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¶ This Historye conteyneth how Exantus brought esope home to his wyf
THenne whan euery man was departed / Esope folo∣wed Exantus homeward to his hows / And whan he came to fore his hows / he sayd to Esope / Abyde here a whyle to fore the gate / tyll I goo in for to preyse the to thy lady and maystresse my wyf / well sayd Esope / And Exan∣tus entryd in to his hows / and sayd to his wyf / Dame ye shalle nomore haue cause to be at debute with me / For ye haue desyred longe to gete yow a fayre seruaunt / wherfore now I haue bought one / that is so wyse and so playsaunt that thow neuer sawest none so fayr / ¶ And whan two Damoyselles seruauntes herd hym saye so / wenynge that it had ben trouth they beganne to stryue to gyder / and that one beganne to saye to that other / My lord hath sought for me a fayr husbond / And that other sayd / I haue this nyght dremed / that I was maryed / And thus as these seruaunts spake / his wyf sayde / My lord where is the fayr felawe / the whiche ye preyse so moche / I pray yow that I may see hym / And Exantus sa yd / he is to fore the yate / And his wyf sayde / I pray yow brynge hym in / And thus as the yong wymmen had debate Page viij for hym / one of them thought in her self / I shalle be the fyrste that shalle see hym / And yf I maye / he shalle be my husbond And so as she yssued oute of the hows she sayd / where is this fayr yongman / that I so moche desyre to see / And thenne Esope sayd to her / what demaundest thou / I am he / boo here / ¶ And whanne she sawe Esope / she was for fere al abasshed and troublod / and sayd to hym / arte thou the fayr pecok whe∣re is thy taylle / And Esope sayd to her / yf thou haue nede of a taylle / thou shalt not faylle of one / ¶ And thêne as he wold haue gone in / the seruaunt sayd to hym / Come not here with∣in / For alle they that shalle see the / shalle flee away / ¶ And after she wente in to her felawes / and told what he was / And that other whanne she came oute and sawe hym so dys∣formed / sayd / beware thou payllard that thou touche me not / that the deuylle to 〈◊〉 the / And thenne whanne Esope en∣tryd in to the hows / anone he presentyd hym to the lady / and whanne the lady sawe hym / anone she torned her vysage / and sayd to Exantus / For a seruaunt / thou hast brought me a monstre / throwe and caste hym oute / ¶ And Exantus sayd to her / My wyf thou oughtest now to be glad and Ioyons / by cause I haue brought to the so fayr and so Ioyous a ser∣uaunt / And she sayd to Exantus / I wote wel thou louest me not / For thou 〈◊〉 to haue another wyf / And vy cause thou durst not telle it me / thou hast brought this grete payl∣lart / to thende that I shalle go fro the / And I wylle no len∣ger abyde / vy cause thou knowest wel / that I may not suffre hym / And therfore delyuer to me my dowayr / and I shalle anone goo my waye / ¶ And thenne Exantus sayd to Esope whan we were on the way thou spackest largely / and now thou sayst nought / ¶ And Esope sayd to hym / by cause thy wyf is so malycious put her in pryson / ¶ And Exantus thē∣ne sayd to hym / hold thy pees / thou shalt be beten / Seest thow not / that I loue her more than my self / ¶ Thenne sayd E∣sope / I pray the / that thow loue her wel / And he sayd / wher∣fore not / And Esope smote his foote on the pament / and cryed with a lowde voys. herke ye a grete myracle /
THis philosopher Exautus is ouercomon of a woman And he torned to his lady / and sayd to her / Madame I praye the / take not myn wordes in euyll / thou wol dest haue a seruaunt that were yonge / wel fourmed / wel ara∣yed stronge and ryche / for to serue the at the wyne / and bere the to thy bedde / that can rubbe and clawe thy feet / and no•• suche a foul and so disfourmed a seruaunt as I am / For by cause of suche a mygnot / thou woldest sette nought by thy hus bond / And therfore Erupis that philosopher had his mouthe of gold / whiche neuer lyed / he sayd that there were many pe∣ryls and tormentes in the see and other grete Ryuers / And also pouerte is a grete chagre and dyffycyle to be borne / And also ther ben other grete daungers and peryls Infynyte / but ther is no werse daunger ne perylle / than is a f•• woman / And therfore Madame I praye the / that thou take nomore a fayr seruaūt ne playsaunt for to serue the / to thende / that thow dishonoure not thy lord and husbond / ¶ And she thenne sa∣yd to Esope / Auoyde thou payllart / whiche arte not only dis∣formed of ••ody / but also of thy wordes / whanne thou sayst so by me / but I shalle wel paye the / For I shalle go my waye / ¶ Thenne sayd Exantus to Esope / ne seest thou not how thou Page ix hast angryd my wyf / See that thou appease her / And Esope said / It is not a lyght thyng tappease the yre of a woman / but it is a greuous thynge Exanctus sayd to Esope / Speke no more / For I haue bought the for to make pees / and not for to make debate ne warre
