The Tale of Melibeus Folio 171r 6 of 40 folios
man say that him wanted audience
doun agayn
non audience enforce the nat to speke
that the comune prouerbe is soth that good counseil wanteth whan
it is most neede /
him the contrarye in general audience
that the grettest partye of his conseil were accorded that he shold
make werre anon he consentid to hir conseilynge and fully affer
med hir sentence. Than
that hir husbond shoop him for to wreke him on his foos and to
bygynne werre she in ful humble wise whan she say hir ty
me
as hertyly as I dar and can / ne hast yow to faste and for alle
gerdons as yeue me audience
so that doth to the outher good or harm hast the nat to quyte it for
in this wise thi frende wol abyde and thyn enemy shal the lenger
lyue in drede
can abide and in wikked hast is no profit
vnto his wif Prudence I purpose nat quod he to workyn bi thi
conseil for many causes and resons for certes eu
me thanne a fool
chaunge thinges that ben affermed be so many wyse
I sey that alle wommen ben wikke and noon good of hem alle
for of a thousand men seith Salamon I fonde on good man but
certes of alle w
yif I gou
the ouer me the Mastrie and goddes forbode that it so were
I
to hir housbond
to thi child ne to thi frend ne yeue no power ouer thi self / For
better it were that thi children axen of thi
hem nedeth than thow se thiself in the handes of thi children
most som tyme be secre til it were tyme that it most beknowe.
and with gret pacience had herd al that hir housbond liketh for to
sey than axed she of him licence for to speke and seide in this wise.