Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/49

 

ganne therof to merueylle / And for theyr kyng he called to them a grete pyece of wood / whiche maade a grete ſowne and noyſe in the water / wherof alle the frogges had grete drede and ſered moche / And after they approched to theyr kynge for to make obeyſſaunce vnto hym /  ¶ And whanne they perceyued that hit was but a pyece of wood / they torned ageyne to Jupiter prayenge hym ſwetely that he wold gyue to them another kynge / And Jupiter gaf to them the Heron for to be theyr kynge / And then the Heron beganne to entre in to the water / and ete them one after other / And whanne the frogges ſawe that theyr kyng deſtroyed / and ete them thus / they beganne tendyrly to wepe / ſayeng in this manere to the god Jupiter / Ryght hyghe and ryght myghte god Jupiter pleaſe the to delyuere vs fro the throte of this dragon and fals tyraunt which eteth vs the one after another / And he ſayd to them / the kynge whiche ye haue demounded ſhalle be your mayſter / For whan men haue that / which men oughte to haue / they ought to be ioyful and glad  And he that hath lyberte ought to kepe hit wel / For nothyng is better than lyberte / Fur lyberte ſhold not be wel ſold for alle the gold and ſyluer of all the world