Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/204

   pae thys flood and this grete Ryuer whiche is here before vs / and that we may urely come to oure hows / And whanne the Archer herd the prayer and oryon of his lord / he was moche abahed ¶ And thenne the Archer of hym / my lord wherfore prayet thow now oo deuoutely / And the knygt anuerd wot thou not wel that hit is wel knowen and manyfeted / that we oone mut pae a ryght grete Ryuer / And that he who on al this daye halle haue made ony leynge / yf he entre in hit / he halle neuer come oute of hit ageyne / Of the whiche wordes the Archer was moche doubtous and dredeful / And as they had ryden a lytyl waye / they fond a lytyl Ryuer / wherfore the Archer demaunded of his lord / Is this the flood whiche we mut pae / Nay ayd the knyght / For hit is wel gretter / O my lord I aye bycaue that the foxe whiche ye awe may wel haue wymmed and paed ouer this lytyl water / And the lord ayd / I care not therfore / ¶ And after that they had ryden a lytyl ferther / the fond another lytyll Ryuer / And the Archer demaunded of hym / Is this the flood that ye pake of to me / Nay ayd he / For hit is gretter & more brode / And the Archer ayd ageyne to hym / My lord I ay o / by caue that the foxe of the whiche I pake of to daye was not gretter than a calf / ¶ And thene the knyght