He that will win, he must venture.

 

Capitulo xij. How Reynard shrove himself.

When Reynard and Grymbert
had gone a while together
then said Reynard

great cousin
now am I in great fear
for I go in dread and jeopardy
of my life
I have so much repentance
for my sins
that I will shrive me
dear cousin
to you
here is none other priest
to be found
if I were shriven of my sins
my soul should be the clearer

Grymbert answered

Uncle
will ye shrive you
then must ye promise first
to leave your stealing and roving

Reynard said
that wist he well

now hark
dear cousin
what I shall say

confiteor tibi
pater

of all the misdeeds
I have done
and gladly 
will receive penance for them

Grymbert said

what say ye?
will ye shrive you?
then say it in English
that I may understand you

Reynard said

I have trespassed
against all the beasts that live
in especial against Bruyn the Bear
mine uncle
whom I made his crown all bloody
and taught Tybert the Cat to catch mice
for a made her leap in a snare
where she was all beaten

also
I have trespassed greatly
against Chanticlere
with his children
for I have made him part
from a great deal of them

the King is not gone without
I have slandered him
and the Queen
many times
that they shall never be clear thereof

yet have I beguiled
Ysegrym the Wolf
oftener than I can tell well
I have called him uncle
but that was to deceive him
he is nothing of my kin

I made him a monk
Eelmare
where I myself also became one
and that was to his hurt
and no profit
I bound his feet to the bell rope
the ringing of the bell
thought him so good
that he would learn to ring
whereof he had shame
for he rang so sore
that all the folk in the street
were afraid thereof
and marvelled
what might be on the bell
and ran thither
where he had come
to take orders
wherefore he was beaten
almost to the death
after this
I taught him to catch fish
where he received many a stroke
also
I led him to the richest priest's house
that was in Vermedos
this priest had a pantry
wherein hung many a good flitch of bacon
wherein many a time
I was wont to fill my belly
in this pantry
I had made a hole
in which I made Ysegrym to creep
these found he tubs with beef
and many good flitches of bacon
whereof he ate so much without measure
that he might not come out at the hole
where he went in
his belly was so great and full of the meat
and when he entered
his belly was small
I went into the village
and made there a great shout and noise
yet hark what I did
then I ran to the priest
where he sat at the table and ate
and had before him 
as fat a capon as a man might find
that capon caught I
and ran my way therewith
all that I might
the priest cried out
and said

take and slay the fox!
truly
never man saw more wonder
the fox comes in my house
and takes my capon from my table
where saw ever man a hardier thief?

and as me thought
he took his table knife
and cast it at me
but he touched me not
I ran away
he shoved the table from him
and followed me
crying

kill and slay him!

I go forth and they after
and many more came after
which all thought to hurt me
I ran so long 
that I came where Isegrym was
and there I let fall the capon
for it was too heavy for me
and against my will I left it there
and then I sprang through a hole
where I would be
and as the priest took up the capon
he espied Isegrym
and cried

smite down here
friends!
here is the thief
the wolf
see well that he escape us not!

they ran altogether
with stocks and staves
and made a great noise
that all the neighbours came out
and gave him many a shrewd stroke
and threw at him great stones
in such wise that he fell down
as he had been dead
they knocked him out
and drew him over stones
and over blocks
without the village
and threw him into a ditch
and there he lay all the night

I knew never how he came thence
I had him
as much as I made him fill his belly
swear he would be my help 
a whole year
then led I him
to a place where I told him
there were vij. hens and a cock
which sat on a perch
and were much fat
and there stood a shuttered window
and we climbed there up

I said to him
if he would believe me
and that he would creep into the window
he should find many fat hens
Isegrym went all laughing
to the window
and crept a little in
and tasted here and there
and at last
he said to me

Reynard
you banter and jape with me
for what I seek I find not

then

said I

uncle
if ye will find
creep further in
he that will win
he must venture
and labour
they that want to sit there
I have them away

thus I made him to seek further in
and shoved him forth so far
that he fell down upon the floor
for the perch was narrow
and he fell so great a fall
that they sprang up all that slept
and they that lay next the fire
cried that the shutter was open
and something was fallwn
and they wist not what it might be
they rose up and lit a candle
and when they saw him
they smitten
beaten and wounded him
to the death

I have brought him thus
in many a jeopardy
more than I can now reckon
I should find many more
if I me well bethought
which I shall tell you hereafter

also
I have bydryven
with dame Erswynde
his wife
I would I had not done it
I am sorry for it
it is to her great shame
and that me repents

Grymbert said

uncle
I understand you not
ye shrive you 
as though ye held somewhat behind
I know not what ye mean
nor where ye have learned this language

he said

I have trespassed with his wife

ach
dear uncle

it were great shame
if I should say it openly 
as it happed
I have laid with my aunt
I am your uncle
I should anger you
it I spake violence of women

nephew
now have I told you all
that I can think on
set me penance
and absolve me
for I have great repentance

Grymbert was subtle and wise
he brake a rod of a tree
and said

uncle
now shall ye smite yourself thrice
with this rod on your body
and then lay it down upon the ground
and spring three times thereover
without bending of your legs
and without stumbling
and then shall ye take it up
and kiss it friendly
in token of meekness and obedience
of your penance
that I gave you
herewith be you free of all sins
that ye have done to this day
for I forgive it you all

the Fox
was glad

then

said Grymbert
to his uncle

uncle
see now forth on
that ye do good works
read your psalms
go to church
fast and keep your holy days
and give your alms
and leave your sinful and ill life
your theft and your treason
and so may ye come to mercy

the Fox promised
that he would so do
and then went they both together
to the court

a little beside the way
as they went
stood a cloister of black nuns
where many geese
hens and capons
went without the walls
by the barn went the poultry
the Fox espied them
and saw a fat young capon
which went alone from his fellows
and leapt and caught him
that the feathers flew about his ears
but the capon escaped

Grymbert said

what!
uncle
cursed man
what will ye do?
will ye for one of these pullets
fall again in all your sins
of which ye have shriven you?
ye ought sore repent you

Reynard answered

truly
cousin
I had all forgotten
pray God 
that he forgive it me
for I will never do so more

then turned they again
over a little bridge
yet the Fox always looked after the poultry
he could not refrain himself
that which cleaved by the bone
might not out of the flesh
though he should be hanged
he could not let the looking after the poultry
as far as he might see them

Grymbert saw his manner
and said

foul false deceiver!
how go your eyes so after the poultry?

the Fox said

cousin
ye mis-do to say to me any such words
ye bring me out of my devotion and prayers
let me say a pater noster
for all the fowls of poultry and geese
that I have betrayed
and often with falsehood stolen
from these holy nuns

Grymbert was not a-well paid
but the Fox had ever his eyes
toward the poultry
til at last they came in the way again
and then turned they to the court
how sore quaked then Reynard
when they approached the court
for he wist that he had to answer
to many a foul feat and theft he had done