XXII REYNARD THE FOX 209

or else a mercat, for a more dreadful beast I
never beheld in all my lifetime, and by her
side lay divers of her children, which like
herself were stern and cruel of countenance:
when they saw me come towards them, they
gaped wide with their mouths upon me, so
that I grew amazed, and wished myself far
from the harbour.

‘But resolving with myself that now I was
in I must quit myself as well as I could, I
looked more constantly upon her, and me-
thought she appeared bigger than /segrim the
wolf, and the least of her brats much larger
than myself; a fouler company I never saw,
they were all laid in so bad litter, that I was
almost poisoned with the place. For my own
part I durst not but speak them fair, and
therefore I said, “ Aunt, God give you many
good days, and bless you and my cousins,
your pretty children; questionless they are
the fairest of their ages that ever I beheld,
and so surpass in beauty and perfection that
they may well be accounted of most princely
issue. Truly, aunt, we are infinitely beholden
to you that doth add this increase and glory
to your family. For mine own part, dear aunt,
when I heard you were laid down and indis-

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