THere neuer was Fryer limiter, that duckt
So low, where beggyng woon him twenty theeses,
As is the flie now to the spider ruckte,
He makth him sewre to wyn, who euer leeses,
And here with all (by chaunse) the spider sneeses,
Now (quoth the flie) chaunce I to win or leese.
Christ help, and longe in helth wel mote ye sneese.
The spider herefore, gaue the flie suche thanke,
As hath in vsage, course of curtesy,
But note these twaine, so lately so like blanke
And both now, in lyke mirth immediately,
Me thought, that chaunsed very pretyly,
The flie thinketh, reason shall sure make his waie,
The spider, thinketh in reason, surely nay.
Sir (quoth the flie) I must you here beseethe,
To ratefie your pardon my protection
In my behauiour, namely in suche speeche
As may (by rudenes) rightly craue correction,
If I shall larke your ayde, to this election,
Then may my reasonyng, for my libertee,
Leese my libertee, and wyn my ieoberdee,
This is encluded (flie) in my sworne othe,
By whiche Ierst haue promysde the iustise,
Suche speeche as in thy case dyrectly gothe,
So that thou rayle not, to fer out of sise,
For whiche thou seemest a flie, as fer to wise,
Spare not to speake thy mynde: and vnto me
(So saide) say what thou wilt: I pardon the.