258
THE FABLES
four cheſtes ben al ful of gold / of ſyluer and of precious ſtones / whiche we brynge to yow / as to the treweſt man and feythful that we knowe for to kepe them ſurely by cauſe that we fere and doubte the theues / whiche ben within the deſert / After the whiche wordes ſayd / came he / whiche the old woman had counceylled / and demaunded of hym his ſyluer And by that cauſe the old man doubted / that the ſpanynard wold haue deſpreyſed hym / he ſayd thus to hym / Thow arte Welcome / I merueylled how thow taryeſt ſoo longe for to come / And Incontynent he reſtored to hym his ſyluer / And thus by the counceylle of the woman whiche he gretely thanked / he had his good ageyn / and retourned ageyne in to his countrey /
