The Historye of Reynard the Foxe/capitulo .vi.
How the kyng spack touchyng this complaynt
capitulo .vi.
Thenne spack the kynge / Syre dasse here ye this wel of the recluse your Eme / he hath fasted and and prayde / that yf I lyve a yere he shal abye it / nowe hearke Chauntecler / your playnt is ynough / your doughter that lyeth here dede / we wyl gyve to her the dethes right / we may kepe her no lenger / we wil betake her to God / we wylle syngen here vygylie / and brynge her worshipfully on erthe / and thenne we wille speke wyth thise lordes / and take counseyl / how we may do ryght and justyse of thys grete murdre, and brynge this fals theef to the lawe / Tho begonne they Placebo Domino / with the verses that to longen whiche yf I shold saye / were me to longe / Whan this vigilye was don / and the commendacion / she was leyde in the pytte / and ther upon was leyde a marble stone polyshed as clere as ony glas and theron was hewen in grete lettres in this wyse / Coppe / Chauntekelers doughter / whom Reynart the foxe hath byten lyeth hier under buryed / complayne ye her for / she is shamefully comen to her deth /
After this / the kynge sente for his lordes and wysest of his counseyl for to take advys / how this grete murdre and trespaas shold be punyshyd on Reynart the foxe / Ther was concluded and apoynted for the beste / that Reynart shold be sent for / and that he lefte not for ony cause / but he came into the kynges court / for to here wat shold be sayd to hym / and that Bruyn the bere shold do the message / The king thought that alle this was good / and said to Brune the bere / Syr Brune / I wyl that ye doo this message / but / see wel to for your self / for Reynart is a shrewe / and felle / and knoweth so many wyles / that he shal lye and flatre / and shal thynke how he may begyle / deceyve / and brynge yow to some mockerye / Tho sayd Brune / what good lord late it allone / deceyveth me the foxe / so have I ylle lerned my casus / I trowe he shal come to late to mocque me / Thus departed Brune meryly fro thens / but it is to drede that he cam not so meryly agayn /