The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Secundus/Fable 18
¶ The xviij fable is of the wulf / of the foxe / and of the ape
E that ones falleth in to somme
euylle faytte or dede / he shalle
euer lyue with deshonour and in
suspecion / of the peple / ¶ And
how be it that by aduenture he
purposed to doo somme prouffitable thynge to
somme other / yet he shold not be trusted ne
byleued / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a
fable / Of a wulf whiche maade the foxe to be
cyted before the Ape / ¶ And the wulf sayd
that the foxe was but a theef and a payllart and
a knaue of poure folke / And the foxe sayd that
he lyed / and that he was a good and trewe man /
And that he dyde moche good /
¶ And thenne the Ape whiche was sette as a Juge / gaf suche a sentence / and sayd to the wulf / Come hyther / thow hast not lost al that whche thow demaundest / ¶ And thow Foxe I beleue wel that thow hast vsurped and robbed som thynge / howe be it / that thow denyest hit in Justyce / But for as moche that pees may be bytwexe yow bothe / ye shalle parte to gyder your good / to thende / that none of yow haue no hole parte / For he that is wonte and acustomed to robbe and gnawe / with grete payne he may absteyne hym self fro hit / For a begyler wylle euer begyle other / ¶ And by cause that the ape felte them bothe gulty and suspycious made theyr dyfference to be acorded / and parted half by half / For they that ben customed to doo ony frawde or falshede / shall euer lyue ryȝte[errata 1] heuyly and in suspycon