in hys olde age hée receyued iust punishement Euery beast in recompence of their hurt requited hys quarell The Bore wyth his tuske the Bull strake him with hys horns and especialy the Asse béeing inflamed to cast off the name of a cowarde with chyding and kickyng couragiously didde beate him The Lion then wayling lamentably sayde Those whome sometime I haue hurt pay me agein with the same measure and not without a cause Agein those to whome sometyme I haue done good requite not now my goodnesse but rather vniustly are my foes greate was my follie when I made so many my enimies but greter in that I trusted false friendes Mor. When thou art in prosperous estate be not lofty nor fierce if fortune once frown or looke awry they whom thou haste hurte shall reuenge theyr quarell if thou haue fréends put a differēce betwene them some are frends not too thée but too thy table and to thy fortune which as the wynde turneth will turne and happye shalte thou be if they be not thy foes 103 Of an Egle and a Conie SOmtime an Egle buylt hir nest in an high trée who by chaunce espyed yong Rabbettes a farre off féeding whiche he snatched vp and caried to his yong ones to féede on The Conye with flatteryng woords besoughte him to restore his son But the Egle supposing him being but a small beaste and earthly by no meanes able to hurt him tore thē in péeces with hir clawes in the sight of the Conie and gaue thē to hir yong ones to make merie withall The Conies heart earning sore at the death of hir Rabbets woulde not let it rest vnreuenged but digged vp by the rootes that trée where hir nest was which with the least blast of winde was ouerthrowne By which meanes the Egles yong ones being without feathers and not able to flie fell to the grounde and were destroyed Which thing not a little comforted the Conie Mor. No man bearing him selfe stiff of his owne strength ought to despise the weaker seing sometyme the feeble do reuenge the wrong don to them by the mightie 104 Of the Hares and the Frogs IT hapned that Hares hering a strange roaring in the woode all trembling began swiftly to runne away In running they stayed at a marishe being in doute what to doe séeing danger on euery syde and to encrease theyr feare they espied Frogs there drowned Then one wyser than the rest sayd Wherfore are we so fondly afraid Let vs take a good hart for swiftnesse in rūning we lack not but only a couragious stomack as for this hurly burly we néed not fear but set it light Mor. In all things take a good hart strength without courage is but dead for the cheefe heade of strength is hardinesse 105 Of the Bee and Inpiter THe Bée whych as men think was the firste make of Waxe came sometyme to sacrifice to the Gods whose oblatiō to Iupiter was a house of hony wherwith Iupiter reioycing commaunded hir petition whatsoeuer it were to be graūted Then the Bée asked thus most puisant god of al gods I besech thée graūt to thy handmayde that who soeuer cōmeth to the hyue to steale away hir hony may forth with dye as I haue pricked him Iupiter being abashed at hir requeste bycause he loued mankinde farre aboue all other at lengthe sayde to hir Be thou contente if thou sting hym that stealeth thy honye that thou mayst leese thy sting and foorthwyth dye and that in thy sting thy lyfe may lye Mor. We curse oure enemyes but it commonly lyghteth on oure owne heads 106 Of a hart and a Lyon A Harte escaping Hunters entred a caue where he chaunced on a Lyon by whome he was taken As he was dying he sayde Woe is mée that fléeing from men haue happened on the cruellest of all beasts Mor. Many men auoyding smal dangers runne into great 107 Of the Towne Dogs A Great route of Towne dogs coursed sore a Country dog which ran away and durst not resist at the last he turned ageyne and shewed his téethe to them then they all stoode still and durste not come néere him where as the Capteine generall of the hoste was presente who turned to his souldiers sayd Felowes this sighte warneth vs not to flée séeing we sée more daunger to them that runne away than to those that resist 108 Of two Pots TWo Pots stoode togither on a bankthe one was of earth the other of brasse which both were sodeinly caught by the force of the streames the earthen Pot fering to be broken went swiftliest whom the Brasen potte comforted willing him to feare nothyng for he coulde take heede ynough that they shoulde not knocke togither Nay said the other I knowe well inough whether the Riuer beate thée agaynst mée or mée againste thee I shall be in hazarde on euery side Therfore haue I determined to kéepe no companie with thée Mor. Better it is too deale with thy fellowe than with thy better for the myghtyer man can sooner hurte thée than thou him 109 Of the Swanne svngying at the poynt of death A Swan being nere at the poynt of death was asked of the Storke why he soong sweter being nigh his death which all other beasts do so much hate than in all his lyfe tyme before seing at that tyme he ought to be sory the Swan aunswered Bicause from hencefoorth I shall not bée troubled with séekyng for meate neither shall I neede to feare the Foulers ginne Mor. Wée are warned hereby not to feare death being by that bereft from all miseries 110 Of an Olde man whych set Trees A Man of very old age was mocked of a yong man bicause he planted trées wher of he shold neuer sée fruite The old man aunswered Neyther thou perhaps shalte gather fruite of those whiche thou gost about to set Shortly after the yong man fell out of a trée whiche he clymbed to gather beries and brake his necke Mor. Death spareth no age 111 Of the Phesaunt and the Pecocke THe birds somtime being at debate about a certen election at length chose the Phesant and the Pecocke who also straue for their prerogatiue and about it consumed their substance Then y e birdes assembled before the Egle to whom they shewed their election crauing that hée as an indifferent Judge would confirme it The Egle bicause he would perfectly vnderstand the case sent for them both to heare them The Phesaunt beganne his tale thus Oryghtuous iudge howe passing faire a birde I am thou mayest perceyue howe swéete also my flesh is it is not vnknowne wherefore I thinke my selfe worthy of the Lordshippe Then the Pecocke layde for hym selfe thus Moste gracious Lady the woordes whiche the Phesaunt hath alleaged are vntrue for in beautie I farre exceede him besydes that my varyable tayle of ryght chalengeth this honor forthwith she spred out hir tayle When the Egle had heard both their argumentes hée began first with
at a tyme may néede helpe of y e basest therfore a wise mā though it lay in his power to hurt any mā ought to feare that he that feareth not that doteth greatly and why so Though it be so y t bering thée bold of thine office thou carest for no mā the day may come that thou maist be aferd It is not vnknown what hath hapned to noble and mightie Princes who haue not only bin glad to séeke ayde of most vile persons but also haue feared their displeasure 282 Of the Wolfe and the Lambe AS a Wolfe was drinking at the head of a spring he espied a Lambe farre beneath also drinking of the same Spring wherat grudging ran hastily to the Lābe and roughly rebuked him for troubling the spring The Lambe al trembling besought him to she we cōpassion on him being therof giltlesse alleaging that bycause he drank farre beneath him by no meanes he coulde trouble hys drinking neyther yet ment it The Wolfe hauing determined euen at the firste sight the death of y e Lābe threatned hym moste rigorously saying Thy labor is in vayne to aske pardon for thou art alwayes my enimie thy Father thy mother and all thy cursed kinred are willingly my foes but this daye I will be reuenged of thée Mor. The mighty if he be disposed to hurt easely findeth occasion thereto A small thing is a great faulte if a man deale with his Superiours 283 Of the Hares and the Frogs THe Hares sometime assembled and bewayled their life as full of daunger and feare that they were deuoured by men dogs and Eagles and many other whervpon they decréed that it was better once to die than all their life to be in feare then they rushed to the marsheward as thoughe they would fall therein and be choked but Frogs whiche sat on the banks hearing a noyse of running skipped into it Whiche thing one of the Hares wyser than the rest séeing sayd stay fellowes do your selues no harme for there are other beastes more fearfull than wée Mor. Wretched men are comforted by the miserie of others being greater 284 Of a Swanne A Rich man brought vp a Swanne and a Goose togither but not both to one purpose for the one shold serue to sing the other for the table When the tyme was come that the goose shold doe that for which he was kept vp it chaunced to be night so that one coulde not be knowen from the other and the Swan was caried away instead of the goose who soong a song at y e beginning of hir death by whiche she shewed hir nature by hir sweete singing escaped death Mor. Cōmonly Musicke prolongeth life 285 Of a Moore A Certen mā bought a Moore who thinking that the blacknesse of his skinne hapned through the negligence of his first Maister tooke him home and ceassed not cōtinually to washe him with suche things as would make him white by which meanes he so vexed the poore slaue that he brought him into a sicknesse his skin remayning still as black as before Mor. Nature will abyde as it was first 286 Of a Horseman and a Husbandman A Horseman required a Husbandmā to catch a Hare whiche he tooke in hys handes and asked the price and foorthwith set spurs to his horsse but the Husbandmā sayd Make no haste for I will giue it thée for a present Mor. This Fable toucheth those which refuse their own vpon necessitie 287 Of a Man and his Dog A Certen man hauing forgot to shut the doore where the Hens roosted When he arose in the morning founde that they were all killed and caried away by y e Fox He was wroth therefore with the Dog bicause he had not well tended hys goods bet him sore Why quod he if thou hast bin negligēt in shutting the doore for whō the Hens layd egs and hatched Chickens is it any maruell if I being in a dead sléepe and haue no profit by thē did not perceyue the Foxe comming Mor. We must neuer hope to haue diligent seruaunts where the maister is negligent 288 Of a Foxe A Fox durst not assaulte by night a flock of Hens for feare of a Dogge which he knew to lodge amongst them but when he vnderstood that they were gone to an other place to companie with other Hens where no dog was supposing to obtayn his purpose went thither and killed them all Mor. It is better to haue a good and couragious neighboure dwelling néere than cowardly kinsmen 289 Of foure footed Beastes WHen war was proclaimed betwene foure footed beastes and foules The Beastes made a league with the Fishes that by their ayde they might be defended from the rigorousnesse of the Foules Whē they looked for helpe at their hands the Fishes sent their Ambassadoures to declare that they could not come by lande vnto thē Mor. Make not those thy fellowes which can not helpe in tyme of néede 290 Of a Souldiour and his Horse THere was a Souldiour whiche hadde a passing fine horse and bought an other in goodnesse nothing like vnto him whom more nicely he kept than the firste Then sayd he to his fellow why doth my Maister keepe me passingly aboue thée séeing I am not to be compared to thée neyther in cōlinesse strength nor swiftnesse He answered him This is the course of the worlde that new guestes are best welcome Mor. Suche is the madnesse of men that they preferre newe things afore old though they be worser 291 Of the Kid and the Wolfe A Gote going abroade to feed shut vp hir yong Kid at home charging him not to open the doore till hir returne The Wolf by chaunce hearing that after hir departure knocked at y e doore fayning the voyce of the Gote and bad him open it The Kid perceyuing his pretence denied to open the doore saying Though thy voyce be like a Gotes yet I see a Wolfe throughe the chinkes Mor. It is good for childrē to obey their Parents yong men to be ruled by age 292 Of a Chicken caught by a Kight A Hen hauing many chickens did greatly feare least the Kight should catch thē wherevpon when she sawe the Kight she gathered them often vnder hir wings to saue them from their enimie But one day espying the kight flying toward hir she called hir chickens togither which al came quickly at their dāmes clocking onely one excepted which despising hir calling whyles she coueted to eate a corne of wheat was snatched vp in the clawes of the cruel Kight into the Aire Mor. They whiche obey not their Parents cōmaundement fall into miserie 293 Of a Philosopher A Philosopher of the secte of Cynicus in chyding being stricken was not onely ther with cōtented but also rewarded him that strake with a piece of siluer Whiche thing whē all that were present maruelled at sayd that he was worthy to be beaten ageyn ah quod hée ye knowe not what I haue done
a riche man 183 269 The Nightingale and the Hauke codem 270 A madde man 184 271 A priest his boy co 272 Of a Foxe 185 273 Of an Asse 186 274 A yong man codem 275 Of Iupiter 187 276 The Foxe the Weasyll codem 277 Of an Apple tree 188 278 The Fly Ante. 189. 279 A Husbandeman and his Dog 190 280 The Lampurne the Crocodile codem 281 A LioÌ„ a Mouse 191 282 The Woolfe and the Lambe 193 283 Of the Hares and the Frogs 194 284 Of a Swanne codem 285 Of a Moore 195 286 A horsman and a husbandman codem 287 A maÌ„ his dog 196 288 Of a Foxe codem 289 Of Foure footed Beastes 197 290 A Souldiour and his Horse codem 291 The Kydde and the Wolfe 198 292 A Chicken caught by a Kyght odem 293 A Philosopher 199 294 The Foxe and the Egle codem 295 Of an Oliue tree 200 296 The Mouse and the Catte 201 297 The Kyghte and the Hauke codem 298 Of Cockes and a Partriche 202 299 Of the Sowe and the Dogge 203 300 A Lamb a wolf co 301 Of a Flye codem 302 A wolf a Lion 204 303 The Ape and his two sonnes codem 304 An olde man that caryed an Asse 205 305 A sumptuous feaste of the Lyon 207 306 The Plantine and the Ape codem 307 The Firre tree and the Bushe 208 308 Of the Sowe and the Bitche 209 309 The Doggs and the Asse codem 310 Of a Camell and Iupiter 210 311 Of an Oxe 211 312 The Weasill and the Myse codem 313 The Crowe and the Pitcher 212 314 The Lyon Fox cod 315 Of the Wolfe beeing hungrie 213 316 Of the Horse and the Harte codem 317 Of Geese 214 318 The Ape and his yong ones 215 319 Of Maryners codem 320 Of the Owle 216 321 A Foxe a Dog codeÌ„ 322 The Wolfe and Porkupine 217 323 Of an olde man lothe to dye codem 324 Of a Dog brought vp to Hunting 218 325 Of a man which plucked vp a Hedge 219 326 The Asse and the Lyon 220 327 Of Cocks 221 328 Of the Horse and the Asse codem 329 Of a Crane 222 330 Iupiter and the Rauen 223 331 The Flea a Lion co 332 The Peacocke and the Chough 224 333 A man his Dog cod 333 A Heardman 225 334 The Lyon and the Foxe 226 335 A man created Cardinall 227 336 The Fox Gote 228 337 The Field Mise 229 338 Of a Flea codem 339 The Sheepe and the Shepherd 230 340 Of Frogs codem 341 A Fisher 231 342 The Ape Fox cod 343 Of a Doue 232 344 The Currier and the Hunter eodem 345 The Beauer 234 346 The Houpe eodem 347 The Beame eodem 349 Of the Lyon the Bore and the Rauens 235 350 A Wolfe eodem 351 Of a Beare 236 352 A simple Countrey-man eodem 353 The Eagle and the Dorre 237 354 The Storke and the Swallow 238 355 The town Mouse and the CouÌ„try Mouse 239 356 Of the Mule and the Horse 241 357 Of a Deuill 242 358 The Birds 243 360 Of an Oxe and a Bullocke eodem 361 Of Birdes 244 362 A wicked Man eod 363 A Boye that woulde not learne 245 364 The Doue and the Crowe 246 365 Of the Asse and the Calfe eodem 366 The Bat and the Weasyll 247 367 The Fox and Cat. eod 368 The Marchaunt and the Ievve 248 369 A Carter 249 370 An olde Women eod 371 The Nightingale and the Rauen 250 372 Of the Doue and the Pye 251 373 Asse and Frogs eod 374 The Pellican 252 375 Of the Smyth and his Dogge eodem 376 Of the Bull and the Mouse 253 377 A Weasyll eod 378 Of Hares 254 379 The Ram Bull. eod 380 The Quayle and the Larke 255 381 The Nut tree the Asse and the Woman eodem 382 Beare and the Bee 256 383 Sow and the Dog eod 384 The Boy and his Mother 257 385 Of Mercurius and Tyresias 258 386 Theuish Partrich 259 387 Of the Hauke and the Cuckoe 260 388 A Grammarian teaching an Asse eodem 389 A man that would try his friends 261 390 Of a yong man and an olde 262 391 A Lyon and a Bul. 263 392 A Larke eodem 393 A Foxe taken 265 394 Of an Asse 266 395 One that played the part of Christ 267 396 The Harte eod 397 The Countryman and Hercules 368 398 The byting Dog eod 399 Of the Hogge and the Horsse 269 400 Of the Swan and the Crowe 270 401 The Thrushe eodem 402 Of the Lyon and the Mouse eodem 403 Of a Ryuer 271 404 The Serpent 272 405 A man that brake an Image eodem 406 An Asse RaueÌ„ 273 407 Of a Dog eod 408 The Nourse and the Wolfe 274 409 Of a woman that did weepe eodem 410 Of a woman beaten folio 275 411 The Wydowe and the greene Asse eod 412 The Hare Fox 276 FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman dwelling in Knight-ryder stréete at the signe of the Marmayde Anno Domini 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO OMNIA TEMPVS HABENT Abuse of the simple AbuÌ„dancâ— sometymeâ— perillous Abiectes AbstineÌ„ce Affliction Agrement perforce Ayde Accusing an other Ambition Ambodexter All things as god will All things not decent Anger Armed alwayes Attempt not aboue thy capacitie Attendance Bablers Benefactors Benefits yll bestowed Benefites il rewarded Benefites Benefites for aduauÌ„tage Betraying Beware of memyes Beautie Boasters Boastiag Boldnesse Bragging Brauling Women Brute beastes kinder than men Busie bodies Causers of euill Chastitie A charm for Scolds Choose the least euill Churle Certentie Common people Company Concord Consenting perforce Content in thy state Contention with superiours Couetousnesse Couetous Prelats Counsell Counsell for priuate gayne Crafty meÌ„ Craftie men Craft of women Crueltie requited Courage Cursing Daunger Dealyng Death Debate Dettes Deceyte Deceytfull persons Deserts rewarded Desire of new things Desire that is fit Dyet Dignitie Discord Despite Despise nothing Despraysers of Phisicke Dissemblers Dissimulation Disobediâ—nce Double tonged Do as ye woulde be done vnto Doubt the worst Dreadfulnesse Dread without need Dronkennesse Dulspirited â—ducation 〈◊〉 youth â—nimie Enuie Escaping of dangers hard Euill meâ— â—â—ill for â—â—od From euiâ— to Worse â—xercise ExperieÌ„câ— â—â—lshod in â—â—lowship â—alse witâ—â—sse â—aults Faultes punished Familiaritie â—eare Flatterie Fellowship of women Flying of daunger Fellowship Fighting Follie. Fooles Fortune Fortune frowneth on the poore Friendes Friendship fayned Gayne Gluttonie Glorieng God knoweth all Goods euil gotten Good turne Good Will Great talkers Griefe for sodaine chaunce Hastinesse Hasty 〈◊〉 Hast maeth wast Harlots Hatred Helpe in neede Heritage Hipocrisie Home is homely Hunger Honor. Humilitie Heart Hurtfull gaine Hurtful things â—esting IgnoraÌ„ce Immodeatenesse Impossible promises InconstaÌ„cy â—nnoceÌ„cie Inough hath none Vayne ioye Iudging outwardly Labor Learning Learne by others Leudenesse of women Liberalitie Libertie 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Liue in â—hy vocation Loue of money Lucre. Madnesse Madseruaunts Magistrates Mariage Meane life Maisters Meading with straÌ„gers Mercy in Princes Might Miserie of others easeth some Musick Nature Necessity Negligence of seruaunts Neighbor No ayde no fellows Newe things best Obedience Offences vnpunished Oppression of poore Ouer haâ—â—inesse Outward iudgemeÌ„t Pacience Pacience for gayne Pacience perforce â—arentes Please euery body Pleasure PerfectioÌ„ Perseueraunce in his vocation Petitions Poore and riche Pouertie praysed Praise not thy selfe Prayer Prayse of our owne Prayse another for aduauÌ„tage Preparation PreparatioÌ„ to die Presente gayne remembred Preseruers Presumption Pryde Proude of an others purse Falles of pride Princes Horace PromotioÌ„ ProuideÌ„ce PunishmeÌ„â— of vices Rayling Rashnesse Regard of health Regard of gaye clothes Reioysing Religious men RepeÌ„tance to late Reward for well doing Reuengement Riches Rich enimies Riottousnesse â—ulers â—ecretes â—nowen to â—od â—eruaunts Shiftes Sick folks Sinners Singing Simplicitie Slouthfulnesse Sluggards Strength Stryfe Societie Stripes Suffering wrong Tauntes Theft Time Trying of friends Trye all wayes Trouble Trust in thy selfe Trusting mortall things Truthe hateth iesting Vayne desires Vainglory Valiaunt death Vndefiled lyfe Vndoing him selfe Vnequall mariage Vnthankfulnesse A wise Ape Wicked men Wisdome