¶ The xix fable is of the man and of the wesel
En ought wel to loke and behold the
courage & thought of hym / whiche
dothe good / and the ende / wherfor
he dothe hit / wherof Eſope
reherceth ſuche a fable / Of a man
whiche tooke a weſell / the whiche chaced after
the rattes wythynne his hows / ¶ And after
whanne he had taken her / he wold haue kylled
her / ¶ And whanne the poure Weſelle ſawe
the wrathe and furour of her mayſter / ſhe cryed
to hym / mercy / ſayenge thus / My lord I requyre
and praye the / that thow wylt pardonne
to me / and that thow wylt reward me of the
grete ſeruyſe whiche I haue done to the / For
euer I haue chaced the rats oute of thy hows /
¶ And the man ſayd to her / thow dydeſt not
that for the loue of me / but only thow haſt done
it for to fylle thy bely For yf thow haddeſt done
it for the loue of me / I ſhold haue pardonned to
the / ¶ And by cauſe that thow dydeſt not for
to ſerue me / but for to lette and adōmage me /
For that the rattes myght not ete / thou bareſt
