What vengeaūce he thouȝte to takyn of hise aduersaries
TO whiche Melibee answerede & seyde certis quod
he I thynke & purpose me fully
865
to dyserite hem
of al that they han / & for to putte hē in exil
for euere ~
CErtis quod Dame prudence this were a crewel
sentence / & mechil a geyn resoū /
for ȝe been riche
I now / & han non ned of othere menys /
& ȝe
myȝtyn lyȝtely in this wyse / getyn ȝow a coueytous name
whiche is a vicioƫ thyng & oughte to been eschewid of
euery good man /
870
For aftyr the sawe of the word / of tha-
postele / Coueytyse is roote of alle harmys /
& therfore
it were betere / for ȝow to lese so meche good / of ȝore
owene ; than for to takyn of hire good / in this manere
For betere it is to lese good / with worchepe ; thāne it is to
\wȳne/ good with vilanye / & schame /
And euery man ough-
te to doon his diligence / & his besynesse / to getyn hȳ a good
name /
& ȝit schal he nat only / besye hȳ in kepȳge his good
name ;
875
but he schal also enforsyn hȳ alwey to doon sūthī~g
by whiche he may renouelle / hise goode name
For it is
wretyn / that the olde goode loos / or goode name / of a
man is soone goon & passid / whāne it nys nat newid
ne renouellyd /
And as touchȳge that ȝe seyn ȝe wele exi-
le ȝoure aduersaryis /
that thȳkyth me mekyl a geyn resoū
and out of meseure /
consyderede the power that they
han ȝeuȳ ȝow vp on hē self /
880
And it is wretȳ that he is
worthy to leese hise piuylege that mysuseth & the po-
weer / that is ȝeuyn hȳ
& I sette caas / ȝe myȝte enioyne
hē / that peyne by ryȝt / & by lawe /
whiche I trowe ȝe ne
may not do /
I seye ȝe myght nat putte it to execucioū
parauenture parauēture
& thāne weere it likly to returne
to the werre / as it was by forn
885
& therfore ȝif ȝe wele that
men doon ȝow obeysaūce / ȝe muste deeme moore curteys-
ly
this is to seye ȝe muste ȝewe moore esy sentencez & Iuge-
mentis /
For it is wrete / that he that most curteysli comaū-
dyth / to hȳ ; meen muste obeye
& therefore I preye ȝow /
that in this necescite / & this neede ȝe caste ȝow to ouerco-
me ȝoure herte /
For Senek seyth that he that ouercomyth