The Tale of Melibee 967: A yong man called melibeus, myghty and 967: Riche, bigat upon his wyf, that called was prudence, 968: a doghter which that called was sophie./ 968: Upon a day bifel that he for his desport is 969: Went into the feeldes hem to pleye./ His wyf 969: And eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous, 970: Of which the dores weren faste yshette./ Thre 970: Of his olde foes han it espyed, and setten laddres 970: To the walles of his hous, and by wyndowes 971: been entred,/ and betten his wyf, 971: And wounded his doghter with fyve mortal 972: woundes in fyve sondry places, -- / this is to 972: Seyn, in hir feet, in hire handes, in hir erys, in 972: Hir nose, and in hire mouth, -- and leften hire 973: For deed, and wenten awey./ 973: Whan melibeus retourned was in to his hous, 973: And saugh al this meschief, he, lyk a mad man, 974: Rentynge his clothes, gan to wepe and crie./ 974: Prudence, his wyf, as ferforth as she dorste, 975: Bisoghte hym of his wepyng for to stynte;/ but 975: Nat forthy he gan to crie and wepen 975: Evere lenger the moore./ 976: This noble wyf prudence remembred 976: Hire upon the sentence of ovide, in his book 976: That cleped is the remedie of love, where as 977: He seith/ he is a fool that destourbeth the 977: Mooder to wepen in the deeth of hire child, 978: Til she have wept hir fille as for a certein tyme;/ 978: And thanne shal man doon his diligence with 978: Amyable wordes hire to reconforte, and preyen 979: Hire of hir wepyng for to stynte./ For which 979: Resoun this noble wyf prudence suffred hir 979: Housbonde for to wepe and crie as for a certein 980: Space;/ and whan she saugh hir tyme, she 980: Seyde hym in this wise: allas, my lord, quod 980: She, why make ye youreself for to be 981: Lyk a fool?/ for sothe it aperteneth nat 982: To a wys man to maken swich a sorwe./ 982: Youre doghter, with the grace of god, shal 983: Warisshe and escape./ And, al were it so that 983: She right now were deed, ye ne oughte nat, as 984: For hir deeth, youreself to destroye./ Senek 984: Seith: the wise man shal nat take to greet disconfort 985: for the deeth of his children;/ but, 985: Certes, he sholde suffren it in pacience as wel 985: As he abideth the deeth of his owene 986: Propre persone. -- / 986: This melibeus answerde anon, and 986: Seyde, what man, quod he, sholde of his 986: Wepyng stente that hath so greet a cause for 987: To wepe?/ jhesu crist, oure lord, hymself 988: Wepte for the deeth of lazarus hys freend./ 988: Prudence answerde: certes, wel I woot attempree 988: wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym 988: That sorweful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it 989: Is rather graunted hym to wepe./ The apostle 989: Paul unto the romayns writeth, -- man shal rejoyse 989: with hem that maken joye, and wepen 990: With swich folk as wepen. -- / ut though attempree 990: wepyng be ygraunted, outrageous 991: wepyng certes is deffended./ 991: Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered, 992: after the loore that techeth us senek:/ 992: -- whan that thy frend is deed, -- quod he, -- lat 992: Nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris, ne 992: To muche drye; although the teeris come to 993: Thyne eyen, lat hem nat falle;/ and whan thou 993: Hast forgoon thy freend, do diligence to gete 993: Another freend; and this is moore wysdom than 993: For to wepe for thy freend which that thou has 994: Lorn, for therinne is no boote. -- / and therfore, 994: If ye governe yow by sapience, put awey sorwe 995: Out of youre herte./ Remembre yow that 995: Jhesus syrak seith, -- a man that is joyous and 995: Glad in herte, it hym conserveth florissynge 995: In his age; but soothly sorweful herte 996: Maketh his bones drye. -- / he seith eek 996: Thus, that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many 997: A man./ Salomon seith that right as motthes 997: In shepes flees anoyeth to the clothes, and 997: The smale wormes to the tree, right so anoyeth 998: Sorwe to the herte./ Wherfore us oghte, as wel 998: In the deeth of oure children as in the los of 999: Oure othere goodes temporels, have pacience./ 999: Remembre yow upon the pacient job. Whan 999: He hadde lost his children and his temporeel 999: Substance, and in his body endured and receyved 999: ful many a grevous tribulacion, yet 1000: Seyde he thus:/ -- oure lord hath yeve it me; 1000: Oure lord hath biraft it me; right as oure lord 1000: Hath wold, right so it is doon; blessed 1001: Be the name of oure lord! -- / 1001: To thise forseide thynges answerde 1001: Melibeus unto his wyf prudence: alle thy 1001: Wordes, quod he, been sothe, and therto profitable; 1001: but trewely myn herte is troubled with 1001: This sorwe so grevously that I noot what to 1002: Doone./ 1002: Lat calle, quod prudence, thy trewe 1002: Freendes alle, and thy lynage whiche that been 1002: Wise. Telleth youre cas, and herkneth what 1002: They seye in conseillyng, and yow governe after 1003: Hire sentence./ Salomon seith, -- werk alle thy 1003: Thynges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente. 1004: Thanne, by the conseil of his wyf prudence, 1004: This melibeus leet callen a greet congregacion 1005: Of folk;/ as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and 1005: Yonge, and somme of his olde enemys reconsiled 1005: as by hir semblaunt to his love and 1006: Into his grace;/ and therwithal ther 1006: Coomen somme of his neighebores that 1006: Diden hym reverence moore for drede than for 1007: Love, as it happeth ofte./ Ther coomen also 1007: Ful many subtille flatereres, and wise advocatz 1008: lerned in the lawe./ 1008: And whan this folk togidre assembled weren, 1008: This melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his 1009: Cas./ And by the manere of his speche it 1009: Semed that in herte he baar a crueel ire, redy 1009: To doon vengeaunce upon his foes, and sodeynly 1010: desired that the werre sholde bigynne;/ 1010: But nathelees, yet axed he hire conseil 1011: Upon this matiere./ A surgien, by licence 1011: and assent of swiche as weren 1011: Wise, up roos, and to melibeus seyde as ye may 1012: Heere:/ 1012: Sire, quod he, as to us surgiens aperteneth 1012: that we do to every wight the beste that 1012: We kan, where as we been withholde, and to 1013: Oure pacientz that we do no damage;/ wherfore 1013: it happeth many tyme and ofte that whan 1013: Twey men han everich wounded oother, oon 1014: Same surgien heeleth hem bothe;/ wherfore 1014: Unto oure art it is nat pertinent to norice werre 1015: Ne parties to supporte./ But certes, as to the 1015: Warisshynge of youre doghter, al be it so that 1015: She perilously be wounded, we shullen do so 1015: Ententif bisynesse fro day to nyght that with 1015: The grace of God she shal be hool and 1016: Sound as soone as is possible./ 1016: Almoost right in the same wise the 1016: Phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a 1017: Fewe woordes moore:/ that right as maladies 1017: Been cured by hir contraries, right so shul men 1018: Warisshe werre by vengeaunce./ 1018: His neighebores ful of envye, his feyned 1018: Freendes that semeden reconsiled, and his flatereres/ 1019: maden semblant of wepyng, and empeireden 1019: and agreggeden muchel of this matiere 1019: in preisynge greetly melibee of myght, of 1019: Power, of richesse, and of freendes, despisynge 1020: The power of his adversaries,/ and seiden outrely 1020: that he anon sholde wreken hym on 1021: His foes, and bigynne werre./ 1021: Up roos thanne an advocat that was 1021: Wys, by leve and by conseil of othere that were 1022: Wise, and seide:/ lordynges, the nede for 1022: Which we been assembled in this place is a ful 1023: Hevy thyng and an heigh matiere,/ by cause 1023: Of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath 1023: Be doon, and eek by resoun of the grete damages 1023: that in tyme comynge been possible to 1024: Fallen for this same cause,/ and eek by resoun 1024: Of the grete richesse and power of the parties 1025: Bothe;/ for the whiche resouns it were a 1026: Ful greet peril to erren in this matiere./ 1026: Wherfore, melibeus, this is oure sentence: 1026: we conseille yow aboven alle thyng 1026: That right anon thou do thy diligence in 1026: Kepynge of thy propre persone in swich 1026: A wise that thou ne wante noon espie ne 1027: Wacche, thy persone for to save./ And after 1027: That, we conseille that in thyn hous thou sette 1027: Sufficeant garnisoun so that they may as wel 1028: Thy body as thyn hous defende./ But certes, 1028: For to moeve werre, ne sodeynly for to doon 1028: Vengeaunce, we may nat demen in so litel 1029: Tyme that it were profitable./ Wherfore we 1029: Axen leyser and espace to have deliberacion in 1030: This cas to deme./ For the commune proverbe 1030: Seith thus: -- he that soone deemeth, 1031: Soone shal repente. -- / and eek men seyn 1031: That thilke juge is wys that soone under- 1032: Stondeth a matiere and juggeth by leyser;/ for 1032: Al be it so that alle tariyng be anoyful, algates it 1032: Is nat to repreve in yevynge of juggement ne 1032: In vengeance takyng, whan it is sufficeant 1033: And resonable./ And that shewed oure lord 1033: Jhesu crist by ensample; for whan that the 1033: Womman that was taken in avowtrie was broght 1033: In his presence to knowen what sholde be doon 1033: With hire persone, al be it so that he wiste wel 1033: Hymself what that he wolde answere, yet ne 1033: Wolde he nat answere sodeynly, but he wolde 1033: Have deliberacion, and in the ground he wroot 1034: Twies./ And thise causes weaxen deliberacioun, 1034: and we shal thanne, by the grace of 1034: God, conseille thee thyng that shal be profitable./ 1035: Up stirten thanne the yonge folk atones, and 1035: The mooste partie of that compaignye han 1035: Scorned this olde wise man, and bigonnen 1036: to make noyse, and seyden that/ 1036: Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men 1036: Sholden smyte, right so men sholde wreken hir 1036: Wronges whil that they been fresshe and newe; 1036: And with loud voys they criden werre! 1037: Werre!/ 1037: Up roos tho oon of thise olde wise, and with 1037: His hand made contenaunce that men sholde 1038: Holden hem stille and yeven hym audience./ 1038: Lordynges, quod he, ther is ful many a man 1038: That crieth -- werre! werre! -- that woot ful litel 1039: What werre amounteth./ Werre at his bigynnyng 1039: hath so greet an entryng and so large, that 1039: Every wight may entre whan hym liketh, and 1040: Lightly fynde werre;/ but certes what ende 1040: That shal therof bifalle, it is nat light to 1041: Knowe./ For soothly, whan that werre is 1041: Ones bigonne, ther is ful many a child 1041: Unborn of his mooder that shal sterve yong by 1041: Cause of thilke werre, or elles lyve in sorwe and 1042: Dye in wrecchednesse./ And therfore, er that 1042: Any werre bigynne, men moste have greet conseil 1043: and greet deliberacion./ And whan this 1043: Olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons, 1043: Wel ny alle atones bigonne they to rise for to 1043: Breken his tale, and beden hym ful ofte his 1044: Wordes for to abregge./ For soothly, he that 1044: Precheth to hem that listen nat heeren his 1045: Wordes, his sermon hem anoieth./ For jhesus 1045: Syrak seith that musik in wepynge ia a noyous 1045: Thyng; this is to seyn: as muche availleth to 1045: Speken bifore folk to which his speche anoyeth, 1045: as it is to synge biforn hym that 1046: Wepeth./ And whan this wise man 1046: Saugh that hym wanted audience, al 1047: Shamefast he sette hym doun agayn./ For 1047: Salomon seith: ther as thou ne mayst have 1048: Noon audience, enforce thee nat to speke./ 1048: I see wel, quod this wise man, that the commune 1048: proverbe is sooth, that -- good conseil 1049: Wanteth whan it is moost nede. -- / 1049: Yet hadde this melibeus in his conseil many 1049: Folk that prively in his eere conseilled hym 1049: Certeyn thyng, and conseilled hym the contrarie 1050: in general audience./ 1050: Whan melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste 1050: partie of his conseil weren accorded that 1050: He sholde maken werre, anoon he consented to 1050: Hir conseillyng, and fully affermed hire 1051: Sentence./ Thanne dame prudence, 1051: Whan that she saugh how that hir 1051: Housbonde shoop hym for to wreken hym on 1051: His foes, and to bigynne werre, she in ful humble 1051: wise, whan she saugh hir tyme, seide to 1052: Hym thise wordes:/ my lord, quod she, I 1052: Yow biseche as hertely as I dar and kan, ne 1052: Haste yow nat to faste, and for alle gerdons, as 1053: Yeveth me audience./ For piers alfonce seith, 1053: -- whoso that dooth to thee oother good or harm, 1053: Haste thee nat to quiten it; for in this wise thy 1053: Freend wole abyde, and thyn anemy shal the 1054: Lenger lyve in drede. -- / the proverbe seith, -- he 1054: Hasteth wel that wisely kan abyde, -- and in 1055: Wikked haste is no profit./ 1055: This melibee answerde unto his wyf prudence: 1055: I purpose nat, quod he, to werke by 1055: Thy conseil, for many causes and resouns. 1055: For certes, every wight wolde holde me 1056: Thanne a fool;/ this is to seyn, if I, for 1056: Thy conseillyng, wolde chaungen thynges 1056: That been ordeyned and affermed by so manye 1057: Wyse./ Secoundely, I seye that alle wommen 1057: Been wikke, and noon good of hem alle. For -- of 1057: A thousand men, -- seith salomon, -- I foond o 1057: Good man, but certes, of alle wommen, good 1058: Womman foond I nevere. -- / and also, certes, 1058: If I governed me by thy conseil, it sholde 1058: Seme that I hadde yeve to thee over me 1058: The maistrie; and God forbede that it so 1059: Weere!/ for jhesus syrak seith that -- if the 1059: Wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir 1060: Housbonde./ -- and salomon seith: -- nevere in 1060: Thy lyf to thy wyf, ne to thy child, ne to 1060: Thy freend, ne yeve no power over thy- 1060: Self; for bettre it were that thy children aske 1060: Of thy persone thynges that hem nedeth, than 1060: Thou see thyself in the handes of thy 1061: Children. -- / and also if I wolde werke 1061: By thy conseillyng, certes, my conseil 1061: Moste som tyme be secree, til it were tyme 1061: That it moste be knowe, and this ne may noght 1062: Be./ (car il est escript, la genglerie des 1062: Femmes ne puet riens celler fors ce qu' elle ne 1063: Scet./ Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais 1063: Conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et 1063: Par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil.)/ 1064: Whanne dame prudence, ful debonairly and 1064: With greet pacience, hadde herd al that hir 1064: Housbonde liked for to seye, thanne axed she 1064: Of hym licence for to speke, and seyde in this 1065: Wise:/ my lord, quod she, as to youre firste 1065: Resoun, certes it may lightly been answered. 1065: For I seye that it is no folie to chaunge conseil 1065: Whan the thyng is chaunged, or elles whan 1065: The thyng semeth ootherweyes than it 1066: Was biforn./ And mooreover, I seye 1066: That though ye han sworn and bihight 1066: To perfourne youre emprise, and nathelees ye 1066: Weyve to perfourne thilke same emprise by 1066: Juste cause, men sholde nat seyn therfore that 1067: Ye were a liere ne forsworn./ For the book 1067: Seith that -- the wise man maketh no lesyng 1068: Whan he turneth his corage to the bettre. -- / 1068: And al be it so that youre emprise be establissed 1068: and ordeyned by greet multitude of folk, 1068: Yet that ye nat accomplice thilke ordinaunce, 1069: But yow like./ For the trouthe of thynges and 1069: The profit been rather founden in fewe folk that 1069: Been wise and ful of resoun, than by greet multitude 1069: of folk ther every man crieth and clatereth 1069: what that hym liketh. Soothly swich multitude 1070: is nat hones./ And as to the seconde 1070: Resoun, where as ye seyn that alle wommen 1070: Been wikke; save youre grace, certes ye despisen 1070: alle wommen in this wyse, and -- he that 1070: Al despiseth, al displeseth, -- as seith the 1071: Book./ And senec seith that -- whose 1071: Wole have sapience shal no man dispreyse, 1071: but he shal gladly techen the science 1072: That he kan withouten presumpcion or pride,/ 1072: And swiche thynges as he noght ne kan, he 1072: Shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem, and enquere 1073: of lasse folk than hymself. -- / and, sire, 1073: That ther hath been many a good womman, 1074: May lightly be preved./ For certes, sire, oure 1074: Lord jhesu crist wolde nevere have descended 1074: To be born of a womman, if alle wommen hadden 1075: been wikke./ And after that, for the grete 1075: Bountee that is in wommen, oure lord jhesu 1075: Crist, whan he was risen fro deeth to lyve, 1075: Appeered rather to a womman than to 1076: His apostles./ And though that salomon 1076: seith that he ne foond nevere womman 1076: good, it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen 1077: ben wikke./ For though that he ne foond 1077: No good womman, certes, many another man 1077: Hath founden many a womman ful good and 1078: Trewe./ Or elles, per aventure, the entente of 1078: Salomon was this, that, as in sovereyn bounte, 1079: He foond no womman;/ this is to seyn, that ther 1079: Is no wight that hath sovereyn bountee save 1079: God allone, as he hymself recordeth in hys 1080: Evaungelie./ For ther nys no creature so good 1080: That hym ne wanteth somwhat of the 1081: Perfeccioun of god, that is his makere./ 1081: Youre thridde reson is this: ye seyn that 1081: If ye governe yow by my conseil, it sholde 1081: Seme that ye hadde yeve me the maistrie and 1082: The lordshipe over youre persone./ Sire, save 1082: Youre grace, it is nat so. For if it so were that 1082: No man sholde be conseilled but oonly of hem 1082: That hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone, 1083: men wolden nat be conseilled so ofte./ 1083: For soothly thilke man that asketh conseil of 1083: A purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he 1084: Wole werke by that conseil or noon./ And as 1084: To youre fourthe resoun, ther ye seyn that the 1084: Janglerie of wommen kan hyde thynges that 1084: They wot noght, as who seith that a womman 1085: Kan nat hyde that she woot;/ sire, thise wordes 1085: Been understonde of wommen that been 1086: Jangleresses and wikked;/ of whiche 1086: Wommen men seyn that thre thynges 1086: Dryven a man out of his hous, -- that is to seyn, 1087: Smoke, droppyng of reyn, and wikked wyves,/ 1087: And of swiche wommen seith salomon that -- it 1087: Were bettre dwelle in desert than with a woman 1088: that is riotous. -- / and sire, by youre leve, 1089: That am nat I;/ for ye han ful ofte assayed my 1089: Grete silence and my grete pacience, and eek 1089: How wel that I kan hyde and hele thynges that 1090: Men oghte secreely to hyde./ And soothly, as 1090: To youre fifthe resoun, where as ye seyn that 1090: In wikked conseil wommen venquisshe men, 1090: God woot, thilke resoun stant heere in 1091: No stede./ For understoond now, ye 1092: Asken conseil to do wikkednesse;/ and if 1092: Ye wole werken wikkednesse, and youre wif 1092: Restreyneth thilke wikked purpos, and overcometh 1093: yow by reson and by good conseil,/ 1093: Certes youre wyf oghte rather to be preised 1094: Than yblamed./ Thus sholde ye understonde 1094: The philosophre that seith, -- in wikked conseil 1095: Wommen venquisshen hir housbondes. -- / and 1095: Ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resouns, 1095: I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples 1095: That many a womman hath ben ful good, and 1095: Yet been, and hir conseils ful hoolsome 1096: And profitable./ Eek som men han seyd 1096: That the conseillynge of wommen is 1097: Outher to deere, or elles to litel of pris./ But al 1097: Be it so that ful many a womman is badde, and 1097: Hir conseil vile and noght worth, yet han men 1097: Founde ful many a good womman, and ful discret 1098: and wis in conseillynge./ Loo, jacob, by 1098: Good conseil of his mooder rebekka, wan the 1098: Benysoun of ysaak his fader, and the lordshipe 1099: Over alle his bretheren./ Judith, by hire good 1099: Conseil, delivered the citee of bethulie, in 1099: Which she dwelled, out of the handes of olofernus, 1099: that hadde it biseged and wolde have al 1100: Destroyed it./ Abygail delivered nabal hir 1100: Housbonde fro david the kyng, that wolde 1100: Have slayn hym, and apaysed the ire of the 1100: Kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseillyng./ 1101: hester, by hir good conseil, 1101: Enhaunced greetly the peple of God in 1102: The regne of assuerus the kyng./ And the 1102: Same bountee in good conseillyng of many a 1103: Good womman may men telle./ And mooreover, 1103: Whan oure lord hadde creat adam, oure 1104: Forme fader, he seyde in this wise:/ -- it is nat 1104: Good to been a man alloone; make we to 1105: Hym an helpe semblable to hymself. -- / heere 1105: May ye se that if that wommen were nat 1105: Goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable,/ 1106: oure lord God of hevene wolde 1106: Nevere han wroght hem, ne called hem 1107: Help of man, but rather confusioun of man./ 1107: And ther seyde oones a clerk in two vers, 1107: -- What is bettre than gold? jaspre. What is 1108: Bettre than jaspre? wisedoom./ And what is 1108: Better than wisedoom? womman. And what is 1109: Bettre than a good womman? nothyng. -- / and, 1109: Sire, by manye of othre resons may ye seen 1109: That manye wommen been goode, and hir 1110: Conseils goode and profitable./ And therfore, 1110: sire, if ye wol triste to my conseil, I shal 1110: Restoore yow youre doghter hool and 1111: Sound./ And eek I wol do to yow so 1111: Muche that ye shul have honour in this 1112: Cause./ 1112: Whan melibee hadde herd the wordes of his 1113: Wyf prudence, he seyde thus:/ I se wel that 1113: The word of salomon is sooth. He seith that 1113: -- Wordes that been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce 1113: been honycombes, for they yeven swetnesse 1113: to the soule and hoolsomnesse to the 1114: Body. -- / and, wyf, by cause of thy sweete 1114: Wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved 1114: Thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol 1115: Governe me by thy conseil in alle thyng./ 1115: Now, sire, quod dame prudence, and syn 1115: Ye vouche sauf to been governed by my conseil, 1115: I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe 1115: Yourself in chesynge of youre conseillours./ 1116: ye shul first in alle youre werkes 1116: Mekely biseken to the heighe God that 1117: He wol be youre conseillour;/ and shapeth yow 1117: To swich entente that he yeve yow conseil and 1118: Confort, as taughte thobie his sone:/ -- at alle 1118: Tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye hym 1118: To dresse thy weyes, and looke that alle thy 1119: Conseils been in hym for everemoore. -- / seint 1119: Jame eek seith: -- if any of yow have nede of 1120: Sapience, axe it of god. -- / and afterward 1120: Thanne shul ye taken conseil in youreself, and 1120: Examyne wel youre thoghtes of swich thyng 1120: As yow thynketh that is bes for youre 1121: Profit./ And thanne shul ye dryve fro 1121: Youre herte thre thynges that been contrariouse 1122: to good conseil;/ that is to seyn, ire, 1123: Coveitise, and hastifnesse./ 1123: First, he that axeth conseil of hymself, certes 1123: He moste been withouten ire, for manye 1124: Causes./ The firste is this: he that hath greet 1124: Ire and wratthe in hymself, he weneth alwey 1125: That he may do thyng that he may nat do./ 1125: And secoundely, he that is irous and 1126: Wrooth, he ne may nat wel deme;/ and 1126: He that may nat wel deme, may nat wel 1127: Conseille./ The thridde is this, that he that is 1127: Irous and wrooth, as seith senec, ne may nat 1128: Speke but blameful thynges,/ and with his 1128: Viciouse wordes he stireth oother folk to angre 1129: And to ire./ And eek, sire, ye moste dryve 1130: Coveitise out of youre herte./ For the apostle 1130: seith that coveitise is roote of alle 1131: Harmes./ And trust wel that a coveitous 1131: Man ne kan noght deme ne thynke, but 1132: Oonly to fulfille the ende of his coveitise;/ and 1132: Certes, that ne may nevere been accompliced; 1132: For evere the moore habundaunce that he hath 1133: Of richesse, the moore he desireth./ And, sire, 1133: Ye moste also dryve out of youre herte hastifnesse; 1134: for certes,/ ye ne may nat deeme for 1134: The beste by a sodeyn thought that falleth in 1134: Youre herte, but ye moste avyse yow on it 1135: Ful ofte./ For, as ye herde her biforn, the 1135: Commune proverbe is this, that -- he that 1136: Soone deemeth, soone repenteth. -- / sire, 1137: Ye ne be nat alwey in lyk disposicioun;/ 1137: For certes, somthyng that somtyme semeth to 1137: Yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it 1138: Semeth to yow the contrarie./ 1138: Whan ye han taken conseil in youreself, and 1138: Han deemed by good deliberacion swich thyng 1139: As yow semeth bes,/ thanne rede I yow that 1140: Ye kepe it secree./ Biwrey nat youre conseil 1140: To no persone, but if so be that ye wenen 1140: Sikerly that thurgh youre biwreyyng youre 1140: Condicioun shal be to yow the moore profitable./ 1141: for jhesus syrak seith, -- neither 1141: To thy foo, ne to thy frend, discovere nat 1142: Thy secree ne thy folie;/ for they wol yeve yow 1142: Audience and lookynge and supportacioun in 1142: Thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn absence. 1143: -- / another clerk seith that -- scarsly 1143: Shaltou fynden any persone that may kepe conseil 1144: secrely. -- / the book seith, -- whil that thou 1144: Kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest 1145: It in thy prisoun;/ and whan thou biwreyest 1145: Thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth 1146: Thee in his snare. -- / and therfore yow 1146: Is bettre to hyde youre conseil in youre 1146: Herte than praye him to whom ye han biwreyed 1146: Youre conseil that he wole kepen it cloos and 1147: Stille./ For seneca seith: -- if so be that thou 1147: Ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how 1147: Darstou prayen any oother wight thy conseil 1148: Secrely to kepe? -- / but nathelees, if thou wene 1148: Sikerly that the biwreiyng of thy conseil to a 1148: Persone wol make thy condicion to stonden in 1148: The bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen hym thy 1149: Conseil in this wise./ First thou shalt make no 1149: Semblant wheither thee were levere pees or 1149: Werre, or this or that, ne shewe hym nat thy 1150: Wille and thyn entente. / for trust wel that 1150: Comunli thise conseillours been flatereres,/ 1151: namely the conseillours of grete 1152: Lordes;/ for they enforcen hem alwey 1152: Rather to speken plesante wordes, enclynynge 1152: To the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe 1153: Or profitable./ And therfore men seyn that the 1153: Riche man hath seeld good conseil, but if he 1154: Have it of hymself./ 1154: And after that thou shalt considere thy 1155: Freendes and thyne enemys./ And as touchynge 1155: thy freendes, thou shalt considere which 1155: Of hem been moost feithful and moost wise 1155: And eldest and most approved in conseillyng;/ 1156: and of hem shalt thou aske 1157: Thy conseil, as the caas requireth./ I 1157: Seye that first ye shul clepe to youre conseil 1158: Youre freendes that been trewe./ For salomon 1158: Seith that -- right as the herte of a man deliteth in 1158: Savour that is soote, right so the conseil of trewe 1159: Freendes yeveth swetnesse to the soule -- / he 1159: Seith also, -- ther may no thyng be likned to the 1160: Trewe freend;/ for certes gold ne silver ben nat 1160: So muche worth as the goode wyl of a 1161: Trewe freend. -- / and eek he seith that 1161: -- A trewe freend is a strong deffense; 1161: Who so that it fyndeth, certes he fyndeth a 1162: Greet tresour. -- / thanne shul ye eek considere 1162: If that youre trewe freendes been discrete and 1162: Wise. For the book seith, -- axe alwey thy conseil 1163: of hem that been wise. -- / and by this same 1163: Resoun shul ye clepen to youre conseil of youre 1163: Freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn 1163: And been expert in manye thynges and been 1164: Approved in conseillynges./ For the book seith 1164: That -- in olde men is the sapience, and in longe 1165: Tyme the prudence. -- / and tullius seith that 1165: -- Grete thynges ne been nat ay accompliced by 1165: Strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by 1165: Good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by 1165: Science; the whiche thre thynges ne been nat 1165: Fieble by age, but certes they enforcen 1166: And encreescen day by day. -- / and 1166: Thanne shul ye kepe this for a general 1166: Reule: first shul ye clepen to youre conseil a 1167: Fewe of youre freendes that been especiale;/ 1167: For salomon seith, -- manye freendes have thou, 1167: But among a thousand chese thee oon to be 1168: Thy conseillour. -- / for al be it so that thou first 1168: Ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayst 1169: Afterward telle it to mo folk if it be nede./ But 1169: Looke alwey that thy conseillours have thilke 1169: Thre condiciouns that I have seyd bifore, that 1169: Is to seyn, that they be trewe, wise, and of 1170: Oold experience./ And werke nat alwey in 1170: Every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme 1170: bihooveth it to been conseilled by 1171: Manye./ For salomon seith, -- salvacion 1171: Of thynges is where as ther been manye 1172: Conseillours. -- / 1172: Now, sith that I have toold yow of which 1172: Folk ye sholde been conseilled, now wol I 1173: Teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe/. 1173: First, ye shul eschue the conseillyng of fooles; 1173: For salomon seith, -- taak no conseil of a fool, 1173: For he ne kan noght conseille but after his 1174: Owene lust and his affeccioun. -- / the book 1174: Seith that -- the propretee of a fool is this: he 1174: Troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly 1175: Troweth alle bountee in hymself. -- / thou shalt 1175: Eek eschue the conseillyng of alle flatereres, 1175: Swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre 1175: Persone by flaterye than for to telle yow 1176: The soothfastnesse of thynges./ Wherfore 1176: tullius seith, -- amonges alle the 1176: Pestilences that been in freendshipe the gretteste 1176: is flaterie. -- and therfore is it moore nede 1176: That thou eschue and drede flatereres than any 1177: Oother peple./ The book seith, -- thou shalt 1177: Rather drede and flee fro the sweete wordes of 1177: Flaterynge preiseres than fro the egre wordes 1178: Of thy freend that seith thee thy sothes. -- / salomon 1178: seith that -- the wordes of a flaterere is a 1179: Snare to cacche with innocentz. -- / he seith also 1179: That -- he that speketh to his freend wordes of 1179: Swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn 1180: his feet to cacche hym. -- / and therfore 1180: Seith tullius, -- enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres, 1180: ne taak no conseil of the wordes 1181: Of flaterye. -- / and caton seith, -- avyse 1181: Thee wel, and eschue the wordes of swetnesse 1182: and of plesaunce. -- / and eek thou shalt 1182: Eschue the conseillyng of thyne olde enemys 1183: That been reconsiled./ The book seith that -- no 1183: Wight retourneth saufly into the grace of his 1184: Olde enemy. -- / and isope seith, -- ne trust nat 1184: To hem to whiche thou hast had som tyme 1184: Werre or enemytee, ne telle hem nat thy 1185: Conseil. -- / and seneca telleth the cause why: 1185: -- it may nat be. -- seith he, -- that where greet 1185: Fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther 1185: Ne dwelleth som vapour of warmness. 1186: -- / and therfore seith salomon, -- in 1187: Thyn olde foo trust nevere. -- / for sikerly, 1187: Though thyn enemy be reconsiled, and maketh 1187: thee chiere of hymylitee, and lowteth to 1188: Thee with his heed, ne trust hym nevere./ For 1188: Certes he maketh thilke feyned humilitee moore 1188: For his profit than for any love of thy persone, 1188: By cause that he deemeth to have victorie over 1188: Thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the 1188: Which victorie he myghte nat have by strif or 1189: Werre./ And peter alfonce seith, -- make no 1189: Felawshipe with thyne olde enemys; for if thou 1189: Do hem bountee, they wol perverten it into 1190: Wikkednesse. -- / and eek thou most eschue 1190: The conseillyng of hem that been thy servantz 1190: and beren thee greet reverence, for 1190: Peraventure they seyn it moore for drede 1191: Than for love./ And therfore seith a philosophre 1191: in this wise: ther is no wight 1191: Parfitly trewe to hym that he to soore dredeth. 1192: -- / and tullius seith, ther nys no myght 1192: So greet of any emperour that longe may endure, 1192: but if he have moore love of the peple 1193: Than drede. -- / thou shalt also eschue the conseiling 1193: of folk that been dronkelewe, for they 1194: Ne kan no conseil hyde./ For salomon seith, 1194: -- ther is no privetee ther as regneth dronkenesse. 1195: -- / ye shul also han in suspect the conseillyng 1195: of swich folk as conseille yow o thyng 1195: Prively, and conseille yow the contrarie 1196: Openly./ For cassidorie seith that -- it 1196: Is a manere sleighte to hyndre, whan he 1196: Sheweth to doon o thyng openly and werketh 1197: Prively the contrarie. -- / thou shalt also have 1197: In suspect the conseillyng of wikked folk, for 1197: The book seith, -- the conseillyng of wikked folk 1198: Is alwey ful of fraude. -- / and david seith, -- blisful 1198: is that man that hath nat folwed the con -- 1199: Seilyng of shrewes. -- / thou shalt also eschue 1199: The conseillyng of yong folk, for hir conseil is 1200: Nat rype./ 1200: Now, sire, sith I have shewed yow of 1200: Which folk ye shul take youre conseil, and of 1200: Which folk ye shul folwe the conseil,/ 1201: now wol I teche yow how ye shal 1201: Examyne youre conseil, after the doctrine 1202: of tullius./ In the examynynge thanne 1202: Of youre conseillour ye shul considere manye 1203: Thynges./ Alderfirst thou shalt considere that 1203: In thilke thyng that thou purposest, and upon 1203: What thyng thou wolt have conseil, that verray 1203: Trouthe be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn, 1204: Telle trewely thy tale./ For he that seith fals 1204: May nat wel be conseilled in that cas of which 1205: He lieth./ And after this thou shalt considere the 1205: Thynges that acorden to that thou purposest for 1205: To do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde 1206: therto;/ and eek if thy myhgt may 1206: Atteine therto; and if the moore part and 1206: The bettre part of thy conseillours acorde therto, 1207: Or noon./ Thanne shaltou considere what 1207: Thyng shal folwe of that conseillyng, as hate, 1207: Pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage, and 1208: Manye othere thynges./ And in alle thise 1208: Thynges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve 1209: Alle othere thynges./ Thanne shaltow considere 1209: of what roote is engendred the matiere of 1209: Thy conseil, and what fruyt it may conceyve 1210: And engendre./ Thou shalt eek considere 1210: Alle thise causes, fro whennes they been 1211: Sprongen./ And whan ye han examyned 1211: youre conseil, as I have seyd, and 1211: Which partie is the bettre and moore profitable, 1211: and han approved it by manye wise folk 1212: And olde,/ thanne shaltou considere if thou 1212: Mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good 1213: Ende./ For certes, resoun wol nat that any 1213: Man sholde bigynne a thyng, but if he myghte 1214: Parfourne it as hym oghte;/ ne no wight sholde 1214: Take upon hym so hevy a charge that he 1215: Myghte nat bere it./ For the proverbe seith, 1215: -- he that to muche embraceth, distreyneth 1216: litel. -- / and catoun seith, -- assay 1216: To do swich thyng as thou hast power to 1216: Doon, lest that the charge oppresse thee so 1216: Soore that thee bihoveth to weyve thyng that 1217: Thou hast bigonne. -- / and if so be that thou 1217: Be in doute wheither thou mayst parfourne a 1217: Thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than bigynne./ 1218: and piers alphonce seith, -- if thou hast 1218: Myght to doon a thyng of which thou most 1219: Repente, it is bettre nay than ye. -- / this is 1219: To seyn, that thee is bettre holde thy tonge 1220: Stille than for to speke./ Thanne may ye understonde 1220: by strenger resons that if thou hast 1220: Power to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt 1220: Repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre 1221: than bigynne./ Wel seyn they that 1221: Defenden every wight to assaye a thyng 1221: Of which he is in doute wheither he may parfourne 1222: it or noon./ And after, whan ye han 1222: Examyned youre conseil, as I have seyd biforn, 1222: And knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre 1222: Emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at 1223: And ende./ 1223: Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow 1223: Whanne and wherfore that ye may chaunge 1224: Youre conseillours withouten youre repreve./ 1224: Soothly, a man may chaungen his purpos and 1224: His conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a newe 1225: Caas bitydeth./ For the lawe seith that -- upon 1225: Thynges that newely bityden bihoveth 1226: Newe conseil. -- / and senec seith, -- if thy 1226: Conseil is comen to the eeris of thyn enemy, 1227: chaunge thy conseil. -- / thou matst also 1227: Chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou fynde 1227: That by errour, or by oother cause, harm or 1228: Damage may bityde./ Also if thy conseil be 1228: Dishonest, or ellis cometh of dishonest cause, 1229: Chaunge thy conseil./ For the lawes seyn that 1229: -- alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no 1230: Value -- ;/ and eek if so be that it be inpossible, 1230: or may nat goodly be parfourned 1231: Or kept./ 1231: And take this for a general reule, that 1231: Every conseil that is affermed so strongly that 1231: It may nat be chaunged for no condicioun that 1231: May bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked./ 1232: This melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the 1232: Doctrine of his wyf dame prudence, answerde 1233: In this wyse:/ dame, quod he, as yet into 1233: This tyme ye han wel and covenably taught me 1233: As in general, how I shal governe me in the 1233: Chesynge and in the withholdynge of my conseillours./ 1234: but now wolde I fayn that ye wolde 1235: Condescende in especial,/ and telle me how liketh 1235: yow, or what semeth yow, by oure conseillours 1235: that we han chosen in oure present 1236: nede./ 1236: My lord, quod she, I biseke yow in al 1236: Humblesse that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn 1236: My resouns, ne distempre youre herte, thogh I 1237: Speke thyng that yow displese./ For God woot 1237: That, as in myn entente, I speke it for youre 1237: Beste, for youre honour, and for youre profite 1238: Eke./ And soothly, I hope that youre benyngnytee 1239: wol taken it in pacience./ Trusteth me 1239: Wel, quod she, that youre conseil as in this 1239: Caas ne sholde nat, as to speke properly, be 1239: Called a conseillyng, but a mocioun or a moevyng 1240: of folye,/ in which conseil ye han 1241: Erred in many a sondry wise./ 1241: First and forward, ye han erred in 1242: Th' assemblynge of youre conseillours./ For ye 1242: Sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to youre 1242: Conseil, and after ye myghte han shewed it 1243: To mo folk, if it hadde been nede./ But certes, 1243: Ye han sodeynly cleped to youre conseil a greet 1243: Multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous 1244: for to heere./ Also ye han erred, for theras 1244: Ye sholden oonly have cleped to youre conseil 1245: Youre trewe frendes olde and wise./ Ye han 1245: Ycleped straunge folk, yonge folk, false flatereres, 1245: And enemys reconsiled, and folk that 1246: Doon yow reverence withouten love./ 1246: And ekk also ye have erred, for ye han 1246: Broght with yow to youre conseil ire, coveitise, 1247: And hastifnesse,/ the whiche thre thinges been 1247: Contrariouse to every conseil honest and profitable;/ 1248: the whiche thre thinges ye han nat 1248: Anientissed or destroyed hem, neither in youreself, 1249: ne in youre conseillours, as yow oghte./ 1249: Ye han erred also, for ye han shewed to youre 1249: Conseillours youre talent and youre affeccioun 1250: To make werre anon, and for to do vengeance./ 1250: They han espied by youre wordes to 1251: What thyng ye been enclyned;/ and 1251: Therfore han they rather conseilled 1252: Yow to youre talent that to youre profit./ 1252: Ye han erred also, for it semeth that yow 1252: Suffiseth to han been conseilled by thise 1253: Conseillours oonly, and with litel avys,/ 1253: Whereas in so greet and so heigh a nede 1253: It hadde been necessarie mo conseillours 1253: And moore deliberacion to parfourne youre emprise./ 1254: ye han erred also, for ye ne han nat 1254: Examyned youre conseil in the forseyde manere, 1255: ne in due manere, as the caas requireth./ 1255: Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no division 1255: bitwixe youre conseillours; this is to 1255: Seyn, bitwixen youre trewe freendes and 1256: Youre feyned conseillours;/ ne ye han 1256: Nat knowe the wil of youre trewe 1257: Freendes olde and wise;/ but ye han cast alle 1257: Hire wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned 1257: Youre herte to the moore part and to the gretter 1258: Nombre, and there been ye condescended./ 1258: And sith ye woot wel that men shal alwey 1258: Fynde a gretter nombre of fooles than of wise 1259: Men,/ and therfore the conseils that been at 1259: Congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, there as 1259: Men take moore reward to the nombre than to 1260: The sapience of persones,/ ye se wel that in 1260: Swiche conseillynges fooles han the maistrie./ 1261: Melibeus answerde agayn, and seyde, 1262: I graunte wel that I have erred;/ but there 1262: As thou hast toold me heerbiforn that he nys 1262: Nat to blame that chaungeth his conseillours in 1263: Certein caas and for certeine juste causes,/ I am 1263: Al redy to chaunge my conseillours right as thow 1264: Wolt devyse./ The proverbe seith that -- for 1264: To do synne is mannyssh, but certes for to persevere 1265: longe in synne is werk of the devel. -- / 1265: To this sentence answered anon dame 1266: Prudence, and seyde:/ examineth, 1266: Quod she, youre conseil, and lat us see 1266: The whiche of hem han spoken most resonably 1267: And taught yow best conseil./ And for as 1267: Muche as that the examynacion is necessarie, 1267: Lat us bigynne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens, 1268: that first speeken in this matiere./ I sey 1268: Yow that the surgiens and phisiciens han 1268: Seyd yow in youre conseil discreetly, as hem 1269: Oughte;/ and in hir speche seyden ful wisely 1269: That to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to 1269: Every wight honour and profit, and no wight 1270: For to anoye;/ and after hir craft to doon greet 1270: Diligence unto the cure of hem which 1271: That they han in hir governaunce./ 1271: And, sire, right as they han answered 1272: Wisely and discreetly,/ right so rede I that they 1272: Been heighly and sovereynly gerdoned for hir 1273: Noble speche;/ and eek for they sholde do the 1273: Moore ententif bisynesse in the curacion of 1274: Youre doghter deere./ For al be it so that they 1274: Been youre freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren 1275: that they serve yow for noght,/ but ye 1275: Oghte the rather gerdone hem and shewe 1276: Hem youre largesse./ And as touchynge 1276: The proposicioun which that the phisiciens 1277: encreesceden in this caas, this is to seyn./ 1277: That in maladies that oon contrarie is warisshed 1278: By another contrarie,/ I wolde fayn knowe hou 1278: Ye understonde thilke text, and what is youre 1279: Sentence./ 1279: Certes, quod melibeus, I understonde 1280: It in this wise:/ that right as they han 1280: Doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I 1281: Doon hem another./ For right as they 1281: Han venged hem on me and doon me wrong, 1281: Right so shal I venge me upon hem and doon 1282: Hem wrong;/ and thanne have I cured oon contrarie 1283: by another./ 1283: Lo, lo, quod dame prudence, how lightly 1283: Is every man enclined to his owene desir and 1284: To his owene plesaunce!/ certes, quod she, 1284: The wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat 1285: Han been understonden in thys wise./ For 1285: Certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse, 1285: ne vengeance to vengeaunce, ne 1285: Wrong to wrong, but they been semblable./ 1286: and therfore o vengeaucne is 1286: Nat warisshed by another vengeaunce, 1287: Ne o wroong by another wroong,/ but everich 1288: Of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth oother./ 1288: But certes, the wordes of the phisiciens sholde 1289: Been understonden in this wise:/ for dood and 1289: Wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and 1289: Werre, vengeaunce and suffraunce, discord and 1290: Accord, and manye othere thynges./ But certes, 1290: Wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse, 1290: Discord by accord, werre by pees, and 1291: So forth of othere thynges./ And heerto 1291: Accordeth seint paul the apostle in 1292: Manye places./ He seith: -- ne yeldeth nat 1292: Harm for harm, ne wikked speche for wikked 1293: Speche;/ but do wel to hym that dooth thee 1294: Harm, and blesse hym that seith to thee harm./ 1294: And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees 1295: And accord./ But now wol I speke to yow of 1295: The conseil which that was yeven to yow 1295: By the men of lawe and the wise 1296: Folk,/ that seyden alle by oon accord, 1297: As ye han herd bifore,/ that over alle 1297: Thynges ye shal doon youre diligence to kepen 1297: Youre persone and to warnestoore youre hous; 1297: And seyden also that in this caas yow oghten 1297: For to werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun./ 1298: and, sire, as to the firste point, that 1299: Toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone,/ ye 1299: Shul understonde that he that hath werre 1299: Shal everemoore mekely and devoutly 1300: Preyen, biforn alle thynges,/ that jhesus 1300: Crist of his mercy wol han hym in his 1300: Proteccion and been his sovereyn helpyng at 1301: His nede./ For certes, in this world ther is no 1301: Wight that may be conseilled ne kept sufficeantly 1301: Withouten the kepyng of oure lord jhesu 1302: Crist./ To this sentence accordeth the prophete 1303: david, that seith,/ -- if God ne kepe the 1304: Citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth. -- / 1304: Now, sire, thanne shul ye committe the kepyng 1304: of youre persone to youre trewe freendes, 1305: That been approved and yknowe,/ and 1305: Of hem shul ye axen help youre persone 1305: For to kepe. For catoun seith: -- if thou hast 1306: Nede of help, axe it of thy freendes;/ for ther 1306: Nys noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe 1307: Freend. -- / and after this thanne shul ye kepe 1307: Yow fro alle straunge folk, and fro lyeres, and 1308: Have alwey in suspect hire compaignye./ For 1308: Piers alfonce seith, -- ne taak no compaignye by 1308: The weye of a straunge man, but if so be that 1309: Thou have knowe hym of a lenger tyme./ And 1309: If so be that he falle into thy compaignye 1310: Paraventure, withouten thyn assent,/ enquere 1310: thanne as subtilly as thou mayst of 1310: His conversacion, and of his lyf bifore, and feyne 1310: Thy wey; seye that thou wolt thider as thou 1311: Wolt nat go;/ and if he bereth a spere, hoold 1311: Thee on the right syde, and if he bere a swerd, 1312: Hoold thee on the lift syde. -- / and after this 1312: Thanne shul ye kepe yow wisely from all swich 1312: Manere peple as I have seyd bifore, and hem 1313: And hir conseil eschewe./ And after this 1314: Thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere/ 1314: That, for any presumpcion of youre strengthe, 1314: That ye ne dispise nat, ne accompte nat the 1314: Myght of youre adversarie so litel, that ye lete 1314: The kepyng of youre persone for youre 1315: Presumpcioun;/ for every wys man 1316: Dredeth his enemy./ And salomon 1317: Seith: -- weleful is he that of alle hath drede;/ 1317: For certes, he that thurgh the hardynesse of 1317: His herte, and thurgh the hardynesse of 1317: Hymself, hath to greet presumpcioun, hym shal 1318: Yvel bityde. -- / thanne shul ye everemoore contrewayte 1319: embusshementz and alle espiaille./ 1319: For senec seith that -- the wise man that 1320: Dredeth harmes, eschueth harmes,/ ne 1320: He ne falleth into perils that perils eschueth. 1321: -- / and al be it so that it seme that 1321: Thou art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do 1322: Thy diligence in kepynge of thy persone;/ this 1322: Is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone, 1322: nat oonly for thy gretteste enemys, but 1323: Fro thy leeste enemy./ Senek seith: -- a man 1323: That is well avysed, he dredeth his leste enemy. 1324: -- / ovyde seith that -- the litel wesele 1324: Wol slee the grete bole and the wilde 1325: Hert. -- / and the book seith, -- a litel 1325: Thorn may prikke a kyng ful soore, and 1326: An hound wol holde the wolde boor. -- / but 1326: Nathelees, I sey nat thou shalt be so coward 1327: That thou doute ther wher as is no drede./ The 1327: Book seith that -- somme folk han greet lust to 1327: Deceyve, but yet they dreden hem to be deceyved. 1328: -- / yet shaltou drede to been empoisoned, 1328: and kepe the from the compaignye of 1329: Scorneres./ For the book seith, -- with scorneres 1329: make no compaignye, but flee hire 1330: Wordes as venym. -- / 1330: Now, as to the seconde point, where 1330: As youre wise conseillours conseilled yow to 1331: Warnestoore youre hous with gret diligence,/ 1331: I wolde fayn knowe how that ye understonde 1332: Thilke wordes and what is youre sentence./ 1332: Melibeus answerde, and seyde, certes, I understande 1332: it in this wise: that I shal warne -- 1332: Stoore myn hous with toures, swiche as han 1332: Castelles and othere manere edifices, and armure, 1333: and artelries;/ by whiche thynges I may 1333: My persone and myn hous so kepen and deffenden 1333: that myne enemys shul been in drede 1334: Myn hous for to approche./ 1334: To this sentence answerde anon prudence: 1334: Warnestooryng, quod she, of heighe toures 1334: And of grete edifices apperteyneth somtyme 1335: to pryde./ And eek men make 1335: Heighe toures, and grete edifices with 1335: Grete costages and with greet travaille; and 1335: Whan that they been accompliced, yet be they 1335: Nat worth a stree, but if they be defended by 1336: Trewe freendes that been olde and wise./ And 1336: Understoond wel that the gretteste and strongeste 1336: garnysoun that a riche man may have, as 1337: Wel to kepen his persone as his goodes, is/ 1337: That he be biloved with hys subgetz and with 1338: His neighebores./ For thus seith tullius, that 1338: -- ther is a manere garnysoun that no man may 1339: Vanquysse ne disconfite, and that is/ a lord to 1339: Be biloved of his citezeins and of his 1340: Peple. -- / 1340: Now, sire, as to the thridde point, 1340: Where as youre olde and wise conseillours 1340: Seyden that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne 1341: Hastily proceden in this nede,/ but that yow 1341: Oghte purveyen and apparaillen yow in this caas 1342: With greet diligence and greet deliberacioun;/ 1342: Trewely, I trowe that they seyden right wisely 1343: And right sooth./ For tullius seith: -- in every 1343: Nede, er thou bigynne it, apparaille thee with 1344: Greet diligence. -- / thanne seye I that in vengeance- 1344: takyng, in were, in bataille, and 1345: In warnestooryng,/ er thow bigynne, I 1345: Rede that thou apparaille thee therto, 1346: And do it with greet deliberacion./ For tul 1346: Lius seith that -- longe apparaillyng biforn the 1347: Bataille maketh short victorie. -- / and cassidorus 1347: seith, -- the garnysoun is stronger, whan 1348: It is longe tyme avysed. -- / 1348: But now lat us speken of the conseil that 1348: Was accorded by youre neighebores, swiche 1349: As doon yow reverence withouten love,/ 1349: Youre olde enemys reconsiled, youre flatereres,/ 1350: that conseilled yow certeyne 1350: Thynges prively, and openly conseilleden 1351: Yow the contrarie;/ the yonge folk also, that 1351: Conseilleden yow to venge yow, and make 1352: Werre anon./ And certes, sire, as I have seyd 1352: Biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped 1353: Swich manere folk to youre conseil,/ which 1354: Conseillours been ynogh repreved by the re/ 1355: Souns aforeseyd./ But nathelees, lat us now 1355: Descende to the special. Ye shuln first 1356: Procede after the doctrine of tullius./ 1356: Certes, the trouthe of this matiere, or of 1357: This conseil, nedeth nat diligently enquere;/ 1357: For it is wel wist whiche they been that han 1358: Doon to yow this trespas and vileynye,/ and 1358: How manye trespassours, and in what manere 1358: They han to yow doon al this wrong and al this 1359: Vileynye./ And after this, thanne shul ye examyne 1359: the seconde condicion which that the 1360: Same tullius addeth in this matiere./ For tullius 1360: put a thyng which that he clepeth 1361: -- consentynge -- ; this is to seyn,/ who been 1361: They, and which been they and how 1361: Manye, that consenten to thy conseil in thy 1362: Wilfulnesse to doon hastif vengeance./ And 1362: Lat us considere also who been they, and how 1362: Manye been they, and whiche been they, that 1363: Consenteden to youre adversaries./ And certes, 1363: As to the first poynt, it is wel knowen whiche 1363: Folk been they that consenteden to youre hastif 1364: Wilfulnesse;/ for trewely, alle tho that conseilleden 1364: yow to maken sodeyn were ne been nat 1365: Youre freendes./ Lat us now considere whiche 1365: Been they that ye holde so greetly youre 1366: Freendes as to youre persone./ For al 1366: Be it so that ye be myghty and riche, 1367: Certes ye ne been but allone,/ for certes ye ne 1368: Han no child but a doghter,/ ne ye ne han 1368: Brotheren, ne cosyns germayns, ne noon oother 1369: Neigh kynrede,/ wherfore that youre enemys 1369: For drede wholde stinte to plede with yow, or 1370: To destroye youre persone./ Ye knowen also 1370: That youre richesses mooten been dispended 1371: in diverse parties,/ and whan 1371: That every wight hath his part, they ne 1371: Wollen taken but litel reward to venge thy 1372: Deeth./ But thyne enemys been thre, and they 1372: Han manie children, bretheren, cosyns, and 1373: Oother ny kynrede./ And though so were that 1373: Thou haddest slayn of hem two or tree, yet 1373: Dwellen ther ynowe to wreken hir deeth and 1374: To sle thy persone./ And though so be that 1374: Youre kynrede be moore siker and stedefast 1375: Than the kyn of youre adversarie,/ yet nathelees 1375: youre kynrede nys but a fer kynrede; 1376: they been but litel syb to yow,/ 1376: And the kyn of youre enemys been ny 1376: Syb to hem. And certes, as in that, hir condicioun 1377: is bet than youres./ Thanne lat us considere 1377: also if the conseillung of hem that conseilleden 1377: yow to taken sodeyn bengeaunce, 1378: Wheither it accorde to resoun./ And certes, ye 1379: Knowe wel -- nay. -- / for, as by right and resoun, 1379: Ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight 1380: But the juge that hath the jurisdiccioun of it,/ 1380: Whan it is graunted hym to take thilke vengeance 1380: hastily or attemprely, as the lawe 1381: Requireth./ And yet mooreover of thilke 1381: Word that tullius clepeth -- consentynge, 1382: -- / thou shalt considere if thy myght and 1382: Thy power may consenten and suffise to thy 1383: Wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours./ And certes 1384: Thou mayst wel seyn that -- nay. -- / for sikerly, 1384: as for to speke proprely, we may do 1384: No thyng, but oonly swich thyng as we may 1385: Doon rightfully./ And certes rightfully ne mowe 1385: Ye take no vengeance, as of youre 1386: Propre auctoritee./ Thanne mowe ye 1386: Seen that youre power ne consenteth 1387: Nat, ne accordeth nat, with youre wilfulnesse./ 1387: Lat us now examyne the thridde point, that 1388: Tullius clepeth -- consequent. -- / thou shal understonde 1388: that the vengeance that thou purposest 1389: for to take is the consequent;/ and 1389: Therof folweth another vengeaunce, peril, and 1389: Werre, and othere damages withoute nombre, 1390: Of whiche we be nat war, as at this tyme./ 1390: And as touchynge the fourthe point, 1391: That tullius clepeth -- engendrynge, -- / 1391: Thou shalt considere that this wrong 1391: Which that is doon to thee is engendred of the 1392: Hate of thyne enemys,/ and of the vengeance- 1392: Takynge upon that wolde engendre another 1392: Vengeance, and muchel sorwe and wastynge 1393: Of richesses, as I seyde./ 1393: Now, sire, as to the point that tullius clepeth 1394: -- causes, -- which that is the laste point,/ thou 1394: Shalt understonde that the worng that thou hast 1395: Receyved hath certeine causes,/ whiche that 1395: Clerkes clepen oriens and efficiens, and causa 1395: Longinqua and causa propinqua, this is 1396: To seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause./ 1396: The fer cause is almyghty god, that is 1397: Cause of alle thynges./ The neer cause is thy 1399: Thre enemys.// the cause accidental was hate./ 1399: The cause material been the fyve woundes of 1400: Thy doghter./ The cause formal is the manere 1400: Of hir werkynge that broghten laddres 1401: And cloumben in at thy wyndowes./ 1401: The cause final was for to sle thy doghter. 1402: it letted nat in as muche as in hem was./ 1402: But for to speken of the fer cause, as to what 1402: Ende they shul come, or what shal finally bityde 1402: Of hem in this caas, ne kan I nat deeme but 1403: By conjectynge and by supposynge./ For we 1403: Shul suppose that they shul come to a wikked 1404: Ende,/ by cause that the book of decrees seith, 1404: -- seelden, or with greet peyne, been causes 1404: Ybroght to good ende whanne they been baddely 1405: bigonne. -- / 1405: Now, sire, if men wolde axe me why that 1405: God suffred men to do yow this vileynye, certes, 1405: I kan nat wel answere, as for no soothfastnesse./ 1406: for th' apostle seith that -- the 1406: Sciences and the juggementz of oure 1407: Lord God almyghty been ful depe;/ ther may 1407: No man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly. 1408: -- / nathelees, by certeyne presumpciouns 1409: and conjectynges, I holde and bileeve/ 1409: That god, which that is ful of justice and of 1409: Rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by juste 1410: Cause resonable./ 1410: Thy name is melibee, this is to seyn, 1411: -- a man that drynketh hony. -- / thou hast 1411: Ydronke so muchel hony of sweete temporeel 1411: richesses, and delices and honours of 1412: This world,/ that thou art dronken, and hast 1413: Forgeten jhesu crist thy creatour./ Thou ne 1413: Hast nat doon to hym swich honour and reverence 1414: as thee oughte,/ ne thou ne hast nat 1414: Wel ytaken kep to the wordes of ovide, that 1415: Seith,/ -- under the hony of the goodes of 1415: The body is hyd the venym that sleeth 1416: The soule -- / and salomon seith, -- if thou 1416: Hast founden hony, ete of it that suffiseth;/ 1417: for if thou ete of it out of mesure, thou 1418: Shalt spewe, -- and be nedy and povre./ And 1418: Peraventure crist hath thee in despit, and hath 1418: Turned awey fro thee his face and his eeris of 1419: Misericorde;/ and also he hath suffred that thou 1419: Hast been punysshed in the manere that thow 1420: Hast ytrespassed./ Thou hast doon 1421: Synne agayn oure lord crist;/ for certes, 1421: The three enemys of mankynde, that is to 1422: Seyn, the flessh, the feend, and the world,/ 1422: Thou hast suffred hem entre in to thyn herte 1423: Wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body,/ and 1423: Hast nat defended thyself suffisantly agayns 1423: Hire assautes and hire temptaciouns, so that they 1424: Han wounded thy soule in fyve places;/ this is 1424: To seyn, the deedly synnes that been entred into 1425: Thyn herte by thy fyve wittes./ And in the 1425: Same manere oure lord crist hath woold and 1425: Suffred that thy three enemys been entred 1426: into thyn house by the wyndowes,/ 1426: And han ywounded thy doghter in the 1427: Forseyde manere./ 1427: Certes, quod melibee, I se wel that ye 1427: Enforce yow muchel by wordes to overcome 1427: Me in swich manere that I shal nat venge me 1428: Of myne enemys,/ shewynge me the perils and 1428: The yveles that myghten falle of this vengeance./ 1429: but whoso wolde considere in alle 1429: Vengeances the perils and yveles that myghte 1430: Sewe of vengeance-takynge,/ a man wolde 1430: Nevere take vengeance, and that were 1431: Harm;/ for by the vengeance-takynge 1431: Been the wikked men dissevered fro the 1432: Goode men,/ and they that han wyl to do wikkednesse 1432: restreyne hir wikked purpos, whan 1432: They seen the punyssynge and chastisynge of 1433: The trespassours./ 1433: (et a ce respont dame prudence, certes, 1433: Dist elle, je t' ottroye que de vengence vient 1434: Molt de maulx et de biens;/ mais vengence 1434: N' appartient pas a un chascun fors seulement 1434: Aux juges et a ceulx qui ont la juridicion sur 1435: Les malfaitteurs.)/ and yet seye I moore, that 1435: Right as singuler persone synneth in 1436: Takynge vengeance of another man,/ 1436: Right so synneth the juge if he do no 1437: Vengeance of hem that it han disserved./ For 1437: Senec seith thus: -- that maister, -- he seith, -- is 1438: Good that proveth shrewes. -- / and as cassidore 1438: seith, -- a man dredeth to do outrages 1438: Whan he woot and knoweth that it despleseth 1439: To the juges and the sovereyns. -- / and another 1439: Seith, -- the juge that dredeth to do right, maketh 1440: men shrewes. -- / and seint paul the apostle 1440: seith in his epistle, whan he writeth unto 1440: The romayns, that -- the juges beren nat 1441: The spere withouten cause,/ but they 1441: Beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoers, 1442: and for to defende the goode men./ If ye 1442: Wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys, ye 1442: Shul retourne or have youre recours to the juge 1443: That hath the jurisdiccion upon hem,/ and he 1443: Shal punysse hem as the lawe axeth and requireth./ 1444: A! quod melibee, this vengeance liketh 1445: Me no thyng./ I bithenke me now and take 1445: Heede how fortune hath norissed me fro my 1445: Childhede, and hath holpen me to passe 1446: Many a stroong paas./ Now wol I assayen 1446: hire, trowynge, with goddes help, 1446: That she shal helpe me my shame for to 1447: Venge./ 1447: Certes, quod prudence, if ye wol werke 1447: By conseil, ye shul nat assaye fortune by 1448: No wey,/ ne ye shul nat lene or bowe unto 1449: Hire, after the word of senec;/ for -- thynges that 1449: Been folily doon, and that been in hope of 1450: Fortune, shullen nevere come to good ende. -- / 1450: And, as the same senec seith, -- the moore cleer 1450: And the moore shynyng that fortune is, the 1450: Moore brotil and the sonner broken she 1451: Is -- ./ Trusteth nat in hire, for she nys 1452: Nat stidefast ne stable;/ for whan thow 1452: Trowest to be moost seur or siker of hire help, 1453: She wol faille thee and deceyve thee./ And 1453: Where as ye seyn that fortune hath norissed 1454: Yow fro youre childhede,/ I seye that in so 1454: Muchel shul ye the lasse truste in hire and in 1455: Hir wit./ For senec seith, -- what man that is 1455: Norissed by fortune, she maketh hym 1456: A greet fool. -- / now thanne, syn ye desire 1456: and axe vengeance, and the vengeance 1456: that is doon after the lawe and bifore 1457: The juge ne liketh yow nat,/ and the vengeance 1457: That is doon in hope of fortune is perilous and 1458: Uncertein,/ thanne have ye noon oother remedie 1458: but for to have youre recours unto the sovereyn 1458: juge that vengeth alle vileynyes and 1459: Wronges./ And he shal venge yow after that 1460: Hymself witnesseth, where as he seith,/ -- leveth 1460: the vengeance to me, and I shal 1461: Do it. -- / 1461: Melibee answerde, if I ne venge me 1462: Nat of the vileynye that men han doon to me,/ 1462: I sompne or warne hem that han doon to me 1462: That vileynye, and alle othere, to do me another 1463: Vileynye./ For it is writen, -- if thou take no 1463: Vengeance of an oold vileynye, thou sompnest 1464: Thyne adversaries to do thee a newe vileynye. -- / 1464: And also for my suffrance men wolden do 1464: Me so muchel vileynye that I myghte neither 1465: Bere it ne susteene,/ and so sholde I 1466: Been put and holden overlowe./ For 1466: Men seyn, -- in muchel suffrynge shul 1466: Manye thynges falle unto thee whiche thou 1467: Shalt nat mowe suffre. -- / 1467: Certes, quod prudence, I graunte yow 1468: That over -- muchel suffraunce is nat good./ But 1468: Yet ne folweth it nat therof that every persone 1468: To whom men doon vileynye take of it vengeance;/ 1469: for that aperteneth and longeth al 1469: Oonly to the juges, for they shul venge the 1470: Vileynyes and injuries./ And therfore tho two 1470: Auctoritees that ye han seyd above been 1471: Oonly understonden in the juges./ For 1471: Whan they suffren over-muchel the 1471: Wronges and the vileynyes to be doon withouten 1472: punysshynge,/ the sompne nat a man 1472: Al oonly for to do newe wronges, but they 1473: Comanden it./ Also a wys man seith that the 1473: Juge that correcteth nat the synnere comandeth 1474: and biddeth hym do synne. -- / and the juges 1474: And sovereyns myghten in hir land so muchel 1475: Suffre of the shrewes and mysdoeres/ that they 1475: Sholden, by swich suffrance, by proces of 1475: Tyme wexen of swich power and myght that 1475: They sholden putte out the juges and the 1476: Sovereyns from hir places,/ and atte laste 1477: Maken hem lesen hire lordshipes./ 1477: But lat us now putte that ye have leve to 1478: Venge yow./ I seye ye been nat of myght and 1479: Power as now to venge yow;/ for if ye wole 1479: Maken comparisoun unto the myght of youre 1479: Adversaries, ye shul fynde in manye thynges 1479: That I have shewed yow er this that hire condicion 1480: is bettre than youres./ And therfore 1480: Seye I that it is good as now that ye suffre 1481: and be pacient./ 1481: Forthermoore, ye knowen wel that 1481: After the comune sawe, -- it is a woodnesse a 1481: Man to stryve with a strenger or a moore 1482: Myghty man than he is hymself;/ and for to 1482: Stryve with a man of evene strengthe, that is 1482: To seyn, with as strong a man as he is, it is 1483: Peril;/ and for to stryve with a weyker man, it 1484: Is folie. -- / and therfore sholde a man flee stryvynge 1485: as muchel as he myghte./ For salomon 1485: Seith, -- it is a greet worshipe to a man to 1486: Kepen hym fro noyse and stryf. -- / and 1486: If it so bifalle or happe that a man of 1486: Gretter myght and strengthe than thou art do 1487: Thee grevaunce,/ studie and bisye thee rather 1487: To stille the same grevaunce than for to venge 1488: Thee./ For senec seith that -- he putteth hym in 1488: Greet peril that stryveth with a gretter man 1489: Than he is hymself. -- / and catoun seith, -- if a 1489: Man of hyer estaat or degree, or moore myghty 1489: Than thou, do thee anoy or grevaunce, suffre 1490: Hym;/ for he that oones hath greved thee, 1490: May another tyme releeve thee and 1491: Helpe. -- / yet sette I caas, ye have bothe 1492: Myght and licence for to venge yow,/ I 1492: Seye that ther be ful manye thynges that shul 1493: Restreyne yow of vengeance-takynge,/ and 1493: Make yow for to enclyne to suffre, and for to 1493: Han pacience in the wronges that han been 1494: Doon to yow./ First and foreward, if ye wole 1494: Considere the defautes that been in youre 1495: Owene persone,/ for whiche defautes God hath 1495: Suffred yow have this tribulacioun, as I 1496: Have seyd yow heer-biforn./ For the 1496: Poete seith that -- we oghte paciently 1496: Taken the tribulacions that comen to us, whan 1496: We thynken and consideren that we han disserved 1497: to have hem. -- / and seint gregorie 1497: Seith that -- whan a man considereth wel the 1498: Nombre of his defautes and of his synnes,/ the 1498: Peynes and the tribulaciouns that he suffreth 1499: Semen the lesse unto hym;/ and in as muche 1499: As hym thynketh his synnes moore hevy and 1500: Grevous,/ in so muche semeth his peyne 1501: The lighter and the esier unto hym. -- / 1501: Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre 1501: Herte to take the pacience of oure lord jhesu 1502: Crist, as seith seint peter in his epistles./ 1502: Jhesu crist, -- he seith, -- hath suffred for us and 1502: Yeven ensample to every man to folwe and 1503: Sewe hym;/ for he dide nevere synne, ne nevere 1504: cam ther a vileyns word out of his mouth./ 1504: Whan men cursed hym, he cursed hem noght; 1504: And whan men betten hym, he manaced hem 1505: Noght. -- / also the grete pacience which the 1505: Seintes that been in paradys han had in tribulaciouns 1505: that they han ysuffred, withouten 1506: Hir desert or gilt,/ oghte muchel stiren 1507: Yow to pacience./ Forthermoore ye 1508: Sholde enforce yow to have pacience,/ considerynge 1508: that the tribulaciouns of this world but 1508: Litel while endure, and soone passed been and 1509: Goon,/ and the joye that a man seketh to have 1509: By pacience in tribulaciouns is perdurable, 1510: After that the apostle seith in his epistle./ The 1510: Joye of god, he seith, is perdurable, 1511: That is to seyn, everelastynge./ Also 1511: Troweth and bileveth stedefastly that he 1511: Nys nat wel ynorissed, ne wel ytaught, that kan 1511: Nat have pacience, or wol nat receyve pacience./ 1512: for salomon seith that -- the doctrine 1513: And the wit of a man is knowen by pacience. -- / 1513: And in another place he seith that -- he that is 1514: Pacient governeth hym by greet prudence. -- / 1514: And the same salomon seith, -- the angry and 1514: Wrathful man maketh noyses, and the pacient 1515: Man atempreth hem and stilleth. -- / he seith 1515: Also, -- it is moore worth to be pacient 1516: Than for to be right strong;/ and he 1516: That may have the lordshipe of his 1516: Owene herte is moore to preyse than he that 1517: By his force or strengthe taketh grete citees. -- / 1517: And therfore seith seint jame in his epistle that 1518: -- pacience is a greet vertu of perfeccioun. -- / 1518: Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow, 1518: Dame prudence, that pacience is greet vertu 1519: Of perfeccioun;/ but every man may nat have 1520: The perfeccioun that ye seken;/ ne I nam 1521: Nat of the nombre of right parfite men,/ 1521: For myn herte may nevere been in pees 1522: Unto the tyme it be venged./ And al be it so 1522: That it was greet peril to myne enemys to do 1523: Me a vileynye in takynge vengeance upon me,/ 1523: Yet tooken they noon heede of the peril, but 1524: Fulfilleden hir wikked wyl and hir corage./ 1524: And therfore me thynketh men oghten nat 1524: Repreve me, though I putte me in a litel peril 1525: For to venge me,/ and though I do a greet 1525: Excesse, that is to seyn, that I venge 1526: Oon outrage by another./ 1526: A, quod dame prudence, ye seyn 1527: Youre wyl and as yow liketh,/ but in no caas 1527: Of the world a man sholde nat doon outrage 1528: Ne excesse for to vengen hym./ For cassidore 1528: Seith that -- as yvele dooth he that vengeth hym 1529: By outrage as he that dooth the outrage. -- / and 1529: Therfore ye shul venge yow after the ordre of 1529: Right, that is to seyn, by the lawe, and noght 1530: By excesse ne by outrage./ And also, if ye 1530: Wol venge yow of the outrage of youre adversaries 1530: in oother manere than right comandeth, 1531: ye synne./ And therfore seith senec 1531: That -- a man shal nevere vengen shrewednesse 1532: by shrewednesse. -- / and if ye seye that 1532: Right axeth a man to defenden violence by violence, 1533: and fightyng by fightyng,/ certes ye seye 1533: Sooth, whan the defense is doon anon withouten 1533: intervalle or withouten tariyng or delay,/ 1534: for to deffenden hym and nat for to 1535: Vengen hym./ And it bihoveth that a man 1535: Putte swich attemperance in his deffense/ 1536: that men have no cause ne matiere 1536: to repreven hym that deffendeth 1536: Hym of excesse and outrage, for ellis were it 1537: Agayn resoun./ Pardee, ye knowen wel that 1537: Ye maken no deffense as now for to deffende 1538: Yow, but for to venge yow;/ and so seweth 1538: It that ye han no wyl to do youre dede attemprely./ 1539: and therfore me thynketh that pacience 1539: is good; for salomon seith that -- he that 1540: Is nat pacient shal have a greet harm. -- / 1540: Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow that 1540: Whan a man is inpacient and wrooth, of that 1540: That toucheth hym noght and that aperteneth 1540: Nat unto hym, though it harme hym, it 1541: Is no wonder./ For the lawe seith that 1541: -- he is coupable that entremetteth hym or 1541: Medleth with swych thyng as aperteneth nat 1542: Unto hym. -- / and salomon seith that -- he that 1542: Entremetteth hym of the noyse or strif of another 1542: man is lyk to hym that taketh an hound 1543: By the eris. -- / for right as he that taketh a 1543: Straunge hound by the eris is outherwhile biten 1544: With the hound,/ right in the same wise is it 1544: Resoun that he have harm that by his inpacience 1544: medleth hym of the noyse of another 1545: Man, wheras it aperteneth nat unto hym./ But 1545: Ye knowen wel that this dede, that is to seyn, 1545: My grief and my disese, toucheth me 1546: Right ny./ And therfore, though I be 1547: Wrooth and inpacient, it is no merveille./ 1547: And, savynge youre grace, I kan nat seen that it 1547: Myghte greetly harme me though I tooke vengeaunce./ 1548: for I am richer and moore myghty 1549: Than myne enemys been;/ and wel knowen ye 1549: That by moneye and by havynge grete possessions 1549: been alle the thynges of this world governed./ 1550: and salomon seith that -- alle 1551: Thynges abeyen to moneye. -- / 1551: Whan prudence hadde herd hir housbonde 1551: avanten hym of his richesse and of his 1551: Moneye, dispreisynge the power of his adversaries, 1552: she spak, and seyde in this wise:/ 1552: Certes, deere sire, I graunte yow that ye been 1553: Riche and myghty,/ and that the richesses been 1553: Goode to hem that han wel ygeten hem and wel 1554: Konne usen hem./ For right as the body of a 1554: Man may nat lyven withoute the soule, namoore 1555: May it lyve withouten temporeel goodes./ And 1555: By richesses may a man gete hym grete 1556: Freendes./ And therfore seith pamphilles: 1556: -- if a net -- herdes doghter, -- seith 1556: He, -- be riche, she may chesen of a thousand 1557: Men which she wol take to hir housbonde;/ 1557: For, of a thousand men, oon wol nat forsaken 1558: Hire ne refusen hire. -- / and this pamphilles 1558: Seith also: -- if thow be right happy -- that is to 1558: Seyn, if thou be right riche -- thou shalt fynde 1559: A greet nombre of felawes and freendes./ And 1559: If thy fortune change that thou wexe povre, 1560: Farewel freendshipe and felaweshipe;/ for thou 1560: Shalt be alloone withouten any compaignye, 1560: But if it be the compaignye of povre 1561: Folk. -- / and yet seith this pamphilles 1561: Moreover that -- they that been thralle and 1561: Bonde of lynage shullen been maad worthy and 1562: Noble by the richesses. -- / and right so as by 1562: Richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so 1562: By poverte come ther manye harmes and 1563: Yveles./ For greet poverte constreyneth a man 1564: To do manye yveles./ And therfore clepeth 1565: Cassidore poverte the mooder of ruyne,/ that 1565: Is to seyn, the mooder of overthrowynge 1566: Or fallynge doun./ And therfore seith 1566: Piers alfonce: -- oon of the gretteste adversitees 1567: of this world is/ whan a free man by 1567: Kynde or of burthe is constreyned by poverte 1568: To eten the almesse of his enemy, -- / and the 1568: Same seith innocent in oon of his bookes. He 1568: Seith that -- sorweful and myshappy is the condicioun 1569: of a povre beggere;/ for if he axe nat 1570: His mete, he dyeth for hunger;/ and if he axe, 1570: He dyeth for shame; and algates necessitee 1571: constreyneth hym to axe. -- / and 1571: Seith salomon that -- bet it is to dye than 1572: For to have swich poverte. -- / and as the same 1572: Salomon seith, -- bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth 1573: Than for to lyven in swich wise. -- / by thise 1573: Resons that I have seid unto yow, and by manye 1574: Othere resons that I koude seye,/ I graunte yow 1574: That richesses been goode to hem that geten 1574: Hem wel, and to hem that wel usen tho richesses./ 1575: and therfore wol I shewe yow hou ye 1575: Shul have yow and how ye shul bere yow in 1575: Gaderynge of richesses, and in what 1576: Manere ye shul usen hem./ 1576: First, ye shul geten hem withouten 1576: Greet desir, by good leyser, sokyngly and nat 1577: Over-hastily./ For a man that is to desirynge 1577: To gete richesses abaundoneth hym first to 1578: Thefte, and to alle othere yveles;/ and therfore 1578: seith salomon, -- he that hasteth hym to 1579: Bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent. -- / 1579: He seith also that -- the richesses that hastily cometh 1579: to a man, soone and lightly gooth and 1580: Passeth fro a man;/ but that richesse that 1580: Cometh litel and litel, wexeth alwey and 1581: Multiplieth. -- / and, sire 1581: Richesses by youre wit and by youre 1582: Travaille unto youre profit;/ and that withouten 1583: Wrong or hamr doynge to any oother persone./ 1583: For tha lawe seith that -- ther maketh no man 1583: Himselven riche, if he do harm to another 1584: Wight. -- / this is to seyn, htat nature deffendeth 1584: and fordedeth by right that no man make 1584: Hymself riche unto the harm of another persone./ 1585: and tulliur seith that -- no sorwe, ne no 1585: Drede of deeth, ne no thyng that may 1586: Falle unto a man,/ is so muchel agayns 1586: Nature as a man to encressen his owene 1587: Profit to the harm of another man./ And 1587: Though the grete man and the myghty men 1588: Geten richesses moore lightly than thou, / yet 1588: Shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit, 1589: For thou shalt in alle wise flee ydelnesse. -- / for 1589: Salomon seith that -- ydelnesse techeth a man to 1590: Do manye yveles. -- / and the same salomon 1590: Seith that -- he that travailleth and bisieth 1591: Hym to tilien his land, shal eten breed;/ 1591: But he that is ydel and casteth hym to 1591: No bisynesse ne occupacioun, shal falle into 1592: Poverte, and dye for hynger. -- / and he that is 1592: Ydel and slow kan nevere fynde covenable 1593: Tyme for to doon his profit./ For ther is a 1593: Versifiour seith that -- the ydel man excuseth hym 1593: In wynter by cause of the grete coold, and in 1594: Somer by enchesoun of the greete heete. -- / for 1594: Thise causes seith caton, -- waketh and enclyneth 1594: nat yow over -- muchel for to slepe, for overmuchel 1594: reste norisseth and causeth manye 1595: Vices. -- / and therfore seith seint jerome, 1595: -- dooth somme goode dedes that the devel, 1595: Which is oure enemy, ne fynde yow nat 1596: Unocupied. -- / for the devel ne taketh 1596: Nat lightly unto his werkynge swiche as 1597: He fyndeth occupied in goode werkes./ 1597: Thanne thus, in getynge richesses, ye mosten 1598: Flee ydelnesse./ And afterward, ye shul use 1598: The richesses which ye have geten by youre wit 1599: And by youre travaille,/ in swich a manere that 1599: Men holde yow nat to scars, ne to sparynge, ne 1599: To fool-large, that is to seyen, over-large a 1600: Spendere./ For right as men blamen an avaricious 1600: man by cause of his scarsetee and 1601: Chyncherie,/ in the same wise is he to 1602: Blame that spendeth over-largely./ And 1602: Therfore seith caton: -- use, -- he seith, -- thy richesses 1603: that thou hast geten/ in swich a manere 1603: That men have no matiere ne cause to calle 1604: The neither wrecche ne chynche;/ for it is a 1604: Greet shame to a man to have a povere herte 1605: And a riche purs. -- / he seith also: -- the goodes 1605: That thou hast ygeten, use hem by mesure, -- 1605: That is to seyn, spende hem mesurably;/ 1606: for they that folily wasten and 1607: Despenden the goodes that they han,/ 1607: What they han namoore propre of hir owene, 1607: They shapen hem to take the goodes of another 1608: Man./ I seye thanne that ye shul fleen avarice;/ 1609: usynge youre richesses in swich manere 1609: That men seye nat that youre richesses been 1610: Yburyed,/ but that ye have hem in 1611: Youre myght and in youre weeldynge./ 1611: For a wys man repreveth the avaricious 1612: Man, and seith thus in two vers:/ -- wherto and 1612: Why burieth a man his goodes by his grete 1612: Avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste 1613: He dye?/ for deeth is the ende of every man 1614: As in this present lyf. -- / and for what cause or 1614: Enchesoun joyneth he hym or knytteth he hym 1615: So faste unto his goodes/ that alle hise wittes 1615: Mowen nat disseveren hym or departen 1616: Hym from his goodes,/ and knoweth 1616: Wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is 1616: Deed he shal no thyng bere with hym out of 1617: This world?/ and therfore seith seint austyn 1618: That -- the avaricious man is likned unto helle,/ 1618: That the moore it swelweth. The moore desir it 1619: Hath to swelwe and devoure. -- / and as wel as 1619: Ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious 1620: Man or chynche,/ as wel sholde ye kepe yow 1620: And governe yow in swich a wise that 1621: Men calle yow nat fool-large./ Therfore 1621: seith tullius: -- the goodes, -- he seith, 1621: -- of thyn hous ne sholde nat been hyd ne kept 1621: So cloos, but that they myghte been opened 1622: By pitee and debonairetee; -- / that is to seyn, to 1623: Yeven part to hem that han greet nede;/ -- ne 1623: Thy goodes shullen nat been so opene to been 1624: Every mannes goodes. -- / afterward, in getynge 1624: Of youre richesses and in usynge hem, ye shul 1625: Alwey have thre thynges in youre herte,/ that 1625: Is to seyn, oure lord god, conscience, 1626: And good name./ First, ye shul have 1627: God in youre herte,/ and for no richesse 1627: Ye shullen do no thyng which may in any 1627: Manere displese god, that is youre creator 1628: And makere./ For after the word of salomon, 1628: -- it is bettre to have a litel good with the love 1629: Of god,/ than to have muchel good and tresour, 1630: and lese the love of his lord god./ And 1630: The prophete seith that -- bettre it is to been 1630: A good man and have litel good and 1631: Tresour,/ than to been holden a shrewe 1632: And have grete richesses. -- / and yet seye 1632: I ferthermoore, that ye sholde alwey doon youre 1633: Bisynesse to gete yow richesses,/ so that ye 1634: Gete hem with good conscience./ And th' apostle 1634: seith that -- ther nys thyng in this world 1634: Of which we sholden have so greet joye as 1634: Whan oure conscience bereth us good witnesse. 1635: -- / and the wise man seith, -- the substance 1635: of a man is ful good, whan synne 1636: Is nat in mannes conscience. -- / afterward, 1636: in getynge of youre richesses and 1637: In usynge of hem,/ yow moste have greet bisynesse 1637: and greet diligence that youre goode 1638: Name be alwey kept and conserved./ For salomon 1638: seith that -- bettre it is an moore it availleth 1638: a man to have a good name, than for 1639: To have grete richesses. -- / and therfore he 1639: Seith in another place, -- do greet diligence, 1639: Seith salomon, -- in kepyng of thy freend and 1640: Of thy goode name;/ for it shal lenger abide 1640: With thee than any tresour, be it never 1641: So precious. -- / and certes he sholde nat 1641: Be called a gentil man that after god 1641: And good conscience, alle thynges left, ne 1641: Dooth his diligence and bisynesse to kepen his 1642: Goode name./ And cassidore seith that -- it is 1642: Signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and 1643: Desireth to han a good name. -- / and therfore 1643: Seith seint austyn that -- ther been two thynges 1644: That arn necessarie and nedefulle,/ and that 1645: Is good conscience and good loos;/ that is to 1645: Seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone 1645: Inward, and good loos for thy neighebor 1646: Outward. -- / and he that trusteth hym so 1647: Muchel in his goode conscience/ that he 1647: Displeseth, and setteth at noght his goode 1647: Name or loos, and rekketh noght though he 1647: Kepe nat his goode neam, nys but a crueel 1648: Cherl./ 1648: Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul 1648: Do in getynge richesses, and how ye shullen 1649: Usen hem,/ and I se wel that for the trust 1649: That ye han in youre richesses ye wole moeve 1650: Werre and bataille./ I conseille yow that ye 1650: Bigynne no were in trust of youre richesses, 1650: For thay ne suffisen noght werres to 1651: Mayntene./ And therfore seith a philosophre, 1651: hthat man that desireth and 1651: Wole algates han werre, shal nevere have suffisaunce;/ 1652: for the richer that he is, the gretter 1652: Despenses moste he make, if he wole have worshipe 1653: and victorei. -- / and salomon seith that 1653: -- the gretter richesses that a man hath, the mo 1654: Despendours he hath. -- / and, deere sire, al be 1654: It so that for youre richesses ye mowe have 1655: Muchel folk,/ yet bihoveth it nat, ne it is nat 1655: Good, to bigynne werre, whereas ye mowe in 1655: Oother manere have pees unto youre 1656: Worshipe and profit./ For the victorie 1656: Of batailles that been in this world lyth 1656: Nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple, 1657: Ne in the vertu of man,/ but it lith in the wyl 1658: And in the hand of oure lord God almyghty./ 1658: And therfore judas machabeus, which was 1659: Goddes knyght,/ whan he sholde fighte agayn 1659: His adversarie that hadde a gretter nombre and 1659: A gretter multitude of folk and strenger than 1660: Was this peple of machabee,/ yet he reconforted 1660: his litel compaignye, and seyde 1661: Right in this wise:/ -- als lightly, -- quod 1661: He, -- may oure lord God almyghty yeve 1662: Victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk;/ for the 1662: Victorie of a bataile comth nat by the grete 1663: Nombre of peple,/ but it cometh from oure 1664: Lord God of hevene. -- / and, deere sire, for as 1664: Muchel is ther is no man certein if he be 1664: Worthy that God yeve hym victorie, (ne plus 1664: Que il est certain se il est digne de l' amour de 1665: Dieu), or naught, after that salomon seith,/ 1665: Therfore every man sholde greetly drede 1666: Werres to bigynne./ And by cause that 1667: In batailles fallen manye perils,/ and 1667: Happeth outher while that as soone is the grete 1668: Man slayn as the litel man;/ and as it is writen 1668: In the seconde book of kynges, -- the dedes of 1668: Batailles been aventurouse and nothyng certeyne,/ 1669: for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere 1670: As another; -- / and for ther is gret peril in 1670: Werre; therfore sholde a man flee and eschue 1670: Werre, in as muchel as a man may 1671: Goodly./ For salomon seith, -- he that 1672: Loveth peril shal falle in peril -- / 1672: After that dame prudence hadde spoken in 1673: This manere, melibee answerde, and seyde:/ 1673: I see wel, dame prudence, that by youre faire 1673: Wordes, and by youre resouns that ye han 1673: Shewed me, that the werre liketh yow no 1674: Thyng;/ but I have nat yet herd youre conseil, 1675: How I shal do in this nede./ 1675: Certes, quod she, I conseille yow that ye 1675: Accorde with youre adversaries and that 1676: Ye have pees with he./ For seint jame 1676: Seith in his epistles that -- by concord and 1677: Pees the smale richesses wexen grete,/ and by 1677: Debaat and discord the grete richesses fallen 1678: Doun. -- / and ye knowen wel that oon of the 1678: Gretteste and moost sovereyn thyng that is in 1679: This world is unytee and pees./ And therfore 1679: Seyde oure lord jhesu crist to his apostles in 1680: This wise:/ -- wel happy and blessed been they 1680: That loven and purchacen pees, for they 1681: Been called children of god. -- / 1681: A, quod melibee, now se I wel that 1682: Ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe./ 1682: Ye knowen wel that myne adversaries han 1682: Bigonnen this debaat and bryge by hire outrage,/ 1683: and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne 1683: Preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be 1684: Reconsiled./ Wol ye thanne that I go and meke 1684: Me and obeye me to hem, and crie hem 1685: Mercy?/ for sothe, that were nat my 1686: Worshipe./ For right as men seyn that 1686: -- over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge, 1686: -- so fareth it by to greet hymylitee 1687: Or mekenesse./ 1687: Thanne bigan dame prudence to maken 1688: Semblant of wratthe, and seyde:/ certes, sire, 1688: Sauf youre grace, I love youre honour and youre 1688: Profit as I do myn owene, and evere have 1689: Doon;/ ne ye, ne noon oother, seyn nevere 1690: The contrarie./ And yit if I hadde seyd that 1690: Ye sholde han purchaced the pees and the 1690: Reconsilacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel 1691: Mystaken me, ne seyd amys./ For the 1691: Wise man seith, -- the dissensioun bigynneth 1691: by another man, and the reconsilyng bygynneth 1692: by thyself. -- / and the prophete seith, 1693: -- flee shrewednesse and do goodnesse;/ seke 1694: Pees and folwe it, as muchel as in thee is. -- / 1694: Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to 1694: Youre adversaries for pees than they shuln to 1695: Yow./ For I knowe wel that ye been so hard- 1695: Herted that ye wol do no thyng for 1696: Me./ And salomon seith, -- he that hath 1696: Over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal 1697: Myshappe and mystyde. -- / 1697: Whanne melibee hadde herd dame prudence 1697: Maken semblant of wratthe, he seyde in this 1698: Wise:/ dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed 1699: of thynges that I seye,/ for ye knowe 1699: Wel that I am angrey and wrooth, and that is 1700: No wonder;/ and they that been wrothe witen 1700: Nat wel what they don, ne what they 1701: Seyn./ Therfore the prophete seith that 1702: -- troubled eyen han no cleer sighte. -- / but 1702: Seyeth and conseileth me as yow liketh, for I 1703: Am redy to do right as ye wol desire;/ and if 1703: Ye repreve me of my folye, I am the moore 1704: Holden to love yow and to preyse yow./ For 1704: Salomon seith that -- he that repreveth hym 1705: That dooth folye,/ he shal fynde gretter grace 1705: Than he that deceyveth hym by sweete 1706: Wordes. -- / 1706: Thanne seide dame prudence, I 1706: Make no semblant of wratthe ne anger, but 1707: For youre grete profit./ For salomon seith, 1707: -- he is moore worth that repreveth or chideth 1707: A fool for his folye, shewynge hym semblant 1708: Of wratthe,/than he that supporteth hym and 1708: Preyseth hym in his mysdoynge, and laugheth 1709: At his folye. -- / and this same salomon seith 1709: Afterward that -- by the sorweful visage of a 1709: Man, -- that is to seyn by the sory and hevy contenaunce 1710: of a man,/ -- the fool correcteth 1711: And amendeth hymself. -- / 1711: Thanne seyde melibee, I shal nat 1711: Koone answere to so manye faire resouns as ye 1712: Putten to me and shewen./ Seyeth shorthly 1712: Youre wyl and youre conseil, and I am al redy 1713: To fulfille and parfourne it./ 1713: Thanne dame prudence discovered al hir 1714: Wyl to hym, and seyde,/ I conseille yow, 1714: Quod she, aboven alle thynges, that ye make 1715: Pees bitwene God and yow;/ and beth 1716: Reconsiled unto hym and to his grace./ 1716: For, as I have seyd yow heer biforn, god 1716: Hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and 1717: Disese for youre synnes./ And if ye do as I sey 1717: Yow, God wol sende youre adversaries unto 1718: Yow,/ and maken hem fallen at youre feet, 1718: Redy to do youre wyl and youre comande -- 1719: Mentz./ For salomon seith, -- whan the condicioun 1720: of man is plesaunt and likynge to god,/ 1720: He chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries 1720: and constreyneth hem to biseken 1721: hym of pees and of grace. -- / and 1721: I prey yow lat me speke with youre adversaries 1722: in privee place;/ for they shul nat 1722: Knowe that it be of youre wyl or of youre adsent./ 1723: and thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and 1723: Hire entente, I may conseille yow the moore 1724: Seurely./ 1724: Dame, quod melibee, dooth youre wil and 1725: Youre likynge;/ for I putte me hoolly in 1726: Youre disposicioun and ordinaunce./ 1726: Thanne dame prudence, whan she 1726: Saugh the goode wyl of hir housbonde, delibered 1727: and took avys in hirself,/ thinkinge how 1727: She myghte brynge this nede unto a good conclusioun 1728: and to a good ende./ And whan she 1728: Saugh hir tyme, she sente for thise adversaries 1729: To come unto hire into a pryvee place,/ and 1729: Shewed wisely unto hem the grete goodes that 1730: Comen of pees,/ and the grete harmes 1731: And perils that been in werre;/ and 1731: Seyde to hem in a goodly manere hou 1732: That hem oughten have greet repentaunce/ of 1732: The injurie and wrong that they hadden doon 1732: To melibee hir lord, and unto hire, and to hire 1733: Doghter./ 1733: And whan they herden the goodliche wordes 1734: Of dame prudence,/ they weren so supprised 1734: And ravysshed, and hadden so greet joye of 1735: Hire that wonder was to telle./ A, lady, quod 1735: They, ye han shewed unto us the blessynge 1735: Of swetnesse, after the sawe of david the 1736: Prophete;/ for the reconsilynge which 1736: We been nat worthy to have in no manere,/ 1737: but we oghte requeren it with greet contricioun 1738: and humylitee,/ ye of youre grete 1739: Goodnesse have presented unto us./ Now se 1739: We wel that the science and the konnynge 1740: Of salomon is ful trewe./ For he seith that 1740: -- sweete wordes multiplien and encreescen 1740: Freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire 1741: and meeke. -- / 1741: Certes, quod they, we putten oure 1741: Dede and al oure matere and cause al hooly in 1742: Youre goode wyl/ and been redy to obeye to 1742: The speche and comandement of my lord melibee./ 1743: and therfore, deere and benygne lady, 1743: We preien yow and biseke yow as mekely as we 1744: Konne and mowen,/ that it lyke unto youre 1744: Grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede youre goodliche 1745: wordes./ For we consideren and knowelichen 1745: that we han offended and greved 1746: My lord melibee out of mesure,/ so ferforth 1746: that we be nat of power to maken 1747: His amendes./ And therfore we oblige and 1747: Bynden us and oure freendes for to doon al 1748: His wyl and his comandementz./ But peraventure 1748: he hath swich hevynesse and swich wratthe 1749: To us -- ward, by cause of oure offense,/ that he 1749: Wole enjoyne us swich a peyne as we mowe 1750: Nat bere ne susteene./ And therfore, noble 1750: Lady, we biseke to youre wommanly 1751: Pitee/ to taken swich avysement in this 1751: Nede that we, ne oure freendes, be nat 1752: Desherited ne destroyed thurgh oure folye./ 1752: Certes, quod prudence, it is an hard 1753: Thyng and right perilous/ that a man putte 1753: Hym al outrely in the arbitracioun and juggement, 1753: and in the myght and power of his enemys./ 1754: for salomon seith, -- leeveth me, and 1754: Yeveth credence to that I shal seyn: I seye, -- 1754: Quod he, -- ye peple, folk and governours of 1755: Hooly chirche,/ to thy sone, to thy wyf, 1756: To thy freend, ne to thy broother,/ ne 1756: Yeve thou nevere myght ne maistrie of 1757: Thy body whil thou lyvest. -- / now sithen he 1757: Deffendeth that man sholde nat yeven to his 1757: Broother ne to his freend the myght of his 1758: Body,/ by a strenger resoun he deffendeth and 1758: Forbedeth a man to yeven hymself to his enemy./ 1759: and nathelees I conseille you that ye 1760: Mystruste nat my lord,/ for I woot wel and 1760: Knowe verraily that he is debonaire and 1761: Meeke, large, curteys,/ and nothyng desirous 1762: ne coveitous of good ne richesse./ 1762: For ther nys nothyng in this world that he 1763: Desireth, save oonly worshipe and honour./ 1763: Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur 1763: That he shal nothyng doon in this nede withouten 1764: my conseil;/ and I shal so werken in this 1764: Cause that, by the grace of oure lord god, ye 1765: Shul been reconsiled unto us./ 1765: Thanne seyden they with o voys, worshipful 1765: lady, we putten us and oure goodes 1766: Al fully in youre wil and disposicioun,/ 1766: And been redy to comen, what day that 1766: It like unto youre noblesse to lymyte us or assigne 1767: us,/ for to maken oure obligacioun and 1767: Boond as strong as it liketh unto youre goodnesse,/ 1768: that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow 1769: And of my lord melibee./ 1769: Whan dame prudence hadde herd the answeres 1769: of thise men, she bad hem goon agayn 1770: Prively;/ and she retourned to hir lord melibee, 1770: and tolde hym how she foond his 1771: Adversaries ful repentant,/ knowelechynge 1771: ful lowely hir synnes and trespas, 1772: And how they were redy to suffren al peyne,/ 1772: Requirynge and preiynge hym of mercy and 1773: Pitee./ 1773: Thanne seyde melibee: he is wel worthy 1773: To have pardoun and foryifnesse of his synne. 1774: That excuseth nat his synne,/ but knowelecheth 1775: It and repenteth hym, axinge indulgence./ For 1775: Senec seith, ther is the remissioun and 1776: Foryifnesse, where as the confessioun is -- ;/ 1776: For confessioun is neighebor to innocence./ 1777: and he seith in another place that -- he 1777: That hath shame of his synne and knowlecheth 1777: It, is worthy remissioun. -- and therfore I assente 1778: and conferme me to have pees;/ but it 1778: Is good that we do it nat withouten the assent 1779: And wyl of oure freendes./ 1779: Thanne was prudence right glad and joyeful, 1780: and seyde:/ certes, sire, quod 1781: She, ye han wel and goodly answered;/ 1781: For right as by the conseil, assent, and 1781: Help of youre freendes ye han been stired to 1782: Venge yow and maken werre,/ right so withouten 1782: hire conseil shul ye nat accorden yow 1783: Ne have pees with youre adversaries./ For the 1783: Lawe seith: -- ther nys no thyng so good by wey 1783: Of kynde as a thyng to be unbounde by hym 1784: That it was ybounde. -- / 1784: And thanne dame prudence, withouten delay 1784: or tariynge, sente anon hire messages for 1784: Hire kyn, and for hire olde freendes which 1785: That were trewe and wyse,/ and tolde hem 1785: By ordre in the presence of melibee al this mateere 1785: as it is aboven expressed and declared,/ 1786: and preyden hem that they 1786: Wolde yeven hire avys and conseil what 1787: Best were to doon in this nede./ And whan 1787: Melibees freendes hadde taken hire avys and 1788: Deliberacioun of the forseide mateere,/ and 1788: Hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and 1789: Greet diligence,/ they yave ful conseil for to 1790: Have pees and reste,/ and that melibee sholde 1790: Receyve with good herte his adversaries 1791: To foryifnesse and mercy./ 1791: And whan dame prudence hadde herd 1791: The assent of hir lord melibee, and the conseil 1792: of his freendes/ accorde with hire wille 1793: And hire entencioun,/ she was wonderly glad 1794: In hire herte, and seyde:/ ther is an old 1794: Proverbe, quod she, seith that -- the goodnesse 1795: that thou mayst do this day, do it,/ 1795: And abide nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe. 1796: -- / and therfore I conseille that 1796: Ye sende youre messages, swiche as been 1797: Discrete and wise,/ unto youre adversaries, 1798: Tellynge hem on youre bihalve/ that if they 1799: Wole trete of pees and of accord,/ that they 1799: Shape hem withouten delay or tariyng to comen 1800: Unto us./ Which thyng parfourned was 1801: In dede./ And whanne thise trespassours 1801: and repentynge folk of hire folies, 1802: That is to seyn, the adversaries of melibee,/ 1802: Hadden herd what thise messagers seyden unto 1803: Hem,/ they weren right glad and joyeful, and 1804: Answereden ful mekely and benignely,/ yeldynge 1804: graces and thankynges to hir lord melibee 1805: and to al his compaignye;/ and shopen 1805: Hem withouten delay to go with the messagers, 1805: And obeye to the comandement of hir 1806: Lord melibee./ 1806: And right anon they tooken hire wey 1807: To the court of melibee,/ and tooken with hem 1807: Somme of hire trewe freendes to maken feith 1808: For hem and for to been hire borwes./ And 1808: Whan they were comen to the presence of 1809: Melibee, he seyde hem thise wordes:/ it standeth 1809: thus, quod melibee, and sooth it is, that 1810: Ye,/ causelees and withouten skile and 1811: Resoun,/ han doon grete injuries and 1811: Wronges to me and to my wyf prudence, 1812: And to my doghter also./ For ye han entred 1813: Into myn hous by violence,/ and have doon 1813: Swich outrage that alle men knowen wel that 1814: Ye have disserved the deeth./ And therfore 1815: Wol I knowe and wite of yow/ wheither ye 1815: Wol putte the punyssement and the chastisynge 1815: And the vengeance of this outrage in the wyl 1815: Of me and of my wyf prudence, or ye 1816: Wol nat?/ 1816: Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde 1817: for hem alle, and seyde,/ sire, quod 1817: He, we knowen wel that we been unworthy 1817: To comen unto the court of so greet a lord and 1818: So worthy as ye been./ For we han so greetly 1818: Mystaken us, and han offended and agilt in 1819: Swich a wise agayn youre heigh lordshipe,/ 1820: That trewely we han disserved the deeth./ But 1820: Yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee 1820: That al the world witnesseth of youre 1821: Persone,/ we submytten us to the excellence 1821: and benignitee of youre gracious 1822: Lordshipe,/ and been redy to obeie to alle youre 1823: Comandementz;/ bisekynge yow that of youre 1823: Merciable pitee ye wol considere oure grete 1824: Repentaunce and lowe submyssioun,/ and 1824: Graunten us foryevenesse of oure outrageous 1825: Trespas and offense./ For wel we knowe that 1825: Youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem 1825: Ferther into goodnesse than doon oure outrageouse 1825: giltes and trespas into wikkednesse,/ 1826: al be it that cursedly and 1826: Dampnablely we han agilt agayn youre 1827: Heigh lordshipe./ 1827: Thanne melibee took hem up fro the ground 1828: Ful benignely,/ and receyved hire obligaciouns 1828: And hir boondes by hire othes upon hire plegges 1829: And borwes,/ and assigned hem a certeyn day 1830: To retourne unto his court,/ for to accepte and 1830: Receyve the sentence and juggement that 1830: Melibee wolde comande to be doon on 1831: Hem by the causes aforeseyd./ Whiche 1831: Thynges ordeyned, every man retourned 1832: To his hous./ 1832: And whan that dame prudence saugh hir 1833: Tyme, she freyned and axed hir lord melibee/ 1833: What vengeance he thoughte to taken of his 1834: Adversaries./ 1834: To which melibee answerde, and seyde: 1834: Certes, quod he, I thynke and purpose me 1835: Fully / to desherite hem of al that evere they 1835: Han, and for to putte hem in exil for 1836: Evere./ 1836: Certes, quod dame prudence, this 1836: Were a crueel sentence and muchel agayn resoun./ 1837: for ye been riche ynough, and han 1838: No nede of oother mennes good;/ and ye 1838: Myghte lightly in this wise gete yow a coveitous 1839: name,/ which is a vicious thyng, and 1840: Oghte been eschued of every good man./ For 1840: After the sawe of the word of the apostle, 1841: -- coveitise is roote of alle harmes. -- / 1841: And therfore it were bettre for yow to 1841: Lese so muchel good of youre owene, than for 1842: To taken of hir good in this manere;/ for bettre 1842: it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it 1843: Is to wynne good with vileynye and shame./ 1843: And everi man oghte to doon his diligence and 1844: His bisynesse to geten hym a good name./ 1844: And yet shal he nat oonly bisie hym in kepynge 1845: of his good name,/ but he shal also enforcen 1845: hym alwey to do somthyng by 1846: Which he may renovelle his good name./ 1846: For it is writen that -- the olde good loos 1846: Or good name of a man is soone goon and 1847: Passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled. -- / 1847: And as touchynge that ye seyn ye wole exile 1848: Youre adversaries,/ that thynketh me muchel 1849: Agayn resoun and out of mesure,/ considered 1849: The power that they han yeve yow upon hemself./ 1850: and it is writen that -- he is worthy 1850: To lesen his privilege, that mysuseth the 1850: Myght and the power that is yeven 1851: Hym. -- / and I sette cas ye myghte enjoyne 1851: hem that peyne by right and by 1853: Lawe,// which I trowe ye mowe nat do,/ I seye 1853: Ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun peraventure,/ 1854: and thanne were it likly to retourne 1855: To the werre as it was biforn./ And therfore, 1855: If ye wole that men do yow obeisance, 1856: Ye moste deemen moore curteisly;/ this 1856: Is to seyn, ye moste yeven moore esy sentences 1857: and juggementz./ For it is writen that 1857: -- he that moost curteisly comandeth, to hym 1858: Men moost obeyen. -- / and therfore I prey yow 1858: That in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste 1859: Yow to overcome youre herte./ For senec seith 1859: That -- he that overcometh his herte, overcometh 1860: Twies. -- / and tullius seith: -- ther is no 1861: Thyng so comendable in a greet lord/ as 1861: Whan he is debonaire and meeke, and 1862: Appeseth him lightly. -- / and I prey yow that ye 1863: Wole forbere now to do vengeance,/ in swich 1863: A manere that youre goode name may be kept 1864: And conserved,/ and that men mowe have 1864: Cause and mateere to preyse yow of pitee and 1865: Of mercy,/ and that ye have no cause to 1866: Repente yow of thyng that ye doon./ 1866: For senec seith, -- he overcometh in an 1866: Yvel manere that repenteth hym of his victorie. 1867: -- / wherfore I pray yow, lat mercy been in 1868: Youre herte,/ to th' effect and entente that 1868: God almighty have mercy on yow in his laste 1869: Juggement./ For seint jame seith in his epistle: 1869: -- juggement withouten mercy shal be doon 1870: To hym that hath no mercy of another wight. -- / 1870: Whanne melibee hadde herd the grete skiles 1870: And resouns of dame prudence, and hire 1871: Wise informaciouns and techynges,/ his 1871: Herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wif, 1872: Considerynge hir trewe entente,/ and conformed 1872: hym anon, and assented fully to werken 1873: After hir conseil;/ and thonked god, of whom 1873: Procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that 1874: Hym sente a wyf of so greet discrecioun./ And 1874: Whan the day cam that his adversaries sholde 1875: Appieren in his presence,/ he spak unto 1876: Hem ful goodly, and seyde in this wyse:/ 1876: Al be it so that of youre pride and heigh 1876: Presumpcioun and folie, and of youre necligence 1877: and unkonnynge,/ ye have mysborn yow 1878: And trespassed unto me,/ yet for as muche as 1879: I see and biholde youre grete humylitee,/ and 1879: That ye been sory and repentant of youre 1880: Giltes,/ it constreyneth me to doon yow 1881: Grace and mercy./ Wherfore I receyve 1882: Yow to my grace,/ and foryeve yow outrely 1882: alle the offenses, injuries, and wronges that 1883: Ye have doon agayn me and myne,/ to this 1883: Effect and to this ende that God of his endelees 1884: mercy/ wole at the tyme of oure diynge 1884: Foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespassed 1885: To hym in this wrecched world./ For doutelees, 1885: if we be sory and repentant of the synnes 1885: And giltes which we han trespassed in 1886: The sighte of oure lord god,/ he is so 1887: Free and so merciable/ that he wole foryeven 1888: us oure giltes,/ and bryngen us to the 1888: Blisse that nevere hath ende. 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