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104 The Fabillis

Bot sikkerlie now sall we not disseuer.
Than be the crag bane smertlie he him tuke,
Or euer he ceissit, and it in schunder schuke.

Moralitas.

Esope that poet first father of this fabill

Wrait this parabole quhilk is conuenient.
Because the sentence wes fructuous and agreabill,
In moralitie exemplatiue prudent.
Quhais problemes bene verray excellent,
Throw similitude of figuris to this day,
Geuis doctrine to the redaris of it ay.

Heir may thow se, that riches of array,
Will cause pure men presumpteous for to be.
Thay think thay hald of nane be thay als gay,
Bot counterfute ane lord in all degre.
Out of thair cais in pryde thay clym sa hie,
That thay forbeir thair better in na steid,
Quhill sum man tit thair heillis ouer thair heid.

Richt swa in seruice vther sum exceidis,
And thay haif withgang, welth, and cherising,
That thay will lychtlie lordis in thair deidis,
And lukis not to thair blude, nor thair ofspring.
Bot zit nane wait, how lang that reull will ring.
Bot he was wyse, that bad his sone considder.
Bewar in welth, for hall benkis ar rycht slidder.

Thairfoir I counsell men of euerilk stait,
To knaw thame self, and quhome thay suld forbeir.
And fall not with thair better in debait,
Suppois thay be als galland in thair geir.

Off Esope, 105

It settis na seruand for to vphald weir,
Nor clym sa hie, quhill he fall of the ledder.
Bot think vpon the wolf, and on the wedder.

Finis.

The taill of the wolf, and the lamb

Ane cruell volff, richt rauenous, and fell,
Vpon ane tyme past to ane reueir.
Descending from ane rotche, vnto ane well.
To slaik his thrist, drank of the watter cleir.
Swa vpon cace, ane selie lamb come neir.
Bot of his fa, the volff, na thing he wist.
And in the streme laipit to cule his thrist.

Thus drank thay baith, bot not of ane intent.
The volfis thocht wes all on wickitnes.
The selie lamb, wes meik, and innocent,
Vpon the reuer, in ane vther place,
Beneth the volff, he drank ane lytill space,
Quhill him thocht gude, presomyng thair nane ill,
The volff this saw, and rampand come him till.

With girnand teith, and angrie austre luke,
Said to the lamb, thow catiue wretchit thing.
How durst thow be sa bald, to fyle this bruke,
Quhar I suld drink, with thy foull slauering?
It wer almous the for to draw and hing,
That suld presume, with thy foull lippis wyle,

To glar my drink, and this fair watter fyle.