Robert Henryson's The morall fabillis of Esope the Phrygian

The taill of the wolf, and the lamb

Ane cruell volff, richt rauenous, and fell, Line 2609 Vpon ane tyme past to ane reueir. Line 2610 Descending from ane rotche, vnto ane well. Line 2611 To slaik his thrist, drank of the watter cleir. Line 2612 Swa vpon cace, ane selie lamb come neir. Line 2613 Bot of his fa, the volff, na thing he wist. Line 2614 And in the streme laipit to cule his thrist. Line 2615

Thus drank thay baith, bot not of ane intent. Line 2616 The volfis thocht wes all on wickitnes. Line 2617 The selie lamb, wes meik, and innocent, Line 2618 Vpon the reuer, in ane vther place, Line 2619 Beneth the volff, he drank ane lytill space, Line 2620 Quhill him thocht gude, presomyng thair nane ill, Line 2621 The volff this saw, and rampand come him till. Line 2622

With girnand teith, and angrie austre luke, Line 2623 Said to the lamb, thow catiue wretchit thing. Line 2624 How durst thow be sa bald, to fyle this bruke, Line 2625 Quhar i suld drink, with thy foull slauering? Line 2626 It wer almous the for to draw and hing, Line 2627 That suld presume, with thy foull lippis wyle, Line 2628 To glar my drink, and this fair watter fyle. Line 2629

The selie lamb quaikand for verray dreid, Line 2630 On kneis fell, and said, schir, with zour leif. Line 2631 Suppois i dar not say, thairoff ze leid: Line 2632 Bot be my saull, i wait ze can nocht preif, Line 2633 That i did ony thing, that suld zow greif. Line 2634 Ze wait alswa that zour accusatioun, Line 2635 Failzeis fra treuth, and contrair is to ressoun. Line 2636

Thocht i can nocht, nature will me defend, Line 2637 And off the deid perfyte experience. Line 2638 All heuie thing, man off the selff discend. Line 2639 Bot giff sum thing on force mak resistence. Line 2640 Than may the streme on na way mak ascence, Line 2641 Nor ryn bakwart: i drank beneth zow far. Line 2642 Ergo, for me, zour bruke wes neuer the war. Line 2643

Alswa, my lippis sen that i wes ane lam, Line 2644 Tuitchit na thing that wes contagious, Line 2645 Bot sowkit milk, from pappis off my dam, Line 2646 Richt naturall, sweit, and als delitious. Line 2647 Weill quod the volff thy language rigorus, Line 2648 Cummis the off kynd: swa thy father before. Line 2649 Held me at bait, baith with boist, and schore. Line 2650

He wraithit me, and than i culd him warne, Line 2651 Within ane zeir, and i brukit my heid. Line 2652 I suld be wrokkin on him, or on his barne, Line 2653 For his exorbetant and frawart pleid. Line 2654 Thow sall doutles for his deidis be deid. Line 2655 Schir, it is wrang, that for the fatheris gilt, Line 2656 The saikles sone suld punist be or spilt. Line 2657

Haiff ze not hard, quhat halie scripture sayis, Line 2658 Endytit with the mouth off god almycht? Line 2659 Off his awin deidis ilk man sall beir the pais, Line 2660 As pyne for sin, reward for werkis rycht. Line 2661 For my trespas, quhy suld my sone haue plycht? Line 2662 Quha did the mis, lat him sustene the pane. Line 2663 Zaa quod the volff zit pleyis thow agane. Line 2664

I let the wit, quhen that the father offendis, Line 2665 I will cheris nane off his successioun Line 2666 And off his barnis, i may weill tak amendis, Line 2667 Vnto the twentie degre descending doun. Line 2668 Thy father thocht to mak ane strang poysoun, Line 2669 And with his mouth in to my watter spew. Line 2670 Schir quod the lamb thay twa ar nouther trew. Line 2671

The law sayis, and ze will vnderstand: Line 2672 Thair suld na man for wrang, nor violence Line 2673 His aduersar punis at his awin hand, Line 2674 With-out proces off law, and audience. Line 2675 Quhilk suld haue leif to mak lawfull defence, Line 2676 And thairupon summond peremtourly, Line 2677 For to propone, contrairie, or reply. Line 2678

Set me ane lauchfull court, i sall compeir, Line 2679 Befoir the lyoun, lord, and leill iustice. Line 2680 And be my hand i oblis me rycht heir. Line 2681 That i sall byde ane vnsuspect assyis. Line 2682 This is the law: this is the instant wyis: Line 2683 Ze suld pretend thairfoir ane summondis mak, Line 2684 Aganis that day, to gif ressoun, and tak. Line 2685

Ha quod the volff thou wald intruse ressoun, Line 2686 Quhair wrang, and reif suld duell in propertie. Line 2687 That is ane poynt, and part of fals tressoun, Line 2688 For to gar reuth remane with crueltie. Line 2689 Be goddis woundis, fals tratour, thow sall de, Line 2690 For thy trespas, and for thy fatheris als. Line 2691 With that anone he hint him be the hals. Line 2692

The selie lamb culd do na thing bot bleit. Line 2693 Sone wes he hedit: the volff wald do na grace. Line 2694 Syne drank his blude, and off his flesche can eit, Line 2695 Quhill he wes full, syne went his way on pace. Line 2696 Off his murther quhat sall we say allace? Line 2697 Wes not this reuth, wes not this grit pietie? Line 2698 To gar this selie lamb but gilt thus de. Line 2699

Moralitas

The pure pepill, this lamb may signifie, Line 2700 As maill men, merchandis, and all lauboureris. Line 2701 Of quhome the lyfe is half ane purgatorie, Line 2702 To wyn with lautie leuing as efferis. Line 2703 The wolf betakinnis fals extortioneris, Line 2704 And oppressouris of pure men, as we se, Line 2705 Be violence, or craft in suteltie. Line 2706

Thre kynd of wolfis, in this warld now rings. Line 2707 The first, ar fals peruerteris of the lawis. Line 2708 Quhilk vnder poleit termis, falset mingis, Line 2709 Lettand that all wer gospell, that he schawis. Line 2710 Bot for ane bud the pure man he ouerthrawis, Line 2711 Smoirand the richt, garrand the wrang proceid. Line 2712 Of sic wolfis hellis fyre sall be thair meid. Line 2713

O man of law, let be thy subteltie, Line 2714 With nice gimpis, and fraudis intricait: Line 2715 And think that god in his diuinitie, Line 2716 The wrang, the richt, of all thy werkis wait. Line 2717 For prayer, price, for hie, nor law estait, Line 2718 Of fals querrellis se thow mak na defence. Line 2719 Hald with the richt, hurt not thy conscience. Line 2720

Ane vther kynd of wolfis rauenous, Line 2721 Ar mychtie men, haifand aneuch plentie. Line 2722 Quhilkis ar sa gredie, and sa couetous, Line 2723 Thay will not thoill in pece ane pureman to be. Line 2724 Suppois he, and his houshald baith suld de, Line 2725 For falt of fude, thairof thay gif na rak, Line 2726 Bot ouer his heid his mailling will thay tak. Line 2727

O man but mercie, quhat is in thy thocht Line 2728 War than ane wolf, and thow culd vnderstand, Line 2729 Thow hes aneuch, the pure husband richt nocht, Line 2730 Bot croip, and crufe, vpon ane clout of land. Line 2731 For goddis aw, how durst thow tak on hand. Line 2732 And thow in barn, and byre sa bene, and big. Line 2733 To put him fra his tak, and gar him thig? Line 2734

The thrid wolf, ar men of heritage: Line 2735 As lordis, that hes land be goddis lane. Line 2736 And settis to the mailleris ane village: Line 2737 And for ane tyme gressome payit and tane. Line 2738 Syne vexis him, or half his terme be gane, Line 2739 With pykit querrellis, for to mak him fane Line 2740 To flit, or pay his gressome new agane. Line 2741

His hors, his meir, he man len to the laird, Line 2742 To drug, and draw, in cairt, and cariage. Line 2743 His seruand, or his self may not be spaird, Line 2744 To swing, and sweit, withoutin meit, or wage. Line 2745 Thus how he standis in labour, and bondage, Line 2746 That scantlie may he purches by his maill, Line 2747 To leue vpon dry breid, and watter caill. Line 2748

Hes thow not reuth, to gar thy tennentis sweit, Line 2749 In to thy laubour, with faynt, and hungrie wame? Line 2750 And syne hes lytill gude to drink, or eit, Line 2751 With his menze, at euin quhen he cummis hame. Line 2752 Thow suld be rad, for richteous goddis blame. Line 2753 For it cryis ane vengeance vnto the heuinnis hie, Line 2754 To gar ane pure man wirk, but meit or fe. Line 2755

O thow grit lord, that riches hes and rent: Line 2756 Be nocht ane wolf, thus to deuoir the pure. Line 2757 Think that na thing cruell, nor violent, Line 2758 May in this warld perpetuallie indure. Line 2759 This sall thow trow, and sikkerlie assure, Line 2760 For till oppres, thow sall haif als grit pane, Line 2761 As thow the pure with thy awin hand had slane. Line 2762

God keip the lamb, quhilk is the innocent, Line 2763 From wolfis byit, and men extortioneris. Line 2764 God grant, that wrangous men of fals intent, Line 2765 Be manifest, and punischit as effeiris. Line 2766 And god, as thow all rychteous prayer heiris, Line 2767 Mot saif our king, and gif him hart and hand, Line 2768 All sic wolfis to banes of the land. Line 2769