The Tale of Melibeus Folio 333r 18 of 46 folios
of a fool for he ne ca
ne lust
te of a fol is this he trowyth lyghtely harm of eue
ry wight /
tereris wheche as enforsen h
ȝoure
ffastnesse of th
alle the pestelences that been / in frenchepe / the gretteste
is flaterye /
we
seyth thow schalt rathere drede
dis of flaterynge preyseris than fr
of thyn frend that seyth the th
seyth that the wordis of a flaterere is a snar\e/ to ca
chyn innocentis /
to hise frend / wordis of swetnesse
a net be forn hise feet to cach
Tullius / Enclyne not thyne eris to flatereris / ne ta-
Auyse the weel
plesa
of thyne olde enemyis that been reconsyled //
seyth that no wight retornyth sauely into the grace of
hise olde enemy
to hem to wheche thow hast had s
mytee ne telle h
lyth the cause why / It may not be seyth he / that whe
re as greet feer long tyme hath deured ; that there
ne dwellyth sum vapour of warmnesse
seyth salomon / in thyn olde fo truste neuere /
ly / thow th
of humylite /
h
mylitee more for his owene profyt th
thy
ouyr thyn
whiche victorie / he myȝte not haue . be stryf or werre /