A Schole of wise conceytes wherein as euery conceyte hath wit, so the most haue much mirth : set forth in common places by order of the alphabet / translated out of diuers Greeke and Latine wryters by Thomas Blage ...

Contention with superiours.

58 Of the Elme and the Osier.

THere sprong vp an Elme in the banke of a Riuer, which mocked an Osier that grew nexte him, for his weakenesse, bycause that with the least beating of the water he moued, but of his owne strength and stoutnesse he boa∣sted excéedingly, and how that he had continued there many yeres, not able to be shaken by the violence of the water. It hapned on a tyme, that by force of the waues he was broken downe, and caryed away by the streame: Then the O∣sier mocked him, saying: Whither away neigh∣bour, wilte thou nowe forsake me? Where is nowe thy strength become?

MOR. Those men are wyser that giue place to their betters, than they that doo contende and haue a foule ouerthrowe.

59 Of the Harte and the Wolfe.

A Hart sometime accused a Shéepe before the Wolfe, that he ought him a bushel of wheat: The shéepe in very déede knew nothing of this, yet for feare of the Wolfe, promised payment. A day was set, which béeing come, the Hart put the Shéepe in remembraunce thereof, she deny∣ed it, excusing that promise to be made for feare of the Wolues presence. Forced promises are not to be kept.

MOR. It is a clause of the lawe, force muste haue the repulse by force. But thereof commeth a new sentence: It is lawfull to pay craft with the lyke.

60 Of a Feller of Woode.

AS a Woodseller was cutting woode néere a ryuer side, he lost his axe, who béeing vncer∣tayne what to doe, sate hym downe on the ry∣uers banke and wepte. But Mercurius vnder∣standing the cause, and moued with pitie, dyued vnder the water, broughte vp a golden Axe, and asked him, if that were it which he lost: He de∣nyed it to bée his: then he dyued agayne, and brought vp one of Siluer, the which he refused to bée hys: then he dyued the thirde tyme, and tooke vp his Axe, whiche he acknowledged to be hys which he lost. Mercurius perceiuing him to bée a iuste man and a true, gaue them all vn∣to hym, who foorthwith came to hys fellowes, and shewed them what hadde happened vnto hym. One of them bycause hée woulde also trys it, came to the Ryuer, and caste in hys Axe wil∣lingly: then satte hym downe and wepte. Vn∣to whome when Mercurius had appeared, and vnderstoode the cause, he lykewyse dyued, and brought vp a golden Axe, which he asked, if he had loste: He reioycing, did affirme it to be his. Whose impudent & manifest falshoode Mercurie

perceiuing, neither gaue him the golden Axe, nor his owne.

MOR. How much God loueth the righteous, so muche he hateth the vnrighteous.

61 Of the Cocke and the Foxe.

THE Foxe béeing sometyme very hungry, thought by suttletie to gette his pray amon∣gest the Hennes, which by the conduction of the Cocke were flowne into a hygher trée than he coulde clymbe: wherevppon he came to the Cocke, whome he gently saluted, and sayde: What makest thou so high? Hast thou not heard the newes of late, whiche are so good for vs? Verily (quod the Cocke) I heard nothing: but I pray thée what are they? The Foxe sayde: I am come hyther to make thée priuie of oure ioye: For there was lately a generall Coun∣sell helde of all Beastes, wherein was con∣cluded a continuall peace betwéene all Beastes: so that nowe wythoute any manner of feare, molestation, or laying awayte of any, euery one may walke where as hée lyste in safetie and quietnesse, therefore come downe and lette vs kéepe holy thys day. The Cocke per∣ceyuing the subtiltie and craft of the Foxe, sayd to him: Thy tydings are very good, which also I do lyke well: and foorthwith he stretched out hys necke, and looked a farre off, as thoughe he

sawe some straunge thing, whom the Foxe as∣ked, what he espied? The Cocke aunswered, I sée two Dogges comming amayne with open mouth: the Foxe therewith quaking for feare, bad them Adieu, for time it is for me to be gone, and foorthwith tooke him to his féete: What sir (quod the Cocke) whither runnest thou? what fearest thou? thou néedest doubt nothing, if this peace be concluded: verily (quod the Foxe) I can not tell whether these Dogges haue heard of this decrée or not. Whereby one crafte was payde with the like.

62 Of a deceiuer.

THere was a certayne man who sowed leade and other trifles in a peece of lether, as thou∣ghe it had bene some Iewell, and in the sighte of a riche marchaunt and other men, he priuily threw it to the ground, & after tooke it vp agayn, inquiring if any had lost it: This rich mā béeing couetous, came & affirmed it to be his: to whom the Deceiuer sayde: Is it a precious thing as it séemeth? The Marchaunte auouched it to bée. Mary (quod the other) thou shalte not haue it it againe except thou giue me ten crownes for a rewarde, which he willingly gaue, & foorthwith departed and opened the leather, but he percei∣uing it to be a small trifle, went to the deceiuer, alleaging that he was beguyled, wherefore he

threatned to hang him, excepte he restored the .x. Crownes. Why (quod the deceiuer) didste thou craftely & falsely say it was thine? and he caught holde on his hande, and would haue brought him before the Maior to trie their honestie, but the marchant plucked backe his hand and ran away.

63 Of a Fox caught by a Dog, whiles she fained hir selfe deade.

A Foxe counterfeyting that shée was deade, to the ende to entrap the birdes which shoulde come to hir as to a dead carcase, being walowed in durte, did lie with hir face vpwarde in a fielde, wayting for Choughs and Rauens, and such like gréedy birdes, which shée would deuoure. It hap∣ned a dog to come by, which snatched at hir, and with his téeth tore hir. Whereat shée saide: I am worthily serued, for whiles I endeuor subtilly to catch birds, my selfe am caught by an other.

MOR. They which lie in waite for other, ought not to be gréeued if they be entrapped them selues.

64 Of a Boy and a Theefe.

A Boy sate wéeping on the brinke of a Well, whom a Théefe demaunded the cause there∣of. Mary (quod he) as I drewe water my roape brake, and a pot of gold is falne in. This théefe be∣léeuing him, put of his clothes, & lept into the wel to séeke it: which, bicause he founde not, he came

vp again, where he could neither sée the Boy nor his cote, for the Boy was gone with it.

MOR. He that vseth deceit, somtime is deceiued.

65 Of a Thrushe.

THe Thrushe made his vaunts that he hadde won the friendship of the Swallow, to whom his mother sayde: Thou arte a foole sonne, if thou thinke to liue with hir, séeing either of you desi∣reth contrary places, for shée abideth in hotte pla∣ces, but thou in colde.

MOR. Make not those thy friendes, whose li∣uing disagréeth from thine.

66 Of the Aire and the Winde.

THe Aire on a time cited the winde before the Iudge and maker of all things, and sayde: O Lord of all things, beholde and take pitie of me, yée haue placed me Princelike inough, for which I giue you thanks, bicause ye haue appointed me to be the life of all liuing things, but heerein I was deceiued, for this Winde dothe make me so colde and intemperate, therefore I say to him, if he presume from hencefoorth to blowe vpon me, I will choke him: to whome the Creator saide: Aire thou sayest ill, though the winde make thée colde and tosse thée, yet he maketh thée holesome and temperate. If the winde blewe not on thée, thou shouldest be corrupt, lothsome, infected and hated of all men: wherfore thou oughtest to loue

him which preserueth thy health, wherewith the Aire was at one with the Winde.

MOR We ought to loue, and paciently suffer them which correct vs.