Robert Henryson's The morall fabillis of Esope the Phrygian

The taill of schir chantecleir and the foxe

Thocht brutall beistis be irrationall, Line 397 That is to say wantand discretioun. Line 398 Zyt ilk ane in thair kyndis naturall. Line 399 Hes mony diuers inclinatioun. Line 400 The bair busteous, the volff, the wylde lyoun: Line 401 The fox fenzeit craftie and cawtelows: Line 402 The dog to bark on nicht and keip the hows. Line 403

Sa different thay ar in properteis, Line 404 Vnknawin unto man, and infinite, Line 405 In kynd hauand sa fell diuersiteis. Line 406 My cunning i excedis for to dyte. Line 407 For thy as now i purpose for to wryte. Line 408 Ane cais i fand quhilk fell this ather zeir, Line 409 Betwix ane foxe, and gentill chantecleir, Line 410

Ane vedow dwelt, in till ane drop thay dayis, Line 411 Quhilk wan hir fude off spinning on hir rok. Line 412 And na mair had forsuth as the fabill sayis, Line 413 Except off hennis scho had ane lyttill flok, Line 414 And thame to keip scho had ane iolie cok: Line 415 Richt curageous, that to this wedow ay Line 416 Deuydit nicht and crew befoir the day. Line 417

Ane lyttill fra this foirsaid vedowis hows, Line 418 Ane thornie schaw thair wes off grit defence. Line 419 Quhairin ane foxe craftie, and cautelous, Line 420 Maid his repair, and daylie residence. Line 421 Quhilk to this wedow did grit violence, Line 422 In pyking off pultrie baith day and nicht, Line 423 And na way be reuengit on him scho micht. Line 424

This wylie tod quhen that the lark couth sing, Line 425 Full sair hungrie vnto the toun him drest, Line 426 Quhair chantecleir in to the gray dawing, Line 427 Werie for nicht wes flowen fra his nest. Line 428 Lowrence this saw, and in his mynd he kest, Line 429 The ieperdies, the wayis, and the wyle, Line 430 Be quhat menis he micht this cok begyle. Line 431

Dissimuland in to countenance and cheir, Line 432 On kneis fell, and simuland thus he said. Line 433 Gude morne my maister gentill chantecleir. Line 434 With that the cok start bakwart in ane braid. Line 435 Schir be my saull, ze neid not be effraid, Line 436 Nor zit for me to start nor fle abak, Line 437 I come bot heir seruice to zow to mak. Line 438

Wald i not serve to zow it wer bot blame, Line 439 As i haue done to zowr progenitouris. Line 440 Zour father oft fulfillit hes my wame. Line 441 And send me meit fra midding to the muris. Line 442 And at his end i did my besie curis, Line 443 To hald his heid, and gif him drinkis warme. Line 444 Syne at the last the sweit swelt in my arme. Line 445

Knew ze my father quod the cok and leuch, Line 446 Zea, my fair sone, forsuth i held his heid, Line 447 Quhen that he deit vnder ane birkin beuch. Line 448 Syne said the dirigie quhen that he wes deid, Line 449 Betuix vs twa how suld thair be ane feid? Line 450 Quhame suld ze traist bot me zour seruitour, Line 451 That to zour father did sa grit honour. Line 452

Q hen i behald zour fedderis fair and gent, Line 453 Zour beik, zour breist, zour hekill, and zour kame. Line 454 Schir be my saull, and the blissit sacrament, Line 455 My hart warmys me think i am at hame, Line 456 Zow for to serve i wald creip on my wame, Line 457 In froist and snaw, in wedder wan and weit, Line 458 And lay my lyart loikkis vnder zour feit. Line 459

This fenzeit fox fals and dissimulate, Line 460 Maid to this cok ane cauillatioun. Line 461 Ze ar me think changit and degenerate, Line 462 Fra zour father off his conditioun Line 463 Off craftie crawing he micht beir the croun, Line 464 For he wald on his tais stand and craw. Line 465 This is na le, i stude beside and saw. Line 466

With that the cok vpon his tais hie, Line 467 Kest vp his beik, and sang with all his micht. Line 468 Quod schir lowrence weill said sa mot i the. Line 469 Ze ar zour fatheris sone and air vpricht. Line 470 Bot off his cunning zit ze want ane slicht. Line 471 Quhat quod the cok he wald and haif na dout, Line 472 Baith wink, and craw, and turne him thryis about. Line 473

The cok inflate with wind and fals vane gloir, Line 474 That mony puttis vnto confusioun. Line 475 Traisting to win ane grit worschip thairfoir, Line 476 Vnwarlie winkand walkit vp and doun, Line 477 And syne to chant and craw he maid him boun. Line 478 And suddandlie be he had crawin ane note, Line 479 The foxe wes war and hint him be the throte. Line 480

Syne to the woid but tarie with him hyit, Line 481 Off countermaund haifand bot lytill dout. Line 482 With that pertok, sprutok, and coppok cryit. Line 483 The wedow hard, and with ane cry come out. Line 484 Seand the cace scho sichit and gaif ane schout. Line 485 How murther reylok with ane hiddeous beir, Line 486 Allace now lost is gentill chantecleir. Line 487

As scho wer woid, with mony zell and cry, Line 488 Ryuand hir hair vpon hir breist can beit, Line 489 Syne, paill off hew, half in ane extasy Line 490 Fell doun for cair in swoning, and in sweit. Line 491 With that the selie hennis left thair meit. Line 492 And quhill this wyfe wes lyand thus in swoun, Line 493 Fell in that cace in disputatioun Line 494

Allace quod pertok makand sair murning, Line 495 With teiris grit attour hir cheikis fell. Line 496 Zone wes our drowrie, and our dayis darling, Line 497 Our nichtingall, and als our orlege bell. Line 498 Our walkryfe watche vs for to warne and tell Line 499 Quhen that aurora with hir curcheis gray, Line 500 Put vp hir heid betuix the nicht and day. Line 501

Quha sall our lemman be? quha sall vs leid? Line 502 Quhen we ar sad quha sall vnto vs sing? Line 503 With his sweit bill he wald brek vs the breid, Line 504 In all this warld wes thair ane kynder thing. Line 505 In paramouris he wald do vs plesing, Line 506 At his power as nature list him geif. Line 507 Now efter him allace how sall we leif? Line 508

Quod sprutok than, ceis sister off zour sorrow Line 509 Ze be to mad for him sic murning mais. Line 510 We sall fair weill, i find sanct iohne to borrow, Line 511 The prouerb sayis, als gude lufe cummis as gais. Line 512 I will put on my haly dayis clais, Line 513 And mak me fresch agane this iolie may, Line 514 Syne chant this sang wes neuer wedow sa gay. Line 515

He wes angry and held vs ay in aw, Line 516 And woundit with the speir off ielowsy. Line 517 Off chalmerglew pertok, full weill ze knaw, Line 518 Waistit he wes, off nature cauld and dry. Line 519 Sen he is gone thairfoir sister say i, Line 520 Be blyith in baill, for that is best remeid. Line 521 Let quik to quik, and deid ga to the deid. Line 522

Than pertok spak, that feinzeit faith befoir, Line 523 In lust but lufe that set all hir delyte. Line 524 Sister ze wait off sic as him ane scoir, Line 525 Wald not suffice to slaik our appetyte, Line 526 I hecht zow be my hand sen ze ar quyte, Line 527 Within ane oulk for schame, and i durst speik, Line 528 To get ane berne suld better claw oure breik. Line 529

Than coppok lyke ane curate spak full crous, Line 530 Zone wes ane verray vengeance from the heuin. Line 531 He wes sa lous, and sa lecherous. Line 532 Seis coud he nocht with kittokis ma than seuin. Line 533 Bot rychteous god haldand the balandis euin, Line 534 Smytis rycht sair thocht he be patient, Line 535 Adulteraris, that list thame not repent. Line 536

Prydefull he wes, and ioyit off his sin, Line 537 And comptit not for goddis fauour nor feid. Line 538 Bot traistit ay to rax, and sa to rin, Line 539 Quhill at the last his sinnis can him leid, Line 540 Tto schamefull end, and to zone suddand deid. Line 541 Thairfoir it is the verray hand off god, Line 542 That causit him be werryit with the tod. Line 543

Quhen this wes said, this wedow fra hir swoun, Line 544 Start vp on fute, and on hir kennettis cryde. Line 545 How birkye berrie, bell bawsie, broun, Line 546 Rype schaw, rin weil, curtes, nuttieclyde, Line 547 Togidder all but grunching furth ze glyde, Line 548 Reskew my nobill cok or he be slane, Line 549 Or ellis to me se ze cum neuer agane Line 550

With that but baid thay braidet ouer the bent, Line 551 As fyre off flint thay ouer the feildis flaw, Line 552 Full wichtlie thay throw wood and wateris went, Line 553 And ceissit not schir lourence quhill thay saw. Line 554 Bot quhen he saw the raches cum on raw, Line 555 Vnto the cok in mynd he said god sen, Line 556 That i and thow wer fairlie in my den. Line 557

Then spak the cok with sum gude spirit inspyrit, Line 558 Do my counsall and i sall warrand the. Line 559 Hungrie thow art, and for grit trauell tyrit, Line 560 Richt faint off force, and may not ferther fle. Line 561 Swyith turne agane, and say, that i and ze, Line 562 Freindis ar maid, and fellowis for ane zeir. Line 563 Than will thay stint, i stand for it and not steir. Line 564

This tod thocht he wes fals and friuolus, Line 565 And had frawdis his querrell to defend. Line 566 Desauit wes be menis richt meruelous. Line 567 For falset failzeis ay at the latter end. Line 568 He start about, and cryit as he wes kend. Line 569 With that the cok he braid vnto a bewch. Line 570 Now iuge ze all quhairat schir lowrence lewch. Line 571

Begylit thus the tod vnder the tre, Line 572 On kneis fell, and said gude chantecleir. Line 573 Cum doun agane, and i but meit or fe, Line 574 Salbe zour man and seruand for ane zeir. Line 575 Na murther theif, and reuar, stand on reir. Line 576 My bludy hekill, and my nek sa bla, Line 577 Hes partit lowe for euer betwene vs twa. Line 578

I wes vnwyse that winkit at thy will, Line 579 Quhairthrow almaist i loissit had my heid. Line 580 I wes mair fule quod he coud nocht be still, Line 581 Bot spake to put my pray in to pleid. Line 582 Fair on fals theif, god keip me fra thy feid. Line 583 With that the cok ouer the feildis tuke his flicht, Line 584 And in at the wedowis lewer couth he licht. Line 585

Moralitas

Now worthie folk suppose this be ane fabill. Line 586 And ouerheillit wyth typis figurall. Line 587 Zit may ze find ane sentence richt agreabill, Line 588 Vnder thir fenzeit termis textuall. Line 589 To our purpose this cok weill may we call, Line 590 Nyse proud men, woid, and vaneglorious, Line 591 Of kin and blude quhilk is presumpteous. Line 592

Fy puft vp pryde. thow is full poysonabill. Quha fauoris the on force man haif ane fall. Thy strenth is nocht, thy stule standis vnstabill, Tak witnes of the feyndis infernall, Quhilk houndit doun wes fra that heuinlie hall. To hellis hole, and to that hiddeous hous. Because in pryde thay wer presumpteous.

This fenzeit foxe may weill be figurate, Line 593 To flatteraris with plesand wordis quhyte. Line 594 With fals mening and mynd maist toxicate. Line 595 To loif and le, that settis thair haill delyte. Line 596 All worthie folk at sic suld haif despyte. Line 597 For quhair is thair mair perrellous pestilence, Line 598 Nor gif to learis haistelie credence. Line 599

The wickit mynd and adullatioun, Line 600 Of sucker sweit haifand similitude, Line 601 Bitter as gall, and full of fell poysoun, Line 602 To taist it is quha cleirlie vnderstude. Line 603 For thy as now schortlie to conclude, Line 604 Thir twa sinnis, flatterie, and vaneglore, Line 605 Ar vennomous gude ffoolk fle thame thairfoir. Line 606