The Tale of Melibeus Folio 221r 29 of 38 folios
ben of age / swiche as han seighen /
thynges /
in olde men is the sapience / and in longe tyme the Pruden-
ce
compliced by strengthe / ne by delyuernesse of body / but
by good conseil / by Auctoritee of
whiche thre thynges / ne been nat fieble by age / but c
they enforcen / and encressen day by day /
ye kepe this / for a general rule First shal ye clepe to you-
re conseil / a fewe of youre freendes /
Salomon seith / manye freendes / haue thow / but among a
thousand / chees thee oon / to be thy conseillour
so /
mayst afterward telle it to mo folk
looke alwey
ons /
we / wise /
euery nede / by o conseillour allone / for som tyme biho-
ueth it / to be conseiled by manye /
uacion of thynges / is wher as ther ben manye conseilours
conseilled / ; now wol I teche yow / which conseil ye oghte
eschue
for Salomon seith / take no conseil of a fool / for he ne kan
nat conseille / but after his owene lust
lightly / harm of euery wight
in hym self / /
flaterers / swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre
sone by flaterye than for to telle yow the soothfastnesse
of thynges
pestilences
And therfore is it moore nede /
terers / than any oother peple
rather drede
preiseres / than fro the egre wordes of thy freend / that seith
thee thy sothes
terer
he
plesance / setteth a Net biforn his feet