DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0281
253
the Fox; 1181.] WILLIAM CAXTON.
raasse to fore reynart, for he shal goo on pylg*remage, and gyue to
hym male and staf, the ram answerd agayn and said, my lord I darc
not do that, ffor he hath said that he is in the popes curse, the kynge
said, what therof, mayster gelys hath said to vs, yf a man had doo as
many synnes as al the world, and he wold tho synnes forsake, shryue
hem & resseyue penance, and do by the prestes counseyi, god wil
forgyue them and be mercyful vnto hym now wil reynard goo ouer the
see into the holy lande & make hym clere of al his synnes/ &c.
Sign. d 8.
But the innate wickedness of Reynard is not to be subdued by
contrition for the past, or by pious resolves for the future. He
returns to his old practices, as we find in the following chapter. There
is great archness in the conclusion :
4 How Kywart the hare was slayn by the foxe Cap°. xx°.
«Whan the foxe was come to the yate of his hows he sayde to bellyn
the ramme, cosyn ye shal abide here withoute, I and Ky vvart wille goo
in ffor I wille praye kywart to helpe me to take my leue of ermelyn my
wyf, and to conforte lier and my children, bellyn sayde I praye hym to
comforte them wel, wyth suche flateryng wordes brought he the hare
in to his hole in an euyl hour, there fonde they dame ermelyn lyeng
on the grounde with her yonglyngis, whiche had sorowed moche ffor
drede of reynarts deth, but whan she sawe hym come she was glad,
but whan she sawe his male and palster, and espyed his shoes, she
meruailled and sayd dere reynar, how haue ye spedd, he sayd I was
arestid in the court, But the kynge lete me gon, I muste goo a pilgri-
mage, Bruyn the bere and ysegrym the wulf they be plegge for me, I
thanke the kynge, he hath gyuen to vs kywart hier, ffor to do with
hym what we wyl, The kynge saide hym self that kywart was the first
that on vs complayned, And by the fayth that I owe yow I am right
wroth on kywart, whan kywart herde thise wordes he was sore aferde,
He wold haue fledde, but he myght not, ffor the foxe stode bytwene
hym and the yate, And he caught hym by the necke, Tho cryed the
hare helpe bellyn helpe, where be ye This pilgryme sleeth me, but that
crye was sone doon, for the foxe had anon byten liis throte a two,
Tho sayd he late vs go ete this good fatte hare, the yonge whelpes
cam also, Thus helde they a grete feste, ffor kywart had a good fatte
body, ermelyn ete the flessh and dranke the blood, she thanked ofte
the kynge that he had made them so mery, The foxe said ete as moche
as ye maye, he wil pay for it, yf we wil feche it.’ Sign. e 1, 2.
the Fox; 1181.] WILLIAM CAXTON.
raasse to fore reynart, for he shal goo on pylg*remage, and gyue to
hym male and staf, the ram answerd agayn and said, my lord I darc
not do that, ffor he hath said that he is in the popes curse, the kynge
said, what therof, mayster gelys hath said to vs, yf a man had doo as
many synnes as al the world, and he wold tho synnes forsake, shryue
hem & resseyue penance, and do by the prestes counseyi, god wil
forgyue them and be mercyful vnto hym now wil reynard goo ouer the
see into the holy lande & make hym clere of al his synnes/ &c.
Sign. d 8.
But the innate wickedness of Reynard is not to be subdued by
contrition for the past, or by pious resolves for the future. He
returns to his old practices, as we find in the following chapter. There
is great archness in the conclusion :
4 How Kywart the hare was slayn by the foxe Cap°. xx°.
«Whan the foxe was come to the yate of his hows he sayde to bellyn
the ramme, cosyn ye shal abide here withoute, I and Ky vvart wille goo
in ffor I wille praye kywart to helpe me to take my leue of ermelyn my
wyf, and to conforte lier and my children, bellyn sayde I praye hym to
comforte them wel, wyth suche flateryng wordes brought he the hare
in to his hole in an euyl hour, there fonde they dame ermelyn lyeng
on the grounde with her yonglyngis, whiche had sorowed moche ffor
drede of reynarts deth, but whan she sawe hym come she was glad,
but whan she sawe his male and palster, and espyed his shoes, she
meruailled and sayd dere reynar, how haue ye spedd, he sayd I was
arestid in the court, But the kynge lete me gon, I muste goo a pilgri-
mage, Bruyn the bere and ysegrym the wulf they be plegge for me, I
thanke the kynge, he hath gyuen to vs kywart hier, ffor to do with
hym what we wyl, The kynge saide hym self that kywart was the first
that on vs complayned, And by the fayth that I owe yow I am right
wroth on kywart, whan kywart herde thise wordes he was sore aferde,
He wold haue fledde, but he myght not, ffor the foxe stode bytwene
hym and the yate, And he caught hym by the necke, Tho cryed the
hare helpe bellyn helpe, where be ye This pilgryme sleeth me, but that
crye was sone doon, for the foxe had anon byten liis throte a two,
Tho sayd he late vs go ete this good fatte hare, the yonge whelpes
cam also, Thus helde they a grete feste, ffor kywart had a good fatte
body, ermelyn ete the flessh and dranke the blood, she thanked ofte
the kynge that he had made them so mery, The foxe said ete as moche
as ye maye, he wil pay for it, yf we wil feche it.’ Sign. e 1, 2.