(35) E1 verso-E2r (Page 66-67)

66 The Fabillis

Oftymis is sene ane man of small degre,
Hes quit ane commoun baith for gude and ill.
As lord hes done rigour, or grace him till.

Quha wait how sone ane lord of grit renoun,
Rolland in wardlie lust, and vane plesance,
May be ouerthrawin, destroyit, and put doun,
Throw fals fortoun? Quhilk of all variance
Is haill maistres, and leidar of the dance
Till iniust men, and blindis thame so soir.
That thay na perrell can prouyde befoir.

Thir rurall men, that stentit hes the net,
In quhilk the lyoun suddandlie wes tane:
Waittit alway amendis for to get.
For hurt men wrytis in the marbill stane
Mair till expound, as now I lett allane.
Bot king and lord may weill wit quhat I mene:
Figure heirof oftymis hes bene sene.

Quhen this wes said quod esope my fair child,
Perswaid the kirkmen ythandly to pray,
That tressoun of this cuntrie be exyld,
And iustice regne, and lordis keip thair fay
Vnto thair souerane lord baith nycht and day.
And with that word he vanist, and I woke.
Syne throw the schaw my iourney hamewart tuke.

Finis.

The preiching of the swallow.

The hie prudence, and wirking meruelous,

The profound wit off God omnipotent,

Off Esope. 67

Is sa perfyte and sa ingenious
Excellent far all mannis iugement.
For quhy to him all thing is ay present,
Rycht as it is, or ony tyme sall be,
Befoir the sicht off his diuinitie.

Thairfoir our saull with sensualitie,
So fetterit is in presoun corporall,
We may not cleirlie vnderstand, nor se
God, as he is, nor thingis celestiall,
Our mirk and deidlie corps naturall,
Blindis the spirituall operatioun,
Lyke as ane man wer bundin in presoun.

In metaphisik aristotell sayis,
That mannis saull is lyke ane bakkis ee,
Quhilk lurkis still, als lang as licht off day is,
And in the gloming cummis furth to fle.
Hir ene ar waik, the sone scho may not se.
Sa is our saull with fantasie opprest,
To knaw the thingis in nature manifest.

For God is in his power infinite:
And mannis saull is febill, and ouer small,
Off vnderstanding waik, and vnperfite
To comprehend him that contenis all.
Nane suld presume be ressoun naturall
To seirche the secreitis off the trinitie,
Bot trow fermelie, and lat all ressoun be.