This is the table of the historye of reynart the foxe

How the foxe wyth his frendis and lignage departed nobly fro the kynge / and wente to his castel malle∣perduys / capitulo xliij^o

rEynart the foxe toke his beue honestly of the kynge and of the quene. And they bad hym he shold not tarye longe. But shortly retorne to them a∣gayn· he answerd & said dere kynge and quene alway at your commandement I shal be redy / yf ye nede ony thyng whiche god forbede I wold alway be redy wyth my body and my good to helpe yow / and also al my frendes & lignage in lyke wyse shal obeye your commandement & desire / ye haue hyely deseruyd it / god quyte it yow and yeue you grace longe to lyue / And I desyre your licenc•• and leue to goo home to my wyf and chyldren / And yf your good grace wil ony thyng / late me haue knowleche of it / And ye shal fynde me alway redy / Thus departed the foxe wyth fayr wordes fro the kynge. Now who that coude sette hym in reynardis crafte / & coude behaue hym in flateryng & lyeng as he dyde / he shold I trowe be h••••de / bothe wyth the lordes spyrytuel and temporel / The ••en many and also the moste parte that crepe after his waye and his hole / The name that was gyuen to hym / a∣bydeth alway stylle wyth hym / he hath lefte many of his crafte in this world / Whiche allewaye wexe and become myghty / for who that wyl not vse reynardis crafte now is nought worth in the world now in ony estate that is of myght / But yf he can crepe in reynardis nette / and hath ben his scoler / thenne may he dwelle with vs / For thenne knoweth he wel the way how he may aryse / And is sette vp aboue of euery man / Ther is in the world moche seed left of the foxe / whiche now oueral groweth & cometh sore vp / though they haue no rede berdes / Yet

ther ben founden mo foxes now / than euer were here to fore / The rightwys peple ben al loste / trouthe and right∣wysnes ben exyled and fordriuen / And for them ben a∣byden wyth vs couetyse / falshede / hate and enuye / Thyse regne now moche in euery contre / For is it in the popes court / the emperours / the kynges dukes or ony other lor¦des where someuer it be eche man laboureth to put other out fro his worship / offyce and power / for to make hym sylf to clymme hye with lyes / wyth flateryng wyth sy∣monye / wyth money / or wyth strengthe and force / ther is none thyng byloued ne knowen in the court now a∣days but money / the money is better byloued than god / For men doo moche more therfore / ffor who someuer bryn¦geth money / shal be wel receyuyd and shal haue alle his desyre / is it of lordes or of ladyes or ony other / that mo∣ney doth moche harme / Money bryngeth many in sham•• & drede of his lyf / and bryngeth false wytnes ayenst true peple for to gete money. Hit causeth vnclennes of ly∣uyng. lyeng. and lecherye. Now clerkes goon to rome / to patys & to many another place. for to lerne reynardis crafte· is he clerke / is he laye man· eueriche of them tre¦deth in the foxes path. & seketh his hole. The world is of suche condycion now. that eucey man seketh hym self in alle maters. I wote not what ende shal come to vs herof Alle wyse men may sorowe wel herfore. I fere that for the grete falsenes thefte robberye and murdee that is now vsed so moche & comonly. & also the vnshamefast lecherye and auoultry bosted and blowen a brood with the auaūtyng of the same. that wythout gret•• repentaūce

and penaunce therfore / that god will take vengeaunce & punysshe vs sore therfore / whom I humbly beseche & to whom nothyng is hyd that he wylle gyue vs grace to make amendes to hym therfore / and that we maye rewle vs to his playsyr / And her wyth wil I leue ffor what haue I to wryte of thise mysdedis / I haue ynowh to doo with myn owne self / And so it were better that I helde my pees and suffre / And the beste that I can doo for to amende my self now in this tyme / And so I counseyle 〈◊〉〈◊〉 man to doo here in this present lyf / and that shal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••ost our prouffyt / For after this lyf / cometh no tyme 〈◊〉〈◊〉 w•• may occupye to our auantage for to amende vs ffor th••nn•• shal euery man answere for hym self and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his ••wen burthen / Reynardis frendes and lignage 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the nombre of ••l haue taken also theyr leue of the kyn¦ge / And w••nte alle to gydre wyth the foxe / whiche was right glad that he had so wel sped / And that he stode so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the kynges grace. he thought. that he had no sha∣me. but that he was so grete with the kyng that he myght helpe and further his frendes / and hyndre his enemyes / and also to doo what he wolde. wythout he shold be blamed yf he wold be wyse /

The ffoo•• and his frendis wente so longe to gydre that they c••men to his burgh to Maleperduys. ther they alle toke leue eche of other wyth fayr and courtoys wordes / Reynard dyde to them grete reuerence and thanked them alle frendly. of theyr good fayth & also worship that they had don and shewd to hym. And profred to

eche of them his seruyse yf they had nede wyth body and goodes / And herwyth they departed / and eche of them wente to theyr owne howses / The foxe wente to dame er∣melyn his wyf whiche welcomed hym frendly he tolde to her and to his chyldren / alle the wonder / that to hym was befallen in the court / And forgate not a worde / but tolde to them euery dele / how he had escaped / Thenne were they glad that theyr fader was so enhaunsed & grete wyth the kynge / And the foxe lyued forthon wyth his wyf and his chyldren in grete Ioye and gladnes Now who that said to yow of the ffoxe more or lesse than ye haue herd or red / I holde it for lesynge / but this that ye haue herd or red / that may ye byleue wel / & who th••t ••••leueth it not / is not therfore out of the right byleue / how be it ther be many yf that they had seen it / th••y shold haue the lasse doubte of it / for ther ben many thynges in the world whiche ben byleuyd though they were neuer 〈…〉〈…〉 ther ben many fygures / playes foūden / that neuer wer•• don ne happed / But for an example to the pe••le that th•••• may ther by the better / vse and folowe vertu•• & ••••••••shewe synne and vyces / in lyke wyse may it be by this bo••ke / that who that wyl rede this mater / though it ••e of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and bourdes / yet he may fynde therin many a good wyse∣dom and lernynges / By whiche he may come to v••rtue & worship. Ther is no good man blamed herin / hit is spoken generally / Late euery man take his owne part as it belongeth & behoueth / and he that fyndeth hym gyl∣ty in ony dele or part therof / late hym b••••tre & amende h••m And he that is veryly good / I pray god kepe hym therin

And yf ony thyng be said or wreton herin / that may greue or dysplease ony man / ••lame not me / but the foxe / for they be his wordes & not myne / Prayeng alle them that shal see this lytyl treatis / to correcte and amende / Where they shal fynde faute / For I haue not added ne mynusshed but haue folowed as nyghe as I can my copye whiche was in dutche / and by me willm Caxton trans∣••••ted in to this rude & symple englyssh in thabbey of west∣••estre. fynysshed the vj daye of Iuyn the yere of our lord· M.CCCC.Lxxxj. & the xxj yere of the regne of kynge Edward the iiijth /