The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Annotated/Vol. II/Liber Primus/Fable 6
¶ The vj fable is of the lyon and of the cowe / of the goote and of the sheep
en sayen that it is not good to ete
plommes with his lord / ne to the
poure it is not good to have partage and dyuysyon with hym which
is ryche & myghty / wherof Esope
reherceth suche a fable / The cowe / the gote &
the sheep went ones a huntyng & chase / with the lyon and toke a herte / And whanne they cake /
[came] to haue theyr parte / the lyon sayd to
them / My lordes I late you wete / that the fyrst
part is myn by cause I am your lord / the second
by cause / I am stronger than ye be / the thyrd /
by cause I ranne more swifter than ye dyd / and
who so ever toucheth the fourthe parte / he shall
be myn mortal enemy / And thus he took for
hym selfe alone the herte / And therfore this
fable techeth to al folk / that the poure ought
not to hold felauship with the myghty / For
the myghty man is neuer feythfull to the poure.