The Dd Manuscript

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The Tale of Melibeus Folio 166r 2 of 32 folios

examynynge thaōne of ȝoure coūseillour / ȝe shuln considre manye
thynges

235

¶ Alderferst þ^u shalt cōsidre / þ^t in thilke þing / þ^t þ^u pur-
posest / & vp oon what thyng / þ^u wolt haue coūseil / þ^t verray
trouthe be seid & cōserued / this is to seyn ; telle trewely thy tale /

For he þ^t seitħ fals / may nat wel be coūseilled in þ^t cas / of whicħ
he lyetħ

¶ And after this / þ^u shalt considre þe thynges / þ^t acor-
den to that þ^u purposest for to do / be thyne coūseillours / if resoū
a corde þer to /

And eke if thy mygħt / may atteyne þer to / And if the
more part / & the bettre part of þine coūseillo^rs / acorde þer to or no //

Thāne shalt þ^u cōsidre / what thyng shal folwe of þ^t coūseillyng /
as hate / pees / werre / g^ace / profyt / or damage / & manye oþere þinges

240

And in alle theise thynges / þ^u shalt chese the beste / And weyue alle
othere thynges

¶ Thāne shaltow cōsidere / of what roote is en-
gendred / þe matere of thy coūseil / & what fruyt it may cōceyue
& engendre

¶ Thow shalt eke cōsidre / alle theise causes / from whē-
nes they ben sprongen /

And whan ȝe haue examyned ȝoure coū-
seil / as I haue seid / & whicħ partie is the bettre / & more profitable
And han appreued it / by manye wyse folk & olde /

than shaltow
cōsidere / if þ^u maist parforme it / & maken of it a good ende /

245

For
certes / resoū wol nat / þ^t any man shulde bygynne a thyng /
but if he mygħte parforme it / as hī ougħte /

Ne no wigħt shulde
take vp oon hī so heuy charge / þ^t he mygħt nat beren it

¶ For þe
prouerbe seitħ ; he þ^t to muche embracetħ / distreynetħ litel

¶ And
Catoū seitħ ; Assay to do swicħ thyng / as þ^u hast power to don /
lest þ^t the charge / oppersse the so sore / þ^t the byhouetħ to weyue
thyng / þ^t þ^u hast bygonne /

And if so be / þ^t þ^u be in doute / wheither
þ^u maist parforme a thyng or noo / ches rather to suffre / þan bigȳne

250

¶ And Peter Alfonse seitħ ; If þ^u hast mygħt to doon a thyng /
of whicħ þ^u must repente / it is bettre / nay / than ȝa /

this is to
seyn ; þ^t the is bettre to holde thy tonge stille / than for to spe-
ke

¶ Thāne moun ȝe vnderstonde / by strengere resons / þ^t if thow
hast power to parforme a werk / of whicħ þ^u shalt repente / thāne
is the bettre / þ^t þ^u suffre / þan bigynne /

wel seyn they / þ^t defen-
den euery wigħt / to assaye a thyng / of whicħ he is in doute /
wheiþer he may parforme it / or no

¶ And after / whan ȝe han exa-
myned ȝoure coūseil / as I haue seid biforñ / & knowen wel
ȝe moun parforme ȝoure empⁱse / conferme it thāne sadly / til it be
at an ende

255

¶ Now is it resoū & tyme / þ^t I shewe ȝow / whāne
& wherfore / þ^t ȝe moun chaunge ȝoure coūseillo^rs / w^t oute ȝoure
repreue

¶ Sotħly a man may chaunge his p^rpos / & his coūseil
if the cause cesetħ / or whan a newe cas bitydetħ

for the lawe
seitħ / vp on thynges þ^t newely bityden / bihouetħ newe coūseil ;

And Seneca seitħ ; If thy coūseil is comen / to the Eris of þin
enemy / chaūge thy coūseil

¶ Thow maist also chaūge thy coūseil

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Cite this edition

1. The General Prologue

2. The Knight's Tale

3. The Miller's Prologue

4. The Miller's Tale

5. The Reeve's Prologue

6. The Reeve's Tale

7. The Cook's Prologue

8. The Cook's Tale

9. Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale

10. The Man of Law's Tale

11. The Wife of Bath's Prologue

12. The Wife of Bath's Tale

13. The Friar's Prologue

14. The Friar's Tale

15. The Summoner's Prologue

16. The Summoner's Tale

17. The Clerk's Tale

18. Lenvoye de Chaucer

19. Words of the Host

20. The Merchant's Prologue

21. The Merchant's Tale

22. Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale

23. The Squire's Tale

24. The Franklin's Tale

25. The Physician's Tale

26. Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale

27. The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale

28. The Shipman's Tale

29. The Prioress' Tale

30. The Tale of Sir Thopas

31. Here the Host 'stynteth' Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas

32. The Tale of Melibeus

33. The Monk's Prologue

34. The Monk's Tale

35. The Nun's Priest's Prologue

36. The Nun's Priest's Tale

37. Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale

38. The Second Nun's Tale

39. The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue

40. The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

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The Tale of Melibeus Folio 166r 2 of 32 folios