Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/266

  And the fader anuerd to hym / beware and loke wel that thow uppoe none to be thy frendes withoute that thow hat aayed & proued hym / For I haue lyued lenger than thy elf hate / & vnnethe I haue gete half a frend / wherfore I meruaylle moche how thow hat geten o many frendes / And thenne the one eynge the admyracion or wonder of his fader / demaunded of hym / My fader. I praye yow that ye wylle gyue to me counceil how I halle mowe preue and eaye my frend / And his fader ayd to hym / goo thou and kylle a calf / and putte it in a ak al blody / and bere hit to thy fyrt frend / and aye to hym that hit is a man whiche thou hat layne / And that for the loue of whiche he loueth the / that he wylle kepe thy mydede ecretely and burye hit / to thende that he may aue the / the which counceylle his one dyd / to whome his frend ayd / retorne ageyne to thy hows / For yf thow hat done euylle / I wylle not here the payne for the / For within my hows thow halt not entre / And thus one after other he aayed alle his frendes / and euery of them made to hym uche an anuere as the fyrt dyd / wherof gretely he was abahed / And thenne he retorned ageyn to his fader / and told hym / how he had done / And his fader anuerd to hym / Many one ben frendes of wordes only /