Robert Henryson's The morall fabillis of Esope the Phrygian

The taill how this foirsaid tod maid his confessioun to freir volf Vaitskaith

Leif we this vedow glaid i zow assure, Line 607 Off chantecleir, mair blyith than i can tell. Line 608 And speik we off the fatal auenture. Line 609 And destenie that to this foxe befell, Line 610 Quhilk durst na mair with miching intermell, Line 611 Als lang as leme or licht wes off the day, Line 612 Bot bydand nicht full styll lurkand he lay. Line 613 Quhill that thetes the goddes off the flude, Line 614

Phebus had callit to the harbery. Line 615

And hesperous put of his cluddie hude, Line 616 Schawand his lustie visage in the sky. Line 617 Than lourence luikit vp, quhair he couth ly, Line 618 And kest his hand vpon his ee on hicht, Line 619 Merie and glade that cummit wes the nicht. Line 620

Out off the wod vnto ane hill he went, Line 621 Quhair he micht se the tuinkling sternis cleir. Line 622 And all the planetis off the firmament, Line 623 Thair cours, and eik thair mouing in thair spheir. Line 624 Sum retrograde, and sum stationeir. Line 625 And off the zodiak in quhat degre, Line 626 Thay wer ilk ane, as lowrence leirnit me. Line 627

Than saturne auld wes enterit in capricorne, Line 628 And iuppiter mouit in sagittarie. Line 629 And mars vp in the rammis heid wes borne. Line 630 And phebus in the lyoun furth can carie. Line 631 Venus the crab, the mone wes in aquarie, Line 632 Mercurius the god off eloquence, Line 633 Into the virgyn maid his residence. Line 634

But astrolab, quadrant, or almanak, Line 635 Teichit off nature be instructioun, Line 636 The mouing off the heuin this tod can tak, Line 637 Quhat influence and constellatioun, Line 638 Wes lyke to fall vpon the eirth adoun. Line 639 And to him self he said withoutin mair, Line 640 Weill worth the father, that send me to the lair. Line 641

My destenie, and eik my weird i watt, Line 642 My auenture is cleirlie to me kend. Line 643 With mischeif myngit is my mortall fait, Line 644 My misleuing the soner bot i mend. Line 645 Deid is reward off sin and schamefull end. Line 646 Thairfoir i will ga seik sum confessour, Line 647 And schryiff me clene off all sinnis to this hour. Line 648

Allace quod he richt waryit ar we theuis. Line 649 Our lyif is set ilk nicht in auenture. Line 650 Our cursit craft full mony man mischeuis, Line 651 For euer we steill, and euer alyk ar pure. Line 652 In dreid and schame our dayis we indure. Line 653 Syne widdinek, and crakraip callit als, Line 654 And till our hyre ar hangit be the hals. Line 655

Accusand thus his cankerit conscience, Line 656 In to ane craig he kest about his ee. Line 657 So saw he cummand ane lyttill than frome thence, Line 658 Ane worthie doctour of diuinitie, Line 659 Freir volff waitskaith, in science wonder sle. Line 660 To preiche and pray wes new cum fra the closter Line 661 With beidis in hand sayand his pater noster. Line 662

Seand this volff this wylie tratour too, Line 663 On kneis fell, with hude in to his nek. Line 664 Welcome my gostlie father vnder god, Line 665 Quod he with mony binge and mony bek. Line 666 Ha quod the volff schir tod for quhat effek Line 667 Mak ze sic feir, ryse vp put on zour hude? Line 668 Father quod he i haif grit cause to dude. Line 669

Ze ar the lanterne, and the sicker way, Line 670 Suld gyde sic sempill folk as me to grace. Line 671 Zour bair feit, and zour russet coull off gray, Line 672 Zour lene cheik, zour paill and pietious face, Line 673 Schawis to me zour perfite halines. Line 674 For weill wer him that anis in his lyue, Line 675 Had hap to zow his sinnis for to schryue. Line 676

A selie lowrence quod the volf and leuch, Line 677 It plesis me that ze ar penitent. Line 678 Off reif and stouth, schir, i can tell aneuch, Line 679 That causis me full sair for to repent. Line 680 Bot father byde still heir vpon the bent, Line 681 I zow beseik, and heir me to declair, Line 682 My conscience, that prikkis me sa sair. Line 683

Weill quod the volff sit doun vpon thy kne Line 684 And he doun bair-heid sat full humilly. Line 685 And syne began with benedicitie. Line 686 Quhen i this saw, i drew ane lytill by. Line 687 For it effeiris nouther to heir, nor spy, Line 688 Nor to reueill thing said vnder that seill, Line 689 Bot to the tod this gait the volf couth mele. Line 690

Art thow contrite, and sorie in thy spreit, Line 691 For thy trespas? na schir, i can not duid, Line 692 Me think that hennis ar sa honie sweit, Line 693 And lambes flesche that new ar lettin bluid, Line 694 For to repent my mynd can not concluid, Line 695 Bot off this thing, that i haif slane sa few. Line 696 Weill quod the volf in faith thow art ane schrew Line 697

Sen thow can not forthink thy wickitnes, Line 698 Will thow forbeir in tyme to cum and mend. Line 699 And i forbeir, how sall i leif allace, Line 700 Haifand nane vther craft me to defend. Line 701 Neid causis me to steill quhair euer i wend. Line 702 I eschame to thig, i can not wirk ze wait. Line 703 Zit wald i fane pretend to gentill stait. Line 704

Weill quod the volf thow wantis pointis twa, Line 705 Belangand to perfyte confessioun. Line 706 To the thrid part off pennance let vs ga, Line 707 Vill thow tak pane for thy transgressioun? Line 708 A schir considder my complexioun, Line 709 Seikly and waik, and off my nature tender, Line 710 Lo, will ze se, i am baith lene and sklender. Line 711

Zit neuertheles i wald swa it wer licht, Line 712 Schort and not greuand to my tendernes, Line 713 Tak part off pane, fulfill it gif i micht, Line 714 To set my selie saull in way off grace. Line 715 Thow sall quod he forbeir flesch vntill pasche, Line 716 To tame this corps that cursit carioun. Line 717 And heir i reik the full remissioun. Line 718

I grant thairto, swa ze will giff me leif, Line 719 To eit puddingis, or laip ane lyttill blude, Line 720 Or heid, or feit, or paynchis let me preif. Line 721 In cace i falt of flesch in to my fude. Line 722 For grit mister i gif the leif to dude, Line 723 Twyse in the oulk, for neid may haif na law. Line 724 God zeild zow schir, for that text weill i knaw. Line 725

Quhen this wes said, the volf his wayis went, Line 726 The foxe on fute he fure vnto the flude. Line 727 To fang him fisch haillelie wes his intent. Line 728 Bot quhen he saw the walterand wallis woude, Line 729 All stonist still in to ane stair he stude. Line 730 And said, better that i had biddin at hame, Line 731 Nor bene ane fischar in the deuillis name. Line 732

Now man i scraip my meit out off the sand, Line 733 For i haif nouther boittis net nor bait. Line 734 As he wes thus for falt off meit murnand, Line 735 Lukand about his leuing for to lait. Line 736 Vnder ane tre he saw ane trip off gait. Line 737 Than wes he blyith, and in ane hewch him hid, Line 738 And fra the gait he stall ane lytill kid. Line 739

Syne ouer the heuch vnto the see he hyis, Line 740 And tuke the kid be the hornis twane, Line 741 And in the watter outher twyis or thryis, Line 742 He dowkit him, and till him can he sayne. Line 743 Ga doun schir kid, cum vp schir salmond agane. Line 744 Quhill he wes deid syne to the land him drewch, Line 745 And off that new maid salmond eit anewch. Line 746

Thus fynelie fillit with zoung tender meit, Line 747 Vnto ane derne for dreid he him addrest, Line 748 Vnder ane busk, quhair that the sone can beit, Line 749 To beik his breist and bellie he thocht best. Line 750 And rekleslie he said quhair he did rest, Line 751 Straikand his wame aganis the sonis heit, Line 752 Vpon this wame set wer ane bolt full meit. Line 753

Quhen this wes said the keipar off the gait, Line 754 Cairfull in hart his kid wes stollen away, Line 755 On euerilk syde full warlie couth he wait, Line 756 Quhill at the last, he saw quhair lowrence lay. Line 757 Ane bow he bent, ane flane with fedderis gray. Line 758 He haillit to the heid, and or he steird, Line 759 The foxe he prikkit fast vnto the eird. Line 760

Now quod the foxe allace and wellaway. Line 761 Gorrit i am, and may na forther gane. Line 762 Me think na man may speik ane word in play, Line 763 Bot now on dayis, in ernist it is tane. Line 764 The hird him hynt and out he drew his flane. Line 765 And for his kid, and vther violence, Line 766 He tuke his skyn, and maid ane recompence. Line 767

Moralitas

This suddand deith, and vnprouysit end, Line 768 Of this fals tod, without contritioun, Line 769 Exempill is exhortand folk to mend. Line 770 For dreid of sic ane lyke conclusioun, Line 771 For mony gois now to confessioun, Line 772 Can not repent, nor for thair sinnis greit, Line 773 Because thay think thair lustie lyfe sa sweit. Line 774

Sum bene also throw consuetude and ryte, Line 775 Vincust with carnall sensualitie. Line 776 Suppose thay be as for the tyme contryte, Line 777 Can not forbeir, nor fra thair sinnis fle. Line 778 Vse drawis nature swa in propertie, Line 779 Of beist and man, that neidlingis thay man do, Line 780 As thay of lang tyme hes bene hantit to. Line 781

Be war gude folke, and feir this suddane schoit, Line 782 Quhilk smytis sair withoutin resistence. Line 783 Attend wyislie, and in zour hartis noit. Line 784 Aganis deith may na man mak defence, Line 785 Ceis of zour sin, remord zour conscience, Line 786 Do wilfull pennance here and ze sall wend, Line 787 Efter zour deith, to blis withouttin end. Line 788