The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Poge/Tale 3
E telleth also that ther was a carryk
of Jene hyred in to fraūce for to
make warre ayenst englisshmen /
of the whiche caarrick the patrone
bare in his sheld painted an oxe
hede / whiche a noble man of fraūce beheld and
sawe / & sayd he wold auenge hym on hym that
bare tho armes / wherapon aroos an altercacion
so moche / that the frensshman prouoked the
Janueye to bataylle and fyght therfore / The
Januey acceptyd the prouocacion / & came at
the day assigned in to the felde withoute ony
araye or habyllements of warre / And that other
frensshe man came in moche noble apparayll in
to the feld that was ordeyned / & thene the
patrone of the carrik said wherfore is it that
we two shold this day fyght & make bataill fore
I saye said that other that thyn armes ben myn /
& bylonged to me to sore that thow haddest
them / Thenne the Januey said It is no nede to
make ony bataylle therfore / For the armes that
I bare is not the hede of an oxe but it is the hede
of a cowe whiche thynge so spoken the noble
Frensshe man was abasshed and so departed half
mocqued