Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 368, June 1846 - Various

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he, 'flesh diet I have sworn

      Never to touch from night to morn.' —

      Unto my children all, I stated

      The royal message, then related

      How Reynard had assumed the cowl,

      And left off hankering after fowl.

      Myself I led them far and wide,

      When lo! the Fox's guile defied

      My anxious cares: in that same hour

      He'd mark'd a victim for his power!

      Perdu behind a bush he lay,

      And took, before mine eyes, his prey!

      The best of all my brood he seized,

      And ate her up. The morsel pleased

      His scoundrel maw – 'twas dainty meat —

      And soon he sought another treat. —

      Full four-and twenty hopeful chicks

      As e'er peck'd corn from out fresh ricks

      Were mine, – and now, as I'm alive,

      The villain's kill'd them all but five!

      Pity, O King! my sorrowing tale:

      Grant succour in this hour of wail!

      But yesterday, the huntsman's cry

      Surprised him in the act to fly

      With Scratchclaw's body, which you see

      Kill'd by his murd'rous tooth – ah me!

      'Tis here as witness of my woe —

      Oh that my hardhap to your heart may go!'

      Enraged, the King: 'Sir Badger, ho!

      The monk your uncle (troth!) doth know

      To keep his fast, – the holy man! —

      Match me the like of this who can?

      What need of further question here?

      Draw nigh and listen, Chanticleer!

      Ourself your daughter dead will see

      Entomb'd with all solemnity

      Of dirge and mass, in her last slumber,

      And vigils also without number.

      This done, from these our lieges true

      We'll crave their help and counsel too,

      Touching the murder and the vengeance due.'

      To Bruin then the King thus spake:

      'Bruin! look well you undertake

      This journey with dispatch – 'Tis I,

      Your Sov'reign, calls upon you – fly!

      Be wise and wary: Reynard's guile

      Is practised in each crafty wile.'"

      Neither of the translators is here very good, and Naylor is perhaps as near hitting the nail on the point (to use the phrase of a friend of ours of the Fogie Club) as his competitor. He still gives us, however, a great many silly superfluities, though some of them we have ventured to cut out.

      Finally, as our readers may begin to think they have enough of this, we shall close our comparative view by some quotations from the Wager of Battle, by which the Wolf and the Fox ultimately terminate their disputes.

Soltau

      "The trumpets then began to sound,

      And next the wardens did appear,

      And call'd the champions forth, to swear.

      Growler advanced, his oath to take;

      He swore, that Reynard was a rake,

      A murd'rer, and a treach'rous wight,

      For which assertion he would fight.

      "Then Reynard in his turn did swear,

      That Growler was a perjurer;

      To prove his charge, he did defy him,

      Because he basely did belie him.

      "The wardens then admonish'd both,

      To fight with honour and good troth.

      This being done, the lists were clear'd,

      Where both the combatants appear'd.

      "The combatants with equal rage

      And fury now began t'engage.

      The Wolf, by dint of strength and art,

      Attack'd the Fox with leap and start;

      But Reynard, being shrewd and light,

      Avoided him by cunning flight,

      And while he ran, he did not fail

      To water well his rugged tail.

      When Growler meant to hold him fast,

      He nimbly veer'd about at last,

      And with his tail the dust and dirt

      He full into his face did flirt.

      Whilst Growler rubb'd his eyes with pain,

      Reynard his flirts renew'd again,

      Till Growler was quite spent at last,

      And by the throat he held him fast.

      'Sir Wolf,(he said,)if heretofore

      Poor lambs and kids you oft have tore,

      It is high time now to repent,

      Before your last breath you have spent,

      And with contrition to behave,

      If you would wish your soul to save.'

      "In this provoking style he spoke,

      Striving his enemy to choke;

      But Growler was for him too strong,

      And broke loose from his hold erelong;

      Though ere he got out of his jaws,

      Reynard gall'd him with teeth and claws;

      One of his eyes was almost out,

      And streams of blood ran down his snout.

      "As soon as he his blood did view,

      At Reynard in a rage he flew;

      He got him under, and his paw

      He seized, and held it in his jaw.

      'You caitiff, your last hour has come,

      (Said he,) and you'll meet with your doom.

      'T shall not avail you now, to shear,

      To flirt, kick up a dust, and smear.

      I'll make you pay for all your lies,

      And for the damage of my eyes.'

      "Whilst Growler kept hold of the paw,

      Sly Reynard with his other claw

      Seiz'd him in such a tender part,

      That it made Growler howl with smart,

      And forced him soon to ope his jaw,

      And to let go the imprison'd paw.

      Reynard now tugg'd, and pull'd, and tore,

      And made the Wolf spit blood and gore;

      He brought him senseless to the ground,

      And dragg'd him through the lists around.

      "When this his wife and friends perceived,

      They were much terrified and grieved.

      Then pray'd the king to use his right,

      And to suspend the bloody fight.

      "The king took their request to heart,

      And bade the champions straight to part,

      To whom the leopard and the ounce,

      As

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