The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Poge/Fable 2
¶ The second fable is of the woman and of the ypocryte
He generacion or byrth of the ypocryte
is moche dampnable and
euylle / As it appiereth by this
fable / and as poge reherceth to
vs whiche sayth / that somtyme
he fond hym self in a good felauship / where he
herd a fable / whiche was there reherced / Of
the whiche the tenour foloweth / and seyth the
sayd poge / that of alle the goodes of this world /
the ypocrytes ben possessours / For how be hit /
that an ypocryte haue somtyme wylle for to
helpe somme poure and Indygent / Neuertheles
he hath a condycyon within hym self / that is to
wete / that he shold rather see a man at the poynt
of dethe than for to saue his lyf of an halfpeny /
And this presumpcion is called ypocrysye / as ye
shal here herafter by the fable folowyng the
whiche sayth that one beynge in the felauship of
Poge reherced / that somtyme the customme of
alle the poure was that they wente before the
folkes dores withoute sayenge ony word It
happed thenne on that tyme that a poure man moche faire and of good lyf wente to serche
his lyf fro one dore to another / And vpon a
day emonge other he wente and sette hym self
vpon a grete stone before the yate of a wydowe /
whiche wydowe was acustommed to gyue hym
euer somwhat / ¶ And whan the good woman
knewe that he was at hir dore she dyd brynge
to hym his porcion as she was custommed for to
doo / And as she gaf to hym the mete she loked
on hym / and seyng hym soo fayre / and wel
made of body / she thenne fylled of carnal concupiscence
/ and brennynge in the fyre of loue /
requered and Instantly prayd hym that he wold
retorne thyder within thre dayes / and promysed
to him that she shold gyue to hym a ryght good
dyner / And the poure man sayd to her that he
shold doo soo / and whanne he came ageyne / he
sette hym self as before / atte dore of the wydowes
hows / whiche the woman knewe well whanne
he shold come / wherfore she came to the yate
and sayd / Come within good man / For now we
shalle dyne / to the whiche prayer the poure
man assented / & entred within the hows / the
whiche wydowe gaf to hym good mete / and
good drynke / And whanne they had wel dyned /
the sayd wydowe pressyd the good man strongly
and after she kyssed hym / requyrynge hym / that
she might haue the copye of his loue / And thēne the poure man al ashamed & vergoynous knowynge
her thoughte and her wylle / ansuerd thus
to her Certaynly my good lady I dare not / but
neuertheles he wold fayne haue done hit / And
the wydowe al embraced with loue beseched and
prayd hym more and more / And thenne whan
the poure man sawe that he myght not excuse
hym self / he sayd to the wydowe in this manere /
My frend syth that thow desyrest it for to doo
soo moche and soo grete an euylle / I take god
to my wytnes / that thow arte causer of hit / For
I am not consentynge to the faytte or dede / but
sayenge these wordes he consented to her wylle