Le Loup Plaidant Contre Le Renard Par-Devant Le Singe Bilingue Français/Anglais

Le Loup plaidant contre le Renard par-devant le Singe

Un loup disoit que l’on l’avoit volé:
Un renard, son voisin, d’assez mauvaise vie,
Pour ce prétendu vol par lui fut appelé.
Devant le singe il fut plaidé,
Non point par avocats, mais par chaque partie.
Thémis n’avoit point travaillé,
De mémoire de singe, à fait plus embrouillé.
Le magistrat suoit en son lit de justice.
Après qu’on eut bien contesté,
Répliqué, crié, tempêté,
Le juge instruit de leur malice,
Leur dit: Je vous connois de longtemps, mes amis;
Et tous deux vous paîrez l’amende:
Car toi, loup, tu te plains, quoiqu’on ne t’ait rien pris;
Et toi, renard, as pris ce que l’on te demande.

Le juge prétendoit qu’à tort et à travers
On ne sauroit manquer, condamnant un pervers.

The Wolf Accusing The Fox Before The Monkey

A wolf, affirming his belief
That he had suffer’d by a thief,
Brought up his neighbour fox–
Of whom it was by all confess’d,
His character was not the best–
To fill the prisoner’s box.
As judge between these vermin,
A monkey graced the ermine;
And truly other gifts of Themis
Did scarcely seem his;
For while each party plead his cause,
Appealing boldly to the laws,
And much the question vex’d,
Our monkey sat perplex’d.
Their words and wrath expended,
Their strife at length was ended;
When, by their malice taught,
The judge this judgment brought:
‘Your characters, my friends, I long have known,
As on this trial clearly shown;
And hence I fine you both–the grounds at large
To state would little profit–
You wolf, in short, as bringing groundless charge,
You fox, as guilty of it.’

Come at it right or wrong, the judge opined
No other than a villain could be fined.