Here begynneth the book of the subtyl historyes and fables of Esope whiche were translated out of Frensshe in to Englysshe by wylliam Caxton at westmynstre in the yere of oure Lorde M. CCCC. lxxxiij

¶ And after begynneth the regystre or table of the thyrd book of Esope

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¶ The vij fable speketh of the old dogge and of his mayster

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MEn ought not to dysprayse the auncyent ne to pu••••e a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / For yf thow be yonge / thow oughtest to desyre to come to old age or auncyente / And also thow ouʒ∣test to loue and prayse the fayttes or dedes whiche they haue done in theyr yongthe / Wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fa∣ble / Of a lord whiche had a dogge / the whiche dogge had be in his yongthe of good kynde / For ye wote wel / that of kynde the dogges chacen and hunten in theyr yongthe / and haue grete luste to re••••ne and take the wyld beestes / whan thenne this dogge was come to old age / and that he myght nomore renne / It happeth ones that he lete scape and go fro hym an ha r•••• / wherfore his mayster was sorowfull and angry / and by grete wrathe beganne to bete hym / The dogge sayd thenne to hym / My mayster / of good seruyse thow yeldest to me euylle gwerdone and reward / For in my yonge age I serued the ful wel / And now that I am comen to myn old age / thow

betest and settest me a bak / haue memorye how in myn yong age / I was stronge and lusty / And how I made grete oul∣trages and effors / the whiche caused my yongthe / And now when I am bycome old and feble thow settest nought of me / ¶ This fable techeth that who so euer doth ony good in his yongthe / in his auncyente and old age he shalle not contynue in the vertues whiche he posseded in his yong age

¶ The viij fable is of the hares and of the frogges

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MEn say comynly that after that the tym•••• goth / so must folke go / For yf thow makest distinction of the tyme thow shalt wel accord the scryptures / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable / And sayth thus / that he whiche beholdeth the euylle of other / must haue pacyence of the euylle that maye come vpon hym / For somtyme as a hunter chaced thurgh the feldes and woodes / the hares beganne to flee for fere

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HE that ought not to be assewred that applyketh and setteth hym to doo to somme other eny euyll / wherof esope reherceth suche a fable / Of a serpent / whiche wente & came in to the hows of a poure man / whiche serpent lyued of that whiche felle fro the poure mans table / For the whiche thynge happed a grete fortune to this poure man and bycame moche ryche / But on a daye this man was angry ageynste the serpent / and took a grete staf / and smote at hym / and gre∣tely hurted hym wherfore the serpente wente oute of his hous And therin he came neuer ageyne / And within a lytyll whyle after this / this man retourned and felle ageyne in to grete pouerte / And thenne he knewe that by the fortune of the Ser pent he was bycome ryche / and repentyd hym moche of that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 smote the serpent / And thenne this poure man wente and hū∣bled hym bifore the serpent sayenge to hym / I praye the that thow wylt pardonne me of thoffense that I haue done to the ¶ And thenne sayd the serpente to the poure man / Syth thow repentest the of thy mysdede / I pardonne and forgyue it to the But as longe as I shalle be on lyue / I shalle remembre me of thy malyce / For as thow hurtest me ones / thow maist as wel hurte me another tyme / For the wound: that thow madest to me / may not forgete the euylle whiche thow host done to me wherfore he that was ones euylle / shalle euer be presumed & holden for euylle / And therfore men ought to presume ouer hym / by whome they receyue some dommage and not haue suspecte theyr good and trewe frendes

¶ The xj fable is of the herte / of the sheep & of the wulf

THe thyng which is promysed by force & for drede is not to be hold / wherof esope reherceth suche a fable of a hert which in the presence of a wulf demaūded of a sheep that she shold paye a busshel of corn / And the wulf commaū∣ded to the sheep to paye hit / And whanne the day of payment was come / the herte came and demaunded of the sheep his corn And the sheep sayd to hym / the conenaunces and pactyons made by drede and force oughte not to be holden / For it was force to me beynge to fore the wulf to promytte & graunte to gyue to the that whiche thow neuer lenest to me / And ther∣for

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thow shalt haue ryght nought of me / Wherfore somtyme it is good to make promesse of some thynge for to eschewe gret∣ter dommage or losse / For the thynges whiche are done by force haue none fydelyte

¶ The xij fable is of the balled man / and of the flye /

OF a lytel euylle may wel come a gretter / Wherof Eso pe recyteth suche a fable / Of a flye / whiche pryked a man vpon his bald hede / And whanne he wold ha∣ue smyte her / she flewgh awey / and thus he smote hym self / wherof the flye beganne to lawhe / And the bald man sayd to her Ha a euylle beest thow demaundest wel thy dethe / yf I smo te my self wherof thow lawhest and mocquest me / but yf I had hytte the / thow haddest be therof slayne / And therfore men

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MAny one ben whiche haue grete worship and glorye / but noo prudence / ne noo Wysedom they haue in them wherof Esope reherceth suche a fable / Of a wulf which found a dede mans hede / the whiche he torned vp so doune with his foote / And sayd / Ha a how fayr hast thow be and play∣saunt / And now thow hast in the neyther wytte / ne beaute / & yet thow arte withoute wys and withoute ony thought / And therfore men ought not only to behold the beaulte and fayre∣nesse of the body / but only the goodnes of the courage / For somtyme men gyuen glorye and worship to some / whiche haue not deseruyd to haue hit /

¶ The xv fable is of the Iaye and of the pecok

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NOne ought to were and putte on hym the gowne of other / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable Of a Iaye full of vayne glory / whiche took and putte on hym the fethers of a pecok / and with them he aourned / and arayed hym self well / And whanne he was wel dressyd and arayed / by his oultrecuydannce or ouerwenynge wold haue gone and conuersed amonge the pecoks / and dispraysed alle his felawes / And whanne the pecoks knewe that he was not of theyr kynd / they anone plucked of alle his fethers / And smote and bete hym by suche maner / that no fethers abode vpon hym / And he fledde away al naked and bare /

¶ And thenne whanne his felawes sawe hym / they sayd to hym / what gallaunt come hyther / where ben thy fayre fethers / whiche thow haddest but late a gone / Hast thow no shame ne vergoyne to come in oure companye / And thenne alle the byrdes came vpon hym / and smote & lete hym / sayenge thus to hym / yf thow haddest be content of thyn owne vestymentes / thow haddest not come to this vylony / Ther for hit appereth that hit is not good to were another mans

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ha••••ed chaced and put oute / and lyuest in grete daunger / for assone as the wynter shalle come thow shalt deye / And I shal abyde on lyue alone within my chambre or hole / where as I drynke and ete at my playsyr / For the wynter shalle not for∣gyue to the thy mysdede / but he shalle slee the / ¶ And thus he that wylle mocque or dispreyse somme other / he ought fyrst to loke and behold on hym self wel / For men sayn comynly / who that beholdeth in the glas / wel he seeth hym self / ¶ And who seeth hym self / wel he knoweth hym self / And who that kno weth hym self wel / lytel he preyseth hym self / ¶ And who that preyseth hym self lytyll / he is ful wyse and sage

¶ The xviij fable is of the wulf / of the foxe / and of the ape

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HE that ones falleth in to somme euylle faytte or dede / he shalle euer lyue with dishonour and in suspecion / of the peple / ¶ And how be it that by aduenture he

purposed to doo somme prouffitable thynge to somme other / yet he shold not be trusted ne byleued / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable / Of a wulf / whiche in aade the foxe to be cyted before the Ape / ¶ And the wulf sayd that the foxe was but a cheef and a payll••••rt and a knaue of poure folke / And the foxe sayd that he lyed / and that he was a good and trewe man / And that he dyde moche good /

¶ And thenne the ape whiche was sette as a Iuge / gaf su∣che a sentence / And sayd thus to the wulf / Come hyther / thow hast not loste alle that whiche thow demaundest / ¶ And thow Fox•••• I byleue wel that thow hast vsurped and robbed som thynge / how be it / that thow denyest hit in Iustyce / But for as moche that pees may be bytwixe yow bothe / ye shall parte to gyder your good / to thende / that none of yow haue no hole parte / For he that is wonte and acustomed to rolbe and gua∣we / with grete payne he may absteyne hym self fro hit / For a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wylle euer begyle other / ¶ And by cause that the ape felte them bothe gylty and suspycious made theyr dyfference to be acorded / and parted half by half / For they that ben cus∣tomed to doo ony frawde or falshede / shall euer lyue ryʒ•••• heuyly and in suspycion

¶ The xix fable is of the man and of the wesel

MEn ought wel to loke and behold the courage & tho∣ught of hym / whiche dothe good / and the ende / wherfor he dothe hit / wherof Esope reherceth suche a fable Of a man whiche tooke a wesell / the whiche chaced after the rattes wythynne his hows / ¶ And after whanne he had taken her / be wold haue kylled her / ¶ And whanne the poure weselle sawe the wrathe and fnrour of her mayster / she cryed to hym / mercy / sayenge thus / My lord I requyre and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 raye the / that thow wylt pardonne to me / And that thow wylt reward me of the grete seruyse whiche I haue done to the / For euer I ha∣ue chaced the rats oute of thy hows /

¶ And the man sayd to her / thow dydest not that for

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