The designs have been faithfully transferred by Eng- | His suit in plaintive accents he began,
lish artists, and reproduced with every attention to detail and execution. Thus the reader will have, in our "Library of Wit and Humor" a series of artistic produc
And thus his wrathful accusation ran:
"Most gracious Lord and King! in pity hear! Let my complaint find favour in Your ear. Happy the subjects of Your glorious reign; Here none who seek for justice seek in vain. Vouchsafe, then, to commis'rate my distress; For Reynard's malice grant me some redress. Me in all ways the Wretch hath wronged and shamed,
tions, which, for a union of idealism and naturalism, have never been surpassed and rarely equalled. These varied and remarkable conceptions of Goethe's poem vividly render the epic design of the author, and their singular fertility in detail evidences the closest study of animal habits, conjoined with the greatest attention to the leading purpose of satirising the peculiarities of society. No series of engravings could so adequately have fulfilled this object-the thorough adaptation of homely My spouse dishonoured and my Children and domestic furniture in the abode of Reynard is strangely, but most admirably contrasted by the magnificence which reigns in the leonine household, while in no case has Nature been wronged by a departure
from the laws which govern brute forms and pecu
Three lie at home, the youngest born of six,
Befouled and blinded by his filthy tricks.
"T is long ago my plaint in Court was filed,
Showing by Reynard how I'd been beguiled;
The cunning Fox knew well a plea to draw,
And boldly he presumed to wage his law:
These words will, it is hoped, sufficiently explain to the reader the end and aim of the poet, and the truth-He dared not come at the appointed day; fulness and genius of the artist.
THE pleasant feast of Whitsuntide was come; The woods and hills were clad in vernal bloom; The full-awakened birds, from every tree, Made the air ring with cheerful melody; Sweet were the meadows after passing showers; Brilliant the heaven with light, the earth with flowers.
So I had judgment-and my costs to pay.
All present here can vouch this tale is true;
But none can tell such things as I can do.
Had I the tongues of Angels, lungs of brass,
Whole days and weeks-nay, months and years
would pass
Ere I could mention all my injuries,
Or tell one half his crimes and tricks and lies.
If all the Sheep on earth were killed and flayed,
And all their skins were into parchment made,
Not half sufficient were they to contain,
The wrongs whereof I justly could complain:
Noble, the King of Beasts, now holds his The worst is the dishonour of my Wife;
Thither his summoned Vassals all resort;
From North and South they troop, from East
Of Birds and Quadrupeds the First and Best.
The Royal will had been proclaimed, that all
Of ev'ry class should come, both Great and
Small
To grace the pomp of that high festival:
Not One should fail; and yet there did fail One;
Reynard the Fox, the Rogue, was seen of none;
His many crimes from Court kept him away;
An evil conscience shuns the light of day.
To face that grave Assembly much he feared,
For all accused him; no one had he spared:
Greybeard, the Badger, stood his friend alone,
The Badger, who was Reynard's Brother's son.
Begirt with many a Relative and Friend,
Who aid in war, in peace might counsel lend,
Sir Isegrim, the Wolf, approached the throne,
And with due rev'rence bowing humbly down,
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That eats away my heart, and sours my life:
Desire of vengeance haunts me, night and day,
And vengeance I will have, come what come
may."
He ceased, and stood in silent mood apart,
Gloom on his brow and anger in his heart.
Up jumped a Poodle from a neighbouring
bench,
Hight Frizpate, who addressed the King in
And he complained, it was not long ago,
In winter, when the ground was deep in snow,
That not a single Beast could hunt his prey,
He'd given much in charity away,
And for himself had but one sausage left;
By the false Fox of this he was bereft:
A foul and almost sacrilegious theft!
Scant had he spoken when with fiery eyes,
Tybalt, the Cat, sprang forth in angry wise,
And kneeling cried-"My august and gra-
cious King,
Reynard must answer many a grievous thing: | Should be the last to speak of robbery."
Most dreaded of all living beasts is he,
Ay, more than e'en Your sacred Majesty.
Grant me Your patience, though; and hear
The Panther then-"These jars are little
Reynard's misdeeds admit of no excuse;
He is a Robber and a Murderer;
That, in this Presence boldly I aver.
No kind of crime but he doth exercise;
Nought sacred is there in his impious eyes:
That sausage ne'er was his; it was my own,, His soul is fixed upon ungodly pelf;
My all, my only remaining sustenance;
I stumbled on it by the merest chance.
I happened once into a mill to creep;
It was was deep night; the Miller fast asieep;
Being at that time stinted in my diet,
I took the sausage; why should I deny it?
But Frizpate filched it from me; so that he
Although the Nobles, nay, the King himself
Should suffer loss of health and wealth and
And the whole state to hopeless ruin fall,
So he could get the leg of a fat Capon, he
Would never care the value of a half-penny.
"Let me relate the trick he tried to play
To Puss, the gentle Hare, but yesterday ;Poor Puss, who lives just like an Anchoret, And never injured mortal Being yet.
Reynard, who latterly has given out
That he has turned ascetic and devout,
Promis'd he'd teach him at the quickest rate,
How he as Chaplain, might officiate;
Will you, brave Peers and pillars of the
State,
Such daily breaches of the peace permit,
Such violations of the Royal writ?
If there no stop be put to these foul crimes,
Much do I fear me, that in future times
Frequent reproach the King will have to
hear
From all to whom Justice and Right are dear."
Again spake Isegrim: ""T is even so, Reynard has ever been the common Foe; 'T were better he had perished long ago. For while that wretch shall live, no rest
For honest, loyal, peaceful Folk, like me.
Albeit, according to the present fashion,
The Felon ever meets with most compassion;
If such crimes pass unpunished, not a year
We all shall rue our most unwise forbearance."
Undaunted by this host of angry Foes, The Badger, Reynard's Nephew, now uprose; Boldly prepared to plead his Uncle's cause, All stained with crime and falsehood as he
"Now fair and soft, Sir Isegrim," said he; 'The service you shall chant;' quoth he, 'as "Your words smack less of truth than en
And we'll begin our lesson with the Credo!'
So down they sat together and began;
For he had no misgivings-the good Man.
But not long time continued they to sing;
For, 'gainst the Peace of our dread Lord, the
King,
And setting at defiance all his laws,
He seized on Puss with his pernicious claws.
I heard their song as I was passing by,
And wondered that it stopped so suddenly;
I'd scarce proceeded though a dozen span,
I took the Felon Reynard with the mainour. Fast hold had he of Pussy by the throat, That he could scarce articulate one note. Certes, at that time had I not come up, He'd gone that night in Paradise to sup. Yon stands our timid Friend; and in his flesh
You still may see his wounds all raw and fresh.
"Will not our Sov'reign Lord these ills abate?
'Tis known you hate my Uncle; and, in sooth, A fair word had he ne'er from your foul mouth.
Yet from your malice hath he nought to fear.
In the King's favour stood he now but here,
He'd give you ample reason to repent
Stirring in these stale subjects of complaint.
You take good care too not to say one word
Of ills that he for your sake hath incurred.
Yet many of the Barons here well know
What happened not so very long ago;
When you and he a solemn covenant sware,
That friendship Each should to the Other
bear,
And, like true Comrades, Good and Evil share.
I must relate, it is not long to tell,
The strange adventure which that time befell,
When you and he, in the cold winter weather,
Went through the country travelling together.
"It chanced a Carter, on the King's high
Was driving homeward with a heavy load;
Your subtle nostrils soon sniffed out 't was Now, by bad fortune, there were in the grounds fish; A couple of most ill-conditioned Hounds; You'd soon have had them if you'd had your They chased my Uncle with appalling din; wish:
He got away, but not with a whole skin:
But they were closely packed; and what was And straight unto the Wolf his way did make,
You'd not a single stiver in your purse.
What then did my kind-hearted Uncle do?
Ah! what indeed hath he not done for you?
Down in the road he laid himself for dead:
'T was a bold thought to come into his head!
And when the Carter saw him lying there,
To kill him out-an-end did he prepare;
But, cunning Reynard still held in his breath,
Stiff'ning his limbs and counterfeiting death;
'T was a consummate masterpiece of art,
That showed him cool of head as brave of
heart;
[in his cart.
The Carter picked him up, and pitched him
A cap he thought to make out of his skin,
And a bag too to keep his dollars in.
This did my Uncle do for Isegrim :
When would he venture such a risk for him?
While onward went the Carter with his load,
Reynard kept throwing fish down in the road;
And Isegrim, who was in haste to sup,
Fast as he threw them down, gobbled them up.
Reynard grew weary of this sport at last,
And thought 'twas his turn now to break his
fast;
So down he sprang; but with disgust and
Found Isegrim had pilfered all the plunder: He'd stuffed till he was nigh to burst in
He told my Uncle he had left his shareBut nothing but the heads and bones were there.
"Another of his tricks I must narrate;
And so Heav'n help me, as I truth relate.
A Countryman had lately killed a Swine;
Large were its hams and noble was its chine.
Reynard had found out where the carcase hung
And told it Isegrim with truthful tongue.
And they agreed in common they would toil,
Would share the danger and divide the spoil:
To Reynard's share the danger fell alone;
But of the spoil, forsooth, he'd next to none.
The larder-walls were strong and steep and
high;
My Uncle clomb them, though, right skilfully;
True to his word, did he the Porker throw
Out of the window to the Wolf below.
To show what he had suffered for his sake, And claim his lawful share; then Isegrim Said he'd reserved the prime tit-bit for him; And thrusting in his cheek his lying tongue, Produced the hook by which the Pig had hung. His feelings Reynard had no words t' express, But what he felt all present here may guess.
"Scores of such pranks I might remember
Were you inclined to hear, and I to tell But 't is enough: were Reynard summoned here,
Soon would he make his innocence appear.
As for the other charge, 't is most absurd; You, my dread Liege, and you, my Lords, have heard
What Isegrim has said about his Wife,
Whom 't was his duty to protect with life.
In all its details that affair I know;
It happened now just seven years ago,
That Reynard's bosom first received a wound
From the soft eyes of Lady Gieremund.
My Uncle is not to be blamed at all:
They met together at a fancy ball:
Is'grim had gone upon a tour to Rome:
Husbands, if wise, would always stay at home.
My Uncle proffered her his faith and troth;
She sanctioned his attentions, nothing loth.
Is it not, therefore, a most crying shame,
That her own Lord should sully her fair
fame?
What any Man of honour would conceal,
He seems to take a pleasure to reveal.
"What have we next? This trumpery affair, The Panther has brought up about the Hare. Such utter trash! what! shall a Master scruple To chastise a perverse or sluggish Pupil ? If this be so, how are our Youth to be Trained up in learning and morality? The wisest book that ever was compiled Says, if you spare the rod you spoil the child. "Then we have Mounseer Frizpate, who complains
He was deprived of his ill-gotten gains.
A pretty fuss, forsooth, about a sausage!
'T were better he said nothing of that passage.
For it turns out 't was stolen; and the Thief
Has the assurance now to ask relief.
The Evil on his own head has recoiled:
'T is only just the Spoiler should be spoiled.
Is Reynard blamed, that from a Robber he
Has wrung the fruits of his dishonesty?
He did his duty, that deny who can,
Like a true Fox and loyal Gentleman.
Why, had he hanged him on the spot, I ween,
He must assuredly have pardoned been :
But he respects the King's Prerogative,
And therefore spared the Thief and let him
live.
"But little justice can my Uncle get;
At least, but little hath he got as yet;
Since the King's Peace was publicly made
known,
No one hath led the life that he hath done,
With books he passes half his time away,
And takes but one abstemious meal a day.
Water his only drink, and roots his food;
Poultry and butchers' meat he hath eschew'd,
And cannot bear the very thought of blood;
With whips doth mortify his flesh, and wear
Next to his very skin a shirt of hair.
I heard it mentioned only yesterday,
Cantart of one, Cryart the other's name;
"Twixt France and Holland none more known
to fame;
They were the Brothers of the murdered
Dame.
Four tender Pullets bore their Mother's bier,
Clucking so loud 't was pitiful to ear;
Dire was the clatter, awful were the cries,
And the shrill clamor pierced the startled
skies.
Soon as the Heralds silence had restor❜d,
Unto the throne stepped up the martial Bird;
O'erwhelm'd with woe he thrice essayed to
speak,
And thrice the words died choking in his beak.
Ashamed so chicken-hearted to appear,
He gave one vig'rous crow his voice to clear,
And thus began ;-"My Liege and Sov'reign,
hail!
With pity listen to my grievous tale⚫
See upon yonder blood-stained bier,
A proof of Reynard's cruel spite,
And wanton enmity to right,
By one who happened to have passed that Partlett, the best and most submissive Wife
His castle, Malepartus, he hath shut,
And in the desert built a Hermit's hut.
So lean and pale and haggard he hath grown,
By his best Friends he scarcely would be
known.
But 'tis the burden of a good old song,
That absent Folks are ever in the wrong.
I only wish to Heav'n that he were here;
From all these scandals he would soon be
That ever solaced a poor Husband's life.
How joyed was I with her and them to rove,
And watch my Offspring full of life and love.
That time no terrors for their lot I felt,
For in complete security we dwelt:
Our home was in a convent's spacious yard,
Whose lofty walls its inmates safely guard;
And six stout Dogs belonging to the farm,
Who loved us well, protected us from harm.
"Reynard, it seems, that lawless Repro-
bate,
Scarce had he ceased, when from a neigh- Like Satan, envying our happy state,
b'ring hill
A cry resounded, like a clarion shrill.
The voice it was of honest Chanticleer,
Who with his Wives and Concubines drew
A dead Hen borne behind him on a bier.
It was the headless corpse of young Greyleg,
As good a Fowl as ever laid an egg;
His fav'rite Daughter of a num'rous brood;
And impious Reynard now had shed her blood.
Foremost the sad and mourning Sire doth
stride,
His dappled wings low trailing by his side;
While after him two youthful Cock'rells
march,
Each bearing in his grasp a burning torch;
Around our Eden often lay in wait.
Stealthily round the walls by night he'd creep,
And through the crannies of the gates would
peep.
The trusty Guardians of myself and Wife
Oft made the Ruffian scamper for dear life;
Once they did catch him, and well tanned
He got away, though sorely scarified;
And for a good while after let us bide.
"But ah, Sire! now begins my tale of woe:
Again he came, and that not long ago;
Within our convent walls he slily slunk
Clad in the vestments of a holy Monk,
Wore a long frock, and sandals 'stead of shoes
And looked for all the world like a Recluse.
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