(11) B1 verso-B2r (Page 18-19)

18 The Fabillis

Wer I into the kith that I come fra,
For weill nor wo, I suld neuer cum agane.
With that scho tuke hir leif and furth can ga,
Quhylis throw the corne, and quhylis throw the plane,
Quhen scho wes furth and fre scho wes full fane.
And merilie markit vnto the mure.
I can not tell how efterwart scho fure.

Bot I hard say scho passit to hir den,
Als warme as woll suppose it wes not greit,
Full beinly stuffit, baith but and ben,
Off peiis and nuttis, beiinis, ry, and quheit.
Quhen euer scho list scho had aneuch to eit,
In quyet and eis withoutin ony dreid,
Bot to hir sisteris feist na mair scho zeid.

Moralitas.

Freindis heir may ze find will ze tak heid,
In this fabill ane gude moralitie.
As fitchis myngit ar with nobill seid,
Swa intermellit is aduersitie,
With eirdlie ioy, swa that na estate is frie
Without trubill or sum vexatioun,
And namelie thay quhilk clymmis vp maist hie,

And not content with small possessioun.

Blissed be sempill lyfe withoutin dreid.
Blissed be sober feist in quietie.
Quha hes aneuch of na mair hes he neid,
Thocht it be littill into quantatie,

Off Esope 19

Grit aboundance and blind prosperitie,
Oftymes makis ane euill conclusioun:
The sweitest lyfe thairfoir in this cuntrie,
Is sickernes with small possession

O wantoun man that vsis for to feid,
Thy wambe and makis it a God to be.
Luke to thy self I warne the weill on deid,
The cat, cummis and to the mous, hes ee.
Quhat is avale thy feist and royaltie,
With dreidfull hart, and tribulatioun.
Thairfoir best thing in eird, I say for me,
Is merry hart, with small possessioun.

Thy awin fyre, my freind, sa it be bot ane gleid
It warmis weill, and is worth gold to the.
And solomon sayis gif that thow will reid,
Vnder the heuin I can not better se,
Than ay be blyith and leif in honestie.
Quhairfoir I may conclude be this ressoun,
Of eirthly ioy it beiris maist degre.
Blyithnes in hart with small possessioun.

Finis.

The taill of schir chantecleir
and the foxe.

Thocht brutall beistis be irrationall,
That is to say wantand discretioun.
Zyt ilk ane in thair kyndis naturall.
Hes mony diuers inclinatioun.