p his sonne, and went hym selfe on
fote. Other, that sawe that, called hym foole, by cause he lette the
yonge boye ryde, and he, beynge so aged, to goo a foote. Than he toke
downe the boye, and lepte vp and rode hym selfe. Whanne he hadde rydden
a lyttell waye, he harde other that blamed hym, bycause he made the
lyttell yonge boye ronne after as a seruaunte, and he his father to
ryde. Than he sette vppe the boye behynde hym, and so rode forthe.

Anone he mette with other, that asked hym if the asse were his owne, by
whiche wordes he coniected, that he did nat wel so to ouercharge the
lyttell sely asse, that vnethe[241] was able to beare one. Thus he,
troubled with their dyuers and manyfolde opinions; whiche, neither with
his asse vacant, nor he alone, nor his sonne alone, nor bothe to gether
rydyng at ones on the asse, coulde passe forth with out detraction and
blame. Wherfore at last he bounde the asse[s] feet to gether, and put
through a staffe; and so he and his sonne began to beare the asse
betwene them on their shulders to the towne. The noueltie of whiche
syght caused euery body to laughe and blame the folysshenes of them
both. The sely olde man was so sore agreued that, as he sat and rested
hym on a ryuers syde, he threwe his asse in to the water; and so whan he
had drowned his asse he tourned home agayne. Thus the good man,
desyrynge to please euerye bodye, contentynge none at all, loste his
asse.

By this tale appereth playnelye, that they, whiche commyt them selfe to
the opinion of the common people, ben oppressed with great myserye and
seruage: for how is it possible to please all, whan euerye man hath a
dyuers opinion, and dyuerslye iudgeth and that was well knowen to the
poet, whan he sayde:

_Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus._

And as Cicero, Persius, and Flaccus say: as many men so many myndes: as
many heedes so many wyttes. That, that pleaseth one, displeaseth an
other: Fewe alowe that that they loue nat: and that that a man aloweth,
he thynketh good. Therfore the beste is, that euery man liue well, as a
good Christen man shulde, and care nat for the vayne wordes and
ianglynge of the people. For bablynge (as Plutarchus sayth) is a greuous
disease, and harde to be remedied. For that that shulde heale it (which
is wordes of wisdome) cureth them that harkneth there vnto; but pratlers
wille here none but them selfe.

FOOTNOTES:

[241] Scarcely.

+ _Of him that sought his asse an