Once upon a; did record came to the edge of a river She could; wade; legs were so could; no utter necessity it was incumbent on her to wait fro; deep crying; many a pitiful squeak poor; did cry the love of God; depth; (see note) nearby Raised; head; did climb That by; dive; easily swim very hoarse voice; in this way; (t-note) Good morning, sir; here Seest thou; said; grain; fine field ripe oats; peas; wheat eagerly want to be there held back by; vast to eat; (see note) nuts that; teeth; break open Were; feast would be much greater boat, here; sailor even if there; money for fare Said; set aside; gloomy mood; (t-note) Follow my advice; shall bridge, boat; even galley; (t-note) safely; afraid; (t-note) without wetting; whiskers; beard; (t-note) am puzzled then; (t-note) float; feather; (t-note) so deep It seems to me; wade; (t-note) therefore, what ability; skill dark water To explain that two feet; webbed; wide oars; continually though; depth; dangerous Both; at my own volition; (t-note) because my open Always ejects; receive indeed I have no fear looked at her crumpled wrinkled; wide lips overhanging; voice as hoarse crooked; rough skin recoiled; to; cried If; know; of physiognomy some amount; deceit; envy scholars say thought proceeds usually Following; combination of bodily instincts exert influence perverse intention; twisted; (see note) conclusion (see line 2830); (see note) No; toad; true beautiful; exposed as deceitful blackberries though; dark of hue gathered; when primroses are passed up fail; sign of the heart Wherefore; motto everywhere should; judge; by Though; repulsive; look at I do not understand why; blamed Were I as; handsome; (see note) originator of; great beauty distinction has caused lady imprint; fix; every For; at peak of perfection silken tongue; appearance; lovable perfidious; fickle deceit; wily stratagems Cease thy preaching by what; make me intend to convey; that distant know; she [the frog] someone; need consider many methods a doubly twisted thread tight knots shall teach you; afraid As well try out that game; very bound; fastened where; free On the expectation; curse could lose If; thus, who; pay the damage Unless; swear; murder oath; (see note) Without; guile; river Without; I will do it She [the frog] gazed upward; did cry god and king of nature; (see note); (t-note) sincerely was made; without perceiving deceitful mind; toadlike frog; (t-note) Took; tied; directed her foot; leapt; water were very thought of; except; float; (t-note) midst; had gone pushed downwards intended Realizing; did cry to her perjured oath just now Without; ferried was only “do or die” bobbed; forced herself; swim; (t-note) struggled onto; toad’s; climb fear; made her strength grow might and main upward; pushes down Now; submerged; (see note) thus immersed; torment; (t-note) Kept fighting; breath she called; priest [for the last rites] [While they were] fighting thus; kite; twig; (see note) miserable; paid close attention swoop before either; realized; (t-note) clutched; talons between Then; them speedily Keen for; catch; whistling; (see note) untied; both; without pity disembowelled; butcher; beak; (see note) skin over head; neatly; flayed; (see note); (t-note) would hardly be half enough With the guts added, for that greedy kite when I heard settled thus took; flight If; ask those who saw Moralization if; pay attention; (see note) perceive; see far exceeds; plague; (see note) An evil intent; fine and clever whom; you associate yourself carry a [hand-]barrow-load of stone; (t-note) sweating; delve; can endure; (t-note) joined up; wicked companion malicious purpose; appearance Has caused; die folly; give credence too soon everyone who speaks silken tongue; heart Strikes; any shot; (see note) if thou; advise you to avoid join yourself; bad, dishonest also; great carelessness thyself tight; free and clear Once; bound save; yet advice; take from; (t-note) learn by heart; delay without; live alone; peace joined; companion held; much; (see note) By which these; emblematic habituated to live in the water swimming early and late entangled with troubles high; low, sometimes; (see note) Always; liable to sorrowful; joyous; brier at liberty; confined; (t-note) safe; carried on a bier poor; rolling fine clothes; rags put; chest (t-note) up on the wheel [of Fortune]; thrown; (t-note) here tied; by; shin; (see note) soul; may well signify Bound; from; cannot part; (t-note) Until; come to break; thread which; should; stay; fear by; seduction Which always attracts; drags ceaselessly surging wave which; always drifting; (t-note) Remaining divided; intention; (t-note) pushes; (t-note) very eagerly; carried; indeed; (t-note) joys of heaven; (t-note) kite; death; comes does a thief; at once cuts short always insubstantial; invariably strong; (see note) good deeds; assail you; (t-note) knowest; when; evening, morning Adieu; if; anyone asks About; that I end so briefly; (see note) remainder for the friars exemplary tale; parable; (see note); (t-note) who died for us on the cross since; savior to proceed; blessed