the hyll; and captayne ther was sir Walter Lymosen, who before had so valiantly kept the castell of Thyne against the Frenchmen. So it was that sir Wyllyam Duglas devysed a feate, and dyscoverd his intencyon to his companyons, to therle Patris, to Sir Robert Fresyell, and to Alysander Ramsay; and all they agreed togyder. Than they toke a ii. C of the wilde Scottes, and entred into the see, and made provisyon of otes, mele, coles and wood; and so pesably thei arryved at a port, nere to the castell of Edenborowe. And in the night they armed theym, and toke a x or xii of theyr company, suche as they did trust best, and dyde disgyse theym in poore torne cotes and hattes, lyke poore men of the contrey; and charged a xii small horses with sackes, some with otes, some with whete mele, and some with coles; and they did set all their company in a busshment, in an old distroyed abbey therby nere to the fote of the hyll. And whan the day began to apere, covertly armed as they were, they went up the hyll with their marchandyse. And whan they were in the mydde way, sir Wyllyam Duglas and sir Symode Fresyell, disgysed as they were, went a lytell before, and came to the porter, and sayd Sir, in gret fere we have brought hyther otes and whetemele; and if ye have any nede thereof, we woll sell it to you gode chepe. Mary, sayd the porter, and we have nede therof; but it is so erly, that I dare not awake the captayne nor his stuarde; but let them come in, and I shall opyn the utter gate and so they all entred into the gate of the bayles; Sir Wyllyam Duglas sawe well how the porter had the keys in his handes of the great gate of the castell.

Than whan the firste gate was opynned, as ye have harde, their horses with caryages entred in; and the two that came last, laden with coles, they made them to fall downe on the grounsyll of the gate, to thentent that the gate shulde nat be closed agayne. And then they toke the porter, and slewe him so pesably that he neverr spake worde. Than they toke the great keys, and opyuned the castell gate; than sir Wyllyam Duglas blewe a horne, and dyd cast away their torne cotes,

and layed all the other sackes over thwart the gate, to thyntent that it shulde nat be shytte agayne. And whan they of the busshment harde the horne, in all hast they might they mounted the hyll. Than the watchman of the castell, with noyse of the horne, awoke, and sawe how the peple wer commyng all armed to the castell warde. Than he blewe his horne, and cryed, Treason, treson, sirs, aryse, and arme you shortly, for yonder be men of armes aprochynge to your fortresse. Than every man arose, and armed them, and came to the gate; but Sir Wyllyam Duglas and his xii. companyons defended so the gate, that they coude nat close it; and so by great valyantnesse they kept thentre open, tyll their busshment came. They within defended the castell as well as they might, and hurt dyvers of them without; but sir Wyllyam and the Scottes did so much that they conquered the fortresse, and all thenglysshmen within slayne, excepte the captayne and sixe other squyers.

IT

WILLIAM CAXTON

THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUNTECLER

T was about the time of Penthecoste or Whitsontyde, that the wodes comynly be lusty and gladsom, and the trees clad with levys and blossom, and the grounde with herbes and flouris sweet smellyng and also the fowles and byrdes syngen melodiously in theyr armonye, that the Lyon, the noble Kynge of all beestis, wolde in the holy dayes of this feest holde an open court at Stade, whiche he dide to knowe over alle in hys lande. And comanded by strayte conmyssyons and mandements that every beest shold come thyder, in suche wyse that alle the beestis grete and smale cam to the courte, sauf Reynard the Fox, for he knewe himself fawty and gylty in many thinges ayenst many beestis that thyder sholde comen, that he durste not aventure to goo thyder. Whan the

Kynge of alle beestis had assemblid all his court, there was none of them alle but that he had complayned sore of Reynart the Foxe .

Tho spack Grymbart the Dasse (badger), and was Reynart's suster sone, wyth an angrye moed. Sir Isegrym, that is evyl sayd., . . Who shal blame Reynart? Myn eme (uncle) is a gentle and a trewe man: he doth nothing but by his prestes counseyl . he never thoughte to hurte ony man, for he eteth no more than ones a day. He lyveth as a recluse, he chastiseth his body, and wereth a shirte of heer, hit is more than a yeere that he hath eten no flesshe, as I yesterday herd saye of them that cam fro hym; he hath lefte and geven over his castel Maleperduys and hath bylded a cluse, theryn dwelleth he and hunteth nomore, ne desyreth no wynnynge, but he lyveth by almesse and taketh nothyng but suche as men gyve him for charitye, and doth grete penance for his synnes, and he is woxen moche pale and lene of prayeng and wakyng for he wolde be fayn wyth God. Thus as Grymbert his eme stode and preched thise wordes, so saw they comen down the hylle to hem Chauntecler the Cock, and brought on a biere a deed henne of whom Reynart had byten the heed of, and that muste be shewed to the Kynge for to have knowleche thereof.

Chauntecler came forth and smote pyteously his handes and his fetheris, and on eche side of the byer wenten tweyne sorouful hennes; that one was called Cantart, and that other goode henne Crayant, they were two the fairest hennes that were bitwene Holland and Arderne. Thise hennes bare eche of them a brennyng tapre whiche was longe and strayte, thise two hennes were Coppens susters and they cryed so pitously. Alas and weleaway for the dethe of her dere suster Coppen. Two yonge hennes bare the byere, which Kakled so hevyly and wepte so loude for the dethe of Coppen theyr moder that it was farre herde. Thus cam they to gyder to fore the Kynge, and Chauntecler tho

seyde :-Merciful lord, my lord the Kyng, please it yow to here our complaynte and abhorren the grete scathe that Reynart hath don to me and my children that hiere stonden. It was so that in the begynnyng of Apprill when the weder is fayr, as that I was hardy and prowde, bycause of the grete lynage that I am comen of, and also hadde, for I had viii fayr sones, and sevyn fayr doughters whiche my wyf had hatched, and they were all stronge and fatte, and wente in a yerde which was walled round aboute, in which was a shadde wherein were six grete dogges which had to-tore and plucked many a beestis skyn in such wyse as my chyldren were not aferd. On whom Reynart the theef had grete envye by cause they were so sure that he cowde none gete of them, how wel ofttymes hath this fel theef goon rounde aboute this wal, and hath leyde for us in suche wyse that the dogges have be sette on hym and have hunted him away. And ones they leepe on hym upon the banke, and that cost hym somewhat for his thefte. I saw that his skyn smoked; nevertheless he wente his waye, God amende it.

He

Thus were we quyte of Reynart a longe whyle. Atte last cam he in lykness of an heremyte, and brought to me a letter for to rede, sealed wyth the Kynges seal, in which stood wreton that the Kynge had made pees overal in his royame, and that alle maner beestis and fowlles shold doo none harme ner scathe to any other. Yet sayd he to me more that he was a cloysterer or a closyd recluse becomen, and that he wolde receyve grete penance for his synnes. shewd me his slauyne and pylche, and an heren sherte ther under, and thenne sayd he Syr Chaunteclere, after thys tyme be no more aferd of me, ne take no hede, for I now will ete no more flessh; I am for thou so olde that I wolde fayn remembre my sowle. I wil now go forth, for I have yete to saye my sexte, none, and myn evensonge; to God I bytake yow. Tho wente Reynart thens, sayeng his Credo, and leyde him under an hawthorn. Thenne was I glad and mery, and also toke none hede, and wente to my chyldren, and clucked hem to gyder, and wente wythout the wal

for to walke, wherof is much harme comen to us; for Reynart laye under a busshe and cam krepyng bitwene us and the gate, so that he caght one of my chyldren and leyd hym in his male, whereof whe have had grete harme, for syth he have tasted of hym ther myght never hunter ne hounde save ne kepe hym from us. He hath wayted by night and daye in suche wyse that he hath stolen so many of my chyldren that of xv. I have but foure, in suche wyse hath this theef forslongen them. And yet yesterday was Coppen my daughter, that hier lyeth upon the byer, with the houndes rescued. This complayne I to yow, gracious Kynge; have pyte on myn grete and unresonable damage and losse of my fayre chyldren.

A LABOUR OF HERCULES

The pastour fynysshing his wordes, ther cam leepyng out of a busshe the thre lyons and marched ayenst Hercules, roryng and criying, and openyng her eyen by so grete felonnye that hit semed that they wolde have thurgh-percyd Hercules with her fell sight. The grete lyon cam fyrst, his heer stondyng up; he was as hyhe as an Lyphant and grete after the avenant (in proportion), and his hede was twyes so grete as the hede of a bool. Hercules seeying them come, tooke his glayve and his clobbe that Philotes bare. Philotes, notwithstanding his prowesse, was so sore aferde that he wente upon the tree unto the herdeman. Hercules sette his clobbe unto a tree, and toke his glayve faste betweene his fistes. The lyons at her approchyng brayed in her throtes. Hercules smote oon of hem between the eyen and bare hym doun to the erthe that he satte upon hys buttokes. The grete lyon wened than to have spronge upon Hercules and to have taken hym in his clawes, and maad a terryble leep. Whan Hercules sawe and knewe his entente, he torned fro hym and smote at the third lyon which was lyght and peert, and conduysed his glayve so right and so fermely in to his throte that he roughte him to the herte, what somever resistence