For my slie wyles and subtill craftinesse, 1045
The title of the kingdome to possesse. 
Nath’les, my brother, since we passed are
Unto this point, we will appease our iarre;
And I with reason meete will rest content,
That ye shall have both crowne and government, 1050
Upon condition that ye ruled bee
In all affaires, and counselled by mee;
And that ye let none other ever drawe
Your minde from me, but keepe this as a lawe: 
And hereupon an oath unto me plight.” 1055
The Ape was glad to end the strife so light,
And thereto swore:  for who would not oft sweare,
And oft unsweare, a diademe to beare? 
Then freely up those royall spoyles he tooke,
Yet at the Lyons skin he inly quooke; 1060
But it dissembled, and upon his head
The crowne, and on his backe the skin, he did,
And the false Foxe him helped to array. 
Then when he was all dight he tooke his way
Into the forest, that he might be seene 1065
Of the wilde beasts in his new glory sheene. 
There the two first whome he encountred were
The Sheepe and th’Asse, who, striken both with feare
At sight of him, gan fast away to flye;
But unto them the Foxe alowd did cry, 1070
And in the kings name bad them both to stay,
Upon the payne that thereof follow may. 
Hardly naythles were they restrayned so,
Till that the Foxe forth toward them did goe,
And there disswaded them from needlease feare, 1075
For that the King did favour to them beare;
And therefore dreadles bad them come to corte;
For no wild beasts should do them any torte
     [Torte, wrong.]
There or abroad, ne would his Maiestye
Use them but well, with gracious clemencye, 1080
As whome he knew to him both fast and true. 
So he perswaded them with homage due
Themselves to humble to the Ape prostrate,
Who, gently to them bowing in his gate,
     [Gate, way.]
Receyved them with chearefull entertayne. 1085
Thenceforth proceeding with his princely trayne,
He shortly met the Tygre, and the Bore,
Which with the simple Camell raged sore
In bitter words, seeking to take occasion
Upon his fleshly corpse to make invasion:  1090
But soone as they this mock-king did espy,
Their troublous strife they stinted by and by,
     [Stinted by and by, stopped at once.]
Thinking indeed that it the Lyon was. 
He then, to prove whether his powre would pas
As currant, sent the Foxe to them streight way, 1095
Commaunding them their cause of strife bewray;
And, if that wrong on eyther side there were,
That he should warne the wronger to appeare
The morrow next at court, it to defend;