(19) C1 verso-C2r (Page 34-35)

34 The fabillis

Quhill at the last, he saw quhair lowrence lay.
Ane bow he bent, ane flane with fedderis gray.
He haillit to the heid, and or he steird,
The foxe he prikkit fast vnto the eird.

Now quod the foxe allace and wellaway.
Gorrit I am, and may na forther gane.
Me think na man may speik ane word in play,
Bot now on dayis, in ernist it is tane.
The hird him hynt and out he drew his flane.
And for his kid, and vther violence,
He tuke his skyn, and maid ane recompence.

Moralitas.

This suddand deith, and vnprouysit end,
Of this fals tod, without contritioun,
Exempill is exhortand folk to mend.
For dreid of sic ane lyke conclusioun,
For mony gois now to confessioun,
Can not repent, nor for thair sinnis greit,
Because thay think thair lustie lyfe sa sweit.

Sum bene also throw consuetude and ryte,
Vincust with carnall sensualitie.
Suppose thay be as for the tyme contryte,
Can not forbeir, nor fra thair sinnis fle.
Vse drawis nature swa in propertie,
Of beist and man, that neidlingis thay man do,
As thay of lang tyme hes bene hantit to.

Of Esope. 35

Be war gude folke, and feir this suddane schoit,
Quhilk smytis sair withoutin resistence.
Attend wyislie, and in zour hartis noit.
Aganis deith may na man mak defence,
Ceis of zour sin, remord zour conscience,

Do wilfull pennance here and ze sall wend,
Efter zour deith, to blis withouttin end.

Finis.

The taill of the sone & air of the foir-
said foxe, callit father wer: Alswa
the parliament of fourfuttit beistis,
haldin be the lyoun.

This forsaid foxe, that deit for his misdeid,
Had not ane barne wes gottin richteouslie,
That to his airschip micht of law succeid,
Except ane sone, the quhilk in lemanrye,
He gottin had in purches priuelie.
And till his name wes callit father war,
That luifit weill with pultrie to tig and tar.

It followis weill be ressoun naturall,
And gre be gre, off richt comparisoun:
Off euill cummis war: off war cummis werst of all.
Off wrangus get cummis wrang successioun.
This foxe bastard of generatioun,
Off verray kynde behuifit to be fals.
Swa wes his father, and his grandschir als.