from Dauid the kyng þt wolde han slayn hym & a paysed
the yre of the kyng bi hire wit / & by hyre goode conseylyōg
Hester by hire goode conseyl / enhaūsede gretly the peple
of god in the regne / of Assuerus the kyng
¶ And the sa-
me bountee in good conseylyng of manye a good wo-
man may men telle /
135
& moore ouyr / whan that oure lord
hadde creat Adam / oure forme fadyr / he seyde in this wy-
se /
It is not good to be a man a loone / make we to hȳ
an helpe semblable to hȳ self //
oure lord god of heuene wolde neythir hā
wrouȝt hem / ne callede hē helpe of man / but rathere
confusyoū of man /
And there seyde onys aclerk in two
wers / what is betere thā gold . Iaspre . what is betere
than Iaspre / wysdom /
140
what is betere than / wysdom /
woman / & what is betere thā good woman / no thȳg .
And sire by manye oþere resonys may ȝe se þt manye we-
men been goode / & here conseyl good & profitable /
and
therfore ȝif ȝe wele troste to myn conseyl ; I schal resto-
re ȝow ȝoure douȝtyr hol & sound /
and ek I wele do
ȝow so mechil that ȝe schul haue honour in this cause
WHan Melibee / hadde herd the wordys / of his
wyf Prudence / he seyde thus
145
¶ I se wel that
the word of Salomon is soth // he seyth that
wordis / that been spokyn discreetly by ordenaūce ; been
honycōbis / for they ȝeue swetenesse / to the soule / & hol-
somnesse to the body
¶ And wif by cause / offe thȳne swe-
te wordys / and ek for I haue asayed & preuyd thȳ gree-
te sapience / & thȳ greete trouthe / I wele gouerne me
by thȳ conseyl in alle thynge /.
NOw seere quod dame prudence / an syn ȝe
wouche saf to been gouernyd by myn cō
seyl / I wele enforme ȝow / how ȝe schul gouerne
ȝow / self in chesynge of ȝoure conseylx
ȝe schal fyrst
in alle ȝoure werkys / meekely besekyn to the hye god
that he wele been ȝoure conseylour /
and schapith ȝow
to swych entente that he ȝeue ȝow cōseyl & confort
as tauȝte Thobie his sone //
150
At alle tymys thow schat
plese god / And preye hȳ to dresse thȳne weyis / and loke
þt alle thȳne conseylis / been in hym for euere moore /