The Tale of Melibeus Folio 172r 8 of 40 folios
were that no man sholde be conseild but oonly of hem that hadde
lordshipe
so ofte
hath he free choys whether he wol werke bi that counseil or noon
wommen kan hide thinges that thei woot noght as who seith
that a womman can nat hide that she woot
ben vnderstande of wommen that ben Iangleresses and wikked
out of his hous that is to seyn / smoke droppyng of Reyne
wikked wifis
were bettre to dwellen in desert than with a womman that is
riotous
assayde my grete silence and my grete pacience .And eken how wel
that I can hiden and hele thinges that men oghton secreely to hide
wikked counseil wommen venquysse men god woot thilke reson
stant here in no stede
to do wikkednesse
your wif restreyneth thilke wikked purpos and ouercometh yow
bi reson and bi good counseil
preysed thanne I blamed
losophre that seith in wikked wommen venquyssen hir hus-
bondes
I shal shew bi many ensamples that many a womman hath
ben ful good and yit ben
fitable
men is either to dere or elles to lite of pris
that ful many a womman is badde and hir counseil vile and
noght and noght worth. yit han men founde ful many a good
womman and ful discret and wis in conseilyng.
conseil of his moder Rebekka whan the benysoun of ysaac
his fader and the lordshipe ouer al his britheren .
hir good counseil delyuered the Citee of Betulye in which she
dwelled out of the handes of Olifernus that had it biseged
and wold it al destroye
bond fro Dauid the kyng that wold han slayn him and appaised
the Ire of the kyng bi hir wit and hir good counseilyng