# The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Alfonce/Fable 11

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¶ The xj fable is of an old harlotte or bawde
Noble man was somtyme / whiche had a wyf moche chaste and was wonder fayr / This noble man wold haue go on pylgrimage to Rome / and lefte his wyf at home / by cause that he knewe her for a chaste and a good woman / ¶ It happed on a daye as she wente in to the toun A fayre yonge man was esprysed of her loue / and took on hym hardynes / and requyred her of loue / and promysed to her many grete yeftes / But she whiche was good had leuer deye than to consente her therto / wherfore the yonge man deyde almooste for sorowe / to the whiche felawe came an old woman / whiche demaunded of hym the cause of his sekenese / And the yonge man manyfested or descouered vnto her alle his courage and herte / askynge help and counceylle of her / And the old woman wyly and malycious sayd to hym / Be thow gladde and Joyous / and take good courage / For wel I shalle doo / and brynge aboute thy faytte / in soo moche thow shalt haue thy wyll fulfylled / And after thys the old bawde wente to her hows / ​and maade a lytyl catte which she hadde at homme to faste thre dayes one after another / And after she took somme breed with a grete dele or quantite of mostard vpon hit / and gaf hit to thys yonge Catte for to ete hit / ¶ And whanne the Catte smelled hit / she beganne to wepe and crye / ¶ And the old woman or Bawde wente vnto the hows of the sayd yonge woman / and bare her lytyl Catte with her / the whiche yonge and good woman receyued and welcomed her moch honestly / by cause that alle the world held her for a holy woman / ¶ And as they were talkynge to gyder / the yong woman hadde pyte of the catte whiche wepte / And demaunded of the old woman / what the cat eyled / And the old woman sayd to her / Ha a my fayr doughter & my fayre Frend / renewe not my sorowe / And sayinge these wordes she beganne to wepe / and sayd / My frend for no good I wyl tell the cause why my catte wepeth / And thenn / the yonge woman sayd to her / My good Moder I praye yow that ye wyll telle me the cause & wherfor your catte wepeth / And thenne the old woman sayd to her / My Frend I wyll wel / yf thow wilt swere that thou shalt neuer reherce it to no body / to the whiche promesse the good and trewe yonge woman accorded her self / supposyng / that hit had ben all good ​and sayd / I wyll wel / And thenne the old woman sayd to her in this manere / My frend this same catte whiche thow seest yonder was my daughter / the whiche was wonder fayre gracious and chaste / whiche a yonge man loued moche / and was so moche esprysed of her loue / that by cause that she reffused hym / he deyde for her loue / wherfore the goddes hauyng pyte on hym / haue torned my daughter in to this catte / And the yonge woman whiche supposed that the old woman had sayd trouthe sayd to her in this manere / Allas my fayr moder / I ne wote what I shalle doo / For suche a caas myght wel happe to me / For in this Towne is a yonge man / whiche deyeth almost for the loue of me / But for loue of my husband / to whome I oughte to kepe chastyte / I haue not wylle graunte hym / Neuertheles I shall doo that / that thow shalt counceylle to me / And thenne the old woman sayd to her / My frend haue thow pyte on hym as soone as thow mayst / soo that hit befalle not to the lyke as it dyd to my doughter /
¶ The yonge woman thenne answerd to her / and sayd / yf he requyre me ony more / I shalle accorde me with hym / And yf he requyre me no more / yet shalle I profere me to hym / ¶ And to thende / that I offende not the goddes / I shalle doo and accomplysshe hit / as soone as I maye / ​¶ The old woman thene took leue of her / and wente forthwith to the yong man / And to hym she reherced and told all these tydynges / wherof hys herte was fylled with Joye / the whiche anone wente toward the yonge woman / and with her he fulfylled his wylle / ¶ And thus ye maye knowe the euyls / whiche ben done by bawdes and old harlottes / that wold to god / that they were al brente