The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Alfonce/Fable 10
¶ The x fable is of the husbond and of the moder & of hys wyf
Omtyme was a merchaunt whiche
maryed hym to a yonge woman /
the whiche had yet her moder on
lyue / It happed that this Marchaunt
wold ones haue gone somwhere
in to ferre country for to by some ware or
marchaundyse / And as he was goynge / he betoke
his wyf to her moder for to kepe and rewle
her honestly tyll he come ageyne / ¶ His wyf
thenne by the owne consentynge and wylle of
her moder / enamoured her self of a ryght gentyl /
fayre and yong man whiche fournysshed to
thappoyntement / And ones as they thre made
good chere the husbond came ageyne fro the
feyre and knocked at the dore of the hows /
wherfore they were wel abasshed / Thenne sayd
the old moder thus to them / haue no fere / but
doo as I shalle telle to yow / and care yow not /
And thenne she sayd to the yonge man / hold
this swerd / and goo thow to the yate / and beware
thy self that thow saye no word to hym /
but lete me doo / And as the husbond wold haue entryd his hows / and that he sawe the yong
man holdynge a naked swerd in his handes / he
was gretely aferd / And thenne the old woman
sayd to hym / My sone thow arte ryght welcome /
be not aferd of this man / For thre men ranne
ryght now after hym for to haue slayne hym /
and by auenture he fond the yate open / and this
is the cause why he came here for to saue his
lyf / And thenne the husbond said to them / ye
haue done wel / And I can yow grete thanke /
And thus the yonge amerous wente his waye
surely by the subtylyte of the moder / of his wyf /
to the whiche truste thy self not / and thow shalt
doo as sage and wyse