The Historye of Reynard the Foxe/capitulo .iiii.

How grymbart the dasse the foxes susters sone spack for reynart and answerd to fore the kynge
capitulo .iiii.

Tho spack Grymbart the dasse / and was Reynarts suster sone with an angrey moed / Sir Isegrym that is euyl sayd it is a comyn prouerbe An Enemyes mouth / saith seeld wel / what leye ye / and wyte ye myn Eme Reynart / I wold that ye wolde venture that who of yow tweyne had moste trespaced to other sholde hange by the necke as a theef on a tree / But and yf he were as wel in this court and as wel wyth the kynge as ye be / it shold not be thought in hym / that it were ynowh / that ye shold come and aske hym forgyueness ye haue byten and nypte myn vncle wyth your felle and sharp teeth many mo tymes than I can telle / yet wil I telle some poyntes that I wel knowe / knowe not ye how ye mysdeled on the plays / which he threwe doun fro the carre / whan ye folowed after from ferre / And ye ete the good plays allone / and gaf hym than the grate or bones / whyche ye myght not ete your self / In lyke wyse dyde ye to hym also of the fatte vlycche of bacon / whiche sauord so wel / that ye allone ete in your bely / and whan myn Eme askyd his parte / tho answerd ye hym agayn in scorne / Reynart fayr yonglyng I shal gladly gyue you your part / but myn eme gate ne had nought / ne was not the better / Notwithstandyng he had wonnen the flycche of bacon wyth grete drede / ffor the man cam and threw hym in a sacke / that he scarsely cam out wyth his lyf / Suche maner thynges hath reynart many tymes suffred thurgh ysegrym.

O ye lordes thynke ye that this is good / yet is ther more / he complayneth how that Reynart myn eme hath moche trespaced to hym by cause of his wyf / Myn Eme hath leyn by her but that is wel seuen yer to fore / er he wedded her / and yf reynart for loue and curtosye dyde with her his wille / what was that / She was sone heled therof / hierof by ryght shold be no complaynt were Isegrym wyse. he shold haue lefte that he doth to hym self no worshyp thus to sklaundre his wyf / She playneth not / now maketh kywaert the hare acomplaynt also / that thynketh me a vyseuase / yf he rede ne lerned a ryght his lesson / sholde not reynard his maister bete hym therfore / yf the scolers were not beten ne smyten and reprised of their truantrye / they shold neuer lerne /

Now complayneth Courtoys that he with payne had goten a puddyng in the wynter / at suche tyme as the coste is euyl to fynde Therof hym had be better to haue holde his pees / for he had stolen it / Male quesisti et male perdidisti hit is ryght that it be euil loste / that is euil wonne who shal blame Reynart / yf he haue taken fro a theef stolen good hit is reson who that vnderstandeth the lawe can discerne the right / and that he be of hye burthe as myn Eme reynart is whiche knowethe wel how he shall resseyue stolen good / yet al had he courtoys hanged whan he fonde hym with the menowr / he had not moche mysdon no trespaced / Sauf ayenst the crowne / that he had don justyse wythoute leue wherfore for the honour of the kynge he did it not / all hath he but lytyl thanks / what skathed it hym that he is thus complayned on / Myn Eme is a gentil and a trewe man he may suffre no falshede / he doth nothyng but by his prestes counseyl And I say yow syth that my lorde the kynge hath do proclamed his pees he neuer thoughte to hurte ony man / ffor he eteth no more than ones a day / he lyueth as a recluse / he chastiseth his body and wereth a sherte of heer / hit is more than a yere that he hath eten no flesshe / as I yesterday herd saye of them that cam fro hym he hath lefte and geuen ouer his Castel maleperduys / And hath bylded a cluse / theryn dwelleth he / and hunteth nomore / ne desyreth no wynninge but he lyueth by almesse and taketh nothing but suche as men gyue hym for charyte and doth grete penance for his synnes / and his is woxen moche pale and lene of prayeng and wakyng ffor he wolde be fayn wyth god /

Thus as grymbert his eme stode and preched thise wordes / so sawe they comen doun the hylle to hem chauntecler the cock and brought on abiere a deed henne of whom reynart had byten the heed of / and that muste be shewed to the kynge for to haue knowleche therof.