d Chanticleer the Cock,
and Partlett the Hen, and many others, came forward; and all
these with one entire noise cried out against the fox, and
so moved the King with their complaints, that the fox was
taken and arrested.

Upon this arrest, a parliament was called; and
notwithstanding that he answered every objection severally,
and with great art, Reynard was condemned, and judgment
was given that he should be hanged till his body was dead;
at which sentence the fox cast down his head, for all
his jollity was lost, and no flattery nor no words now
prevailed.

Then Isegrim on the one side and Bruin on the other led the
poor fox to the gallows, Tibert running before with the
halter. And when they were come to the place of execution,
the King and the Queen, and all the rest of the nobility,
took their places to see the fox die.

When all things were prepared, the fox said: "Now my heart
is heavy, for death stands in all his horror before me,
and I cannot escape. My dread Lord the King, and you my
sovereign Lady the Queen, and you my lords that stand to
behold me die, I beseech you grant me this charitable boon,
that I may unlock my heart before you, and clear my soul of
her burdens, so that hereafter no man may be blamed for me;
which done, my death will be easy."

Every creature now took compassion on the fox, and said his
request was small, beseeching the King to grant it, which
was done; and then the fox thus spake: "Help me, Heaven,
for I see no man here whom I have not offended; yet was this
evil no natural inclination in me, for in my youth I was
accounted as virtuous as any breathing. This know, I have
played with the lambs all the day long, and taken delight in
their pretty bleating; yet at last in my play I bit one, and
the taste of its blood was so sweet unto me, that I approved
the flesh, and both were so good, that since I could never
forbear it. This liquorish humour drew me into the woods
amongst the goats, where hearing the bleating of the little
kids, I slew one of them, and afterwards two more, which
slaughter made me so hardy, that then I fell to murder hens,
geese, and other poultry. And thus my crimes increased by
custom, and fury so possessed me, that all was fish which
came to my net. After this, in the winter season, I met with
Isegrim, where, as he lay hid under a hollow tree, he
unfolded unto me how he was my uncle, and laid the pedigree
down so plain, that from that day forth we became