The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Quartus/Fable 15

3810147The subtyl historyes and fables of Esope, Liber Quartus — Fable 15: The Man and the LyonWilliam Caxton

¶ The xv fable is of the man and of the lyon /

MEn ought not to byleue the paynture / but the trouthe and the dede / As men may see by this present Fable / Of a man & of a lyon whiche had stryf to gyder & were in grete discension for to wete and knowe / whiche of them bothe was more stronger /  ¶ The man sayd that he was stronger than the lyon / And for to haue his sayenge veryfyed / he shewed to the lyon a pyctour / where as a man had vyctory ouer a lyon / As the pyctour of Sampson the stronge  ¶ Thenne sayd the lyon to the man / yf the lyon coude make pyctour good and trewe / hit had be herin paynted / how the lyon had had vyctorye of the man / but now I shalle shewe to the very and trewe wytnesse therof / The lyon thenne ledde the man to a grete pytte / And there they fought to gyder / But the lyon caste the man into the pytte / and submytted hym in to his subiection and sayd / Thow man / now knowest thow alle the trouthe / whiche of vs bothe is stronger /  ¶ And therfore at the werke is knowen the best and most subtyle werker /