[6-text p 299]
The gees for feere / flowen ouer the trees [folio 189a]
Out of the hyve / cam the swarm of bees
So hydous was the noyse / a benedicitee
Certes / he Iakke Straw / and his meynee
Line 4584
Ne made neuere / shoutes / half so shille
Whan þat they wolden / any flemyng kille
As thilke day / was maad vp-on the fox
Of bras / they broghten bemes and of box
Line 4588
Of horn / of boon / in whiche they blewe and powped
And ther-with-al / they skriked / and they howped
It semed / as that heuene sholde falle
Now goode men / I pray yow herkneth alle
Line 4592
Lo / how ffortune / turneth sodeynly
The hope / and pryde / of hir enemy
This Cok / that lay vpon the foxes bak
In al his drede / vn-to the fox he spak
Line 4596
And seyde sire / if that I were as ye
Yet wolde I seyn / as wys god helpe me
Turneth agayn / ye proude cherles alle
A verray pestilence / vp-on yow falle
Line 4600
Now am I come / vn-to the wodes syde
Maugree youre heed / the Cox shal heere abyde
I wol hym ete in feith / and that anon
¶ The fox answerde / in feith it shal be don
Line 4604
And as he spak that word / al sodeynly
This Cok / brak from his mouth delyuerly
And heighe vp-on a tree / he fleigh anon
And whan the fox saugh / þat he was gon
Line 4608
¶ Allas quod he / o Chauntecleer / allas
I haue to yow quod he ydoon trespas
In as muche / as I maked yow aferd
Whan I yow hente / and broght in to this yerd
Line 4612
But sire I dide it. of no wikke entente
Com doun / and I shal telle yow what I mente
I shal seye sooth to yow / god help me so
¶ Nay thanne quod he / I shrewe vs bothe two
Line 4616
