Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/286

 

wylle ſynge whyle that I am in pryſon / And thenne the labourer or vylayne anſuerd / yf thow ſyngeſt not wel / I ſhalle ete the / And thenne the nyghtyngale ſayd to hym / yf thow putte me within a potte for to be ſoden / lytyl mete ſhalt thou thenne make of my body / and yf thow ſetteſt me for to be roſted / leſſe mete ſhalle be thenne made of me / And therfor neyther boylled ne roſted ſhalle not be thy grete bely fylled of me / but yf thow lete me flee / hit ſhall be to the a grete good prouffyte / For thre doctrynes I ſhall teche the whiche thow ſhalt loue better than thre fat kyne / and thene the labourer lete the nyghtyngale flee / And whan he was oute of his handes / and that he was vpon a tree / he ſayd to the vylayne in this maner / My Frend I haue promyſed to the / that I ſhall gyue to the thre doctrynes / wherof the fyrſt is this that thow byleue no thynge whiche is Impoſſyble / The ſecond is that thow kepe wel that thyn is / And the thyrd is / that thow take no ſorowe of the thynge loſt whiche may not be recouererd / And ſoone after the nyghtyngale beganne to ſygne / & in his ſonge ſayd thus / bleſſyd be god / whiche hath delyuerd me oute of the handes of this vylayne or chorle / whiche hath not knowen / ſene / ne touched the precious dyamond whiche I haue within my bely / For yf he had foūde