(60) H2 verso-H3 recto (Page 116-117)

116 The Fabillis

And with ane wisk, or owthir off thame wist,
He claucht his cluke betuix thame in the threid,
Syne to the land he flew with thame gude speid,
Fane off that fang, pyipand with mony pew:
Syne lowsit thame, and baith but pietie slew.

Syne bowellit thame, that boucheour with his bill
And bellieflaucht full fettislie thame fled.
Bot all thair esche wald scant be half ane fill,
And guttis als vnto that gredie gled.
Off thair debait, thus quhen I hard outred,
He tuke his flicht, and ouer the feildis flaw.
Giff this be trew, speir ze at thame that saw.

Moralitas.

My brother, gif thow will tak aduertence,
Be this fabill thow may persaue and se.
It passis far all kynd of pestilence,
Ane wickit mynd. With wordis fair and sle.
Be war thairfore, with quhome thow fallowis the.
For thow wer better beir of stane the barrow,
Or sueitand dig and delf quhill thow may dre,
Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow.

Ane fals intent vnder ane fair pretence,
Hes causit mony innocent for to de.
Grit folie is to gif ouer sone credence,
To all that speiks fairlie vnto the.
Ane silkin toung, ane hart of crueltie,

Off Esope. 117

Smytis more sore, than ony schot of arrow.

Brother, gif thow be wyse, I reid the fle,
To matche the with ane thrawart fenzeit marrow.

I warne the als, it is grit nekligence,
To bind the fast, quhair thow wes frank and fre.
Fra thow be bund, thow may mak na defence,
To saif thy lyfe, nor zit thy libertie.
This simpill counsall, brother, tak at me,
And it to cun perqueir, se thow not tarrow.
Better but stryfe to leif allane in le,
Than to be matchit with ane wickit marrow.

This hald in mynd, rycht more I sall the tell,
Quhair by thir beistis may be figurate.
The paddok vsand in the flude to duell,
Is mannis bodie, swymand air and late,
In to this warld with cairis implicate.
Now hie, now law, quhylis plungit vp, quhylis doun.
Ay in perrell, and reddie for to droun.

Now dolorus, now blyth, as bird on breir:
Now in fredome, now wardit in distres.
Now haill and sound, now deid and brocht on beir:
Now pure as iob, now rowand in riches:
Now gounis gay, now brats laid in pres.
Now full as fische, now hungrie as ane hound.
Now on the quheill, now wappit to the ground.

This lytill mous, heir knit thus be the schyn.
The saull of man betakin may in deid.
Bundin, and fra the bodie may not twyn,
Quhill cruell deith cum brek of lyfe the threid.