¶ The ſeuenth fable is of the herte and of the hunter
En preyſen ſomtyme that / that
ſhold be blamed & vitupered /
And ofte men blamen & vytuperen
that / that ſhold be preyſed /
as reciteth to vs this fable of a
herte / To whome it happyd on a tyme that he
drank in a fonteyn or welle as he dranke / he
ſawe in the water his hede which was horned /
wherfore he preyſed moche his hornes / And
as he loked on his legges / whiche were
lene and ſmal / he deſpreyſed and vytupered
them / And as he was drynkynge in the fontayne
he herd the voys and barkynge of dogges /
wherfore he wold haue fledde awey in to the
foreſt for to ſaue hym ſelf / but as he ſawe the
dogges ſo nyghe hym he wold haue entred within
a buſſhe / but he myght not / for his homes
kepte hym withoute / And thenne ſeyng that
he myght not eſcape began to ſaye within hym
ſelf / I haue blamed and vytupered my legges /
whiche haue ben to me vtyle and prouffitable /
and haue preyſed my hornes / whiche ben now
