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AS a Beare scolded by chaunce with his wife he thrust out hir eyes, but after repenting, he was so graued therwith, that hée byt off hys nayles. And when in talking he sayd, that for the loue he bare to hir he had cast away his best de∣fence: what good (quod his wife) doth this to me? Thou shouldest haue done this before thou scrat∣chedst out my eyes.
MOR. After harme done it is too late to repēt, séeing that which is done, can not be vndone.
TThere was a Countrymā which as he came from market, heard two Cuckoes aunswe∣ring one an other out of two sundrie woods. And when the Cuckoe of the other wood had néere put to silence hys country cuckoe, he lighted off his horsse and climbed a trée, and as well as he could, he holpe his country cuckoe with his cry∣ing. In the meane time a Wolfe deuoured his horsse: then was hée fayne to goe home on foote, where he complayned to hys neighbours, how for the honour of his country he had holpe hys Cuckoe, wherby he had suffeyned greate losse. Then they all with one accorde payd his dama∣ges, supposing that it was not fit that any should receiue hinderance, which had trauelled for their common wealth.
A Mule espied a horsse gorgeously decked with a gilt byt, a faire sadle, & purple trappers, at whose Fortune he enuied much, supposing him to be happy, bicause he alwayes fared well, and went gayly: contrarywise, his owne estate in comparison of hys to be miserable. For (quod he) I am ouerladen with the packsaddle, and I am a dayly drudge to cary burdens. But shortly
after, he espyed the Horsse returning from bat∣taile sore wounded, then he accounted his owne estate better than the Horses, saying: I had ra∣ther get my liuing hardly with my daily labour, and to bée clad in vile aray, than after such faire and trim apparell to be in daunger of my life.
MOR. We must not enuie Kings and Prin∣ces bicause of their wealth and substance, séeing they are subiecte to many moe peryls than poore men are.
A Diuill wandring through the worlde (as his maner is) marked a certaine yong man re∣ioysing at the deth of his parēts, wherat he was very glad: but going a little further he wept, sée∣ing an other very heauie at his Fathers buriall, who being demaunded the cause of so diuers af∣fections, aunswered: The laughing of the sonne for the deathe of his parents, declareth that those being riche are dead, of which number very few escape our handes: but the wéeping is a token of the fathers pouertie: and the kingdome of Hea∣uen, for the most part, is wont to belong to those whiche are poore.
MOR. Too much riches do cary a man downe to Hell.