han gret counseil and good deliberacioū
¶ And when þis olde man
wende to enforcen his tale by resoū wel neiħ aƚƚ at ones bygonne
for to ryse for to breken his tale and beden him fuloften of his
wordes for to abregge
¶ For soþly he þat precheþ to hem þat luste
nougħt his wordes ne his sermoū hem annoyeþ
¶ For Iħc Cirak
saiþ þat musyke in wepynge is annoyous þing þus moche is to sayn
as moche annoyeþ to speke bifore folk to whiche his speche annoyeþ ;
as it is for to syngen byforn him þat wepeþ
80
¶ And when þis wise man
saugħ þat him wantede audience ; al schamfast he sette him doun a-
ȝein .
For Salomon seiþ . þer as þou mayst haue non audience ; enfor-
ce þe nouȝt to speke
¶ I se wel quod þis wyse man þat þe cōmune pro-
uerbe is soþ þat good counseil wanteþ . whan it is most nede
¶ Ȝit
hadde þis Melibeus in his counseiƚƚ many folk þat priuely in his
eere counseled him certein þing . and counseilled him þe contrary
in general audience
¶ When Melibeus hadde herd þat þe gretteste
party of his counseil were acorded þat he schulde make werre ; anon
he consentede to here counseilyng ¶ And fully affermed to here sen-
tence
85
¶ Thanne dame Prudence whan þat sche saugħ how þat hir
housbonde schope him for to wreke him on his foes and to begyn-
ne werre ¶ Sche in ful humble wyse whan sche saugħ hire tyme /
seyde him in þise wordes
¶ My lord quod sche I ȝou beseche as hertely
as I dar and can ¶ Ne haste ȝou nouȝt to faste ¶ And afore aƚƚ guer-
douns ȝif me audience
¶ For Pieres Alpħons . saiþ O who so doþ to
þe good oþer harme haste þe nougħt to quyten hit ¶ For in þis wise
þy frend wole abyde and þin enemy schal þe lengere lyue in drede
¶ The prouerbe saiþ þat he hasteþ him wel þat wisly can abyde ¶ And
in wicked haste is no profyte
¶ This melybe answerde to his wijf
¶ Prudence I prpose nougħt quod he to werke by þy counseiƚƚ for many
causes and resoūs ¶ For certes euery wigħt wolde halde me þenne a
fool
90
¶ This is for to say ¶ If I for þy counseillyng wolde chaunge
þinges þat ben ordeynt and affermed by so many wyse
¶ Secound-
ly I say þat aƚƚ wōmen ben þikke and none goode of hem aƚƚ For
¶ And also certes \if/ I gouerned
me by þy counseil it schulde seme þat I hadde ȝoue to þe ouer
me þe maystrie ¶ And god forbede þat it so were
¶ For Ihc̃ Cyrak
saiþ þat if þin wijf haue maistrie ; sche is contrarious to hire house-