bodi endured & suffred mony agreuous temptacionz . ȝit seid he þus .
¶ Owre lorde qd he ȝaue it me . oure lorde haþ be raft it me . Riht so
as oure lorde haþe wolde ; riht so beit done . y blissed be þe name of
oure lord
35
¶ To þis a for þinges Melibius ansewerd to his wif
Dame pudence . Al þi wordes qd he bien soþe & þer to profitable ; Bot trewe-
ly min hert is trobled wiþ þis sorwe so greuously þat .I. note what
to done
¶ Late cal qd pudence þine trewe frendes al . & þin lignage
whiche þat bien wise ; teƚƚ hem þin caas & herken what þei seine in cō-
seilinge ; And ȝowe gouerne þere after here sentence ;
Salomon seiþe
¶ worche al þi þinge be counsel ; & þou schal neuer repent
¶ Than beþe
conseil of his wif dame Prudence . Melibeus lete callen a grete congri-
gacione of folke
olde & ȝonge . And sōme of his olde ēnemys recōsiled
as be her semblant in to his loue & in to his grace .
40
And þer wiþ al
cam sōme of his neihbours þat dide him reuerence more for drede
þan for loue as it happeþ oft
¶ Þare cōmeþ also ful mony a subtile fla-
treres and wise aduocates lerned in þe lawe .
¶ And whan þis folk
to geder assembled were This Mellibeus in sorwful wise schewde hē
þis cas . /
And by þe manere of speche he bare ī his herte a cruel ire rede
to do vengeance vpon his foos ; And sodanly desired þat werre schold
beginne
¶ Bot naþeles ȝit axed he counseile vpon þis mate
45
¶ A Sur-
geane be licence & assent of suche as were wise vp rose vn to Melibeƫ
& seide as ȝe maie here
¶ Sir qd he as to vs surgeans apperteyneþ
to euery whight þe best þat we can where as . we be wiþ holde & to oure
pacience þat we do no damage .
Ther for it happeþ mony time & oft
þat whan tuo men haþe eueryche wounded oþere one same surgean heleþ
hem boþe .
Where for vnto oure arte it is nouht pertinent to norische
werre ne parties to supporte
¶ Bot certes as to þe warissheinge of ȝour
douhter be it so þat sche is perilously wounded . we schold done so enten-
fully besignes fro daie to nyht þat wiþ þe grace of god sche schal be soūde
& hole as sone as it is possible
50
¶ Al men in þe same wise ansewarden & .
þe Phesiciens . saue þei seiden a fewe wordes more
¶ That riht as
Maladise bene heled be hire contraries . Riht so schal men warisshe werre
be vengeance
his neyhbor ful of envye ; His feyned frendes þat semed
reconsiled . his flatrers
maden semblant of wepeinge empaired & engre-
ged muche of his matier in periseinge gretely . Melibeus of myht of pou-
ere of riches & of frende . Dispiseinge þe powere of his aduersaries .
&
seiden outerly þat he anone scholde wreken him on his ennemys &
be ginne werre
55
¶ Vp rose þan an Aduocate þt was wise & seide beleue
& be counseile of oþer þat were wise . & seide .
Lo\r/deinges þe nedes for whiche
we bene assembled in þis place is a ful heuy þinge . & an hihe matier
because
of þe wronge & of þe wikkenesse þat haþe be done . And eke be resoū of þe
grete . damage in time cōynge . bien possible to fal for þis same cause .
& eke
be reson of þe grete richesse & power of þe parties boþe .