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 folowen other fables of Po∣ge the Florentyn

¶ The fyrst fable is of the subtylyte of the woman for to d••••yue her husbond

[illustration]

THe cautele or falshede of the woman is wonder mer∣ueyllous / as it appiereth by this fable / Of a marchaūt whiche was wedded of newe vnto a fayre and yong woman / the whiche marchaunt wente ouer the see for to bye & selle / and for to gete somwhat for to lyue honestly / And by cause that he dwellyd to longe / his wyf supposed that he was dede / And therfore she enamoured her self with another man / whiche dyd to her mykle good / as for to haue doo make and bylde vp his hows of newe the whiche had grete nede of repa∣racion / and also he gaf to her all newe Vtensyles to kepe a hous hold / And within a long tyme after the departyng of the mar∣chaunt he came ageyne in to his hows whiche he sawe newe byl ded / & sawe dysshes pottes / pannes / and suche other houshold wherfore he demaunded of his wyf how and in what man•••• she had foūde the facion and the meane for to haue repayred so so honestly his hows / And she ansuerd that it was by the gra ce of god / And he ansuerd / Blessyd be god of hit / And when he was within the chambre / he sawe the bedde rychely couerd / &

the walles wel hanged / and demaunded of his wyf he had done before / And she thenne ansuerd to hym in lyke maner as she dyd before / And therfore he thanked god as he had done to fore / And as he wold sette hym at his dyner / there was brought before hym vnto his wyf a child of thre yere of age / or there aboute / wherfore he demaunded of his wyf / My frend to whome belongeth this fayre child / And she ansuerd / My Frend the holy ghoost of his grace hath sente hit to me / Thē∣ne ansuerd the marchaunt to his wyf in this manere / I rendre not graces ne thankes not to the holy ghoost of this / For he hath taken to moche payne and labour for to haue it made vp myn owne werke / And I wyll that in no maner wyse he me dl•••• no more therwith / For suche thynge belongeth to me for to doo hit / and not to the holy ghoost

¶ The second fable is of the woman and of the ypocryte

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THe generacion or byrth of the ypocryte is moche damp nable and euylle / As it appiereth by this fable / and as poge reherceth to vs whiche sayth / that somtyme he fond hym self in a good felauship / where he herd a fable / whi che was there reherced / Of the whiche the tenour foloweth / and seyth the sayd poge / that of alle the goodes of this world / the ypocrytes ben possessours / For how be hit / that a•••• ypocryte ha ue somtyme wylle for to helpe somme poure and Indygent / Neuertheles he hath a condycyon within hym self / that is to w•••• / that he shold rather see a man at the poynt of dethe / than for to saue his lyf of an halfpeny / And this presumpcion is called ypocrysye / as ye shal here herafter by the fable folowyng the whiche sayth that one beynge in the felauship of Poge re∣herced / that somtyme the customme of alle the poure was that they wente before the folkes dores withoute sayenge ony word It happed thenne on that tyme that a poure man moche faire and of good lyf wente to serche his lyf fro one dore to ano∣ther / And vpon a day emonge other he wente and sette hym self vpon a grete stone before the yate of a wydowe / whiche wy dowe was acustommed to gyue hym euer somwhat / ¶ And whan the good woman knewe that he was at hir dore she dyd brynge to hym his porcion as she was custommed for to doo / And as she gaf to hym the mete she loked on hym / and seyng hym soo fayre / and wel made of body / she thenne fylled of car nal concupiscence / and brennynge in the fyre of loue / requered and Instantly prayd hym that he wold retorne thyder with∣in thre dayes / and promysed to hym that she shold gyue to hym a ryght good dyner / And the poure man sayd to her / that he shold doo soo / And whanne he came ageyne / he sette hym self as before / atte dore of the wydowes hows / whiche the woman knewe well whanne he shold come / wherfore she came to the yate and sayd / Come within good man / For now we shalle dyne / to the whiche prayer the poure man assented / & entred within the hows / the whiche wydowe gaf to hym good mete / and good drynke / And whanne they had wel dyned / the sa∣yd wydowe pressyd the good man strongly / and after she kys sed hym / requyrynge hym that she myght haue the copye of his loue / And thēne the poure man al ashamed & Vergoynous

knowynge her thoughte and her wylle / ansuerd thus to her / Certaynly my good lady I dare not / but neuertheles he wold fayne haue done hit / And the wydowe al embraced with loue beseched and prayd hym more and more / And thenne whan the poure man sawe that he myght not excuse hym self / he sayd to the wydowe in this manere / My frend syth that thow de∣syrest it for to doo soo moche and soo grete an euylle / I take god to my wytnes / that thow arte causer of hit / For I am not consentynge to the faytte or dede / but sayenge these wordes he consented to her wylle

¶ The thyrd fable is of a yonge woman whiche accused her husband of coulpe or blame

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POge florentyne sayth / that somtyme ther was a man named Nerus de paas / the whiche of his age was emonge the Florentyne / Ryght sage and prudent and ryght ryche / This Nerus had a fayr doughter / the whiche he

he maryed with a tyght fayre yonge man / and a ryche / and of good parentage or kynred / the whiche yong man the next day after the feest of his weddynge dyd lede her in to his cas∣tel / a lytyl way withoute the Cyte of Florence / And within fewe dayes after / this yonge man brought his wyf ageyne in to Florence vnto the hows of her fader Nerus / the whiche made thenne a feest as it was customed to doo at that tyme in some places eyght dayes after the weddynge / whanne this newe maryed or wed ded woman was come ageyne to her faders hows / she maad not ouer good chere / but euer she had her loke dounward to the erthe / as ful tryste / thoughtful & melanco∣lyous / And whanne her moder perceyued and sawe her dough ter so sorowful / and of mournynge contenaunce / she called her within a wardroppe where as no body was / but they two / and asked of her the cause of her sorowe / sayenge / how fare ye my doughter / what wante yow / haue yow not all thynges comyng to yow after your desyre and playsaunce / wherfore take ye so grete thought and melancolye / And thenne the doughter we pynge ful tendyrly sayd to the moder in this maner / Allas my moder ye haue not maryed me to a man / For of suche a thynge that a man oughte to haue / he hath neuer a dele / sauf only a lytel parte of that thynge for the whiche weddynge is made / And thenne the moder ryght wrothe & sorowful of this euyl fortune wente toward her husbond Nerus / and told to hym theuyll auenture and happe of theyr doughter / wherof he was gretely wrothe and sore troubled / And soone after this fortune was also dyuulged manyfested and knowen emong alle the lygnage of Nerus / wherof they were al sorowful / & gretely abasshed / how this fayr yonge man / to whome god had sent so many good Vertues / and that had soo many yeftes of grace / as is beaute / Rychesse / and good Renommee / and that he was Indygent or fawtyf of that thynge / wherfore marya∣ge is made / Neuertheles the tables were sette and couerd /

¶ And whanne the tyme of dyner came / the yonge man cam in to the hows of Nerus with his frendes and parents / And Incontynent they sette them all at the table / somme with heuy and sorowful herte / and the other with grete Ioye and plea∣syr / And whanne the yonge man sawe that alle his Frendes

maad good chere / and that alle the parentes of his wyf were heuy and melancolyous / he prayd and besoughte them / that they wold telle hym the cause of their heuynes and sorowe / but none of them alle ansuerd / Neuertheles he prayd / and be∣sought them yet ageyne / And thenne one of them ful of sorow and more lyberall than alle the other / sayd thus to hym / Cer∣taynly my fayre sone / thy wyf hath told to vs / that thow arte not man parfyghte / For the whiche wordes the man beganne to lawhe / and sayd with an hyghe boys that al they that we∣re there myght Vnderstand what he sayd / My lordes / and my frendes make good chere / For the cause of your sorowe shalle soone be peased / And thenne he beynge clothed with a shorte gowne Vntyde his hosen / and tooke his membre with his han de / whiche was grete and moche suffysaunt vpon the table / so that al the folauship myght see hit / wherfore the sayd felau∣ship myght see hit / wherof the sayd felauship was ful glad and Ioyeful / wherof somme of the men desyred to haue as moche / And many of the wymmen wysshed to theyr husban∣des suche an Instrument / And thenne somme of the frendes & parentes of Nerus doughter wente toward her / and sayd to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / that she had grete wronge for to complayne her of her hus∣band / For he had wel wherwith she myght be contented / and blamed her gretely of her folye / to whome the yong doughter ansuerd / My frendes why blame ye me / I complayne me not without cause / For our asse / whiche is a brute beest / hath wel a membre as grete as myn arme / and my husband whiche 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a man / his membre is Vnnethe half so grete / wherfore the symple and yonge damoysell wend that the men shold haue hit as grete and gretter than Asses

¶ Therfore it is sayd ofte / that moche lacketh he of that that a fole thynketh or weneth

¶ The fourthe fable is of huntynge and hawkynge

¶ The fourth fable is of the huntynge & hawkynge

[illustration]

POge Florentyn reherceth to vs / how ones he was in a felauship where men spak of the superflue cure of them whiche gouerne the dogges and hawkes / wherof a my∣lannoys named Paulus beganne to lawhe / and lawhyng re quyred of Poge that he wold reherce somme fable of the sayd hawkes / And for loue of alle the felauship he sayd in thys manere / Somtyme was a medecyn whiche was a Mylannoys This medecyn heled al foles of al maner of foly / and how & in what manere he dyd hele them / I shalle telle hit to you This medycyn or leche had within his hows a grete gardyn And in the myddes of hit was a depe and a brode pytte / whi che was ful of stynkynge and Infected water / And within the same pytte the sayd medycyn put the foles after the quan tyte of theyr folysshnes / somme vnto the knes / and the other vnto the bely / And there he bonde them fast at a post / but no∣ne he putte depper / than vnto the stomack for doubte of gretter

Inconuenient / It happed thenne that emonge other was one brought to hym / whiche he putte in to the sayd water vnto the thyes / And whan he had be by the space of xv dayes within the sayd water / he beganne to be peasyble and gate his wytte ageyne / And for to haue take somme disporte and consolacion he prayd to hym whiche had the kepynge of hym / that he wold take hym oute of the water / and promysed to hym that he shold not departe fro the gardyn / And thenne the kepar that kepte hym Vnbounde hym fro the stake / and had hym oute of the water / And whanne he had be many dayes oute of the pytte / he wente wel vnto the yate of the gardyn / but he durst not go oute / lesse that he shold be put ageyne within the sayd pytte / And on a tyme he went aboue vpon the yate / and as he loked al aboute / he sawe a fayr yong man on a horsbuk / whiche bare a sperehawk on his fyste / and had with hym two fayre spay∣nels / wherof the sayd fole was al abasshed / And in dede as by ••••as of nouelte / he callyd the sayd yong man / and after he sayd to hym benyngly / My frend I praye the that thou wilt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 me what is that wherupon thow arte sette / And thenne the yonge sone sayd to hym / that it was a hors whiche prouffi ted to hym to the chace / and bare hym where he wold / And af ter the fole demaunded of hym / And what is that whiche thou wrest on thy fyste / and wher to is it good / and the yongman ansuerd to hym / It is a sperehawst whiche is good for to ta∣ke par••••ryches and quaylles / And yet ageyne the fole demaun ded of hym / My frend what are thoos that folowe the / & wher to ben they good / And the yonge man ansuerd to hym / they be dogges whiche are good for to serche and fynde partryches & quaylles / And whan they haue reysed them / my sperehawke taketh them / wherof procedeth to me grete solas and playsyre / And the fole demaunded ageyne / To your aduys the takyng that ye doo by them in a hole yere / how moche is hit / shalle hit bere to the grete prouffyte / And the yong man ansuerd to hym four or fyue crownes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ther aboute / And no more sayd the fole / And to your aduys how moche shalle they dispende in a yere / And the yong man ansuerd xl or l crownes / ¶ And whanne the fole herd these wordes / he sayd to the sayd yonge

man / O my frend I pray the that soone thow wylt departe fro hens / For yf our fysicien come / he shalle putte the within the sayd pytte by cause that thow arte a fole / I was put in it Vn to the thyes / but therin he shold putte the vnto the chynne / for thow dost the grettest foly that euer I herd speke of / ¶ And therfore the studye of the huntynge and hawkynge is a slou∣ful cure / And none ought to doo hit withoute he be moche ryche and man of lyuelode / And yet hit ought not to be done ful ofte / but somtyme for to take disporte and solas / and to dry ue awey melancolye

¶ The V fable is of the recytacion of somme monstres

[illustration]

POge of Florence recyteth how in his tyme one named Hugh prynce of the medycyns / sawe a catte whiche had two hedes / and a calf whiche also had two hedes And his legges bothe before and behynde were double / as they had be Ioyned al to gyder / as many folke sawe / Item about

the matches of ytalye withynne a medowe was somtyme a Cowe / the whiche Cowe maade and delyuerd her of a Ser∣pent of wonder and Ryght merueyllous grettenesse / Ryghte hydous and ferdful / ¶ For fyrste he hadde the heede gretter than the hede of a calf / ¶ Secondly / he had a necke of the lengthe of an Asse / And his ••••dy made after the lykenesse of a dogge / and his taylle was wonder grete / thycke and longe withoute comparyson to ony other

¶ And whanne the Cowe sawe that she hadde maade suche a byrthe / And that within her bely she had borne soo ryght hor∣ryble a beeste / she was al ferdful / and lyfte her self vp / and supposed to haue fledde aweye / but the Serpent with his won∣der longe taylle enlaced her two hynder legges / and the Ser∣pent thenne beganne to souke the Cowe / And in dede soo mo∣che / and soo longe he souked tylle that he fond somme mylke / ¶ And whanne the Cowe myght escape fro hym / she fledde vnto the other kyne / ¶ And Incontynent her pappes and her behynder legges and all that the Serpent touched was all black a grete space of tyme / ¶ And soone after the sayd Cowe maade a fayre calf / The whiche mer∣ueylle was announced or sayd to the sayd 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he beynge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ferrare / ¶ And yet ageyne soone after that / ther was fond within a grete Ryuer a monstre maryn / or of the see of the forme or lykenesse whiche foloweth /

¶ Fyrste he hadde from the nauylle vpward the symylytude or lykenesse of a man / And fro the nauylle dounward / he had the fourme or makynge of a Fysshe / the whiche parte was i••••∣melle that is to wete double / ¶ Secondly he hadde a grete berd / and he hadde two wonder grete hornys aboue his eres / ¶ Also he hadde grete pappes / and a wonder gre∣te and horryble mouthe / and his handes retched vnto his en∣traylles or bowellys / And at the bothe his elbowes he hadde wynges ryght brode and grete of fysshes mayles / wherwith he swymmed / and only he hadde but the hede oute of the water /

¶ It happed thenne as many wymmen bouked and wesshed at the porte or hauen of the sayde Ryuer / that thys horryble and ferdful beeste was / for lacke and defaulte of mete came

swymmyng toward the sayd wymen / Of the which he toke one by the hand / and supposed to haue drawe her in to the water / but she was stronge / and wel auysed and resysted ageynste the sayd monstre / And as she deffended her self / she beganne to crye with a hy•••• wys / help help / to the whiche came rennynge fyue wymmen / whiche by hurlynge and drawynge of stones kyld and slewe the sayd monstre / For he was come to ferre within the sonde / wherfore he myght not retorne in to the depe water / And after whanne he rendryd his spyryte / he made a ryght lytyl crye / sayenge that he was so disformed and soo moche cruel / For he was of grete corpulence more than ony mans body / And yet sayth ••••oge in this manere / that he bryng at Ferrare he sawe the sayd monstre / And saith yet / that the yonge children were customed for to go bathe and wesshe them within the sayd Ryuer / but they came not all ageyne / wherfor the wymen wesshed ne bouked nomore theyr clothes at the said porte / For the folke presumed and supposed that the monstre kyld the yonge children / whiche were drowned / ¶ Item also within a lytyl whyle after hit befelle aboute the marches of ytaly that a child of fourme humayne whiche hadde two hedes and two Vysages or faces beholdynge one vpon the other / & the armes of eche other embraced the body / the whiche body fro the nauyl vpward was Aoyned sauf the two hedes / and from the nauyll dounward the lymmes were al separed one fro other in suche wyse that the lymmes of generacion were shewed ma∣nyfestly / Of the whiche child the tydynges came vnto the per∣sone of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Rome

¶ The syxthe fable is of the parsone / of his dogge / And of the Bisshop /

SYluer dothe and causeth alle thynge to be done vnto the halowynge ageyne of a place whiche is prophane or Interdicte / As ye shalle mowe here by thys pre∣sente Fable / ¶ Of a ••••reest dwellynge in the countrey whiche

[illustration]

somtyme had a dogge / whiche he boued moche / the whiche preest was moche ryche / The sayd dogge by processe of tyme deyde / & whan he was dede / he entered and buryed hit in the chirche yerd for cause of the grete loue whiche he loued hym / it hap∣••••ed thenne on a day his bisshop knewe hit by thaduertysement of somme other / wherfore he sen••••e for the sayd preest / and sup∣posed to haue of hym a grete somme of gold / or els he shold make hym to be straytly punysshed / And thenne he wrote a lettre vnto the sayd preest / of whiche the tenour conteyned only that he shold come and speke with hym / And whan the prest had redde the lettres / he Vnderstood wel alle the caas / and pre supposed or bethought in his courage / that he wold haue of hym somme syluer / For he knewe wel ynough the condycions of his bisshop / & forthwith he toke his breuyarye / & an C crow∣nes with hym / and wente for to speke to his prelate / & whan he came before hym / the prelate beganne to remembre and to she we to hym the enormyte of his mysdede / And to hym answerd the preest whiche was ryght wyse sayenge in this manere / O my ryght reuerende fader / yf ye knewe the souernyne prudence of whiche the sayd dogge was fylled / ye shold not be mer∣ueylled yf he hath wel desernyd for to be buryed honestly and

worshipfully amonge the men / he was al sylled thith huma∣yn wytte as wel in his lyf / as in thartycle of the dethe / And thenne the bisshop sayd / how may that be / wherce to me thenne al his lyf / Certaynly ryght reuerende fader ye ought wel to knowe / that whanne he was atte thartycle and at the poynt of dethe / he wold make his testament / and the dogge knowyng your grete nede and Indygence / he bequethed to yow an C crownes of gold / the whiche I brynge now vnto yow / And thenne the Bisshop for loue of the money he assoylled the prest And also graunted the sayd sepulture / And therfore syluer causeth alle thynge to be graunted or done

¶ The Vij fable is of the Foxe of the Cock and of the dogges

[illustration]

ALle the sallary or payment of them that mokken other is for to be mocaued at the last / as hit appiereth by this present Fable / of a Cock whiche somtyme sawe a foxe comynge toward hym sore hongry and fainysshed / whiche Cock supposed wel that he came not toward hym / but for to ete some henne / for whiche cause the Cock maade al his hennes to flee vpon a tree / And when the foxe beganne tapproche to the said tree / he began to crye toward the cock good tydynges good

tydynges / And after he salewed the cost ryght reuerently / & demaunded of hym thus / O godsep / what dost thow there soo hyghe / And thy hennes with the / hast not thow herd the good tydynges worthy and prouffitable for vs / ¶ And thenne the Cok ful of malyce ansuerd to hym / Nay Veryly godsep / but I praye the / telle and reherce them vnto vs / Thenne sayd the foxe to the cost / Certaynly godsep / they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the best that euer ye herd / For ye may goo and come / talke & commnnpque emong alle leestes withoute ony harme or dommage / And they shalle doo to yow bothe pleasyr and alle seruyse to them possible / for thus it is concluded and accorded / and also confermed by the grete counceyll of all bestes / And yet they haue made com∣maundement that none be so hardy to Vexe ne lette in no wyse ony other / be it neuer soo lytyll a beest / For the whiche good tydynges I praye the / that thow wylt come doune / to thende / that we may goo and synge / Te deum laudamus / for Ioye / And the Cok whiche knewe wel the fallaces or falshede of the foxe ansuerd to hym in this manere / Certaynly my broder and my good Frend thow hast brought to me ryght good tydynges / wherof more than C tymes I shalle thanke the / And sayenge these wordes the Cock lyfte vp his neck / and his feet / and loked ferre fro hym / And the foxe sayd to hym / what godsep / where aboute lokest thow / And the Cok ansuerd to hym / Certaynly my broder I see two dogges strongly and lyghtly rennynge hytherward with open mouthes / whiche as I suppose come for to brynge to vs the tydynges whiche thou hast told to vs / And thenne the Foxe whiche shoke for fere of the two dogges sayd to the Cock / god be with yow my frend / It is tyme that I departe fro hens / or these two dog∣ges come ••••rer / And sayenge these wordes toke his waye / & ranne as fast as he myght / And thenne the cock demaunded and cryed after hym / godsep / why rennest thow thus / yf the sayd pac•••• is accorded / thow oughtest not to doubte no thynge Ha a godsep sayd the Foxe from ferre / I doubte / that these two dogges haue not herd the decre•••• of the pees / And thus whanne a begyler is begyled / he receyued the sallary or paye∣ment / whiche he ought to haue / wherfore lete euery man kepe hym self ther fro

POgius reherceth that there were two wymmen in Ro∣me / whiche he knewe of dyuerse age and forme / which came to a Curteyzan by cause to haue and wynne som what wyth theyr bodyes / whome he receyued and happed that be knewe the fayrest of bothe twyes / and that other ones / and soo departed / And afterward whanne they shold departe / he gaf to them a pyece of lynen clothe / not decernynge how moche eche of them shold haue to her parte and porcion / And in the partynge of the sayd clothe fylle bitwene the wymmen a stryf by cause one of them demaunded two partes after thexygence of her werke / And that other the half after theyre persones / eche of them shewynge dyuersly theyr resons / that one sayeng that she hadde suffred hym twyes to doo his pleasyr / and that other pretended / that she was redy and in her was no defawte And soo fro wordes they came to strokes and cratchyng with naylys / and drawynge theyr here / in so moche that theyr neygh bours came to this batayll for to departe them / And also their owne and propre husbondes / not knowynge the cause of theyr stryf and debate / eche of them defendynge his wyues cause / And fro the fyghtynge of the wymmen hit aroos and came to theyr husbondes with buffettis and castynge of stones / soo longe that men ranne bytwene them / And after the customme of Rome bothe the husbondes were brought to pryson berynge enemyte eche to other / & knowe no thynge the cause wherfore / The sayd cloth is sette in the handes of the wymen secretely yet not departed / but is secretely argued amonge the wymmen in what wyse that this mater shal be deuyded / And I demaunde of doctours what the lawe is of it

¶ He sayth also that a Marchaunt of Florence bonght an hors of a man / and made his couenaunt with the sellar for xxv du cattes for to paye forthwith in hande xv ducattes / And as for the rest he shold abyde dettour and owe / And the sellar was content / and therupon delyuerd the hors and receyued the xv ducattes / After this a certayne terme the sellar demaunded of the byar the resydue / And he denyed the payment / & had hym hold his couenaunt / For the byer sayd we were accorded that I shold be thy debtour / And yf I shold satysfye & paye the

I shold nomore be thy dettour / et 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / and soo he abode det∣tour

HE telleth also that ther was a carryk of Iene hyred in to fraūce for to make warre ayenst englissħmen / of the whiche ••••arrik the patrone bare in his sheld painted an oxe hede / whiche a noble man of fraūce beheld & sawe / & sayd he wold auenge hym on hym that bare tho armes / wherupon aroos an altercacion so moche / that the frensshman prouoked the Ia••••eye to bataylle and fyght therfore / The Ianuey ac∣ceptyd the prouocacion / & came at the day assigned in to the felde withoute ony araye or habyllements of warre / And that other frensshe man came in moche noble apparayll in to the feld that was ordeyned / & thēne the patrone of the carrik said wher fore i•••• it that we two shold this day fyght & make bataill fore I saye said that other that thyn armes ben myn / & bylonged to me to fore that thow haddest them / Thenne the Ianuey said It is no nede to make ony bataylle therfore / For the armes that I bere is not the hede of an oxe but it is the hede of a cowe whiche thynge so spoken the noble Frensshe man was abasshed and so departed half mocqued

ALso he saith that ther was a phisycyen dwellyng in a Cyte / whiche was a grete & a connyng man in that sey en•••• / & he had a seruaūt a yong man whiche made pyl les after a certayne forme that he shewed to hym / & whan this yong man had dwellid long with hym / & coude parfʒtly make the pyllys / he departed fro his mayster / and went in to straū ge countre where as he was knowen / and lete men there to Vn derstonde that he was a connynge phisycyen / and coude gyue medycynes for al maner maladyes ond sekenesses / and my∣nystred alwey his pylles to euery man that came to hym for ony remedy / And hit was soo that a poure man of that place where he was came to hym / and complayned how he had loste his asse / and prayd hym to gyue to hym a medycyne for to fynde his asse ageyne / And he gaf to hym the sayd pyllys / & ••••dde hym to receyue and take them / And he shold fynde ħis asse / And this poure man dyd soo / and after wente in to the feldes and pastures to seke and loke after his asse / and soo doynge the pyllys wronght soo in his bely / that he must nedes

go purge hym / and went amonge the reed and there easyd hym / And anone there he fonde his asse / wherof he beyng moche Ioyeful ranne in to the toune / and told and proclamed / that by the medecyn that he had receyued of the phisycyen he had found his asse / whiche thynge knowen alle the symple peple reputed hym for a moche connynge man / whiche coude no thynge doo but make pyllys / And thus many fooles are ofte taken for wyse and connynge / Fo•••• he was reputed to hele all maner sekenesses / and also to fynde asses

THere was in a certayne towne a wydower wowed a wydowe for to haue and wedde her to his wyf / and at the last they were agreed and sured to gyder / ¶ And whan a yonge woman beynge seruaunt with the wy∣dowe herd therof / she came to her maystresse / and sayd to her / Allas maystresse what haue ye doo / why sayd she / I haue herd say sayd the mayde / that ye be assured and shalle wedde suche a man / And what thenne sayd the wydowe / Allas sayd the mayde I am sory foryow / by cause I haue herd saye that he is a peryllous man / For he laye so ofte and knewe so moch his other wyf that she deyde therof / And I am sory therof / that yf ye shold falle in lyke caas / to whome the wydowe an∣swerd and sayd / Forsothe I wold be dede / For ther is but so∣rowe and care in this world / This was a curteys excuse of a wydowe

NOw thenne I wylle fynysshe alle these fables wyth this tale that foloweth whiche a worsħipful preest and a parsone told me late / he sayd / that there were duel∣lynge in Oxenford two prestes bothe maystres of arte / of who me that one was quyck and coude putte hym self forth / And that other was a good symple preest / And soo it happed that the mayster that was perte and quyck was anone promoted to a benefyce or tweyne / and after to prebendys / and for to be a Dene of a grete prynces chappel / supposynge and wenynge that his felaw the symple preest shold neuer haue be promoted but be alwey an Annuel / or at the most a parysshe preest / So after longe tyme that this worshipful man this dene came ry∣dynge in to a good paryssh with a x or xij horses / lyke a pre∣late / and came in to the chirche of the sayd parysshe / and fond

there this good symple man somtyme his felawe / whiche ca•••• and welcomed hym lowely / And that other badde hym good morowe mayster Iohan / and toke hym sleyghtly by the hand and axyd hym where he dwellyd / And the good man sayd / in this paryssh / how sayd he / are ye here a sowle preest or a pa∣ryssh preste / nay syr said he / for lack of a better though I be not able ne worthy I am parson and curate of this parysshe / and thenne that other aualed his bonet and said mayster parson I praye yow to be not displeasyd / I had supposed ye had not ••••e bene fyeed / But mayster sayd he / I pray yow what is this benefyce worth to yow a yere / Forsothe sayd the good symple man / I wote neuer / for I make neuer accomptes therof / how wel I haue had hit four or fyue yere / And knowe ye not sa id he what it is worth / it shold seme a good benefyce / No for∣sothe sayd he / but I wote wel what it shalle be worth to me / why sayd he / what shalle hit be worth / Forsothe sayd he / yf I doo my trewe dylygēce in the cure of my parysshēs in prechyng and techynge / and doo my parte longynge to my cure / I shalle haue heuen therfore / And yf theyre sowles ben lost or ony of them by my defawte / I shall be punysshed therfore / And herof am I sure / And with that word the ryche dene was abussded And thought he shold be the better / and take more hede to his ••••res and benefyces than he had done / This was a good an∣swere of a good preest and an honest /