Vv REYNARD THE FOX 33

his face, and his hands leaving the claws and
skin behind them, nothing remained but
ugliness. It was an ill market the bear
came to, for he lost both motion and sight—
that is, feet and eyes. But notwithstanding
this torment, Lazfert, the priest, and the
whole parish came upon him, and so_be-
cudgelled him about his body part, that it
might well be a warning to all his misery,
to know that ever the weakest shall still go
most to the wall. This the bear found by
experience, for every one exercised the height
of their fury upon him. Even Houghtin with
the crooked leg, and Ludo/f with the long
broad nose, the one with a leaden mall, and
the other with an iron whip, all belashed
poor sir Bruzn, not so much but sir Bertolf
with the long fingers, Lanfert and Ortam
did him more annoyance than all the rest,
the one having a sharp Welsh hook, the
other a crooked staff well leaded at the end,
which he used to play at stab ball withal.
There was Birkin and Armes A bleqguack,
Bane the priest with his staff, and Dame
Jullock his wife; all these so belaboured the
bear, that his life was in great danger. The
poor bear in this massacre sat and sighed
D