The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Tertius/Fable 4
¶ The iiij fable maketh mencyon of the beestes and of the birdes
One maye do no good to two lordes
at ones / whiche ben cotrary one
to that other / as sayth to vs this
fable that the beestes made grete
werre ageynst the byrdes / & fought
euery day to gyder / And the backe feryng the
wulues And that the beestes shold vaynquysshe
and ouercome the byrdes / wold haue hold with
the beestes / and be ageynst the byrdes / And
whanne the batylle was ordeyned on bothe sydes /
the egle beganne to entre in to the batayll of
the beestes by suche a strengthe / that with the
help of the other byrdes he gat the feld /
and vaynquysshed / and ouercame the bestes /
wherfor the bestes maade pees with the byrdes /
and were alle of one accord and of one wylle /
And for the treason that the backe had made /
she was condempned to neuer see the day / And
neuer flee / but only by nyght / And also she was
despoylled of alle her fethers / And therfore he
that wylle serue two lordes cōtrary one to other
may-not be good ne trewe / And they wheche relynquen and leue theyr owne lordes for to
serue another straunger / whiche is enemy to
theyr lord / ben wel worthy to be punysshed /
For as the Euangele sayth / None may serue
bothe god and the deuyl