wepyng be graunted ; Outrageous wepynge certes is defended //
25
Me-
sure of wepynge be conserued . after þe lore of cist þat techeþ vs se-
nec
¶ whan þat þi frend is deed quod he ; let nought þin yen to
moyste ben of teres ne to moche drye ¶ Al þough þe teeres come
out / of þine eyȝen ; let he not falle
¶ And whan þou hast forgon
þy frend ; do diligence to gete anoþer frende . ¶ And þis is more
wisedom þan to wepe for þy frend which þat þou hast lorn . For
þer in is no boote
¶ And þerfore if ȝe gouerne ȝow by sapience put
away sorwe out of ȝoure hert
¶ Remembreth ȝow þat Iħc Sirac
saiþ¶ A man þat is ioyous and glad in herte ; it him conserueth
florischinge in his age ¶ But soþly sorweful herte makeþ his
boones drye
30
¶ he saith eek þus . þat sorwe in herte sleþ ful ma-
ny a man
Salamō saiþ þat rigħt as motthes in schepes flees
annoyeth þe cloþes and þe smale wormes to þe tre ; Right so
annoyeth sorwe to þe herte
¶ wherfore vs oughte as wel in þõ
deþ of oure children as in þe losse of oure goodes temporales ha-
ue pacience
¶ Remembreth ȝow vpon þe pacient Iop ¶ whan
he hadde lost his children and his temporal substance and ī his
body endured and receceyued ful many a greuous tibulacioū ; ȝit
sayde he þus ¶ Oure lord it sent vnto me
Oure lord it haþ raft
fro me . Right so as oure lord wil ; riȝt so be it doon ¶ blessed
be þe name of oure lord
35
¶ To þese forsayde þinges answerith
Melibeus vnto his wif Prudens Alle þine wordes ben soþ
quod he and þerto profytable ¶ But soþly mȳ herte is so trou-
bled wiþ þis sorwe ; þat I noot what to doone
¶ Let calle quod
prudence þy trewe frendes alle and þy linage whiche þat ben tre-
we & wise . telleth hem ȝoure greuaunce and herken what þay say
in counseilynge . and ȝow gouerne after here sentence .
Salomon
saith ¶ werke al þi þing by counseil and þe þar neuer rewe
¶ þan
by þe coūseil of his wyf prudens this melibeus let calle a gret
congregacioū of peple as Surgiens . phisiciens
olde and ȝonge
and some of his olde enemyes recounsiled as by her semblaunt
to his loue and to his grace .
40
and þerwiþ al þer come some of his
neighebours þat deden him reuerence more for drede þan for
loue as happeþ ofte
¶ Ther comen also ful many subtil flat erers
and wise aduoketes lerned in þe lawe
¶ And whan þese folk to-
gidere assemblid were ; This Melibeus in sorwful wyse schewed
hem his caas .
and by þe maner of his speche ; it semed þat in
herte he bar a cruel Ire redy to do vengeance vpon his foos . and
sodeynly desirede þat þe werre schulde bygȳne .