The Tale of Melibeus Folio 174r 12 of 40 folios
haue thilke thre condicions that I haue seide bifore
that thei be trew wise and of olde experience
alwey in euery nede bi o. conseillour allone for some tyme bihoueth
it to be conseiled by many.
of thinges is
that I haue told yow of which folk ye sholde be conseilled
wol I teche yow which conseil ye oght eschue
eschue the counseilyng of fooles
conseil of a foole for he ne can nat counseil but aftyr his owne
lust and his affeccioun
of a fool is this
and lightly troweth al bountee in himself
eschue the conseillyng of alle flaterers swich as enforcen
hem rather to preise your persone bi flaterye than for to telle
yow the sothfastnesse of thinges
test is flatery And therfore is it
eschue and drede flaterers than any other peple
seith / thow shalt rather drede and fle / fro the swete wordes
of a flateryng preyser
frende that seith the thi sothes
des of a flaterer is a snare to cacche Innocentes
that he that speketh to his frende wordes of swetnesse and of
a plesance setteth a nette biforn his feet to cacche hem
therfore seith Tullius encline nat thyn eres to flaterers ne
take no counseil of wordes of flaterye
wel and eschue wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce
ek thow shalt eschue the conseilyng of thin olde enmyes that
ben reconsiled
in to the grace of his olde enemye /
to hem the which thow hast had som tyme werre or enmytee
ne telle hem nat thi conseil
It may nat be seith he
tyme endured that there ne dwelleth som vapour of warmnes
sikerly / thogh thyn enmy be reconsiled / and maketh the cheer
of humilite