The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Secundus/Fable 8
¶ The viij fable is of the hares and of the frogges
En say conynly that after that the
tyme goth / so must folke go / For
yf thow makest destinction of the
tyme thow shalt wel accord the
Scryptures / wherof Esope reherceth
to vs suche a fable / And sayth thus / that
he whiche beholdeth the euylle of other / must
haue pacyence of the euyile that maye come
vpon hym / For somtyme as a hunter chaced
thurgh the feldes and woodes / the hares beganne
to flee for fere And as they ranne / they adressyd
them in to a medowe fulle of frogges / ¶ And
whanne the frogges herd the hares renne they
beganne also to flee and to renne fast / And thenne
a hare whiche perceyued them so ferdfull sayd
to alle his felawes / Lete us no more be dredeful
ne doubtuous / for we be not alone that haue had
drede / For alle the frogges ben in doubte / and
haue fere and drede as we haue / Therfore we
ought not to despayre / but haue trust and hope
to lyue / And yf somme aduersyte cometh vpon
us / we must here it pacyently / For ones the tyme shalle come that we shalle be oute of payne
and oute of all drede / Therfore in the vnhappy
and Intortunat tyme men ought not to be despayred
/ but oughte euer to be in good hope to
haue ones better in tyme of prosperyte / For after
grete werre cometh good pees / And after the
rayne cometh the fair weder