The Merchant's Tale
Folio 147v
24 of 29 folios
Of which þat on was cleped Placebo
To ȝou telle I þis tale and to non oþer
Placebo seyde o Ianuare broþer
235
Ful litel need hadde ȝe my lord so deere
Counseil to aske of any þat is heere
But þat ȝe be on so ful of sapience
Þat ȝou ne likeþ for ȝour heigħ prudence
To weyue fro þe word of Salomon
240
This word sayde he vnto vs euerychon
Wirke aƚƚ þing by counseil þus seyde he
And þanne schalt þou nouȝt repente þe
But þougħ þat Salamon speke such a word
Myn owen deere broþer and my lord
245
So wisly god my soule bringe at reste
I halde ȝoure owne counseil for þe beste
For broþer myn of me take þis motyf
I haue now ben a court man al my lyf
And ȝit god wot þougħ I vnworþy be
250
I haue standen in ful gret degre
Abouten lordes in ful gret estate
Ȝit hadde I neuer wiþ non of hem debate
I neuer hem contraried trewely
I wot wel þat my lord can more þan I
255
What þat he saiþ I halde it ferme & stable
I saye þe same or oþer þing semblable
A ful gret fool is eny counseilour
Þat serueþ eny lord of heih honour
Þat dar persume or ones þenken it
260
Þat his counseil schulde passe his lordes witt
Nay lordes ben no fooles by my fay
Ȝe haue ȝoure self spoken here to day
So heih sentence so holy and so wel
That I consente and conferme euerydel
265
Ȝoure wordes aƚƚ and ȝoure opynioun
By god þer nys no man in al þis toun
Ne in ytaille couþe bet han sayd