Then shall be pourtrayed a company of men coming towards this beast Bicornis, and say these four ballads:—
“Fellows, take heed and ye may see
How Bicorn casteth him to devour
All humble men, both you and me,
There is no gain may us succóur;
Wo be therefore in hall and bower
To all those husbands which, their lives,
Make mistrésses of their wives.
“Who that so doth, this is the law,
That this Bicorn will him oppress
And devouren in his maw
That of his wife makes his mistréss;
This will us bring in great distress,
For we, for our humility,
Of Bicorn shall devouréd be.
“We standen plainly in such case,
For they to us mistrésses be;
We may well sing and say, ‘Alas,
That we gave them the sovereigntie!
For we ben thrall and they be free.
Wherefore Bicorn, this cruel beast,
Will us devouren at the least.
“But who that can be sovereign,
And his wife teach and chastise,
That she dare not a word gainsain
Nor disobey in no manner wise,
Of such a man I can devise
He stands under protectión
From Bicornis jurisdictión.”
Then shall there be a woman devoured in the mouth of Chichevache, crying to all wives, and say this verse:—
“O noble wivés, be well ware,
Take example now by me;
Or else affirmé well I dare
Ye shall be dead, ye shall not flee;
Be crabbéd, void humilitie,
Or Chichevache ne will not fail
You for to swallow in his entrail.”
Then shall there be pourtrayed a long-horned beast, slender and lean, with sharp teeth, and on her body nothing but skin and bone.
“Chichevache, this is my name,
Hungry, meagre, slender, and lean,
To show my body I have great shame,
For hunger I feel so great teen; [88c]
On me no fatness will be seen,
Because that pasture I find none,
Therefore I am but skin and bone.
“For my feedíng in existénce
Is of women that be meek,
And like Grisield in patiénce
Or more their bounty for to eke;
But I full long may go and seek
Ere I can find a good repast,
A morrow to break with my fast.