Folio 16r - Leucrota, continued. De vulpe; the fox.
[Of the parander] ... thick coat. It is said that the parander changes its appearance when it is afraid and, when it hides itself, takes on the likeness of whatever is near - a white stone or a green bush or whatever other shape it prefers.
Of the fox The word vulpis, fox, is, so to say, volupis. For it is fleet-footed and never runs in a straight line but twists and turns. It is a clever, crafty animal. When it is hungry and can find nothing to eat, it rolls itself in red earth so that it seems to be stained with blood, lies on the ground and holds it breath, so that it seems scarcely alive. When birds see that it is not breathing, that it is flecked with blood and that its tongue is sticking out of its mouth, they think that it is dead and descend to perch on it. Thus it seizes them and devours them. The Devil is of a similar nature. For to all who live by the flesh he represents himself as dead until he has them in his gullet and punishes them. But to spiritual men, living in the faith, he is truly dead and reduced to nothing. Those who wish to do the Devil's work will die, as the apostle says: 'For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' (Romans, 8:13) And David says: 'They shall go into the lower parts of the earth: they shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.' (Psalms, 63:9-10)
Of the yale
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
The parander. The fox.
Illustration
The fox is crafty and deceitful. When it is hungry it rolls in red earth to look as if it is covered in blood. It feigns death by holding its breath. Birds come to sit on the body whereupon the fox jumps up and eats them.
Comment
Pricking is visible. Ruling passes underneath the illustration. Initial indicator 'v' in right margin. Initial type 2.
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
[De parandro]\ fundo. Hunc parandrum affirmant habitum metu vertere\ et cum delitescat fieri ad similitudinem cuicumque rei proxi\maverit, sive illa saxo alba sit, seu frutecto virens, sive quem\ alium modum preferat.\ De vulpe\ Vulpis dicitur quasi vo\lupis. Est enim\ volubilis pedibus et\ nunquam recto itinere, \ sed tortuosis anfract\ibus currit. Est et\ fraudulentum ani\mal et ingeniosum.\ Cum esurit et [non] inve\nit quod manducet,\ involuit se in ru\bea terra ut appareat\ quasi cruentata, et proi\cit se in terram, retinetque flatum suum, ita ut penitus non spi\ret. Aves vero videntes eam non flantem, et quasi cruentatam, lin\guamque eius foris erectam, putant eam esse mortuam, et descen\dunt sessum super eam. Illa autem sic rapit eas et devorat.\ Istius eiusdemque figuram diabolus possidet. Omnibus enim\ viventibus secundum carnem vixeritis [A: fingit se] esse, mortuum quoadusque inter\ guttur suum habeat et puniat. Spiritualibus tamen viris in fi\de vere mortuus est, et ad nichilum redactus. Qui autem voluit\ exercere opera eius, moriuntur dicente apostolo: sciatis hoc quia si secundum\ carnem vixeritis moriemini. Si autem spiritu facta carnis mor\tificaveritis vivetis. Et David: Intrabunt in inferiora terre traden\tur in manus gladii partes vulpium erunt.\ De eale\Translation
[Of the parander] ... thick coat. It is said that the parander changes its appearance when it is afraid and, when it hides itself, takes on the likeness of whatever is near - a white stone or a green bush or whatever other shape it prefers. Of the fox The word vulpis, fox, is, so to say, volupis. For it is fleet-footed and never runs in a straight line but twists and turns. It is a clever, crafty animal. When it is hungry and can find nothing to eat, it rolls itself in red earth so that it seems to be stained with blood, lies on the ground and holds it breath, so that it seems scarcely alive. When birds see that it is not breathing, that it is flecked with blood and that its tongue is sticking out of its mouth, they think that it is dead and descend to perch on it. Thus it seizes them and devours them. The Devil is of a similar nature. For to all who live by the flesh he represents himself as dead until he has them in his gullet and punishes them. But to spiritual men, living in the faith, he is truly dead and reduced to nothing. Those who wish to do the Devil's work will die, as the apostle says: 'For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' (Romans, 8:13) And David says: 'They shall go into the lower parts of the earth: they shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.' (Psalms, 63:9-10) Of the yale
