The Historye of Reynard the Foxe/capitulo .primo.

How the lyon kynge of alle bestis sent out his mandementis that alle beestis sholde come to his feest and court
capitulo .primo.

It was aboute the tyme of penthecoste or whytsontyde / that the wodes comynly be lusty and gladsom / And the trees clad with leuys and blossoms and the ground with herbes and flowris swete smellyng and also the fowles and byrdes syngen melodyously in theyr armonye / That the lyon the noble kynge of all beestis wolde in the holy dayes of thys feest holde on open Court at stade / whyche he dyde to knowe ouer all in his lande / And commanded by strayte conmyssyons and maundements that euery beest shold come thyder / in suche wyse that alle the beestis grete and smale cam to the courte sauf reynard the fox / for he knewe hym self fawty and gylty in many thynges ayenst many beestis that thyder sholde comen that he durste not auenture to goo thyder / whan the kynge of alle beestis had assemblid alle his court / ther was none of them alle / but that he had complayned sore on Reynart the foxe.