The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Quintus/Fable 2
¶ The second fable is of the bore and of the wulf
Vche desyren to be grete lordes /
and dyspreysen his parents / that
at the last becomen poure and
fallen in to grete dishonour / As
thow mayst see by this present
fable / Of a bore / whiche was amonge a grete
herd of other swynes / And for to haue lordship
and domynacion ouer alle them / he beganne to
make grete rumour / and shewed his grete teethe
for to make the other swynes aferd / but by
cause they knewe hym / they sette naught by
hym / wherof he displeased moche/ and wold
goo in to a herd of sheep / and emonge lambes /
And whanne he was amonge the lambes / he
began to make grete rumour / and shewed his
sharp and long teeth ¶ And whanne the lambes
herd hym / they were sore aferd / and begganne
to shake for fere / ¶ And thenne sayd the bore
within hym self / here is the place wherin I
must abyde and duell For here I shalle be
gretely worshipped / For euerychone quaken
for fere of me / ¶ Thenne came the wulf there
for to haue and rauysse somme proye / And the lambes beganne alle to flee / but the bore
as prowd wold not stere hym / ne go fro the
place / by cause he supposed to be lord / but the
wulf toke hym / and bare hym in to the wode
for to ete hym / ¶ And as the wulf bare hym /
it happed that he parted before the herd of
swynes / whiche the bore had lefte / ¶ And
thenne whanne the bore perceyued and knewe
them / he prayd and cryed to them / that for the
loue of god they wold helpe hym / And that
withoute her help / he was deed / And thenne
the swynes alle of one assent and owne wylle
wente and recouered theyr felewe / and after
slewe the wulf / And as the bore was delyuerd /
and sawe hym amonge the swynes / and that alle
his doubte and fere was gone / he beganne to
haue vergoyne and shame / by cause that he was
thus departed / and gone fro theyr felauship and
sayd to them / My bretheren and my frendes / I
am well worthy to haue had this payne / by
cause / I was gone & departed from yow / And
therfore he that is wel / lete hym beware that
he moue not hym self / For suche by his pryde
desyreth to be a grete lord / whiche ofte falleth
in grete pouerte /