Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/270

 

dempned to be hanged / And whan men ledde hym toward the galhows / his frend ſawe and knewe hym / and beganne to wepe ſore / remembryng the bienfayttes whiche he had done to hym / wherfore he went to the Juſtyce and ſayd / My lordes this man dyd not the homycyde / For hit was my ſelf that dyd hit / And therfore ye ſhold do grete ſynne yf ye dyd put this Innocent and gyltles to dethe / And anone he was take for be had vnto the galhows / And thenne the Egypcyen ſayd / My lordes / he dyd hit not / And therfore euylle ſhold ye doo to put him to dethe / And as the two frendes wold haue been hanged eche one for other / he whiche had done the homycyde came and knewe and confeſſyd there his ſynne / and adreſſed hym ſelf before the Juſtyce and ſayd / My lordes / none of them bothe hath done the dede / And therfore punyſſhe not ye theſe Innocents / For I allone ought to bere the payne / whereof all the Juſtyſe was gretely meruaylled / And for the doubte whiche therin was grete / the Juſtyce toke them al thre / & ledde them before the kyng  And when they had reherced to the kynge all the maner / after enqueſt theupon made / and he knewe the very trouthe of hit / graunted his grace to the murderer / and ſo alle thre were delyuerd / And the frend brought his frend in to hys hows / and receyued hym Joyoully /