The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Auian/Fable 17
¶ The xvij fable is of phebus / of the Auarycious / and of the enuyous
One oughte to doo harme or dommage
to somme other for to receyue
or doo his owne dommage /
As hit appereth by this fable / Of
Jupiter whiche sent phebus in to
therthe for to haue al the knowlege of the
thouȝt of men ¶ This phebus thenne mette
with two men / of whiche the one was moche
enuyous / And the other ryght couetous / Phebus
demaunded of them what theyr thought was /
We thynke said they to demaunde and aske of
the grete yeftes / To the which phebus ansuerd /
Now demaunde that ye wylle / For all that that
ye shalle demaunde of me / I shalle graunte hit /
And of that / that the fyrst of yow shalle aske /
the second haue the dowble parte / or as moche
more ageyne / And thenne the auarycious sayd /
I wyl that my felawe aske what he wyll fyrst
wherof the enuyous was wel content / whiche
sayd to Phebus Fayre syre I praye the that I
maye lese one of myn eyen / to thende that
my felawe may lese al bothe his eyen / wherfor phebus beganne to lawhe whiche departed and
wente ageyne vnto Jupiter / and told hym the
grete malyce of the enuyous / whiche was Joyeful
and glad of the harme and dommage of an
other / & how he was wel content to suffre
payne for to haue adommaged somme other