Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/224



N as moche as god is more propyce and benygne to the good and holy / moche more he punyheth the wycked and euylle / As we may ee by this fable / Of a carpenter whiche cutte wode vpon a Ryuer for to make a temple to the goddes / And as he cutte wode / his axe felle in the Ryuer / wherfore he beganne to wepe and to calle helpe of the goddes / And the god Mercurye for pyte appiered before hym And demaunded of hym wherfore he wepte / and hewed to hym an axe of gold / and demaunded of hym yf hit was the axe whiche he had lot / & he ayd nay / And after the god hewed to hym another axe of yluer / And emblably aid nay And by caue that Mercurius awe that he was good and trewe / he drewe his axe oute of the water / and took hit to hym with moche good that he gaf to hym / And the carpenter told thytory to his felawes / of the whiche one of them came in to the ame place for to cutte woode as his felawe dyd before / & lete falle his axe within the water / and beganne / to wepe and to de- maund