The most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 18, 24 August 1848, Page 4

The most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox.

Chapter IV. The King's answer to the Cock's complaint, and how they sung the Dirge. Then spale the King, "Sir Grimbard, hear you this of your uncle the recluse? he hath fasted and prayed well; well, believe it. if I live a year, he shall dearly abide it: as for Chanticleer, yoni comp'aint is heard, and shall be cured ; to yoar daushter tbat is dead, we will nive ber the right of burial, and with solemn dirgrs bring her to the earth with worship; which we will consult with our lord's how to do you light a»>d ju tire against tbe murderer." Then began the Placebo Domine. with all the terses belonging to it, which are too many to recite; and ns soon as the dirge was done, iks body was interred, and upon it a fair marble stone laid, being polished as bright as glass, in which was engraven in great letters this inscription following r COPPLE, Chanticleer's daughter. Whom Reynard the fox hath slam, lieth here bur it d; Mourn thou that icadest it. f,r her death teas unjust av I lamentable. After this tbt Kiog sent for his 10-ds and widest counsellors to consult how this foul r urder of Reynard's might be punished. In the end it was concluded that Reynard should be sent for, and without all excuse to appear before the King to answer thote trespasses should be objected against him, and that this message sbou'd be delivered by Bruin the bear; to all this the King give consent, and calling hiui before him, said, '* Sir Brum, it is our pleasure that you deliver this message, yet in tbe delivery thereof have great regard to yourself, for Reynard is fall of poli< y, and knowttb. how to dissemble, flatter, and betray; he hath a world of snares to entangle you withal, and without great exercise of judgment, will make a mock and scorn of the best wißdom breathing." "My lord," answered Sir Bruin, " let me alone w'tb Reynard. I am not such truant in discretion, to become a mock to his knavery;" sud thus full of jollity the bear departed; it hvs return be as jivialt there is no fear in his well speediug.

Chaptfr V, How Brain the Bear fped with Reynard the Fox. The nest morning away went Bruin tbe bear iu quest of the fox, armed ag inst all plots of deceit whatsoever, and as be came through a dark forest, in which Reynard had a bye path, which he used when he was htinted, he saw a high mountain, over which he must pass to go to Mulepardus ; for though Reynard have many house?, yet Matepardus is his cbiefest and most ancient castle, and in it he lay both for defence and ease. Now at list when Bruin was come to Mulepardus, he found the gates close that, at which after be had knocked, silting on his tail* he called aloud, " Sir Reynard, are yon at home ? I am Bruin your kinsman, wh »m tbe King hath sent to summon you to the court, to answer man; foul accusations exhibited against you, and hath takrn a great tow, that if you fall to appear to this summons ibat your life shall answer your contempt, and your goods and honours shall lie confiscate at his highness mercy. Therefore, fair kioßman, he advised by your friend, and go with me to the court to shun the dinger that else prill (fall upon you." Reynard lying close by the gate, as his custom was for the warm sun's sake, hearing those words, departed into one of h»s holes, for Malepardua is full of many intricate and curious rooms, which hbyrhitlmUe he could paes through, when either his danger or the benefit of any prey required the same, where meditating awhile with himself how he might counterplot and bring the bear disgrace (whom he knew loved him not) and himself to honour; at last he came forth, and 6aid, ''Dear Uncle Bruin, you are ex edinsly Wf Irome; pardon my slowness in coming, fur at your first speech I was saying my even Bong, and devotion must notbe neglected: believemehehuih done jou no good service, nor do I thank him which hath tent you this weary and long journey, in uhich your much sweat and toil far exceeds the worth of the labour; certainly bad you not come, I had to-morrow been at (he court of my own accord, yet at this time my sorrow is much lessened, inasmuch as your counsel at this present may return me double benefit. Alas, cousin, could his majesty find no meaner a messenger than your noble self to employ m these trivial affairs ? Truly, it appears strange to mc, especially since, next his royal self, you are of greatest reuown Loth in blood and riches; (or my part I would we weie both at court, for I fear our journey will be exceeding trouble* some j for, to speak truth, since I made mine abstinence from flesh, I have eaten such strange new meats, that my body is very much distempered, and swelleth as if it would break." " Alas, dear cousin," tbe bear, '* what meat is that which maketh you M i" '* Unc'e," answered he, ''what will it profit ; to know ? The meat was simple and mean ; vi poor men are uo lorde, jou know, but] eat that r necessity which others eat for wantonuesß, yet not to delay you, that wh.ch I ate was honey comhs, great, full and mast pleasant, which, compelled by hanger, I ate to unmeasurably, and am thereby infinitely di&temp rjd." ** Ha," qu-ith Ervin, " honey cambs? Do yuu make such slight respect of them, nephew? Why it is meat for the greatest empe or in the world. Fair nephew, help me but to some of that honey, and command me whilst I live; for one little part thereof I ■will be your servant everlastingly.*' " inure," said the fox, " uncle, you but jest with me." " but jest with you," replied Bruin, " beshrew my heart idea, for 1 am in that serious earnest, that for one lick then a' r you shall make me the failhiuitst of all your kindred.' •* Nay," said the fox, " if you be in earnest, then know I will biius you where so much is, that ten ot y n shall not be able to devour at a meal, only for your love's take, which of all things I desire, uncle." " Not ten of us ?" said the bear, *' ic is impossible; for bad I all the honey bstwixt Hybln and Portugal, yet I would in a short space eat it tit myself." " Toen know, uncle," quoth the for, " that near at hand here dwelltth a husbandman named Lanfert. who is master of so much honey, th.it yon cannot consume in seven -\ear«, which for your lore and friendship's saLe 1 will put into your safe possession." Bruin. m&A upon the honey, swore, that to have one good meal thereof he would not only be Lis faithful Mend, but uUo fctop the mouths of hIJ his adversaries. Reynard smiling at his easy belief, said, "if jou will kavtfft.ven ton, unde, you shall have it." Thtsr wuda plc-.'cJ ihe bear so well, and made him so jil<a<aut, th.t be couli not ft.nd fur i«u~lniig. We 1, thought tbe fu\, ti i* is good luituue. sure I will lead him whire he *tull laugh moie measurably ; and then said, " Un*le. we niabt drlny no time, and I will spare no p*in your srA«, which fur none of oiy kin I would perform." The gave him mai y thanks, aud bo away they went, th<j fox pronging ; 6 inich honey ai be could bear, but meant an many s-rokes as he could undergo. In the end t&ey came lo Aci't/tTiV iwuie, the bight whereof made the bear re-

joice. This Lanfert was a Btout and lusty carpenter, : who the other day hart brought into his yard a great j oak, which, as their manner is, he began to cleave, j and had struck into it two wedges in Buch wise that tlie j cleft atood a great way open, at which the fox rejoiced ; much, for it was answerable ti his wish, so tbat with a j laughing countenance he said to the bear, " Behold now, dear uncle, and be careful of yourself, tor within this tree is so much honey that it is unraeasurable; try if you can get into it, yet good uncle eat moderately, for albeit the combs are sweet and good, yet a surfeit is dangerous, and may be troublesome to your body, which I would not for a world, since no harm can came to you but must be my own dishonour." '• Sorrow not for me, nephew Reynard," said the hear, "nor think me such a fool that I cannot temper mine appetite.' 1 "It is true, my best uncle, I was too bold j I pray you enter in at the end t and y.u *hall find your desire." The bear with all baste entered the tree, with his two feet forward, and thrust his head into the cleft, quite over the enrs, which when the fox perceived, he instantly ran and pulled the wedses out of the tree, so that he locked the bear fast therein, and tben neither flattery nor auger availed the bear ; for the nephew had by" his deceit brought tbe uncle into so false a prison tbat it was impossible by any art to free himselt of the same. Alas, what profited now his , great strength and valour ? Why they were both ! causes of more vexation; and finding himself destitute I of all relief, be begau to howl and bray, and with scratching and tumbling to make such a noise, that Lanfert, amazed, came hastily out of his house, having in his hand a sharp hook, whilst the bei<r lay wallowing and roaring within the tree 5 wbrcb tbe fox 1 afar off seeing, he taid to the bear in scorn, *' Is the ! honey good, uncle, which you eat? How do you? I Eat not too much, 1 beseech you; pleasant things are ! apt to surfeit, and you may hinder your journey to tbe c <urt: when Lanfert cometh, if your bcily be full, he ; will give j ou drink to digest it, and wash it down your tbroit." And having thus said, he went towards his castle. But by this lime, Lanfert, finding the be.ir last token in the tree, he ran to his neighbours, and desired thtm to come into bis yard, for there was a bear fast ta*eu there: which being noised through all the town, there was neither man, woman, nor child, but ran thither, some with one weapon, and some with another; as goad*, rakes, broomstaves, or what they could gather up. The priest bad the handle of the aose, the clerk tbe holy water sprinkler, and the priest's wife, dame Jullock. with her distaff, for she was then spinning; nay, tbe old beldames came that had ne'er a tooth in their heads. This army put Bruin into a great fear, being none but himself ro withstand them, aoJ hearing the clamour of tbe noise which came tt.underiug upon him, he wrestled and palled sn extremely, that he got out his head, but It ft b?hmd bim all tbe'skin, and his ears also; insomuch that never creature beheld a fouler or more deformed beast; for tha blood covering all bis face, and his hauds leaving the claws and skin behind them, nothing remained but uglraes*. It was an ill market the bear came to, for he lost both motion, and sight, feat and eyes; but notwithstanding this torment, Lanfert, the priest, and the whole parish came upon him, and so becud*elled him about his body part, that it might well be a warniug to all his misery, to know that even the weakest shall still go first to the wall. This the rear found by experience, for every one exercised the height of their fury upou bim; even HoughUn with the crooked leg. and Ludolph\ with the long broad nose, the ons with a leaden malt, and the o>her with an iron whip, all belashed poor Sir Bruin, not so mmh tnt Sir Btrtoiph with the loog fingers, Lanfert and Ortam did him more annoyance than all the .est, the one having a sharp Welsh hook, the other a crooked staff well leaded at the end, which he u-ed to play at stab ball withal; there was Birkin and Armes Able quack, Bane the priest with 1m staff, ami dame Jnliock his wife; all these bo belaboured tbe bear, that his life ! was in great danger. The poor hear in this massacre j sat and sighed extremely, groaning under the burden , of their strokes, of which Lanfert's were the greatest, , and thundered most dreadfully; fur dame Podye of ' Cusport was bis mother, and his father was Marob the I st e *le maker, a passing stout man when he was alone. Bruin received of him many showers of stones tiU Lanf t rt*s brother gushing before the rest with a st. ff, struck the bear in the head such a b"ow, that he could neither bear nur see, so that awaking from his astomshnient the bear leaped into tbe river adjoining, through a cluster of wives there standing together, of which he threw dive.-s into the water, which was large and deep, amongst whom the parson's wife was one ; which the parson seeing how she floated like a seamew, he left striking the bear, and cried to the rest of tbe company, " Help, oh help, Dame Jullock is in the water; help, both men and women; for whosoever save her, I will give free pardon of all their sins ami transgressions, and remit all penance imposed whatsoever." This heard, every one left the bear to help Dame Jullock, which as soon as the bear aa«, he cut tbe stream and swani away as fast as he could, but the pr.est with a great noise pursued him, crying in bis rage, *'Turn, villain, that I may be revenged of iVe ;" but the bear [.warn iu the strength of the stream, and respjeted not his calling, lor be was proud thi t he was so escaped from them : only he bitterly cursed the honsy tree and the fox, which had not only betra)el him, but had made him lose his hood from his face and bis gloves from his fingers. In this sort he swam some three miles down the water, ( n which time he giew so weary, that he went ou land to get ease, where blood trickled down his face, he groaned, sighed, and drew his breath so Bhort, as if his list hour had been expiring. Now while these things were in doing, the fox in his way home stole a fat hej, and thi.* her into bis mail, and ruueing through a bye path, that uo one might perce.ve him, he came towaids the river with iufinite joy; for he suspected that the bear was certiinly slain; therefore said to h'umelf, " My fortune is as I wished it, for the greatest enemy 1 had in the court is now dead, nor can any man suspect me guilty thereof." But as he spake these words, looking towards the river, he espied where Bruin the near lay and rested, nhicb struck his heart with grief, and he railed against Lanfert the carpenter, s ying, *' Silly fjol that thou art, what madman would hive lost such good *enisim, especiilly being so fat and wholesome, for he was taken to his hand ; any man would have been proud of the fortune which thou neg'ectest." Thus iretting and cbidiiig, he came to the nver, where he found the bear all wounded and b oody, uf which Reynard waa only guilty; >rt in scorn he said to the bear, "Monsieur, Dieu vous garde" ■' 0 thou foul red villain," said the bear to himself* what impudence is like to this ?" But the fox went on with his speech, and sad, ** Wb.t uncle ? have you forgot anything at Lanfert's, or have you paid him for the honey combs you stole ? If you have not, it will ndound mucu to your disgrace, which before you shall unJergo, I will pay him for them myself; sure the honey was txctl'ent good, and I know nruch more of the same puce. Gjud uncle, tell me before 1 go, into what order do you mean to enter, that yiu weir this new fash.omd huod ? Will yuu be a nO'k, an uhoot, ur a|trur.' > Surely he that shaved y, ui <;rown bath cropp*d your oars ; alas, your fur,'top is lost, and your gluvt-a are gone ; tie, sloven, go

not bare-handed, they siy you can stop peccavi rarely." These taunts mtde Bruin mad with iage, but because he could not take revenge, he was content to let him talk his pleasure, then after a small rest he plunged again into the river, and swam down the stream, and anded on the other side, where he began with much grief to meditate how he might get to the court, for he bad lost his ears, his talons, and all the skin off his feft, so that had a thousand deaths followed him he could not go; and yet of necessity he most move, that in the end compelled by extremity, he set his tail on the ground, and tumbled his body over and so by degrees, tumbling now half a mile, and then half a mile, in th*e end he tumb'ed to the court, where divers beholding his strange manner of approach, they thought some prodigy had come towards them ; but in the end the kins knew him, and prew angry, siiying, "It is Sir Bruin, my servant, what villains have wounded him thus, or where hath he been that he brings his death thus along with him ?" «' O my dreud sovereign Lord the King,'* cried* out the bear, ** I complain me grievously unto you; behold how I am massacred, which I humbly beseech you revenge on that false Reynard, who, for doins your royal pleasure, hath brought me to this disgrace aud slaughter." Then said the king, " How dnrst he do this ? Now by my crown I swear I will take the revenge which shall make the traitor tremble 1" Whereupon the king set.t for all bis council, and consisted how, and in what sort to persecute against the fox, when it was generally concluded, that he should be again summoned to appear and answer bis trespasses; and the paity to summon him they appointed to he Tybert the cat, as well for hi? gravity as his wisdom ; all which pleased the Krag well. END 07 CHAP. V.