This is the table of the historye of reynart the foxe

How ••he foxe & the wulf foughten to gydre ca^o xxxix^o

tHerwyth she wente out of the felde and lete them tweyne goo to gydre / the wulf trade forth to the foxe in grete wrath and opened his sore feet / and supposed to haue taken the foxe in hem / But the foxe sprang fro hym lyghtly / For he was lyghter to fote than he / The wulf sprange after and hunted the foxe sore / theyr fren¦des stode / without the lystes and loked vpon hem / The wulf strode wyder than reynard dyde and ofte ouertoke hym / And lyfte vp his foot and wende to haue smyten hym / but the foxe sawe to / and smote hym wyth his rowhe tayle / Whiche he had al be pyssed in his visage / tho wen∣de the wulf to haue ben plat blynde / the pysse sterte in his eyen / thenne muste he reste for to make elene his eyen / Reyner thougthe on his fordele and stode aboue the wyn¦de skrabbing & casting wyth his feet the duste that it flewe the wulfis eyen ful / the wulf was sore blynded therwyth / in suche wyse that he muste leue the rennyng after hym / ffor the sonde and pysse cleuyd vnder his eyen that it smerted so sore / that he must rubbe and wasshe it a way / Tho cam reyner in a grete angre & bote hym thre grete woundes on his heed wyth his teeth / and said / what is that syr wulf / hath one there byten yow / how is it wyth yow / I wyl al otherwyse on yow yet / abyde I shal brynge yow som̄ newe thyng / ye haue stole many a lābe & destro¦yed many a symple beest / & now falsely haue appeled me & brought me in this trouble / al this shal I now auēge on the / I am chosen to reward the forthyn old synnes

ffor good wyl no lenger suffre the in thy grete rauayn & shrewones I shal now assoylle the & that shal be good for thy sowle take paciently this penannce / for thou shalt lyue no lenger / the helle shal be thy purgatorye / Thy lyf is now in my mercy / but and yf thou wilt knele doun & aske me forgyfnes / and knowleche the to be oue••••omen / yet though thou be euyl / yet I wyl spare the / for my con∣science counseylleth me / I shold not gladly slee no man / Isegrym wende wyth thyse mockyng & spytous wordes to haue goon out of his wytte / And that dered hym so moche that he wyste not what to saye buff ne baff / he was so angry in his herte / The woundes that reynart had gy∣uen hym bledde and sm••••ted sore / And he thought how h•• myghte best auenge it

wYth grete angre he lyft vp his foot and smote the foxe on the heed so grete a str••ke / that he f•••• to the ground / tho sterte the wulf to & wende to haue take hym / but the foxe was lyght & wyly & roose lyghtly v•• & mette wyth hym fiersly / and there began a felle batayll▪ whiche dured longe / the wulf had grete spyte on the foxe as it wel semed / he sprange after hym x tymes eche after other / & wold fayn haue had hym faste / but his sk••n was so slyper & fatte of the oyle that alway he escaped fro hym O so subtyl & snelle was the foxe / that many tymes whan the wulf wende wel to be sure of hym / he sterte thēne bytwene his legges & vnder his bely & thenne torned he agayn & gaf the wulf a stroke wyth his tail ful of pysse in his eyen that Isegrym wende he sholde haue loste his

••ght / and this dyde he often tymes / And alwey whan he had so smyten hym thenne wold he goo aboue the wynde and reyse the duste / that it made his eyen ful of stufs / I∣segrym was woo begon / and thought he was at an after∣dele / yet was his strengthe and myght moche more than the foxes / Reynard had many a sore stroke of hym whan he raught hym / They gaf eche other many a stroke & ma¦ny a byte whan they saw theyr auauntage / And eche of hem dyde his best to destroye that other / I wold I myght see suche abataylle / that one was wyly / & that other was stronge / that one faught wyth strengthe / and that other with subtylte.

tHe wulf was angry that the foxe endured so lon¦ge ayenst hym yf his formest feet had ben hole / the foxe had not endured so longe / but the sores were so open that he myght not wel renne / And the foxe myght better of & on than he / And also he swange his tayl wyth pys∣se ofte vnder his eyen / and made hym that hym thougthe that his eyen shold goo out / Atte laste he sayd to hym self / I wyl make an ende of this bataylle / How longe shal this caytyf dure thus ayenst me / I am so grete / I shold yf I laye vpon hym presse hym to deth / hit is to me agrete shame that I spare hym so longe / Men shal moche & poynte me wyth fyngres to my shame & rebuke for I am yet on the werst syde / I am sore wounded / I blede sore / & he drowneth me / wyth his pysse / & caste so moche dust & sande in myne eyen / that hastely I shal not conne see / yf I suffre hym ony lenger / I wyl sette it in auenture / & seen what shal c••me therof / wyth that he smote wyth his

foot reynard on the heed that he fyll doun to the ground And er he cowde aryse he caught hym in his feet· and la∣ye vpon hym as he wold haue pressed hym to deth. Tho began the foxe to be a ferd. and so were alle his frendis whan they sawe hym lye vnder· And on that other syde alle ysegryms frendes were ioyeful and glad. The foxe defended hym faste wyth his clawes as he laye vpward wyth his feet· And gaf hym many a clope· The wulf durste not wyth his feet doo hym moche harme but wyth his teeth snatched at hym as he wold haue byte•• hym. whan the foxe sawe that he shold be byten and was in gre¦te drede. he smote the wulf in the heed wyth his formest clawes and tare the skynne of bytwene his browes and hys eeris. and that one of his eyen henge out. Whiche dyde hym moche payne· he howlyd. he wepte· he cryde lewed. and made a pyteuous noyse / for the blode ran̄ doun as it had ben a streme