Page:The Works of J. W. von Goethe, Volume 10.djvu/185

Rh And tell him what they have in mind; Then him induces back to go, As he will have much better show If there on his defence he stand.

CANTO VIII. fox again that journey takes, A second time confession makes, And as before he tries to shift His sins to others' backs, and lift The burden thus from off his own. The clergy now he takes in hand, The king and courtiers of the land: These all can do whate'er they will, But should a poor man fall, they'll fill The air with shrieks and hunt him down.

The ape now comes upon the two, And tells the fox bold front to show; To Rome he goes, and there he will Make slander's tongue keep very still And Reynard's matters straighten out. He knows them all at court of Rome, With all their tactics is at home; His kinsmen are in numbers there, With them he'll manage this affair, And Reynard need not give it thought.

CANTO IX. Grimbart Reynard comes to court, Begins a discourse far from short, In which he labours hard to show That his accusers, as they know, Dare nought against him bring point-blank. He challenges to mortal strife Each one of those who seek his life And equals are with him in birth; For thus is settled, o'er the earth, Disputes 'tween gentlemen of rank.

The king in fury seeks his room, And there he finds the queen, with whom