Robert Henryson's The morall fabillis of Esope the Phrygian

The taill of the paddok, and the mous

Vpon ane tyme as esope culd report Line 2770 Ane lytill mous come till ane reuer syde. Line 2771 Scho micht not waid, hir schankis wer sa schort Line 2772 Scho culd not swym, scho had na hors to ryde, Line 2773 Off verray force behouit hir to byde. Line 2774 And to, and fra, besyde that reuir deip, Line 2775 Scho ran, cryand, with mony pietuous peip. Line 2776

Help ouer, help ouer, this silie mous can cry, Line 2777 For goddis lufe, sum bodie ouer the brym. Line 2778 With that ane paddok in the watter by, Line 2779 Put vp hir heid, and on the bank can clym. Line 2780 Quhilk be nature culd douk, and gaylie swym. Line 2781 With voce full rauk, scho said on this maneir. Line 2782 Gude morne schir mous quhat is zour erand heir? Line 2783

Seis thow quod scho off corne zone iolie flat Line 2784 Off ryip aitis, off barlie, peis, and quheit. Line 2785 I am hungrie, and fane wald be thair at. Line 2786 Bot i am stoppit be this watter greit, Line 2787 And on this syde, i get na thing till eit, Line 2788 Bot hard nuttis, quhilkis with my teith i bore. Line 2789 Wer i bezond, my feist wer fer the more. Line 2790

I haue no boit, heir is no maryner: Line 2791 And thocht thair war, i haue no fraucht to pay. Line 2792 Quod scho sister lat be zour heuie cheir: Line 2793 Do my counsall, and i sall find the way, Line 2794 Withoutin hors, brig, boit, or zit galay. Line 2795 To bring zow ouer saiflie, be not afeird: Line 2796 And not wetand, the campis off zour beird. Line 2797

I haif mervell than quod the lytill mous, Line 2798 How can thow fleit without fedder or fin: Line 2799 This reuer is sa deip, and dangerous, Line 2800 Me think, that thow suld droun to wed thairin. Line 2801 Tell me thairfoir, quhat facultie or gin, Line 2802 Thow hes to bring me ouer this watter wan? Line 2803 That to declair the paddok thus began. Line 2804

With my twa feit quod scho lukkin and braid, Line 2805 In steid off airis, i row the streme full styll, Line 2806 And thocht the brym be perrillous to waid. Line 2807 Baith to, and fra, i swyme at my awin will, Line 2808 I may not droun, for quhy my oppin gill Line 2809 Deuoidis ay the watter i resaiff. Line 2810 Thairfoir to droun forsuith na dreid i haif. Line 2811

The mous beheld vnto hir fronsit face, Line 2812 Hir runkillit cheikis, and hir lippis syde: Line 2813 Hir hingand browis, and hir voce sa hace: Line 2814 Hir loggerand leggis, and hir harsky hyde. Line 2815 Scho ran abak, and on the paddok cryde. Line 2816 Giff i can ony skill off phisnomy, Line 2817 Thow hes sumpart off falset, and inuy. Line 2818

For clerkis sayis, the inclinatioun, Line 2819 Off mannis thocht, proceidis commounly, Line 2820 Efter the corporall complexioun, Line 2821 To gude, or euill, as nature will apply. Line 2822 Ane thrawart will ane thrawin phisnomy. Line 2823 The auld prouerb is witnes off this lorum: Line 2824 Distortum vultum sequitur distortio morum Line 2825

Na quod the taid that prouerb is not trew: Line 2826 For fair thingis oftymis ar fundin faikin. Line 2827 The blaberyis thocht thay be sad off hew, Line 2828 Ar gadderit vp, quhen primeros is forsakin. Line 2829 The face may faill, to be the hartis takin. Line 2830 Thairfoir i find this scripture in all place. Line 2831 Thow suld not iuge ane man efter his face. Line 2832

Thocht i vnhailsum be to luke vpon, Line 2833 I haue na wyt quhy suld i lakkit be. Line 2834 Wer i als fair, as iolie absolon, Line 2835 I am no causer off that grit beutie, Line 2836 This difference in forme, and qualitie, Line 2837 Almychtie god hes causit dame nature: Line 2838 To prent, and set in euerilk creature. Line 2839

Off sum the face may be full flurischand, Line 2840 Off silkin toung, and cheir rycht amorous, Line 2841 With mynd inconstant, fals, and wariand, Line 2842 Full off desait, and menis cautelous. Line 2843 Let be thy preiching quod the hungrie mous Line 2844 And be quhat craft thow gar me vnderstand, Line 2845 That thow wald gyde me to zone zonder land Line 2846

Thow wait quod scho ane bodie that hes neid, Line 2847 To help thame self, suld mony wayis cast. Line 2848 Thairfoir ga tak ane doubill twynit threid, Line 2849 And bind thy leg to myne with knottis fast. Line 2850 I sall the leir to swym, be not agast, Line 2851 Als weill as i, as thow than quod the mous Line 2852 To preif that play, it wer our perrillous. Line 2853

Suld i be bund, and fast, quhar i am fre, Line 2854 In hoip off help, na than i schrew vs baith. Line 2855 For i mycht lois baith lyfe and libertie. Line 2856 Giff it wer swa, quha suld amend the skaith? Line 2857 Bot gif thow sweir to me the murthour aith, Line 2858 But fraud, or gyle, to bring me ouer this flude, Line 2859 But hurt, or harme. in faith quod scho i dude. Line 2860

Scho goikit vp, and to the heuin can cry: Line 2861 How iuppiter, off nature god and king. Line 2862 I mak ane aith trewlie to the, that i. Line 2863 This lytill mous sall ouer this watter bring. Line 2864 This aith wes maid, the mous but persauing Line 2865 The fals ingyne of this foull crappald pad, Line 2866 Tuke threid, and band hir leg, as scho hir bad. Line 2867

Than fute, for fute, thay lap baith in the brym. Line 2868 Bot in thair myndis thay wer rycht different. Line 2869 The mous thocht na thing, bot to fleit and swym: Line 2870 The paddok for to droun set hir intent. Line 2871 Quhen thay in midwart off the streme wer went, Line 2872 With all hir force the paddok preissit doun. Line 2873

And thocht, the mous without mercie to droun. Line 2874 Persauand this, the mous on hir can cry, Line 2875 Tratour to god, and manesworne vnto me. Line 2876 Thow swore the murthour aith richt now, that i Line 2877 But hurt, or harme, suld ferryit be and fre. Line 2878 And quhen scho saw thair wes bot do, or de Line 2879 Scho bowtit vp and forsit hir to swym: Line 2880 And preissit vpon the taiddis bak to clym. Line 2881

The dreid of deith hir strenthis gart incres, Line 2882 And forcit hir defend, with mycht, and mane. Line 2883 The mous vpwart: the paddok doun can pres. Line 2884 Quhyle to, quhyle fra, quhyle doukit vp agane. Line 2885 This selie mous this plungit in grit pane, Line 2886 Gan fecht als lang as breith wes in hir breist. Line 2887 Till at the last, scho cryit for ane preist. Line 2888

Fechtand thusgait the gled sat on ane twist, Line 2889 And to this wretchit battell tuke gude heid. Line 2890 And with ane wisk, or owthir off thame wist, Line 2891 He claucht his cluke betuix thame in the threid, Line 2892 Syne to the land he flew with thame gude speid, Line 2893 Fane off that fang, pyipand with mony pew: Line 2894 Syne lowsit thame, and baith but pietie slew. Line 2895

Syne bowellit thame, that boucheour with his bill Line 2896 And bellieflaucht full fettislie thame fled. Line 2897 Bot all thair esche wald scant be half ane fill, Line 2898 And guttis als vnto that gredie gled. Line 2899 Off thair debait, thus quhen i hard outred, Line 2900 He tuke his flicht, and ouer the feildis flaw. Line 2901 Giff this be trew, speir ze at thame that saw. Line 2902

Moralitas

My brother, gif thow will tak aduertence, Line 2903 Be this fabill thow may persaue and se. Line 2904 It passis far all kynd of pestilence, Line 2905 Ane wickit mynd. with wordis fair and sle. Line 2906 Be war thairfore, with quhome thow fallowis the. Line 2907 For thow wer better beir of stane the barrow, Line 2908 Or sueitand dig and delf quhill thow may dre, Line 2909 Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow. Line 2910

Ane fals intent vnder ane fair pretence, Line 2911 Hes causit mony innocent for to de. Line 2912 Grit folie is to gif ouer sone credence, Line 2913 To all that speiks fairlie vnto the. Line 2914 Ane silkin toung, ane hart of crueltie, Line 2915 Smytis more sore, than ony schot of arrow. Line 2916 Brother, gif thow be wyse, i reid the fle, Line 2917 To matche the with ane thrawart fenzeit marrow. Line 2918

I warne the als, it is grit nekligence, Line 2919 To bind the fast, quhair thow wes frank and fre. Line 2920 Fra thow be bund, thow may mak na defence, Line 2921 To saif thy lyfe, nor zit thy libertie. Line 2922 This simpill counsall, brother, tak at me, Line 2923 And it to cun perqueir, se thow not tarrow. Line 2924 Better but stryfe to leif allane in le, Line 2925 Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow. Line 2926

This hald in mynd, rycht more i sall the tell, Line 2927 Quhair by thir beistis may be figurate. Line 2928 The paddok vsand in the flude to duell, Line 2929 Is mannis bodie, swymand air and late, Line 2930 In to this warld with cairis implicate. Line 2931 Now hie, now law, quhylis plungit vp, quhylis doun. Line 2932 Ay in perrell, and reddie for to droun. Line 2933

Now dolorus, now blyth, as bird on breir: Line 2934 Now in fredome, now wardit in distres. Line 2935 Now haill and sound, now deid and brocht on beir: Line 2936 Now pure as iob, now rowand in riches: Line 2937 Now gounis gay, now brats laid in pres. Line 2938 Now full as fische, now hungrie as ane hound. Line 2939 Now on the quheill, now wappit to the ground. Line 2940

This lytill mous, heir knit thus be the schyn. Line 2941 The saull of man betakin may in deid. Line 2942 Bundin, and fra the bodie may not twyn, Line 2943 Quhill cruell deith cum brek of lyfe the threid. Line 2944 The quhilk to droun suld euer stand in dreid, Line 2945 Of carnall lust be the suggestioun: Line 2946 Quhilk drawis ay the saull, and druggis doun. Line 2947

The watter is the warld, ay welterand, Line 2948 With mony wall of tribulatioun: Line 2949 In quhilk the saull, and bodye wer steirrand, Line 2950 Standand distinyt in thair opinioun. Line 2951 The spreit vpwart, the body precis doun: Line 2952 The saull rycht fane wald be brocht ouer i wis, Line 2953 Out of this warld, into the heuinnis blis. Line 2954

The gled is deith, that cummis suddandlie, Line 2955 As dois ane theif, and cuttis sone the battall. Line 2956 Be vigilant thairfoir, and ay reddie, Line 2957 For mannis lyfe is brukill, and ay mortall. Line 2958 My freind thairfoir, mak the ane strang castell, Line 2959 Of gud deidis: for deith will the assay: Line 2960 Thow wait not quhen, euin, morrow, or midday. Line 2961

Adew my freind: and gif that ony speiris, Line 2962 Of this fabill, sa schortlie i conclude. Line 2963 Say thow, i left the laif vnto the freiris, Line 2964 To mak a sample or similitude. Line 2965 Now christ for vs that deit on the rude, Line 2966 Of saull, and lyfe, as thow art saluiour: Line 2967 Grant vs till pas, in till ane blissit hour. Line 2968