Literary Extracts.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 September 1848, Page 3

Literary Extracts.

The most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. Chapter XII. How Reynard made his confession before the King. Every creature now took compassion on the fox, and said his request was small, beseeching the Kin? to grant it, \v bich was done; and then the fox thus spake : •• Help me. Heaveu, for I see no man here whom I have not offended; yei was this evil nu natural inclination in me, for in my youth 1 was accounted as virtuous as any breathing. This know, ( have played with the lambs all the day long, and took delight in their pretty bleating, yet at last in my play I bit one, and the taste of their blood was so sweet unto me, that I approved the flesh, and both were so sweet that since I could never forbear it. This liquorish buuiuur drew me into the woods among the goats, where hearing the bleating of the little kids, 1 slew one of them, and after, two more, which slaughter made me so hardy, that then I fell to murder hens, geese, and other poultry. Aud thus my crimes increased by custom, and fury so possessed me, that all »as fish which cams to iny net. After this, in the winter suanou, I met with Isegrim, where, us he lay hid under a hollow tr«-e, he unfolded unto ma how ha was my uncle, ami laid the pedigree down so phin, that from that da forth we became fellows and companion ; which kno of friendship I mi) ever curse, for then began tha flood of our thefts md slaughters; he stole »he great things, 1 the small; he murdered nobles, I the mean subjects ; and in all our actions his share was still ever the greatest; when be got a ram, a calf, or wether, his fury would hardly aifjril me the hums to pick on ; nay, when he lud an ox, or a cow, after himself, his \>ite, and his seven children were served, nutbmi; remained to me bat the bare bones to pick on. This I speak not in that I wanted (for it ia well known 1 Uave more pMe, jtwe {», and coin, than twenty curts are able to iurrv), hut only to sbe»v his ingratitude." Wiieu the Kiig heard him speak of tl.u infinite treasure and ucbts, Ins hear' grew infltmed wjtu a desire thereof, and he «oid *'Reynard, wlwe is that trea&uro you sj>e«k of? ' Tbe fox uuswered, *' My Lord, I shall willingly tellycu, for it is true th« wealth was stolen, and had it not been stolen m 'hat manner winch it was, it had cos; your highness your life (which heaven 1 bfseerh >ou keep ever tu their protectionJ.*' When ihe Queen heard that dangerous tpocc'i, t,bo started, and and, " Whnt dangers are tht.-e you «ak ck, Reynard t Ido command ufyu

health, to unfold these" doubtful speeches* and to keep BOthing concealed which concerns the life of my dread lord." The fox, with a sorrowful and sad countenance, replied to the Queen, 44 O my dread sovereign lady, at •?rhat infinite ease were I, if I m'ehtdieat this but, gracious Madam*your conjuration and the health of my own soul ao prevailetb with me, that 1 will discharge my conscience, and yet speak nothing but what I will make good with the hazard of my life. 5s true, the King shoald have been pitenu»!y murder ed by bis own people, and I must confess by thos 6 my dearest kind'ed, whom I am unwilling to accuse. did not the health of my own soul and my fealty to the King command the contrary.'' The King, much perplexed at this discovery, 'aid, " J* this true, Reynard. , which you protest ?" The fnx answered, i( Alas, my ! dread Lord, yon see the case wherein I stand, and liow small a sand is left in my poor glass to run ; can j your matesfy imagine I will now dissemMe ? What 1 can the whole world avail me. when my soul periibeth?" and at that be trembled, and looked so pitifully, that the Queen bad great compassion of him, and humbly be*ought the King for the safety of bis own royal person, to take some pity of the fox, and to command all his subjects to hold their peace, *ud keep silence until be bad spoken the uttermost of his knowledge ; all was presently done, and the fox proceeded in this manner: ** Since it is the pleasure of my sovereign Lord the King, and that his »oval life lieth in the balanre with my present death, I will freely and boldly unfold this capi al and foul treason, and in the relation not • pare any guilty person for any res, ect whatsoever, wLether it be blood, greatness, or authority. Know then, my dread sovereign Lord the King, that my father by a strange accident, digging iu the ground, found out King Ermtrick's treasure, being amass infinite an! innumerable; of which being possessed, be gr w so proud and haughty, that he held in scorn all the beasts of the wilderness, which before had been bis kinsmen end companions; at Ust he cAused Tibert the cat to go into the vast forest of Arden to Bruin the bear, and o tender to htm his homage and fealty, s#ymg, 1 If if would please him to be king, he should eomt into Kanders% where he would shew him means how to set the crown upon his head. 1 £rvm was glad of this embassage (for be w»6 exceeding ambitious, and had long thirsted for sovereignty), and thereupon came Into Flanders, where my fa'her received him nobly* Then presently be sent for the wise Grimbard, my nephew, and for Isegrtm the wolf, and for Tibert the est; then the c e five coming between Gaunt and the villace called E(fe, tbey held a solemn council for the Space of a whole night) in which, by the assistance o| the evil one, and the strong confidence of my father's vishes, it was there concluded, that your Majesty should be lorihwuu murdered; which to effect, they took a solemn oath in tlrs manner; the bear, my father, Grimbard, and the cat, laying their hands on Isegrim'B crown, swore, first to make Bruin their king, and to place him in the chair of estate at Aeon, and to set the imperial diadem on his head ; and if by any of your Majesty's blood and alliance they should be gainsaid, then that my father with his treasure should bice those which should utterly chase and root them out of tfee forest. Now after this determination he d and finished, it happened that my nephew Grimbard, being on a time high flown with wine, he discovered this dread plot to dame Slopecade his wife, com raanded her upon her life to keep secret the same; but she, forgetful of her charge, disclosed it in confession to my wife as they went a pilgrimage over an heath, with like conjuration of secrecy. But she, woman like, contained it no longer than till she met with me, and give me a full knowledge of all that had had pas«ed, vet so as bv all means I must keep it secret t3O, fcr she bad sworn {by the three kines of XOthym never to disclose it; and withal she gave me such assurance by certain tokens, that I right well found all was true which she bad spoken; insomuch that the very affright thereof made my hair stand upright, and my heart became like lead, cold and heavy in my bosom, -which made me call to mind the story of the frogs, •übo being free and without subjection, complained to Jvpittr, aud desired they might have a king to rule and govern over them, and be presently sent them a stork, which eat and devoured them up ; so that by his tyrauny they became the most miserable of all creat ires ; then they complained again to Jupiter for redress, but it was then too late, for they which would not be content with their freedom, must now of necessity suffer in thraldom, « Thus 1 feared it might hapnen with us, and thus I sorrowed for your Majesty, although you little respect my grieving: 1 know that ambition of the bear, aud bis tyranny is so infinite great, that should the government come into his hands, (as heaven forbid,) the whole commonwealth will be destroyed; besides, I know your Majesty of so royal and princely birth, so mighty, so gracious, and so merciful, that it had been & horrible exchange to have seen a ravenous bear sit in the throne of the royal lion, for there is in the bear and his generation, more prodigal looseness and inconstancy than in any beast whatsoever. But to pro* ceed, from this sorrow, I began to meditate how i might undo my father's false and wicked conspiracies who sought to bring a false traitor and a slave into the throoe imperial; for 1 well perceived that as loog as he held the treasure, there was a possibility of deposing your Majesty, and this troubled my thought exceedingly, so that I laboured how I migbt find out where my father's trfa'ure was hid, and to that end I watched and attended night and day, in the woods, in the bushes, and in the open fields, nay, in all places wheresoever my father laid his eyes there was I ever watching and atteodin?. Now it happened on a time, as I was laid down fiat oa the ground, I saw my father come running out of a hole, and as soon as be was cone out. he gazed round about liim» to see if any discovered him ; then seeing the coast cle-ir, he stopped the hole with sand, and made it even, smooth, apd plain, that no curious eye could discern a difference betwixt it and the other earth; and where the print of his foot remaiued that with his tail he stroked over, and with his mouth so smoothed over, that no man might perceive it; and indeed that aud other subtleties I learned of h.m there at that instant. "When he had thus finished, away be went towards the village about bis own private affairs; then weut I presently towards the hole, and notwithstanding all his subtMy, 1 quickly found it out, then entered I the cave, where 1 found that innumerable quantity of tr» **urea which cannot be expressed ; which found, I took Brine I ui my wife to help me, and we ceased not dny nor with infinite great toil and labour, to CArry and convey away this treasuie to auother place much more convenient for ua, where we laid it tafe from the learcb of any creature. Now during the time that my wife and I were thus employed, my father was in consultation with the rest of the traitors, about the death of the king; iu which cuntultatiou it was concluded that Isegrm, the wolf, should travel >ll over the kingdom, and pioiutie to all beasts that would take wages, and acknowledge Brum for their sovereign, and defend his title, a full year's pay beforehand. And in this jouroey my father accompanied him, carryiog letters patent signed to that purpose, little suspecting that he was robbed of that we*Kh wl&h rhooU supply his treason. "V\hea thii

negotiation wa* finished between Etna and Soame, and a world of valiant soldiers, raised against the beginning of the next spring* tbett they returned to Bruin, and his consorts, to whom declared the many perils they had escaped in the dukedom of Saxony, where they were pursued bv huntsmen and hounds* so as they bardtv flowed wUh life ; after this relation, they shewed Bruin their muster rolls, which pleased him exceeding much, for there was of Tsegrim's UDe»ce, about twelve hundred sworn to the action, besides the bear's own kindred, the fox's, the cat's, end the dasseti's, all which would be in readiness upon an hour's warning, A 1 this I found out, I praise heaven, by per'ect intelligence; now things beine brought to this perfrction, my father went to hi* cave of treasure, but wheu he found it open, spoiled, and ranßHcked, it is not in me to express the infinite agonv and sorrow he fc" into, that grief convertiui to tnndness, and mudnus to desperation, suddenly he went to the next tree, and hanged himself. Thus by my art only was the reason of Bruin defeated, for which I now suffer ; from h?nce sprang all misfortune, as thus: these foul traitors Bruin and Isegrim, being of the Kine's priv&test council, and sitting in hieh and great authority, tread upon me, poor Barnard, ond work my disgrace; notwithstanding, for your Majesty's take, I have lost my natural father, O, my dread Lord, what is he, or who can render you a better affection, than to lose himself to save you?" The King and Queen havincr grew hope to get this inestimable treasure from /feynard, took him from the gibbet, and entreated him to unfold where this great treasure was. But the fox replied, *' Q, my Lord, shall 1 make mine enemies mine heirs ? Shall these traitors which take away my life, and would devour yours, be posse«sed of the good I enjoy? No. that is a madness I will iffler die guilty of." Then said the Queen, (> fear the King shall save your life, and and you shall henceforth swear ]^i9E9|^B^ll p giance to his Majesty," The fox Madam, if the King out of his royal nflHjpvill give credit to my King so rich as I will make him." Then the King staying the Queeu, said, Madam, will you believe the fox ? Know you not that it is his natural quality to lie, steal, and deceive The Queen answered, " My dear Lord, now you may boldly believe him, for howsomever in his prosperity he is full of errors, yet now you may see he is changed ; why be stinteth not to accuse his own father, nay Grimbard his dear nephew and kinsman; had he dissembled, he might have la'id bis imputations on other beasts, and not on those he 'ovetb most etm rely.'' " Well, madam," said the King, (> you shall at this time rule me, and all the offences of the fox I will clearly pardon, yet wi'b this protestation, that if ever be offends agaiuwith the smallest crime whatsoever, that not only birose f, but his whole generatton, Ijgill utterly root out of my dominions." The fox lßced sadly when the King spake thus, but nasintvailiy most infinitely glad at his hesrt and said, '' My dear Lord, it were a huge shame in roe should I speak any untruths in t' is great pre* eence." Then the King, taking a straw from the ground, pardoned the fox of all his trespasses which either he or his father bad committed. If «he fox now began to smile, it was no wonder, the sweetness of life required it; yet he fell down before the King and Queen and humbly-thanked them for their mercy, protesting that for that favour he would make them the richest princea in the world. At these words the fox took up a straw, and proffered it unto the King, ond said to bim, " My dread Lord, 1 beseech your Majesty to receive this pledge as a surrender unto your Majesty of all the treasure that the great King Ermetick was master of, with which I freely enfeoff you, out of uiy mere voluntary and free motion." At these words the King received the straw, and smiling gave the fox great thanks for the same. But the fox laughed out* right to think of the abuse. Prom that day forward no man's counsel prevailed with the King as the fox's, which the fox seeing, said to the King, '• My gracious Lord, you shall understand that at the west |ide of i Sanden there standeth a wood called Hvstreloe, near which runneth a river mimed Crekevp t, this is a wilderness so vast and impasssble that hard'y in a>l the year there comcth either manior woman in the same. In it I have hid this treasure, wbither I would have your Majesty and the Queen to go, for I know none but yourselves whom i could ttust in so great design; and when your Highness comes thither, yon shall find 1 two birchen trees growing by the pit, unto which you shall enter, and there you shall find the treasure, which i consisteth of coin, with jewels, and the wealthy crown which King Emurick wore; with which crown Bruin the bear should have been crowned, if his treason had 1 succeeded according to his determination. There shall you see also many rich and costly precious ; stones, of which, when you are possessed, then remember the love of your servaut Reynard, The King answered " Sir Reynard, you must yourself 1 help me to dig for this treasure, for else I shall never find it. I have heard of Paris, London, Avon, and Cullen t but Crekenpit I never heard of, therefore I ftar you dissemble," The fox b-ushed «t these words, yet with a bold countenance he said, *' Is your Majesty so doubt'ulof my faith? nay, then, I will approve my words by pubhe testimony and with that he called forth Kyward the hare, from amongst the rest of the beasts, acd commanded him to come before the King, charging him upon his faith and his allegiance which he bore to the King and Queen, to answer truly to such questions as he should ask him. The hare answered, " I will speak the truth in all things, though I were sure to die for the same." Then the fox said, •'Know you not where Crekenpit standeth ?" 4 'Yes." said the hare, I have known it any time this dozen years, it standeth in a wood called Hustreloe, upon a vast and wide wilderness, where I have endured much torment both of hunger and cold: beside it was there Jtthere father Simony the friar, made false coin, with Mhich he supported himself and his fellows. Yel that was before land Ring the hound, became companions. '* Well," said the fox, *'you have spoken sufficiently, go to your place again;''so away went the hare. Then 6aid the fox, " My sovereign Lord the King, what say you now to my relation, ami worthy your belief or no ?" The King said, *• Yes, Rtynard. and I beseech the**, excuse my jealousies, it was my ignorancsj which did thee evil; therefore forthwith make preparation that we may go to this pit where the treasure lieth " The fox answered and said, 4 * Ala?, my lord, do y>u itna?ij.e I would fain go with you ? If it were so that I might go wi'hcut your dishonour, which I cannot do ; for you shall understand, (though it be my disgrace) tbit wheu I>eg>im the wolf, in the evil one's name, would needs grow religious, and turn , a monk, tlac i hen the permission of meat which was for six months, was too l.ttle for him alone. Whereupon . he complaue'l so pitifully to me, that I, commiserate ' ing. hi* c<i>e, being cuy kinsman, gave him counsel to run away, which he did; whrreupoii 1 stand accursed, and exiomurmtcated under the Pope's sentei>ce, and am deiern.ii ed to morrow, as soon as the sun riseth, to take my towards Rume to be absolved, and from Rome 1 intend to cro&s the s«as to the Holy Lwd, an»i wi I never return agaiu to my mtive country til 1 hire done so much good, and satisfied for my sini, that 1 miy w»th honour and reputation attend

on your highness' person." The K'ng bearing this, 3 tid, >( Since you stai|d accursed in the censures of the church, I may not hfcve you about tee, and therefore i will at this time take Kyward the hare, and some other with me to CrejenjHl, and only command you, Reynard, to clear yourself of his highness* curse.*' 11 My Lord, 0 said the fox. *' it is «lie only reason of my going to Evine, neither will I test nor day, till 1 have gotten a full abao'uthn." " The course you take is good," said the King, " go on and prosper in your intent and purpose." END OF CHAP. Kit.