here to varie Both being on one part seeming on parts twaine In that in this one point we are contrarie Ech one to other it maie make you retaine And detaine a dout whether we both remaine Constant on that part that we professe or no. But here me furder here ere we furder go Th argument of vs tweine is onlie this one Concerning the condision toucht formerlie Either by performance or performance none How the ants desert standth to liue or to die Thant should liue sayth he thant shuld die say I. Now consider that this present argument Is to principall case but an incident Our cheife cuming is on spiders to make war By cause we no way els can obtaine our right Wherin we ioyne with you without iote of iar This remembre I you of to scrape out quight All doughtes of our trewth in iudgement of heddes light For this case or like case in case vsed thus Showth mistrust in no wight anie case to discus And now we tweine to satisfie as we can Our selues and to se you the rest satisfide Aleage brother flie what ye can herin scan Wherto mine answere shall forthwith be applide Thants life or death in our iudgements to se tride That shall quoth the other flie without delay Cum in vre as brieflie as it fullie may Thant in his charged tale to spiders told erst Grounded thus ere ought begin haue iye to thend At end of thants talke spiders harts it so perst That it stagard and stonide all that hole bend Weapons falne to ground this out crie they extend Shaking of their headdes and casting vp their iyes Take peace with the flies take peace with the flies Thant made spiders of flies as much a frayde tho As he made flies of spiders in tale erst told I graunt quoth thother flie in deede he did so Wherto you must graunt that that feare did not hold For spiders forthwith were againe brag and bolde Though they so were quoth he thant performde cumnaūt That quoth thother flie for trew I can not graunt There is in thants cumnant further meaning ment Then the verie wordes therin fullie expresse To bring spiders in feare of flies by bond bent Is not all that all flies looke fore in sucsesse But to bring and keepe them in that fearefulnesse Bringing them in feare not keping them in feare As fruitfull to flies as paring of a peare To answere this quidite quoth thother flie You can haue no more of the Fore but the skin The ant hath done all that he can possiblie To bring spiders in feare and kepe them therin Whose good will not wanting though powre cannot win Thing that good will wold win yet is it not ill Rather then blame lacke of power to thank good will Put case quoth thother thant outh you fortie pound bound in obligacion to paie at a daie At which daie he cumth to you as he is bound And where he should bring powre fortie pounde to paie He bringth good will and will paie you when he maie Whether wold ye more in this case of your Accept thants good will or blame thants lacke of pour What I wold do quoth the other I know nat But what I should do that right well I know Thant showing full good will to paie me that And that lacke of pour without his faut did grow I would in trobling thant in consciens show A rigur ye quoth thother flie but in law To what end wold thants good will without pour draw In this case quoth he commun law condemth thant In that the woordes of the bond are fulfild no whit Performance wherof in thants case hath no want Which maie a pere to flies of most simple wit In marking these wordes of this cumnant here knit Thant paine of death shall bring spiders in like feare Of flies as he brought flies of spiders here care These are in thanis cumnant the wordes in effect Which bind the ant the spiders in feare to bring But to keepe them in feare no woord runth direct And commun law commonlie in euerie thing Constrewth woordes in their common plaine se 〈…〉 lieing And that thant made spiders a fraide ye do graunt Ergo thant by common law hath kept cummant Now to bring this case in courte of consience Declaring our meaning in these woordes to be That thant should kepe spiders in feareful suspence Thant answering to this that neuer ment he To be bounde to that inconuenient decre The iudge in this case and place must nedes assent With thants meaning against oures to geue iudgement ‡ * ‡ In law conscience and reason as thinkth me The desert of this ant doth his pardon craue Landes goods bag baggage life and liberte Freends quoth thother flie I haue a soule to saue Whervpon I proteast I no malice haue To thant But in reason I thinke he should die This saide those flies to their place againe did flie ¶ At ende of this last argument The captayne axing the ant what he can saye whye he should not die the ant after a few woordes submitteth him to their order Wherevpon the captaine goinge to the question the ant is condemde by the voyce of the most nombre The captaine then willing hym to make his last prayers he doth so Cap. 62. THe captaine to this axt thant how sayst thou What hast thou to saie why thou shouldst not die here The talke quoth he for me by the flie had now In reason law and conscience doth me clere Whose which tale doth much more pithilie appere For my selfe then if my selfe had told it And as he told it I pray all to hold it Wherin as I haue kept comnant at the full So craue I of you to kepe cumnant with me Here stand I to liue or die now as ye wull But in killing me a poore an t what win ye Or what leese I neither profite nor honeste Honest death in honest fame shall perseuer Vnhonest life vnhonest shame shall haue euer Then saide the captaine freends though I now at will Onlie by vertue of mine auctoritee Might geue iudgement here this ant to saue or spill Yet will I not geue it but graunt to agree To se this case decreede by comun decree Which shal be tride by these two wordes ye and no. And streight to the question herein let vs go All you that will haue the ant liue say ye Ye ye with a loude voice cride a great nomber tho Now quoth the captaine on thother side le ts see All that will not haue the ant to liue saie no. No no cride out manie and showde manie mo Then weare on thother part Then saide the captaine Ant of thine owne death thou herest here iudgement plaine I commit me quoth thant to the great gods will Say thy prayers quoth the captaine ere thou dye On the ladder downe on knees half dead he fill Forthwith saying his deuocion deuoutlie In which while two flies togither wondringlie Thinking thant to be
and neuer knocke As good or better were to picke the locke I brake into this house now quoth the flie Like as a theefe doth breake into newgate Sauyng that the theefe doth most commonlie Pretend at his entrie there more estate For breake a theefe in there erely or late He hath as many leaders as a bride With weyters attendant on euerie side And yet no theefe is there of all the rout That into that house breakth so willinglie But he wolde rather go ten mile about To shun this vanites of vaine glorie Then be reseiued so honorablie Acounting his life no daie the shorter In taking paine to be his owne porter And as the theefe full fer against his will Doth breake in there so brake I now in heere For theefe or flie what one hath wit so ill To prease to rob where he hath knowlage cleere By robry to steale ought nought can apeere Nor no commoditee there consequent But death or perpetuall prisonment ¶ The spider in a maner graunteth that the flie cam into the copweb against the flies owne will which the spider so graunteth for such policy foorthwith appering as seemeth to weigh sore against the flie Cap. 12. So mote I thee good felow flie said he That allegacion recheth here so ser and nere That in aparance it concludeth me For glad or willinglie who wolde cum where As he shoulde cleerely know his comming were An euident and vndouted induction To his infallible fall of destruction Wherby it seemeth I can no way auoyde Thy cummyng here to be against thy will But now the flie so fer is ouer ioyde That by no maner meane he can sit still He stretcht and fet a hem right sharpe and shrill Wherat the spider smirke and smothlie smiled To see the seely flie so fer begiled And yet showde he semblaunce of falsitee So as it might apeere that he did smile For ioie vpon the flies behalfe that he So wittily wounde out of this exile Which set the flie in glorie for the while In sight wherof the spiders pleasure had From laughing looke to lowring looke full sad These woordê he sowrely saide though I now yeelde Grauntyng that thou camst here vnwillingly Yet shall the flie at one stroke leese the feelde In all the rest hereof immediatly Euen with the same weapon thou wanst this by As thus by the daunger that flies here finde Thou prouest to cum hither against thy minde This well excuseth thy commyng hither But quoth the spider for thy goyng hence When we haue scanned these woordê togither Thy reason is hardly woorth forty pence It is a perfect proofe in euidence For my parte and encludeth breefe conclucion Of condemnacion to thy confucion For though thy cummyng were against thy will What hope to helpe thee hense doth that implie Sins death here had or imprisonment still Is all thy proofe thy so cumming to trie Now quoth the spider speake out good man flie This verdit thus geuen by your owne consent Who can blame me theron to geue iudgement ¶ The flie herewith is abashed but a none he gathereth him selfe to a stay shewing a reason that maketh a manifest show cleerely to ouerthrow the spiders for esaide polycie Cap. 13. THe flie at this â—et suche a persing sigh As made the hart in his poore carkas quake And clapt his hand so hard vpon his thigh That of that copweb euery part did shake And time it was for him now to awake Suche a chokyng checke to a flie in â—loister A meane wit maie deeme it was a chokyng oister The spider yeldyng to the flies fore saiyng Was a cast beyonde the flies expectacion â–ª Wheron the flie spiyng the spiders inuaiyng Thus far against the flie in aprobacion He seemed to take great discontentacion With him selfe to see his owne woordê geue state To the spider to geue him this blinde matr Howbeit anone stey in him selfe he toke Saiyng these woordes both with good hart and wit Good maister spider if ye rightly loke In all yet past all knottê betwene vs knit Iudgement with iustice shall feare me nowhit Flie quoth the spider tell me that tale soone We haue well begonne but nothing nigh doone And yet euen now for all thy braggyng bâ—st Taâ—ounte this case if we now condisend The paâ—ment of thacounte wil be thy cost For though thou burglary do here defend And felony that doth hereon depend Yet of my purpose thine owne confession Hath peasably put me in possession What though thou didst vnwillingly this deede Yet thy selfe confessing as thou doest here Death or dealy prisonment to proseede What helpeth I say thy proofe to stand cleere Sins not with standyng though that proofe apeere Thy selfe hast confest here thy selfe to be Deade or dead prisoner at least with me In deede sir saide the flie euen as ye saie Except my woordê for my now hither cuÌ„ming Maie haue expociâ—ion sum other waie Then it seemeth they shall haue after your suming Better for me were to exercise muÌ„ming Then that my speech shoulde show me suche an elâ—e To make myne owne woordes condemne mine owne selfe But sins my reason ioynde with your consent Approueth my cuÌ„mige here against my will By fore knowne death I say or prisonment Then is my reason to the pointe not ill For as ye haue graunted and must graunt still Discharge me at full it dooeth and must do Of burglary and felony both two And thus this one reason of mine ye see Aunswereth all your reasons saue one wherby Ye lay to me that I acknowlage mee In maner by agreement here to dy Or till I die here in prison to ly But once mine answere to those woordê spoken If Iustice holde this prison is broken For though I acknowlage to know before Suche daunger as witnesseth my confession Yet lieth the right or the wronge still in store The which must trie whether your possession Of me here be laufull or oppression But haue I knowne parelles here neuer so longe Doth that knowlage proue you to do no wronge If that were true euery theefe might say In place where as robberies accustomed were That he might by custome rob there alway Be cause custome auouchth that theeues rob there I see this example offendeth your ere And so it may for it proueth by proofe clere That I am imprisoned wrongfully here ¶ The spider checketh the flie for his comparing aboue the spider in knowlage of law and custome which the fly mainteyneth by one reason commonly reported Wherupon the spider perceiuing the policie for which he seemed to graâ—nt the flie to cum against his will taketh little or no place that much weaking his part he driueth the flie to draw backe that graunt Cap. 14. THis is a good bragge â—â—ie quoth the spider To set in the fore frunt of thy battell And a meete reason for an out rider That wolde by facyng his ennemies expell And be ye sure it doth wondersly well To see a flie thinke him selfe presumtuously
their agrement of conclusion wherin thei haue before them those other spiders and â—lies againe Cap. 46. TO pas this last case quoth thant as in award Which part is most dishonest the case erst weid Resoning which is most honest part to regard Is a plaine plat to proue this likekise leid As honestie there is equally displeid To show the tone part as honest as the tother So show both here like dishonest th one and tâ—other What kinds of â—auts we mai in the spiders find The same or the like we mai find in the flise So that I say as equitee hath asinde One degre of dishonestie in both lise Where our former talke quoth the butterflie trise Thonestie one in both the sides yet ye know That honestie in the flies shinth most in show For that which I told you I wold in mind bere Flies fer mo in nomber then spiders apere Trew quoth thant and as most nomber winth flies there Most show of honestie so most nomber here Most show of dishonestie showth in flies clere As most nomber of thonest shine most in fame Most nomber of dishonest shine most in shame Then quoth the buterflie as flies here nought get So loose thei nought wherin let vs be content To set the hares head against the goose ieblet Both sides to adiudge lyke honest I assent And I quoth the ant do geue the same iudgement Herevpon thei cald all again to stand nere To whom wherin thant declard as ensuth here ¶ Thant declarth to those spiders flies that the tales of the pearte spider and â—lie before tolde do charge ech others part in such sort that thei can not sai which side is most dishonest but thei two adiudge clerely in dishonest thinges both sides of lyke dishonestie wherwith thei al auoided backe again tharbiters talke to fal to a point betwene them selues what report finally and fully to make Cap. 47. ALthough the railyng of those railers late gone For it selfe or them selues vnmeete may be thought Either to be talkt vpon or thought vpon Yet since the matter of their talke such talke brought That as one ground of our talke talke hath it wrought We haue wrought therto conciderate consent To conclude therin this extended extent Dishonestie in spiders and in flies both Apereth aproued so indiffrently That on which side the most dishonestie goth We can not know nor otherwise verify But like dishonestie on both sides doth ly So that out of hande to declare our decre Both parts in dishonestie haue one degre But for as much as dishonestie here toucht Was to proue or disproue honestie before Which part of both most or least honestie auouâ—ht And that dishonestie doth deside no more Then honestie did leaue dishonesties lore And by former talke in honestie alone Take honestie on both parts here iudged one The graue nombre on both sides agrede to this Whervpon thant axt who had furder to sey Concerning euidence in the premissis Thei all saide thei had to say no fuder they Well said thei both ye all yet again awey Which done thei both ech to other their mindes brake What end now at end thei finally might take ¶ Tharbiters being agreed on their report thei call to them againe the spiders and the flies Cap. 48. BRother butterflie quoth shant how thinke ye now What makth all this euidence for either side All alich for both quoth he now how say you I sei the same quoth thant wherin is specifide To hard a triall to iudge the best side tride The best side of both since doute hath thus drownd it Letê at last leaue it as we at first found it Agrede quoth the butterflie by my good sooth Thei herewith cald againe the spiders and flise Ech hoping to here a tale for his own tooth But thant being for an ant lerned and wise Otherwise weiyng otherwise did deuise Of this proces past where to report the pith For which vnto them all he made wei forthwith ¶ Thant shewth them that the butterflie and he are at point what to reporte deuising it to be reported before the head spider and the flie in the copweb the two principall parties and to haue with them to here and witnes their reporte two spiders and two flies witty and discrete and the rest to staie there till their returne Which being agreed thei set foorth streight to the said copweb Cap. 49. KNow ye all that we two being full agreede What we shall say we must now full agre Where we shall say Which saiyng must be decreede Before those two that did vs two decre As friendes of trust in this autorite The spider and flie meane I which two are Chefe grownds in the case that we must now declare The butterflie and all the rest there seide For that report that was the place most fit Let vs with vs quoth thant haue forth in eide Two spiders and two flies of credence and wit And all the rest till our returne here to sit Thei two with the two twose folowing in order Past on till thei cam to the copwebs border The flie in copweb stoode vp and praier lefte Longing for meede of preier preide ere than With deadly looke as death had lyfe berefte But when the spider into place cam than Alas poore flie how he lookte pale and wan All those without vnto the spider within At their low curtsy done thant did thus begin ¶ The ant associate with the saide sort pronounceth at length to the spider and slie in the copweb this brief effect that in as much as on both sides the euidence is one and that the credence is one by shonestie being one they two can in reason no waie â—rie howe to ley thaccustomed right more on th one side then on thother they finallie leaue the case euin at libertie as they sounde it and so departe to the place of abitrement againe Cap. 50. MY great good vncle and litle good friend â—â—ie Where you two chose vs two your arbytres late To adiudge by reason the custome rightlie Of spiders and flies in all windowes situate Which part should haue all or what part we should rates To eyther part what hath theron risin sith And what in fine for fine doth rise here the pith In the first talke betwene you tweyne and vs tweine Thissew to try was as ye sayde vnto vs How right in all windowes I sey doth remaine To both sides as reason may custome discus You for you and all spiders a leging thus All parts in all windowes none except sayde ye Are yours and all spiders as in tenure fre Wherin you flie as ye then affirmed heelde All holse in all windowes are flies free of olde Toys and sides being spiders hold free to beelde Hed houses or tenantrees or what ye woolde So that for the hoise only is all the holde Which vpon furder euidence to consither We as ye wyld vs to go went to gyther Where spiders and flies
other were I prayd to speake that I might speake ere I dide Which was at last graunted but fyrst long denide My tale there stood on two entents in effect One to saue mie selfe an other to saue you ▪ And yours And therin to scape vnsuspect Fyrst for my selfe I layde that no flie could ad 〈…〉 That euer I offended flie ere naw or now Praing them thervpon to here and adiudge m◠As might most equallie stand with equite And for the saftie of you and of yours here To qualifie the feerce furie of the flies All trembling terror that I could make apere That might discorage the flies in anie wise That did I at the full to the flies deuice Which wrought such effect and did their harts so pall That they cride for peace and wold haue fled ny all But the cheefe flie steying them then against me Spake his pleasure theare as you did after here He saw and saide to the flies that they might se My counsell giuen them was against them clere And that I put them in feare to cum here mere Onlie for the loue that I to spiders bare And to set my selfe at liberte from flies snare Whervpon he moued and they did consent That I shuld be sent hither as sent was I To tell a tale to abate your furie bent Wherin if I brought you all as fearefullie To feare them as I had brought them formerly To feare you then should I be set frank and free Or els at my returne hangd streyght should I bee Here to prolong my life nature prouokt me To make you afraide of them sumwhat to saie But yet againe to that affection yokt To reason so fayntlie when that I did inuey That you by reason streight wiped that feare away For which I was no soner returnd vnneth Ere I had at the flies handes iudgement of deth ☞ ☜ Fyrst at your request for you and not for me I cam crauing no reward but your good will Second in tharbitrate case I wrought decre To the best for you As fer as I could skill Thirdlie for your sake to death most vile or ill I was then drawne and am now drawing againe Except my greefe sum grace of you obtaine That is that it maie like you to flies to graunt Peace Such as dispaire giue no cause to refuse And pride giue no cause it proudlie to auaunt But as mesurable meane measure endewse So of your grace graciouslie them to vse This loue toward my life please it you to show No reward els at your handes craue I to grow This endid the ant made curtsey to the ground At which the spider gaue him a beck low boude But before he anie woord to thant did sound He pawsde solemlie as any spider coude Which doone verie louinglie but not verie loude In maner assewred And in woordes right graue First thentre and then th end of answere he gaue ¶ The spider vpon thants tale colde to him alegith certaine thinges by which he semeth in doubte much to graunt peace to the flies Wherin the ant and he trauersing sum what anon he graunteth peace to them vnder condicion exprest wherewith thant is brought to the flies agayne Cap. 75. COsin an t a long matter in short speeche here Ye haue as ye can right wiselie declared Which as ye grounded on three things to apere To draw me to pittie you in case thus snared So this mine answere to those three prepared Hath in it other three thinges Two of which three Stand sore agaynst ye and the third standth with ye First the harme by wrong that flies haue doone me Second my will to be reuengde on the same Third the pittie I haue of you I promise ye Of two thinges betweene these three which one to name I can as yet no determinacion frame Which is one of these two to determin at eende Whether to slea all my foes or saue one freende Naie whether to slea or to saue foes and freend both And whether to slea or saue both you and yours On this question quoth thant this case rightlie goth But peace sauith them and theirs vs and ours War sleath or daungerth all in short sharp showrs Ye saue all in pitteing me the least one Not pitteing me ye slea as semth euerychone But two of your three points last toucht here me touch Omitting the third till I them haue touched Of your harme your will to reuenge as ye a vouch To th one ill past thother ill to cum couched When all is reuoluid that can be a vouched Your reuengement to cum of the flies ill past May bring you more harme and the flies away cast Yea cast you and yours awaie to I say it may And vnder your pardon to speake my minde plaine Your desire of furder reuengment to way Declarth much crewelte in you to remaine The least flies raunsum hath bene losse of his braine That in time past hath toucht here and now in sight Thousands of flies slaine and hangd in present fight Thus for their yll and your will thill to reuenge Your pointing of those two points dispoynted be In that quarell charitee doth you chalenge In deadlie defiance of all enmite Then passing these two points to this thyrd pas we Pittie wherby charitee here to enbrase A boue all cases pittie this pitefull case And pittie in you showde here now vnto me Commodite is your selfe I thinke shall gaine If you in this respect of pittie agre To take peace with the flies though ye losse sustaine My life to saue in recompence of my payne Hands and harts of Ants old and yong great and small To serue you in your neede ye are sure of all And contrariwise if I here now go to wracke Where you shall me flea in that ye maie me saue Not onlie freendship of all ants ye shall lacke But all creaturs liuing shall you depraue And abhor where they speech or thought of you haue Agaynst you in this case least mite in a cheese In his most might will fight in blood to his kneese To this all that I can saie what ye will do I humblie beseche you foorthwith to declare Life or death which one of two to trust vnto Is my deepe desire That I maie now prepare My stomacke redie according to my fare My minde I meane to die or els to liue As your pleasure is my death or life to giue Cosin an t quoth the spider pittie toward you And anger toward them wreastleth in me sore The flies spight to spiders to show what and how They haue spighted vs from long before Laying their fauts on our backs and euermore By clayming our commons and such other like Slaundring our titles quarels still they pike Sir quoth the flie fauts on both sides I haue herd Which on both parts I wish to be mendid The next waie wherto is peace to be preferd By war no part mended all parts offended War wasteth all things where war is