hadpouerte / And syngulerly they that were loued of god andcalled to good and worshyp ¶Rede we not how Iacob wasa pastour or a shepeherd and kepte the sheep & goyng aboutethe contreye. and slepte in the feldes and leyde
fredome with lytel in gladesse.Than to be thralle with al worldly richesseGo lytel squyer and recōmaunde meVnto my master with humble affectionBesechynge him lowle of mercy and pyteOf this rude makyng to haue compassion.And as touchynge the translacion.Dute of frensshe
som folk shold be made more in high astate and high degre / and som folk more lowe And that euerich shold be seruyd in his astate and his degre. And therfore in som contrees tre as they ben thrallis.
and saide that he is the most redoubted and drad kynge of the partyes occidentall. He is a geant that by his force and strength hath con∣querd the yle with the sheep.And hah putte oute them that dwellid
wente doun and fonde hercules armed wyth his skyn of the lyon / And axid hym what he was / Than he answerd & said I am hercules that haue conquerd philotes and the gardyn with the sheep of thy
been / and yet dayly go on in / and come ageyn / and somme haue had there meruayllous vysions / and seen grysly and horryble paynes of whome there been bookes maad / as of Tundale and other /
of honour and worship to me and of our house.Certes fayr sire Iason answerde the dissoyall and vntrewe peleus / I take a grete plaisir to see your goode wille / whiche {pro}cedeth of an noble co¦rage: and for so
a fore as I yow toldeWe may not saue / ne kept our rightOure garisouns ner castellis oldeBut here this sheep ruckyng in his foldeSette litell store of swerde nor arowes steneWhan he in pees may pasture on the grene
/ but grucching & disdaynSaith the world wold fayn haue pees agaynThus pryde and richesse to conclude in clauseBetwene the xtremytees of pees and pouerteOf alle debates and werre be chief causeAnd saith wulles brynge in grete plenteWhere they habounde
Innocence texcuseOf couetyse men falsely may museHer benefetes and wrongly her atwyteOf suche occasions / wher she is not to wyteWhat is the sheep to blame in your sightWhan she is shorn and of her flees mad bareThough folk of
/ they shal destroye al kynde / And this fable techeth vs that we ought not to be re∣ioy d of euyll felauship / ¶ The viij fable is of the wulf and of the craneWHo so euer doth ony
bestes / And ryght soo as he was cast emong them the lyon knewe hym / and beganne to behold on hym / and made to hym chere▪ and lykked hym with his tongue / And pre serued and kepte
/ and wold goo in to a herd of sheep / and emonge lambes / And whanne he was amonge the lambes / he began to make grete rumour / and shewed his sharp and long teeth ¶ And whanne
a grete herd of sheep / And also he had a dogge for to kepe them fro the wulues / To this dogge he gaf no mete / for the grete aua∣ryce whiche held hym / And therfore the wulf
sackes and many a large male¶And gladly somers be sente to forn¶With gardeuyandes / how myght hors be forborn¶Ye prudent Iuges the egle and the lyon¶What I haue sayd doth wysely aduertyse¶Weyeth this mater in your dyscrecyon¶Where ghoos or sheep
to be sette or put in remembraūce¶Agayne the lambe though they dysdeyne¶For comon prouffyt he passeth bothe tweyne¶Weye and consydere bytwene poore and rythe¶To hym in valowe they be no thynge lyche¶Of Bruces albyon his mulle is chyef rychesse¶In pryce
¶Of whos hede boyled with wulle and all¶Ther cometh a gely & an oynement ryall¶For the ache of bones & also for brosure¶Hit remedyeth and doth ease blyue¶Causeth men of starke Ioyntes to recure¶Deed senewes restoreth agayne to lyue¶Blacke shepes
I you tolde¶We may not saue / ne kepe our ryght¶Our garysouns ner castlellys olde¶But here this sheep ruchynge in his folde¶Sette lytell store of swerde nor arowes kene¶Whan he in peasmay pasture on the grene¶Yf hit so stode that
And whan Iacob sawe her and knewe that she was his emes doughter and that they were his emes sheep / he re¦meuyd the stone fro the pittes mouth / and whan her sheep had dronkē he kis∣sed her
Reward and mede / And Laban graunted therto / Thenne Iacob toke Roddes grene / and toke part of the Rynde away and made tho Roddes to be of ij colours and sette them to fore the sheepand beestis