How the Cocke complayned on reynart
capitulo .v.
Chauntecler cam 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 fayrest hennes that were bytwene holland and arderne / Thise hennes bare eche of them a brennyng tapre which was longe and stayte / Thise two hennes were coppens susters / And they cryed so pitously / Alas and weleaway for the deth of her dere suster coppen / Two yonge hennes bare the byere which kakled so heuyly and wepte so lowde for the deth of coppen their moder that it was ferre herde / thus cam they to gydre to fore the kynge /
And chantecleer tho seyde / Mercyful lord / my lord the kynge plese 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 begynning of appryl whan the weder is fayr / as that I as hardy and prowde / bycause of the grete lynage that I am comen of and also hadde / ffor I had viij fayr sones and seuen fayr doughters which my wyf had hatched. and they were alle stronge and fatte and wente in ayerde which was walled round a boute / In whiche was a shadde where in were six grete dogges whiche had to tore and plucked many a beestis skyn in suche wyse as my chyldren were not aferd / On whom Reynart the theef had grete enuye by cause they were so sure that he cowde none gete of them / how wel oftymes hath this fel theef goon rounde aboute this wal / and hath leyde for vs in suche wyse that the dogges haue be sette on hym and haue hunted hym away / And ones they leep on hym vpon the banke / And that cost hym somwhat for his thefte / I saw that his skyn smoked neuertheles he wente his waye / god amende it /
Thus were we quyte of reynart a longe whyle / atte laste cam he in lyknes of an heremyte / and brought to me a lettre for to rede sealed wyth the kynges seal / in whiche stode wreton that the kynge had made pees oueral in his royame / and that alle maner beestis and fowlles shold doo none harme ner scathe to ony other / yet sayd he to me more / that he was a cloysterer or a closyd recluse be comen / And that he wolde receyue grete penance for his synnes / he shewd me his slauyne and pylche and an heren sherte ther vnder / and thenne sayd he / syr Chaunteclere after thys tyme be no more aferd of me ne take no hede / ffor I now wil ete nomore flesshe / I am forthon so olde / That I wolde fayn remembre my sowle I will now go forth / for I haue yete to saye my sexte / none / and myn euensonge / to god I bytake yow / Tho wente reynart thens sayeng his Credo and leyde hym vnder an hawthorn / Thenne / was I glad an mery / and also toke none hede / and wente to my chyldren and clucken hem to gydre And wente wythout the wal for to walke wherof is moche harme comen to vs / for reynart laye vnder a busshe and cam krepyng bitwene vs and the yate / so that he caght one of my chyldren and leyd hym in his male / wherof whe haue had grete harme / for syth he hath tasted of hym / ther myght neuer hunter ne hounnde saue ne kepe hym from vs / he hath wayted by nyghte and daye in suche wyse that he hath stolen so many of my chyldren that of .xv. I haue but foure / in suche wyse hath this theef forslongen them / And yet yesterday was coppen my daughter that hier lyeth vpon the byer with the houndes rescowed This complayne I to yow gracious kynge / haue pyte on myn grete and vnresonable damage and losse of my fayre chyldren /