As it is for to singen be forne him þat wepeþt
80
¶ And whan þis wiseman
sawhe þat him wanted audience al schamfast he sett him doune a ȝeine
For Salomon seiþe þere as þu mai haue none audience enforce þe nouht
to speke
.I. see wele qd þis wiseman þat þe comen prouerbe is soþe ; þt
good counseile wanteþ whan it is most nede
¶ Ȝitte hadde þis Melebeus
in his conseile many folke þat conseilled him piue þinge . An counseld him
þe contrarie in general audience .
Whan mellibeus hadde herde þe
grettest partie of his coūseile were accorded þat he schold make werre .
A none he consentid to her counselynge . And full affermed to he sentence
85
¶ Than dame Prudence sauhe howe þat hire hosband schope hime for
to wreke him on his foos ; & to be ginne werre Sche in fuƚƚ humble wise
whan sche sauhe hire time Saide him in þis wordes
¶ Mi lorde qd sche
.I. ȝowe beseche as hertly as .I. dar & can ; ne haste ȝowe nouht to fast And
Afore al guerdouns ȝeuef me audience .
For Pers Amphoūs saiþe ; O who
so doþe þe goode oþer harme haste þe nouht to qwyten it ; For in þis
wise þi frende wil abide And þine ennemy schal þe langere leue in drede ;
The prouerbe seiþe þat he hasteþe him wele þatte wele can abide . And in wik-
ked hast is no profite .
This Melibe ansewerd to his wyf prudence ; .I. pr-
pos nouht qd he towirke be þi counseile For mony causes & resons ;
For certes euery wight wold hold me þan a foole
90
¶ This is for saye If
.y. for þin counsellynge wolde chaunge þinges þt buen ordeined & affer-
med be so mony awyse ;
Secundly .I. saie þat al wēmen bien þikke &
none goode of hem aƚƚ . For of .a. þousand \men/ as seiþe Salomon .I. fonde
o good man bot certes of aƚƚ wēmen fonde .I. neuere good wōmā
¶ And
also certes if .I. gouerned me be þi counseile it schold seme þat .I. hadde
.y. ȝif to þe ouer me þe maistrie . And god for bede þat it so were
¶ For
Ihc̃ Sirake seiþe . If þe wif haþe þe maistre sche is contrarius to hir
husbonde
¶ And Salomon . seiþe . Neuer in þi lif . to þi wif ne to þi
childe ne to þi frende ne ȝeue none power ouer þine selfe . For bett er
it were þat þine childern asken of þine persone þinges þat hem nedeþ .
þan þou þi self in þe handes of þine childerne .
95
And also if .I. wil wor-
che be þi conseiƚƚynge . Certes my conseil most som time be secre til
it wer time þat it must be knowe ; And þis ne may nouht be do ;
¶ Whan dam pruden ful debonarly & al pacience hadde herd al þat hir
husbond lyked for to seye . Than axe sche of him licence for to speke . And
seide in þis wise .
Mi lorde qd sche ; as to ȝoure first reson it maie lyht-
ly bue ansewerd . For .I. seie . it ne is folye to chaunge counseil whan
þe þinge is chaūgede or elles whan þe þinge semeþ oþere wise þan it se-
med a forne .
And more ouere .I. saie . þeihe þat ȝe haue sworne & behiȝt
¶ For þe booke seiþe þat þe wise man ma-
keþ no leseinge when he torneþ his corage to þe better
100
¶ An if it so be þt
ȝoure empise be establisshet & ordeined be grete multitude of folke
ȝit þarre þe nouht accomplise þilke ordinance bot ȝowe likeþ ;