Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/270

  dempned to be hanged / And whan men ledde hym toward the galhows / his frend awe and knewe hym / and beganne to wepe ore / remembryng the bienfayttes whiche he had done to hym / wherfore he went to the Jutyce and ayd / My lordes this man dyd not the homycyde / For hit was my elf that dyd hit / And therfore ye hold do grete ynne yf ye dyd put this Innocent and gyltles to dethe / And anone he was take for be had vnto the galhows / And thenne the Egypcyen ayd / My lordes / he dyd hit not / And therfore euylle hold ye doo to put him to dethe / And as the two frendes wold haue been hanged eche one for other / he whiche had done the homycyde came and knewe and confeyd there his ynne / and adreed hym elf before the Jutyce and ayd / My lordes / none of them bothe hath done the dede / And therfore punyhe not ye thee Innocents / For I allone ought to bere the payne / whereof all the Jutye was gretely meruaylled / And for the doubte whiche therin was grete / the Jutyce toke them al thre / & ledde them before the kyng   And when they had reherced to the kynge all the maner / after enquet theupon made / and he knewe the very trouthe of hit / graunted his grace to the murderer / and o alle thre were delyuerd / And the frend brought his frend in to hys hows / and receyued hym Joyoully /