This is the table of the historye of reynart the foxe

How the kynge sente another tyme tybert the catte for the foxe / & how tybert spedde with reynart the foxe / ca^o x^o·

thenne the kynge saide sir tybert / ye shal now goo to reynart and saye to hym this seconde tyme that he come to court vnto the plee for to answere / for though he be felle to other beestis· he trusteth you wel / and shal doo by your counseyl. and telle yf he come not / he shal haue the thirde warnyng and be dayed and yf he thenne come not / we shal procede by ryght ayenste hym and alle hys lygnage wythout mercy / Tybert spack / My lord the kynge / they that this counseylde you were not my frendes what shal I doo there / he wil not for me neyther come ne abyde / I beseche you dere kynge sende some other to hym / I am lytyl and feble / bruyn the bere whiche was so grete and stronge / coude-not brynge hym / how shold I thenne take it on honde / nay said the kynge sir tybert ye ben wyse and wel lerned / Though ye be not grete / ther lyeth not on / many do more wyth crafte and connyng / than with myght and strengthe / thenne said the catte / syth it

muste nedes be don / I muste thenne take it vpon me / god yeue grace that I may wel achieue it / for my herte is heuy / and euil willed therto / Tybert made hym / sone redy toward maleperduys / and he saw fro ferre come fleyng one of seynt martyns byrdes / tho cryde he lowde & saide al hayl / gentyl byrde / torne thy wynges hethaward and flee on my right side / the byrde flewh forth vpon a tree whiche stoode on the lift side of the catte / tho was ty••bert woo / ffor he thought hit was a shrewd token and a sygne of harme / for yf the birde had flowen on his right side / he had ben mery and glad / but now he sorowed that his Iourney shold torne to vnhappe / neuertheles he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as many doo / and gaf to hym self better hope than ••is herte sayde / he wente and ronne to maleperduys ward 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there he fonde the foxe allone standyng to fore his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tybert saide / The riche god yeue you good euen reyna•••• the kyng hath menaced yow / for to take your lyf from yow / yf ye come not now wyth me to the court / The fore tho spack and saide / Tibert my dere cosyn ye be right wel come / I wolde wel truly that ye had moche good lucke •• whad hurted the foxe to speke fayre / though he sayd wel his herte thoughte it not and that shal be seen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they departe / reynart sayde wylle we this nyght be to gydre / I wyl make you good chyere and to morow erly in the dawnyng we wyl to gydre goo to the court / good n••u•• late vs so doo / I ha••e none of my kyn / that I trus••e so moche to as to yow / hier was bruyn the bere the traytour he loked so shrewdly on me / and me thoughte he was so stronge / that I wolde not for a thousand marke haue

goon with hym / but cosyn I wil to morow erly goo with yow / Tybert saide / it is beste that we now goo / for the mone shyneth also light as it were daye / I neuer sawe fayrer weder / nay dere cosyn / suche myght mete vs by daye tyme / that wold make vs good chiere / and by nyghtte parauenture myght doo vs harme / it is suspecyous to alke by nyghte. Therfore a byde this nyght here by me Tybert sayde / wat sholde we ete / yf we abode here / reynart sayde / here is but lytel to ete ye maye wel haue an hony combe good and swete / what saye ye / Tybert wyl ye ony therof / tybert answerd I sette nought therby haue ye nothyng ellis yf ye gaf me agood fatte mows / I shold be better plesyd / a fatte mows said reynard / dere cosyn what saye ye / here by dwelleth a preest and hath a barne by his hows ther in ben so many myse / that a man shold not lede them a way vpon a wayne / I haue herd the preest many tymes complayne that they dyde hym moche harme O ••ere reyner lede me thyder for alle that I may doo for yow / ye tybert saye ye me trouthe / loue ye wel myes / yf I loue hem wel said the catte / I loue myes better than ony thyng that men gyue me· knowe ye not that myes sauoure better than veneson / ye than flawnes or pasteyes wil ye wel doo. so lede me theder where the myes ben· and thenne shal ye wynne my loue. ye al had ye slayn my fader moder and alle my kyn.

Reynart sayd ye moke and Iape therwyth· the catte saide so helpe me god I doo not. Tybert said the foxe wiste I that veryly I wolde yet this nyght make that ye shuld be ful of myes. reynart qd he· ful that were many. tyberte

ye Iape / reynart qd he in trouth I doo not / yf I hadde a fatte / mows / I wold not gyue it for a golden noble / late vs goo thenne / tybert qd the foxe I wyl brynge yow to the place / er I goo fro you / reyner qd the foxe / vpon your saufconduyt / I wolde wel goo wyth you to monpel••er late vs thenne goo said the foxe we tarye alto longe / Thus wente they forth withoute lettyng to the place / where as they wold be to the prestes barne whiche was faste wallid aboute with a mude wal and the nyght to fore the foxe had broken in / and had stolen fro the preest a good fatte henne / and the preest alle angry had sette a gr••n to fore the hool to auenge hym / for he wold fayn haue ••ak•• the foxe / this knewe wel the felle theef the fore And said sir tybert rosyn crepe in to this hool •• and ye shal not longe tarye but that ye shal catche myes by gre•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 herke how they pype. whan ye be ful / come agayn I wil tarye here after you be fore this hole / we wil to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 goo to gyder to the court / Tybert why tarye ye thus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 come of / and so maye we retorne sone to my wyf. whiche wayteth after vs / and shal make vs good chiere Tybert saide / reynart cosyn is it thenne your counseyl that I goo in to this hole. Thise prestes ben so wyly & shrewyssh / I drede to take harme / O ••o tybert 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the for I sawe you neuer so sore aferde / what eylech ••••w the catte was ashamed and sprange in to the hoole. And anon ••e was caught in the gryn by the necke er ••e wyft•• thus deceyuyd reynart his ghest and cosyn

aS tybert was waer of the grynne / he was a ferde and sprange forth / the grynne wen••e to thenne

began he to wrawen / for he was almost y stranglyd / he cal¦led he cryed & made a shrewd noyse / reynart stode to fore the hool and herde al / and was wel a payed and sayde / tybert loue ye wel myes / be they fatte and good / knewe the pre / este herof or mertynet / they be so gentyl that they wolde brynge yow sawce / Tybert ye synge and eten / is that the guyse of the court / lord god yf ysegrym ware there by yow in suche reste as ye now be thenne shold I be glad / for ofte he hath don me scathe and harme / tybert coud•• not goo awaye / but he mawede and galped so lowde / that martynet sprang vp / and / cryde lowde / god be thanked my gryn hath taken the theef that hath stolen our hennes / aryse vp we wil rewarde hym /

wyth these wordes aroose the preest in an euyl tyme and waked alle them that were in the hows / and cryde wyth a lowede vois / the foxe is / take there leep and ranne alle that there was the preest hym self ran∣ne al moder naked / mertynet was the first that cam to tybert the preest toke to locken his wyf an offryng can¦del and bad her lyght it atte fyer / and he smote tybert with a grete staf / Ther receyuid tybert many a grete stro¦ke ouer alle his body / mertynet was so angry that he smote the catte an eye out / the naked prerst lyfte vp & shold haue gyuen a grete stroke to tybert / but tybert that sawe that he muste deye sprange bytwene the prestes leg∣ges wyth his clawes and with his teeth that he raught out his ryght colyon or balock stone / that leep becam yl to the preest and to his grete shame.

this thynge fyl doun vpon the floer / whan dame Iu¦locke knewe that / she sware by her faders sowle / that she wolde it had coste her alle thoffryng of a bole yere / that the preest had not had that harme hurte and shame / and that it had not happed and faid / in the deueles name was the grynne there sette / see mertynet lyef sone / this is of thy faders harneys / This is a grete shame and to me a grete hurte / for though he be heled herof yet he is but a loste man to me and also shal neuer conne doo that swe¦te playe and game / The foxe stode wythoute to fore the hole and herde alle thyse wordes / and lawhed so sore that he vnnethe coude stonde / he spack thus al softly dame Iulock be al stylle / and lete your grete sorowe synke Al hath the preest loste one of his stones it shal not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym he shal doo w••th you wel ynowh ther is 〈…〉〈…〉 many a chapel / in which•• 〈…〉〈…〉 but one belle 〈◊〉〈◊〉 scorned and mocked the foxe / the prestes wyf dame 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that was ful of sorowe / The pre••st fyl doun a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they toke hym vp and brought hym agayn to bedde. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wente the foxe agayn in to his borugh ward / and lef•••• tybert the catte in grete drede and Ieopardye for the fore wiste none och••r but that the catte was nygh deed •• but whan tybert the catte sawe them al besy aboute the preest tho began he to byte and gnawe the grenne in the myddel a sondre / and sprange out of the hool and wente rollyng and wentlyng towards the kyngs court or be cam theder it was fayr day and the sonne began to ryse / And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cam to the court as a poure wyght / he had caught harme a••te prestes hows by the helpe and c••unseyl of the fore ••his

b••dy was al to beten / and blynde on the one eye / whan the kynge wyste this / that tybert was thus arayed / he was sore angry and menaced reynart / the theef sore / & anone gadred his counseyl to wyte what they wold a¦uyse hym / how he myght brynge the foxe to the lawe and how he sholde be fette

tho spack sir grymbart whiche was the foxes suster sone and saide ye lordes / thowgh myn eme were twyes so bad and shrewessh / yet is ther remedye ynough / late hym be don to / as to a free man whan he shal be Iu∣ged / he muste be warned the thirde tyme for al and yf he come not thanne / he is thenne gylty in alle the trespa¦ces that ben leyd ayenst hym and his or complayned on / grymbert who wolde ye that sholde goo and daye hym to come / who wil auenture for hym his eeris / hys eye or his lyf whiche is so fel a beest / I trowe ther is no∣ne here so moche a fool / grymbart spack / so helpe me god I am so moche a fool / that I wil do this message my self to reynart / yf ye wille commande me /