Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/204

 

sauf paſſe thys flood and this grete Ryuer whiche is here before vs / and that we may ſurely come to oure hows / And whanne the Archer herd the prayer and oryſon of his lord / he was moche abaſſhed ¶ And thenne the Archer demaunded of hym / my lord wherfore prayeſt thow now ſoo deuoutely / And the knygt anſuerd woſt thou not wel that hit is wel knowen and manyfeſted / that we ſoone muſt paſſe a ryght grete Ryuer / And that he who on al this daye ſhalle haue made ony leſynge / yf he entre in hit / he ſhalle neuer come oute of hit ageyne / Of the whiche wordes the Archer was moche doubtous and dredeful / And as they had ryden a lytyl waye / they fond a lytyl Ryuer / wherfore the Archer demaunded of his lord / Is this the flood whiche we muſt paſſe / Nay ſayd the knyght / For hit is wel gretter / O my lord I ſaye bycauſe that the foxe whiche ye ſawe may wel haue ſwymmed and paſſed ouer this lytyl water / And the lord ſayd / I care not therfore / ¶ And after that they had ryden a lytyl ferther / the fond another lytyll Ryuer / And the Archer demaunded of hym / Is this the flood that ye ſpake of to me / Nay ſayd he / For hit is gretter & more brode / And the Archer ſayd ageyne to hym / My lord I ſay ſo / by cauſe that the foxe of the whiche I ſpake of to daye was not gretter than a calf / ¶ And thene the knyght herkyng