The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Secundus/Fable 7
¶ The vii fable speketh of the old dogge and of his mayster
En ought not to dysprayse the auncyent
ne to putte a bak / For yf
thow be yonge / thow oughte to
desyre to come to old age or auncyente
/ and also thow ouȝtest to
loue and prayse the fayttes or dedes whiche they
haue done in theyr yongthe / wherof Esope reherceth
to vs suche a fable / Of a lord whiche
had a dogge / the whiche dogge had be in his
yonghe of good kynde / For ye wote wel / that
of kynde the dogges chacen and hunten in theyr
yongthe / and haue grete luste to renne and take
the wyld beestes / whan thenne this dogge was
come to old age / and that he myght no more
renne / It happeth ones that he lete scape and go
fro hym an hare / wherfore his mayster was sorowfull
and angry / and by grete wrathe beganne to
bete hym / The dogge sayd thenne to hym / My
mayster/ of good seruyse thow yeldest to me
euylle gwerdone & reward / For in my yonge
age I serued the ful wel / And now that I am
comen to myn old age / thow betest and settest me a bak / haue memorye how in myn yong
age / I was stronge and lusty / And how I made
grete outtrages and effors / the whiche caused my
yongthe / And now when I am bycome old and
feble thow settest nought of me / ¶ This fable
techeth that who so euer doth ony good in his
yongthe / in his auncyente and old age he shalle
not contynue in the vertues which he posseded
in his yong age