The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Quartus/Fable 15
¶ The xv fable is of the man and of the lyon /
En ought not to byleue the paynture /
but the trouthe and the dede /
As men may see by this present
Fable / Of a man & of a lyon
whiche had stryf to gyder & were
in grete discension for to wete and knowe /
whiche of them bothe was more stronger /
¶ The man sayd that he was stronger than the
lyon / And for to haue his sayenge veryfyed /
he shewed to the lyon a pyctour / where as a
man had vyctory ouer a lyon / As the pyctour of
Sampson the stronge ¶ Thenne sayd the lyon
to the man / yf the lyon coude make pyctour
good and trewe / hit had be herin paynted /
how the lyon had had vyctorye of the man /
but now I shalle shewe to the very and trewe
wytnesse therof / The lyon thenne ledde the
man to a grete pytte / And there they fought
to gyder / But the lyon caste the man into the
pytte / and submytted hym in to his subiection
and sayd / Thow man / now knowest thow alle
the trouthe / whiche of vs bothe is stronger /
¶ And therfore at the werke is knowen the best
and most subtyle werker /