The Fox sorrowed somewhat in his heart.

 

Capitulo xij. How Reynard the Fox came another time to the court.

dear nephew
all these things pass
come herein
and see what I shall give you
a good pair of fat pigeons
I love no meat better
they are good to digest
they may almost be swallowed whole
the bones being half blood
I eat them with the other
I feel myself the otherwhile
encumbered in my stomach
therefore I eat gladly of light meat
my wife Ermelyn 
shall receive us friendly
but tell her nothing of this thing
for she should take it over-heavily
she is tender of heart
she might for fear fall in some sickness
a little thing goes sore to her heart
and tomorrow early
I will go with you to court
and if I may come to speech
and may be heard
I shall assure
that I shall touch some nigh enough
nephew
will not ye stand by me
as a friend ought to do to another?

yes
truly
dear uncle

said Grymbert

ye may well come before all the lords
and excuse you 
there shall none arrest you
nor hold as long as ye be in your words
the Queen and the Leapard have gotten that

then said 
the Fox

therefore I am glad
then I care not for the 
the best of them most high
I shall well save myself

they spake no more hereof
but went forth into the burgh
and found Ermelyn there sitting
by her younglings
which arose up anon 
and received them friendly
Grymbert hailed his aunt and the children
with friendly words
the ij. pigeons were made ready
for their supper

which Reynard had taken
each of them took his part 
as far as it wold stretch
if each of them had one more
there should but little have been left

the Fox
said

lief nephew
how like ye my children
Rosel and Reynardine?
they shall do worship to all our lineage
they begin already to do well
that one catches well a chicken
and that other a pullet
they can well also duck in the water
after lapwings and ducks
I would oft send them for provender
but I will first teach them 
how they shall keep them 
from the traps and snares
from the hunters and hounds
if they were so far come
that they were wise
I dare well trust them
that they should victual us
in many good divers meats
that we now lack
and they like and follow me well
for they play all grimming
and where they hate
they look friendly and merry
for thereby they bring them under their feet
and bite their throat asunder
this is the nature of the fox
they be swift in their taking
which pleases me well

uncle

said Grymbert

ye may be glad
that ye have suchwise children
and I am glad of them also
they be of my kin

Grymbert said
to the Fox

ye have worked hard and be weary
it were high tide 
that ye were at your rest
uncle
if it please you
thinks me good
lay they down on a litter of straw

the Fox 
his wife and his children
went all to sleep
but the Fox was lay awake
sighed and sorrowed
how he might best excuse himself
on the morrow early he roamed his castle
and went with Grymbert
but he took leave first
of Dame Ermelyn his wife and of his children
and said 

think not long I must go to the court
with Grymbert my cousin
if I tarry somewhat
be not afraid
and if ye hear any ill tidings
take it always for the best
and see well to yourself
and keep our castle well
I shall do yonder the best I can
after that 
I see how it goes

alas
Reynard

said she

how have ye now thus taken upon you
for to go to the court again
the last time that ye were there
ye were in great jeopardy of your life
and ye said ye would never come there more

dame

said the Fox

the adventure of the world 
is wonderly it goes otherwhile than hoping
many a one hopes to have a thing
which he must forego
I must needs now go thither
be content it is all without dread
I hope to come at most in five days again

herewith he departed 
and went with Grymbert courtward
and when they were upon the heath
then said Reynard

nephew
since I was last shriven
I have done many shrewd turns
I would ye would hear me now
of all that I have trespassed in

I made the Bear to have a great wound
for the purse which was cut out of his skin
and also I made the Wolf and his wife
to lose her shoes
I appeased the King with great lying
and led him to believe
the Wolf and the Bear
would betray him
and would slay him
so I made the King right wroth
when they deserved it not
also I told the King
that there was a great treasure at Hulsterlo
of which he was never the better nor richer
for I lied
all that I said
I led Bellyn the Ram
and Cywart the Hare with me
and slew Cywart
and sent to the King by Bellyn
Cywart's head in scorn
and I struck the Cony
between his ears
that almost I claimed his life from him
for he escaped against my will
he was for me over-swift
the Rook may well complain
for I swallowed Dame Sharpbek his wife

and also I have forgotten something 
the last time I was shriven
for you
which I have since bethought me
and it was a great deceit
that I did which I now will tell you
I came with the Wolf walking
between Houhulst and Eluerdynge
there saw we go a red mare
and she had a black colt
or a foul of iiij. months old
which was good and fat
Isegrym was almost faint with hunger
and prayed me go to the mare
and see if she would sell her foul
I ran fast to the mare
and asked her that of her
she said she would sell it for money
I demanded of her how she would sell it
she said it is written on my hind foot
if ye come read and be a clerk
ye may come see and read it
wist I well where she would be
and I said 
nay 
forsooth I cannot read
and also I desire not to buy your child
Isegrym
has sent me hither
and would fain know the price thereof
the mare said
let him come then himself
and I shall let him have knowledge
I said
I shall
and hastily went to Ysegrym
and said
uncle
will you eat your belly full of this colt?
so go fast to the mare
for she tarries after you
she has writ the price of her colt under her foot
she would that I should read it
but I cannot one letter
which me sore repents
for I went never to school
uncle
will you buy that colt?
can ye read
so may ye buy it
O nephew
that can I well what should me let
I can well French, Latin
English and Dutch
I have gone to school in Oxenford
I have also with old and ancient doctors
been in the audience and heard pleas
and also have given sentence
I am licensed both laws
what manner writing that any man can devise
I can read it as perfectly as my name
I will go to her and shall anon understand the price
and bade me to tarry for him
and he ran to the mare
and asked of her how she would sell her foal or keep it
she said
the sum of the money
stands written after on my foot
he said
let me read it
she said 
do
and lift up her foot
which was new shod with iron
and vj. strong nails
and she smote him without missing
on his head
that he fell down as he had been dead
a man should well have ridden a mile ere he arose
the mare trotted away with her colt
and she left Isegrym lying
shrewdly hurt and wounded
he lay and bled
and howled as a hound
I went then to him
and said
Sir Isegrym
dear uncle
how is it now with you?
have you eaten enough of the colt?
is your belly full?
why give ye me no part?
I did your errand
have ye slept your dinner?
I pray you tell me 
what was written under the mare's foot
what was it?
prose or rhyme?
metre or verse?
I would fain know it
I believe it was a cantum
for I heard you sing
methought from far
for ye were so wise
that no man could read it 
better than ye
alas
Reynard
alas
said the Wolf
I pray you leave your mocking
I am so foul arrayed and sore hurt
that a heart of stone 
might have pity on me
the whore with her long leg
had an iron foot
I believe the nails thereof 
had been letters
and she hit me at the first stroke
vj. great wounds in my head
that almost it is cloven
such manner letters
shall I never more desire to read

dear uncle
is that truth ye tell me?
I have great marvel
I held you for one of the wisest clerks
that now live
now I hear well
it is true that I long since have read and heard
that the best clerks be not the wisest men
the lay people otherwhile wax wise
the cause of these clerks be not wisest
is that they study so much in cunning and science
that they therein despair

thus brought I Isegrym
in his great end and harm
that he hardly clung to life
lief nephew
now have I told you all my sins 
that I remember
whatsoever fall at the court
I know never
how it shall stand with me there
I am not now so sore afraid
for I am clear from sin
I will gladly come to mercy
and receive penance by your counsel

Gymbert said

the trespasses be great
nevertheless
who that is dead must abide the deed
and therefore I will forgive you all together
with the fear that ye shall suffer therefore
ere ye can excuse yourself of the death
and hereupon I will absolve you
but the most torment that ye shall be
that ye sent Cywart's head to court
and that ye blinded the King with such lies
uncle
that was right evil done

the Fox
said

what
lief nephew
who that will go through the world
this to hear and that to see
and that other to tell
truly it may not clearly be done
how should any man handle honey
but if he licked his fingers?
I am ofttimes bedewed
and pricked in my conscience
as to love God above all things
and mine eyes christen myself
as is to God well acceptable
and according to his law
but how hope ye
that reason within forth fights against
the outward will
then stand I all still
in myself
that methinks I have lost all my wits
and know not what me ails
I am then in such thought
I have now all left my sins
and hate all things not good
and climb in high contemplation
above his commandments
but this special grace have I 
when I am alone
but in short while after
when the world comes in me
then find I in my way
so many stones
and the footprints
that these loose prelates
and rich priests go in
that I am anon taken again
then comes the world
and will have this
and the flesh will live pleasantly
which lay before me so many things
that I then lose all my good thoughts and purpose
I hear them sing, pipe
laugh, play
and all mirth
and I hear these prelates and rich curates preach
and say all otherwise
than they think and do
there learn I to lie
the lying be most used 
in the lords' courts
most certainly
lords, ladies
priests and clerks
make most lying
men dare not tell the lords now the truth
there lies the blame
I must flatter and lie also
or else I should be shut without the door
I have often heard men say truth and rightfully
and have their reason made with a lying to their purpose
and brought it in and went through
by cause their matter should seem the fairer
the lying ofttimes comes ill-advised
and falls in the matter unwittingly
and so when she is well clad
it goes forth through with that other
dear nephew
thus must men now lie
here and there say sooth
flatter and menace
pray and curse
and seek every man upon his feeblest and weakest
who otherwise will now haunt and use the world
then devise a lying in the fairest wise
bewimple their kerchiefs about in suchwise
that men take it for a truth
he is not run away from his master
can he that subtlety in suchwise 
he stammer not in his words
and may then be heard 
nephew
this man may do wonders
he may wear scarlet and fur
he wins in the spiritual law
and temporal also
and wheresoever he has to do
now be there many false shrews 
that have great annoy
that they have so great advantage
and when they can also well lie
and take on them to lie and tell it forth
he would fain eat of the fat morsels
but he is not believed nor heard
and many be there that be so plump and foolish
that when they hope best to pronounce
and show their matter and conclude
they fall beside and out thereof
and cannot then help himself
and leave their matter without tail or head
and he is counted for a fool
and many mock them there with
but who can give to his lying a conclusion
and pronounce it without tattling
like as it were written before him
and that he can so blind the people
that his lying shall better be believed than the truth
that is the man!
what cunning it is to say the truth that is good to do!
how laugh these false subtle shrews
that give counsel to make these lyings
and set them forth
and make unright go above right
and make bills
and set in things that never were thought nor said
and teach men see through their fingers
and all for to win money
and let their tongues for hire
for to maintain and strengthen their lying
alas
nephew
this is an evil cunning
of which life scathe and hurt may come thereof
I say not but that otherwhile men must jape
bawd and lie in small things
for who so says always truth
he may not now go nowhere through the world
there be many that play placebo
who so always say truth shall find many lettings in his way
men may well lie when it is need
and after amend it by counsel
for all trespasses there is mercy
there is no man so wise
but he despairs otherwhile

Grymbert
said

well
dear uncle
what thing shall you lead
ye know all things minutely
ye should bring me hastily to confusion
your reasons pass my understanding
what need have ye to shrive you?
ye should yourself by right be priest
and lead me and other sheep
come to you to be shriven
ye know the state of the world in suchwise
as no man may halt before you
with such manner talking
they come walking in the court

the Fox sorrowed somewhat in his heart

nevertheless
he bore it out
and striked forth through all the folk
til he came into the place where the King himself was
and Grymbert was always by the Fox
and said

uncle
be not afraid
and make good cheer
who that is hardy
the adventure helps him
ofttimes one day is better 
than sometimes a whole year

the Fox
said

nephew
ye say truth
God thank you 
ye comfort me well

and forth he went
and looked grimly here and there
as who says
what will ye 
here come I
he saw there many of his kin standing
which yonder
him but little good
as the Otter, Beaver
and other to the number of x.
whom I shall name afterward
and some there that loved him

the Fox came in
and fell down on his knees
before the King
and began his words
and spoke