The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Poge/Tale 4
lso he saith that then was a phisycyen
dwellyng in a Cyte / whiche was
a grete & a connyng man in that
scyence / & he had a seruaūt a
yong man whiche made pylles
after a certayne forme that he shewed to hym /
& whan this yong man / had dwellid long with
hym / & coude parfiȝtly[errata 1] make the pylles / he
departed fro his mayster / and went in to straūge
countre where as he was knowen / and lete men
there to vnderstonde that he was a connynge
phisycyen / and coude gyue medycynes for al
maner maladyes and sekenesses / and mynistyred
alwey his pylles to euery man that came to hym
for ony remedy / And hit was soo that a poure
man of that place where he was came to hym / and
complayned how he had loste his asse / and prayd
hym to gyue to hym a medycyne for to fynde
his asse ageyne / And he gaf to hym the sayd
pylles / & badde hym to receyue and take them /
And he shold fynde his asse / And this poure
man dyd soo / and after wente in to the feldes
and pastures to seke and loke after his asse / And
soo doynge the pylleys wrought[errata 2] soo in his bely /
that he must nedes go purge hym / and went amonge the reed and there easyd hym / And
anonet here he fonde his asse / wherof he beyng
moche Joyeful ranne in to the toune / and told
and proclamed / that by the medecyn that he
had receyued of the phisycyen he had found his
asse / whiche thynge knowen alle the symple
peple reputed hym for a moche connynge man /
whiche coude no thynge doo but make pyllyes /
And thus many fooles are ofte taken for wyse
and connynge / For he was reputed to hele all
maner sekenesses / and also to fynde asses.