The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Auian/Fable 4
¶ The fourthe fable is of the asse / and of the skynne of the Lyon
One ought not to gloryfye hym self
of the goodes of other . as recyteth
this fable of an ass whiche somtyme
fond the skynne of a lyon /
the whiche he dyd & wered on
hym / but he coude neuer hyde his eres therwith
/ & when he was / as he supposed wel
arayed with the sayd skynne / he ranne in to
the forest / And whanne the wyld beestes sawe
hym come / they were so ferdfull that they alle beganne to flee / For they wend / that it had be
the lyon / And the mayster of the asse serched and
soughte his asse in euery place al aboute And
as he had soughte longe / he thoughte that he
wold go in to the forest for to see yf his asse
were there / And as soone as he was entryd
in to the forest / he mette with his asse arayed
as before is sayd / but his mayster whiche had
soughte hym longe sawe his erys / wherfore he
knewe hym wel / and anone toke hym / and
sayd in this manere / Ha a mayster asse / arte
thow clothed with the skynne of the lyon / thow
makest the bestes to be aferd / but yf they knewe
the / as wel as I do / they shold haue no fere of
the / but I ensure the / that wel I shalle bete the
therfore / And thenne he toke fro hym the skynne
of the lyon / and sayd to hym Lyon shalt thow be
no more / but an asse shalt thow euer be / And
his mayster tooke thenne a staf / and smote hym /
soo that euer after he remembryd hym wel of
hit / And therfore he whiche auaunceth hym
self of other mennes goodes is a very foole / For
as men sayn comynly he is not wel arayed nor
wel appoynted / whiche is clothed with others
gowne / ne also it is not honeste to make large
thonges of other mennes leder