The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Secundus/Fable 17
¶ The xvij fable is of the ante and the flye
O make boost and auauntynge is but
vayne glorye and folye / wherof Esope recyteth suche a fable / Of
the ante or formyce and of the
flye / whiche stryued to gyder /
for to wete whiche was the most noble of
them bothe / & the flye sayd to the formyce /
Come hyder formyce / wylt thow compare thy
self to me that dwelle in the kynges places and
palays / and ete and drynke at theyr table / And
also I kysse bothe kynge and quene / and the
most fayre maydens / and thow poure and myschaunt
beest thow arte euer within the erthe /
And the formyce ansuerd to the flye / Now
knowe I wel thy vanyte and folye / ¶ For thow
auauntest the of that wherof thou sholest desprayse
the /
For fro alle places where as thow goost or flyest / thow arte hated 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 chamber or hole / where as I drynke and ete at my playsyr / For the wynter shalle not forgyue to the thy mysdede / but he shalle slee the / ¶ And thus he that wylle mocque or despreyse somme other / he ougt fyrst to loke and behold on hym self wel / For men fayn comynly / who that beholdeth in the glas / well he seeth hym self / ¶ And who seeth hym self / wel he knoweth hym self / And who that knowith hym self / lytel he preyseth hym self / ¶ And who that preyseth hym self lytyll / he is ful wyse and sage.