& ȝeuyth credence to that that I schal seyn / I seye quod
he the puple / folk / & gouernouris of holy cherche
785
to
thyn sone to thȳ wif / to thȳ frend ne to thyn brothyr
ne ȝeue thow neuere mygh ne maystrye / of thyn bo-
dy whil thow leuyst
¶ Now sithȳ that he defen-
dyth that a man schulde nat ȝeuȳ to hise brothir
ne to his frend the myȝt of hise body /
by a stronge-
re resoū / he defendith & forbedyth a man / to ȝeuȳ
hȳ self to his enemy /
And natheles I conseyle ȝow
that ȝe mystruste nat myn lord /
790
for I wot weel &
knowe verrayly / that he is debonayre / & meeke /
large curteys /
& nothyng desyrous / ne coueytous
of good ne rychesse /
for there ne is no thyng in
this world / that he desiryth ; saue only worschepe &
honour /
Ferthere moore I knowe & am ryȝt sekyr
that he schal nothyng doon in this neede with
outyn mȳ conseyl /
And I schal so werkyn in this
cause / that by the grace of oure lord god ȝe schul
been reconsyled vn to vs ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
795
Chāne seydyn they with oon wois / wor-
and been redy to come / what day it lyke vnto ȝoure
noblesse / to lymite vs / or assigne vs /
for to makȳ
oure obligacioū / & boond as strong as it likith
vn to ȝoure goodnesse /
that we mowe fulfylle
the wil of ȝow / and of myn lord Melibee / ~
Whāne Dame Prudence / hadde herd the
answerys of these men / sche bad hē gon
a gayn piuyly /
800
and sche retornede to hi-
re lord Melibee / and tolde hȳ how sche foxnd hi-
se aduersarijs ful repentaūt /
knowelechȳge ful
lowely here sȳnys & trespase and how they we-
re redy / to suffere alle peyne /
requirynge & prey-
inge hȳ / of merci & pete.
Thāne seyde Melibee / he is weel worthi
to haue pardoū & forȝeuenesse of hise sȳ-
ne / that excusith nat his sȳne /
but
knowelecheth & repentith hȳ axinge indulgence