The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Secundus/Fable 7

The subtyl historyes and fables of Esope, Liber Secundus (1889)
by Aesop, translated by William Caxton, edited by Joseph Jacobs
Fable 7: The old Dogge and his Mayster
Aesop3784081The subtyl historyes and fables of Esope, Liber Secundus — Fable 7: The old Dogge and his Mayster1889William Caxton

¶ The vii fable speketh of the old dogge and of his mayster

MEn ought not to dysprayse the auncyent ne to putte a bak / For yf thow be yonge / thow oughte to desyre to come to old age or auncyente / and also thow ouȝtest to loue and prayse the fayttes or dedes whiche they haue done in theyr yongthe / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable / Of a lord whiche had a dogge / the whiche dogge had be in his yonghe of good kynde / For ye wote wel / that of kynde the dogges chacen and hunten in theyr yongthe / and haue grete luste to renne and take the wyld beestes / whan thenne this dogge was come to old age / and that he myght no more renne / It happeth ones that he lete scape and go fro hym an hare / wherfore his mayster was sorowfull and angry / and by grete wrathe beganne to bete hym / The dogge sayd thenne to hym / My mayster/ of good seruyse thow yeldest to me euylle gwerdone & reward / For in my yonge age I serued the ful wel / And now that I am comen to myn old age / thow betest and settest me a bak / haue memorye how in myn yong age / I was stronge and lusty / And how I made grete outtrages and effors / the whiche caused my yongthe / And now when I am bycome old and feble thow settest nought of me /  ¶ This fable techeth that who so euer doth ony good in his yongthe / in his auncyente and old age he shalle not contynue in the vertues which he posseded in his yong age