Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/190

 

one threed alone / And that the Gote were ſo grete / that with that ſame threde men myght not bynde one of his legges / ¶ Thenne ſayd thirdde / yet ſhalle be myn the gote / ¶ For I wolde/ that he were ſoo grete / that yf an Egle were at the vppermoft of the heuen / he myght occupye and haue thenne as moche place as the Egle myght loke and ſee in hyght / in lengthe and in breed / ¶ And thenne the Juge ſayde to them thre / who is he of yow thre / that hath maade the fayreſt prayer / Certaynly I nor none other canne not ſaye ne gyue the Jugement / And therfore the goote ſhalle be bylongynge to hym that of hit ſhalle ſay the trouthe   ¶ And the Mylle how was hit deuyſed by your Fader for to be parted amonge yow thre / ¶ And they anſuerde and ſayde to the Juge / He that ſhalle be mooſt lyer / mooſte euylle and moſt ſlowe ought to haue hit / ¶ Thenne ſay the eldeſt ſone / I am mooſt ſlowfull / For many yeres I haue dwellyd in a grete hous / and laye vnder the conduytes of the ſame / oute of the whiche felle vpon me alle the fowle waters / as pyſſe / dyſſhe water / and alle other fylthe that wonderly ſtanke / In ſo moche that al my fleſſhe was roten therof / and myn eyen al blynd / and the durt vnder my back was a foot hyghe / And yet by my grete ſlouthe I hadde leuer to abyde there / than to tourne me / and haue lyfte me vp