Fables: 2 The Cock and the Jasp
Ane
cok
sumtyme
with
feddram
fresch
and
gay,
Richt
cant
and
crous
albeit
he
was
bot
pure,
Flew
furth
upon
ane
dunghill
sone
be
day.
To
get
his
dennar
set
was
al
his
cure.
Scraipand
amang
the
as
be
aventure
He
fand
ane
jolie
jasp
richt
precious
Wes
castin
furth
in
sweping
of
the
hous.
As
damisellis
wantoun
and
insolent
That
fane
wald
play
and
on
the
streit
be
sene,
To
swoping
of
the
hous
thay
tak
na
tent
Quhat
be
thairin
swa
that
the
flure
be
clene,
Jowellis
ar
tint
as
oftymis
hes
bene
sene
Upon
the
flure
and
swopit
furth
anone.
Peradventure
sa
wes
the
samin
stone.
Sa
mervelland
upon
the
stane,
quod
he,
“O
gentill
jasp,
O
riche
and
nobill
thing,
Thocht
I
thee
find,
thow
ganis
not
for
me.
Thow
art
ane
jowell
for
ane
lord
or
king.
It
wer
pietie
thow
suld
in
this
mydding
Be
buryit
thus
amang
this
muke
and
mold
And
thow
so
fair
and
worth
sa
mekill
gold.
“It
is
pietie
I
suld
thee
find
for
quhy
Thy
grit
vertew
nor
yit
thy
cullour
cleir
I
may
nouther
extoll
nor
magnify,
And
thow
to
me
may
mak
bot
lyttill
cheir,
To
grit
lordis
thocht
thow
be
leif
and
deir.
I
lufe
fer
better
thing
of
les
availl
As
draf
or
corne
to
fill
my
tume
intraill.
“I
had
lever
ga
skraip
heir
with
my
naillis
Amangis
this
mow
and
luke
my
lifys
fude
As
draf
or
corne,
small
wormis
or
snaillis,
Or
ony
meit
wald
do
my
stomok
gude
Than
of
jaspis
ane
mekill
multitude,
And
thow
agane
upon
the
samin
wyis
May
me
as
now
for
thin
availl
dispyis.
“Thow
hes
na
corne
and
thairof
I
had
neid.
Thy
cullour
dois
bot
confort
to
the
sicht
And
that
is
not
aneuch
my
wame
to
feid
For
wyfis
sayis
that
lukand
werk
is
licht.
I
wald
sum
meit
have,
get
it
geve
I
micht,
For
houngrie
men
may
not
weil
leif
on
lukis.
Had
I
dry
breid,
I
compt
not
for
na
cukis.
“Quhar
suld
thow
mak
thy
habitatioun,
Quhar
suld
thow
dwell
bot
in
ane
royall
tour,
Quhar
suld
thow
sit
bot
on
ane
kingis
croun,
Exaltit
in
worschip
and
in
grit
honour?
Rise,
gentill
jasp,
of
all
stanis
the
flour,
Out
of
this
fen
and
pas
quhar
thow
suld
be.
Thow
ganis
not
for
me
nor
I
for
thee.”
Levand
this
jowell
law
upon
the
ground
To
seik
his
meit
this
cok
his
wayis
went;
Bot
quhen
or
how
or
quhome
be
it
wes
found
As
now
I
set
to
hald
na
argument,
Bot
of
the
inward
sentence
and
intent
Of
this
fabill
as
myne
author
dois
write
I
sall
reheirs
in
rude
and
hamelie
dite.
Moralitas
This
jolie
jasp
hes
properteis
sevin.
The
first,
of
cullour
it
is
mervelous,
Part
lyke
the
fyre
and
part
is
lyke
the
hevin.
It
makis
ane
man
stark
and
victorious,
Preservis
als
fra
cacis
perrillous.
Quha
hes
this
stane
sall
have
gude
hap
to
speid.
Of
fyre
nor
fallis
him
neidis
not
to
dreid.
This
gentill
jasp
richt
different
of
hew
Betakinnis
perfite
prudence
and
cunning
Ornate
with
mony
deidis
of
vertew
Mair
excellent
than
ony
eirthly
thing,
Quhilk
makis
men
in
honour
ay
to
ring,
Happie
and
stark
to
haif
the
victorie
Of
all
vicis
and
spirituall
enemie.
Quha
may
be
hardie,
riche,
and
gratious?
Quha
can
eschew
perrell
and
aventure?
Quha
can
governe
ane
realme,
cietie,
or
hous?
Without
science,
no
man,
I
yow
assure.
It
is
riches
that
ever
sall
indure
Quhilk
maith
nor
moist
nor
uther
rust
can
freit.
To
mannis
saull
it
is
eternall
meit.
This
cok,
desyrand
mair
the
sempill
corne
Than
ony
jasp,
may
till
ane
fule
be
peir
Makand
at
science
bot
ane
knak
and
scorne
And
na
gude
can,
als
lytill
will
he
leir.
His
hart
wammillis
wyse
argumentis
to
heir
As
dois
ane
sow
to
quhome
men
for
the
nanis
In
hir
draf
troich
wald
saw
the
precious
stanis.
Quha
is
enemie
to
science
and
cunning
Bot
ignorants
that
understandis
nocht
Quhilk
is
sa
nobill,
precious,
and
ding
That
it
may
with
na
eirdlie
thing
be
bocht.
Weill
wer
that
man
over
all
uther
that
mocht
All
his
lyfe
dayis
in
perfite
studie
wair
To
get
science
for
him
neidit
na
mair.
Bot
now
allace
this
jasp
is
tynt
and
hid.
We
seik
it
nocht
nor
preis
it
for
to
find.
Haif
we
richis,
na
better
lyfe
we
bid,
Of
science
thocht
the
saull
be
bair
and
blind.
Of
this
mater
to
speik,
it
wair
bot
wind,
Thairfore
I
ceis
and
will
na
forther
say.
Ga
seik
the
jasp
quha
will
for
thair
it
lay.
Robert Henryson
RoBERT HENRYSON, thc charming fabulist, Chaucer's aptest and brightest schoiar, aimost nothing is known. David Laing conjectures him to have been born about 1425, to have been educated at some foreign university, and to have died towards the ciosing years of the fifteenth century. It is certain that in 1462, being then * in Artibus Liceniiatus et in Decretis Bacchaiarius,' he was incorporated of the University of Glasgow; and that he was afterwards schooimaster in Dunferraline, and worked there as a notary-pubiic aiso.