The Multitext Edition > Cambridge University Library MS. Gg.4.2.7
The Tale of Melibeus
Folio 329v
25 of 46 folios
That alle wemen been wekke & noon good of heō alle .
For of athousent men seyth Salomon / I fond on good
man / but certis of alle wemen good weman fond I
neuere
¶ And also certys ȝif I gouernede me by thȳ
conseyl ; it schulde seme that I hadde ȝouȳ the the mais-
sterye / & goddys forbode that it so were /
for Ihc̃ Sirak
seyth / that ȝif the wyf haue the maysterye / sche is cō-
traryous to hire husbonde
¶ And Salomon seyth ne-
uere in thyn lyf to thȳ wyf / ne thȳ child / ne to thȳ frēd
ne ȝeue power ouyr thȳ self / for bettere it weere
That thȳne childerȳ axsyn of thȳ persone thȳgis
that hē nedyth ; thā thow see thȳ self in the hōdys
of thȳne childeryn /
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And also ȝif I wolde werke by
thȳ conseylyng / certis myn conseyl muste been se-
cre til it weere tyme that it muste ben knowe &
this it may nat bee
Whan dame Prudence ful debonerly & with
greet pacience hadde herd al that hire hus-
bonde hadde seyd & that hȳ likede for to sey-
ne / thanne axed sche of hȳ lycence for to spekyn &
seyde in this wyse
¶ Myn lord quod sche as to ȝore
fyrste resoū certis it may lyghtely been answeryd
For I seye that it is no folye to chaūge conseyl /
whan the thyng is chāngit / or ellys whan the þyng
semyth othir wyse than it was by forn /
And moore
ouyr I seye / that thogh that ȝe han sworn & byhight
to parforne ȝoure empryse / & nathe les ye weyue to
parforne tilke same empryse by iuste cause / men schulde
nat seyn therefore / that ȝe weere a lyere ne for swor~
for the bok seyth that the wyse man makyth no le-
synge ; whan he turnyth hise corage to the bettere .
100
And al be it so that ȝore empryse be establid & ordei-
ned / by gret multitude of folk / ȝit thar xis not ac-
complyssche thikke same ordynance but ȝow lyke ~ ~
For the trouthe of thȳgis & the profyt been rathere
Foūdȳ in fewe folk that been wyse & ful of resoun
than by greet multytude of folk theere euery mā
cryeth & clateryth what that hȳ lykyth / sothly swich
multytude is nat honest /