This is the table of the historye of reynart the foxe

How the foxe made openly his confession to fore the kynge and to fore al them that wold here it cap^o xvj^o

alle they that stoden there had pyte whan reynart saide tho wordis & said it was / but a lytyl requeste yf the kynge wolde graūte it hym / and they prayde the kynge to graunte it hym / The kyng gaf hym leue / rey∣nart was wel glad and hoped that it myght falle better •• And said thus / now helpe spiritus domini / for I 〈…〉〈…〉 noman but I haue trespaced vnto / Neuertheles 〈…〉〈…〉 I vnto the tyme that I was wened fro the tete / 〈…〉〈…〉 best chylde that / coude o••wher be founden / I wente 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and pleyde wyth the lambes by cause I herde hem gla••l•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I was so longe wyth hem that at the laste I bote one / there lerned I fyrst to lapen of the bloode hit sauourd wel / me thought it right good / And after I began to taste of the flessh / throof I was lycourous so that after that I wente to the gheet in to the wode. there ••erde I the kyddes blete and I slewe of them tweyne / I began to wexe hardy after I slew hennes / polayl and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 where euer I fonde hem / Thus worden my teeth al bl••dy after this I wexe so felle and so wroth / That what 〈◊〉〈◊〉 euer I founde that I myght ouer / I slowe all•• / Ther aftercam I by Isegrym now in the wynter •• where he hydde hym vnder a tree. And re••ened to

me that / he was myn eme whenne I herde hym thenne re∣kene allyance we becomen•• felaws whiche I may wel re∣pente / we promysed eche to other to be trewe and to vse good felawship / and began to wandre to gyder / he stal the grete thynges and I the smalle and all was comyn bytwene vs / yet he made it so that he had the beste dele I gate not half my parte / whan that ysegrym gate a calf / a rāme or a weder thenne grīmed he / and was angry on me and droof me fro hym / and helde my part and his to / so good is he.

yEt this was of the leste / but whan it so lucked that we toke an oxe or a cowe / thenne cam therto his wyf wyth .vij. children so / that vnto me myght vnnethe come one of the smallest rybbes / and yet had they eten alle the flessh therof / ther with all muste I be content not for that I had so grete nede. ffor I haue so grette scatte and good of syluer and of gold that seuen waynes shold not conne carye it away / whan the kynge herde hym speke of this grete good and riches∣se he brenned in the desyre and couetyse therof and sayde reynart where is the rychesse becomen / telle me that· the foxe saide my lord I shal telle yow / the rychesse was sto∣len and had it not bestolen / it shold haue coste yow / your lyf and shold haue ben murdred whiche god forbede & shold haue ben the gretest hurte of the worlde / whan the quene herde that she was sore aferde and cryde lowde / alas and weleaway reynart what saye ye / I coniure yow by the longe waye that youre soule shal goo / that ye telle

vs openly the trouthe herof as moche as ye knowe of this grete murdre that sholde haue be doon on my lorde / that we alle may here it now herkene how the foxe shal flatre the kynge and quene / and shal wynne bothe their good wil¦les & loue / And shal hyndre them that laboure for his deth / he shal vnbynde his packe & lye and by flaterye and fayr wordes shal brynge forth so his maters / that it shal be supposed for trouthe /

iN a sorouful contenance spack the foxe to the que¦ne I am in suche caas now that I muste nedes deye / and hadde ye me not so sore coniured / I wil not Ieo¦parde my sowle / & yf I so dyde I shold goo therfore in to the payne of helle / I wil saye nothyng but that I wil ma¦ke it good / for pytously he shold haue ben murthred of his owen folke. neuertheles they that were most pryn••••∣pal in this feat. were of my next kynne· whom gladly I wold not bewraye. yf the sorow were not of the helle. The kynge was heuy of herte & saide / reynart saiste thou to me the trouthe. ye said the foxe. see ye not how it standeth with me. wene ye that I wil dampne my sowle. what shold it auaylle me yf I now saide other wise than trouthe. my deth is so nyghe· ther may nether prayer ne good helpe me Tho trembled the foxe by dyssymlyyng as he had ben a ferde The quene had pyte on hym. And prayde the kyng to haue mercy on hym in eschewyng of more harme / & that he sholde doo the peple holde their peas and gyue the foxe Audience. and here what he shold saye / Tho commanded the kynge openly that eche of

them shold be stylle / and suffre the foxe to saye vn••eri•• sped what that he wolde. thenne saide / the foxe / be ye now alle stylle. syth it is the kynges wille. and I shal telle you openly this treson. And therin I wil spare noman that I knowe gylty.