The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Poge/Tale 1
Ogius reherceth that there were two
wymmen in Rome / whiche he
knewe of dyerse age and forme /
which came to a Curteyzan by
cause to haue and wynne somwhat
wyth theyr bodyes / whome he receyued and
happed that he knewe the fayrest of bothe twyes /
and that other ones / and soo departed / And
afterward whanne they shold departe / he gaf to
them a pyece of lynen clothe / not decernynge
how moche eche of them shold haue to her
parte and porcion / And in the partynge of the
sayd clothe fylle bitwene the wymmen a stryf by cause one of them demaunded two partes after
thexygence of her werke / And that other the
half after theyre persones / eche of them shewynge
dyuersly theyr resons / that one sayeng that
she hadde suffred hym twyes to doo his pleasyr /
and that other pretended / that she was redy and
in her was no defawte And soo fro wordes they
came to strokes and cratchyng with naylys /
and drawynge theyr here / in so moche that
theyr neyghbours came to this batayll for to
departe them / And also of theyr owne and
propre husbondes / not knowynge the cause of
theyr stryf and debate / eche of them defendynge
his wyues cause / And fro the fyghtynge of the
wymmen hit aroos and came to theyr husbondes
with buffettis and castynge of stones / soo longe
that men ranne bytwene them / And after
the customme of Rome bothe the husbondes
were brought to pryson berynge enemyte eche
to other / & knewe no thynge the cause wherfore
/ The sayd cloth is sette in the handes of
the wymen secretely yet not departed / but is
secretely argued amonge the wymmen in what
wyse that this mater shal be deuyded / And I
demaunde of doctoures what the lawe is of it