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PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS.

No more' of this for Goddes dignitee,
Quod oure hoste, for thou makest me
So wery of thy veray lewednesse,
That al so wisly God my soule blesse,
Min eres aken of thy drafty speche.
Now swiche a rime the devil I beteche;
This may wel be rime dogerel, quod he.
Why so? quod I, why wolt thou letten me
More of my tale, than an other man,
Sin that it is the beste rime I can?

By God, quod he, for plainly at o word,
Thy drafty riming is not worth a tord:
Thou dost nought elles but dispendest time.
Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger rime.
Let see wher thou canst tellen ought in geste,
Or tellen in prose somwhat at the leste,
In which ther be som mirthe or som doctrine.

Gladly, quod I, by Goddes swete pine
I wol you tell a litel thing in prose,
That oughte liken you, as I suppose,
Or elles certes ye be to dangerous.
It is a moral tale vertuous,
Al be it told somtime in sondry wise
Of sondry folk, as I shal you devise.

As thus, ye wote that every Evangelist,
That telleth us the peine of Jesu Crist,
Ne saith not alle thing as his felaw doth :
But natheles hir sentence is al soth,
And alle accorden as in hir sentence,
Al be ther in hir telling difference:
For som of hem say more, and som say lesse,
Whan they his pitous passion expresse;

I mene of Mark and Mathew, Luke and John,

But douteles hir sentence is all on.
Therfore, lordinges all, I you beseche,
If that ye thinke I vary in my speche,
As thus, though that I telle som del more
Of proverbes, than ye han herde before
Comprehended in this litel tretise here,
To enforcen with the effect of my matere,
And though I not the same wordes say
As ye han herde, yet to you alle I pray
Blameth me not, for, as in my sentence,
Shul ye nowher finden no difference
Fro the sentence of thilke tretise lite,
After the which this mery tale I write.
And therfore herkeneth what I shal say,
And let me tellen all my tale I pray.

THE TALE OF MELIBEUS.

A YONGE man called Melibeus, mighty and riche, begate upon his wif, that called was Prudence, a doughter which that called was Sophie.

Upon a day befell, that he for his disport is went into the feldes him to playe. His wif and eke his doughter hath he laft within his hous, of which the dores weren fast yshette. Foure of his olde foos han it espied, and setten ladders to the walles of his hous, and by the windowes ben entred, and beten his wif, and wounded his doughter with five mortal woundes, in five sondry places; this is to say, in hire feet, in hire hondes, in hire eres, in hire nose, and in hire mouth; and leften hire for dede, and wenten away.

Whan Melibeus retorned was into his hous, and

sey al this meschief, he, like a mad man, rending his clothes, gan to wepe and crie.

Prudence his wif, as fer forth as she dorste, besought him of his weping for to stint but not forthy he gan to crie and wepen ever lenger the

more.

This noble wif Prudence remembred hire upon the sentence of Ovide, in his book that cleped is the Remedie of love, wheras he saith; he is a fool that distourbeth the moder to wepe, in the deth of hire childe, til she have wept hire fille, as for a certain time: and than shal a man don his diligence with amiable wordes hire to reconforte and preye hire of hire weping for to stinte. For which reson this noble wif Prudence suffred hire housbond for to wepe and crie, as for a certain space; and whan she saw hire time, she sayde to him in this wise. Alas! my lord, quod she, why make ye yourself for to be like a fool? Forsothe it apperteineth not to a wise man, to maken swiche a sorwe. Youre doughter, with the grace of God, shal warish and escape. And al were it so that she right now were dede, ye ne ought not as for hire deth youreself to destroye. Senek saith; the wise man shal not take to gret discomfort for the deth of his children, but certes he shulde suffren it in patience, as wel as he abideth the deth of his owen propre persone.

This Melibeus answered anon and saide: what man (quod he) shulde of his weping stinte, that hath so gret a cause for to wepe? Jesu Crist, our Lord, himself wepte for the deth of Lazarus his frend, Prudence answered; certes wel I wote, attempre weping is nothing defended, to him that sorweful is, among folk in sorwe, but it is rather graunted him to wepe. The Apostle Poule unto the Romaines writeth; man shal rejoyce with hem that maken joye, and wepen with swiche folk as wepen. But though attempre weping be ygranted, outrageous weping certes is defended. Mesure of weping shulde be considered, after the lore that techeth us Senek. Whan that thy frend is dede (quod ho) let not thin eyen to moiste ben of teres, ne to muche drie: although the teres comen to thin eyen, let hem not falle. And whan thou hast forgon thy frend, do diligence to get agein another frend: and this is more wisdom than for to wepe for thy frend, which that thou hast lorne, for therin is no bote. And therfore

ye governe you by sapience, put away sorwe out of youre herte. Remembreth you that Jesus Sirak sayth; a man that is joyous and glad in herte, it him conserveth florishing in his age: but sothly a sorweful herte maketh his bones drie. He saith eke thus, that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many a man. Salomon sayth, that right as mouthes in the shepes fleese anoien to the clothes, and the smale wormes to the tree, right so anoieth sorwe to the herte of man. Wherfore us ought as wel in the deth of oure children, as in the losse of oure goodes temporel, have patience.

Remembre you upon the patient Job, whan he hadde lost his children and his temporel substaunce, and in his body endured and received ful many a grevous tribulation, yet sayde he thus: Oure Lord hath yeve it to me, oure Lord hath beraft it me; right as oure Lord hath wold, right so is it don; yblessed be the name of oure Lord. To thise foresaide thinges answered Melibeus unto his wif Prudence: all thy wordes

(quod he) ben trewe, and therto profitable, but trewely min herte is troubled with this sorwe so grevously, that I n'ot what to don. Let calle (quod Prudence) thyn trewe frendes alle, and thy linage, which that ben wise, and telleth to hem your cas, and herkeneth what they saye in conseilling, and governe you after hir sentence. Salomon saith; werke all thinges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente.

Than, by conseil of his wif Prudence, this Melibeus let callen a gret congregation of folk, as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and yonge, and som of his olde enemies reconciled (as by hir semblant) to his love and to his grace and therwithal ther comen some of his neigheboures, that diden him reverence more for drede than for love, as it happeth oft. Ther comen also ful many subtil flaterers, and wise Advocats lerned in the lawe.

And whan thise folk togeder assembled weren, this Melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his cas, and by the manere of his speche, it semed that in herte he bare a cruel ire, redy to don vengeaunce upon his foos, and sodeinly desired that the werre shulde beginne, but natheles yet axed he his conseil upon this matere. A surgien, by licence and assent of swiche as weren wise, up rose, and unto Melibeus sayde, as ye moun here.

Sire, (quod he) as to us surgiens apperteineth, that we do to every wight the beste that we can, wher as we ben withholden, and to our patient that we do no damage: wherfore it happeth many time and ofte, that whan twey men han everich wounded other, o same surgien heleth hem both, wherfore unto our art it is not pertinent to norice werre, ne parties to supporte. But certes, as to the warishing of youre doughter, al be it so that perilously she be wounded, we shuln do so ententif besinesse fro day to night, that with the grace of God, she shal be hole and sound, as sone as is possible. Almost right in the same wise the phisiciens answerden, save that they saiden a fewe wordes more that right as maladies ben cured by hir contraries, right so shal man warishe werre. His neigheboures ful of envie, his feined frendes that semed reconciled, and his flaterers, maden semblant of weping, and empeired and agregged muchel of this matere, in preysing gretly Melibee of might, of power, of richesse, and of frendes, despising the power of his adversaries: and saiden outrely, that he anon shulde wreken him on his foos, and beginnen werre.

Up rose than an Advocat that was wise, by leve and by conseil of other that were wise, and sayde: Lordinges, the nede for the which we ben assembled in this place, is a ful hevie thing, and an heigh matere, because of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath be don, and eke by reson of the grete damages, that in time coming ben possible to fallen for the same cause, and eke by reson of the gret richesse and power of the parties bothe, for the which resons, it were a ful gret peril to erren in this matere. Wherfore, Melibeus, this is oure sentence; we conseille you, aboven alle thing, that right anon thou do thy diligence in keping of thy propre persone, in swiche a wise that thou ne want non espie ne watche, thy body for to save. And after that, we conseille that in thin hous thou sette suffisant garnison, so that they moun as wel thy body as thy hous defende. But certes for to meeven werre, ne sodenly for to

do vengeaunce, we moun not deme in so litel time that it were profitable. Wherfore we axen leiser and space to have deliberation in this cas to deme; for the comune proverbe saith thus; He that sone demeth, sone shal repente. And eke men sain, that thilke juge is wise, that sone understondeth a matere, and jugeth by leiser. For al be it so, that al tarying be anoiful, algates it is not to repreve in yeving of jugement, ne in vengeance taking, whan it is suffisant and resonable. And that shewed our Lord Jesu Crist by ensample, for whan that the woman that was taken in advoutrie, was brought in his presence to knowen what shuld be don with hire persone, al be it that he wist wel himself what that he wolde answere, yet ne wolde he not answere sodeinly, but he wolde have deliberation, and in the ground he wrote twies; and by thise causes we axen deliberation and we shuln than by the grace of God conseille the thing that shal be profitable.

Up sterte than the yonge folk at ones, and the most partie of that compagnie han scorned this olde wise man, and begonnen to make noise and saiden; Right so as while that iren is hot men shulde smite, right so men shuln do wreken hir wronges, while that they ben freshe and newe: and with loude voys they criden werre, werre. Up rose tho on of thise olde wise, and with his hand made countenaunce that men shuld holde hem stille, and yeve him audience. Lordinges, (quod he) ther is ful many a man that crieth werre, werre, that wote ful litel what werre amounteth. Werre at his beginning hath so gret an entring and so large, that every wight may enter whan him liketh, and lightly find werre: but certes what end that shal befalle, it is not light to know. For sothly whan that werre is ones begonne, ther is ful many a child unborne of his moder, that shal sterve yong, by cause of thilke werre, other elles live in sorwe, and dien in wretchednesse : and therfore or that any werre be begonne, men must have gret conseil and gret deliberation. And whan this olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons, wel nie alle at ones begonne they to rise, for to breken his tale, and bidden him ful oft his wordes for to abregge. For sothly he that precheth to hem that listen not heren his wordes, his sermon hem anoieth. For Jesus Sirak sayth, that musike in weping is a noious thing. This is to sayn, as muche availleth to speke beforn folk to which his speche anoieth, as to singe beforne him that wepeth. And whan this wise man saw that him wanted audience, al shamefast he sette him doun agein. For Salomon saith: ther as thou ne mayst have non audience, enforce thee not to speke. I see wel, (quod this wise man) that the comune proverbe is soth, that good conseil wanteth, whan it is most nede.

Yet had this Melibeus in his conseil many folk, that prively in his ere conseilied him certain thing, and conseilled him the contrary in general audience. Whan Melibeus had herd that the gretest partie of his conseil were accorded that he shulde make werre, anon he consented to hire conseilling, and fully affermed hir sentence. Than dame Prudence, whan that she saw how that hire hosbonde shope him for to awreke him on his foos, and to beginne werre, she in ful humble wise, whan she saw hire time, sayde him these wordes: my lord, (quod she) I you beseche as hertly as I dare and can, ne haste you not to faste,

and for alle guerdons as yeve me audience. For Piers Alphonse sayth; who so that doth to thee outher good or harme, haste thee not to quite it, for in this wise thy frend wol abide, and thin enemie shal the lenger live in drede. The proverbe sayth; he hasteth wel that wisely can abide and in wikked hast is no profite.

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This Melibee answered unto his wif Prudence: purpose not (quod he) to werken by thy conseil, for many causes and resons: for certes every wight wold hold me than a fool; this is to sayn, if I for thy conseilling wolde change thinges, that ben ordeined and affirmed by so many wise men. Secondly, I say, that all women ben wicke, and non good of hem all. For of a thousand men, saith Salomon, I found o good man: but certes of alle women good woman found I never. And also certes, if I governed me by thy conseil, it shulde seme that I had yeve thee over me the maistrie: and God forbede that it so were. For Jesus Sirak sayth, that if the wif have the maistrie, she is contrarious to hire husbond. And Salomon sayth: never in thy lif to thy wif, ne to thy childe, ne to thy frend, ne yeve no power over thy self: for better it were that thy children axe of thee thinges that hem nedeth, than thou see thy self in the handes of thy children. And also if I wol werche by thy conseilling, certes it must be somtime secree, til it were time that it be knowen: and this ne may not be, if I shulde be conseilled by thee. [For it is written; the janglerie of women ne can no thing hide, save that which they wote not. After the Philosophre sayth; in wikked conseil women venquishen men and for thise resons I ne owe not to be conseilled by thee.]

Whan dame Prudence, ful debonairly and with gret pacience, had herd all that hire husbonde liked for to say, than axed she of him licence for to speke, and sayde in this wise. My lord, (quod she) | as to your first reson, it may lightly ben answerd: for I say that it is no folie to chaunge conseil whan the thing is chaunged, or elles whan the thing semeth otherwise than it semed afore. And moreover I say, though that ye have sworne and behight to performe your emprise, and nevertheles ye weive to performe thilke same emprise by just cause, men shuld not say therfore ye were a lyer, ne forsworn for the book sayth, that the wise man maketh no lesing, whan he turneth his corage for the better. And al be it that your emprise be established and ordeined by gret multitude of folk, yet thar you not accomplish thilke ordinance but you liketh: for the trouthe of thinges, and the profit, ben rather founden in fewe folk that ben wise and ful of reson, than by gret multitude of folk, ther every man cryeth and clattereth what him liketh sothly swiche multitude is not honest. As to the second reson, wheras ye say, that alle women ben wicke: save your grace, certes ye despise alle women in this wise, and he that all despiseth, as saith the book, all displeseth. And Senek saith, that who so wol have sapience, shal no man dispreise, but he shal gladly teche the science that he can, without presumption or pride: and swiche thinges as he nought can, he shal not ben ashamed to lere hem, and to enquera of lesse folk than himself. And, Sire, that ther hath ben ful many a good woman, may lightly be preved: for certes, Sire, our Lord Jesu Crist n'olde rever han descended to be borne of a woman, if all women

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had be wicked. And after that, for the gret bountee that is in women, our Lord Jesu Crist whan he was risen from deth to lif, appered rather to a woman than to his Apostles. And though that Salomon sayde, he found never no good woman, it folweth not therfore, that all women be wicked: for though that he ne found no good woman, certes many another man hath founde many a woman ful good and trewe. Or elles peraventure the entent of Salomon was this, that in soveraine bountee he found no woman; this is to say, that ther is no wight that hath soveraine bountee, save God alone, as he himself recordeth in his Evangelies. For ther is no creature so good, that him ne wanteth somwhat of the perfection of God that is his maker. Youre thridde reson is this; ye say that if that ye governe you by my conseil, it shulde seme that ye had yeve me the maistrie and the lordship of your person. Sire, save your grace, it is not so; for if so were that no man shulde be conseilled but only of hem that han lordship and maistrie of his person, men n'olde not be conseilled so often: for sothly thilke man that asketh conseil of a purpos, yet hath he free chois whether he wol werke after that conseil or non. And as to your fourth reson, ther as ye sain that the janglerie of women can hide thinges that they wot not; as who so sayth, that a woman can not hide that she wote; Sire, thise wordes ben understonde of women that ben jangleresses and wicked; of which women men sain that three thinges driven a man out of his hous, that is to say, smoke, dropping of raine, and wicked wives. And of swiche women Salomon sayth, That a man were better dwell in desert, than with a woman that is riotous. And, sire, by your leve, that am not I; for ye have ful often assaied my gret silence and my gret patience, and eke how wel that I can hide and hele thinges, that men oughten secretly to hiden. And sothly as to your fifthe reson, wheras ye say, that in wicked conseil women venquishen men; God wote that thilke reson stant here in no stede: for understondeth now, ye axen conseil for to do wickednesse; and if ye wol werken wickednesse, and your wif restraineth thilke wicked purpos, and overcometh you by reson and by good conseil, certes your wif ought rather to be preised than to be blamed. Thus shulde ye understonde the philosophre that sayth, In wicked conseil women venquishen hir husbondes. And ther as ye blamen all women and hir resons, I shal shewe you by many ensamples, that many women have been ful good, and yet ben, and hir conseil holesome and profitable. Eke som men han sayd, that the conseil of women is either to dere, or elles to litel of pris. But al be it so that ful many a woman be bad, and hire conseil vile and nought worth, yet han men founden ful many a good woman, and discrete and wise in conseilling. Lo, Jacob, thurgh the good conseil of his mother Rebecke, wan the benison of his father, and the lordship over all his brethren. Judith, by hire good conseil, delivered the citee of Bethulie, in which she dwelt, out of the honde of Holofern, that had it beseged, and wolde it al destroye. Abigail delivered Nabal hire housbond fro David the king, that wolde han slain bim, and appesed the ire of the king by hire wit, and by hire good conseilling. Hester by hire conseil enhaunced gretly the peple of God, in the regne of Assuerus the king. And the same bountee in good conseilling of many a good woman

moun men rede and tell. And further more, whan that oure Lord had created Adam oure forme father, he sayd in this wise; it is not good to be a man allone make we to him an helpe semblable to himself. Here moun ye see that if women weren not good, and hir conseil good and profitable, oure Lord God of heven wolde neither han wrought hem, ne called hem helpe of man, but rather confusion of man. And ther sayd a clerk ones in two vers; what is better than gold? Jaspre. What is better than jaspre? Wisdom. And what is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing. And, Sire, by many other resons moun ye seen, that many women ben good, and hir conseil good and profitable. And therfore, Sire, if ye wol troste to my conseil, I shal restore you your doughter hole and sound and I wol don to you so muche, that ye shuln have honour in this cas.

Whan Melibee had herd the wordes of his wif Prudence, he sayd thus: I se wel that the word of Salomon is soth; for he saith, that wordes, that ben spoken discretly by ordinaunce, ben honiecombes, for they yeven swetenesse to the soule, and holsomnesse to the body. And, wif, because of thy swete wordes, and eke for I have preved and assaied thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol governe me by thy conseil in alle thing.

Now, Sire, (quod dame Prudence) and sin that ye vouchesafe to be governed by my conseil, I wol enforme you how that ye shuln governe yourself, in chesing of youre conseillours. Ye sbuln first in alle your werkes mekely besechen to the heigh God, that he wol be your conseillour: and shapeth you to swiche entente that he yeve you conseil and comforte, as taught Tobie his sone; at alle times thou shalt blesse God, and preie him to dresse thy wayes; and loke that alle thy conseils ben in him for evermore. Seint James eke sayth; if any of you have nede of sapience, axe it of God. And afterwarde, than shullen ye take conseil in yourself, and examine wel your owen thoughtes, of swiche thinges as you thinketh that ben best for your profit. And than shuln ye drive fro your herte three thinges that ben contrarious to good conseil; that is to sayn, ire, coveitise, and hastinesse.

First, he that axeth conseil of himself, certes he must be withouten ire, for many causes. The first is this: he that hath gret ire and wrath in himself, he weneth alway that he may do thing that he may not do. And secondly, he that is irous and wroth, he may not wel deme: and he that may not wel deme, may not wel conseille. The thridde is this; he that is irous and wroth, as sayth Senek, ne may not speke but blameful thinges, and with his vicious wordes he stirreth other folk to anger and to ire. And eke, Sire, ye must drive coveitise out of your herte. For the Apostle sayth, that coveitise is the rote of alle harmes. And trosteth wel, that a coveitous man ne can not deme ne thinke, but only to fulfille the ende of his coveitise; and certes that ne may never ben accomplised; for ever the more haboundance that he hath of richesse, the more he desireth. And, Sire, ye must also drive out of youre herte hastinesse : for certes ye ne moun not deme for the beste a soden thought that falleth in youre herte, but ye must avise you on it ful ofte: for as ye have herde berebeforn, the commune proverbe is this; he that sone demeth, sone repenteth.

Sire, ye ne be not alway in like disposition, for

certes som thing that somtime semeth to you that it is good for to do, another time it semeth to you the contrarie.

And whan ye han taken conseil in yourself, and han demed by good deliberation swiche thing as you semeth beste, than rede I you that ye kepe it secree. Bewreye not your conseil to no persone, but if so be that ye wenen sikerly, that thurgh youre bewreying youre condition shal ben to you more profitable. For Jesus Sirak saith: neither

to thy foo ne to thy frend discover not thy secree, ne thy folie for they woln yeve you audience and loking, and supportation in youre presence, and scorne you in youre absence. Another clerk sayth, that scarsly shalt thou finden any persone that may kepe thy conseil secrely. The book sayth; while that thou kepest thy conseil in thin herte, thou kepest it in thy prison: and whan thou bewreyest thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth thee in his snare. And therfore you is better to hide your conseil in your herte, than to preye him to whom ye han bewreyed youre conseil, that he wol kepe it close and stille. For Seneca sayth: if so be that thou ne mayst not thin owen conseil hide, how darest thou preyen any other wight thy conseil secrely to kepe but natheles, if thou wene sikerly that thy bewreying of thy conseil to a persone wol make thy condition to stonden in the better plight, than shalt thou telle him thy conseil in this wise. First, thou shalt make no semblant whether thee were lever pees or werre, or this or that; ne shewe him not thy will ne thin entente for troste wel that communly these conseillours ben flaterers, namely the conseillours of grete lordes, for they enforcen hem alway rather to speken plesant wordes enclining to the lordes lust, than wordes that ben trewe or profitable and therfore men sayn, that the riche man hath selde good conseil, but if he have it of himself. And after that thou shalt consider thy frendes and thin enemies. And as touching thy frendes, thou shalt consider which of hem ben most feithful and most wise, and eldest and most appreved in conseilling and of hem shalt thou axe thy conseil, as the cas requireth.

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I say, that first ye shuln clepe to youre conseil youre frendes that ben trewe. For Salomon saith: that right as the herte of a man deliteth in savour that is swote, right so the conseil of trewe frendes yeveth swetenesse to the soule. He sayth also, ther may nothing be likened to the trewe frend: for certes gold ne silver ben not so muche worth as the good will of a trewe frend. And eke he sayth, that a trewe frend is a strong defence; who so that it findeth, certes he findeth a gret tresor. Than shuln ye eke consider if that your trewe frendes ben discrete and wise: for the book saith, axe alway thy conseil of hem that ben wise. And by this same reson shuln ye clepen to youre conseil youre frendes that ben of age, swiche as han seyn and ben expert in many thinges, and ben appreved in conseillinges. For the book sayth, in olde men is al the sapience, and in longe time the prudence. And Tullius sayth, that grete thinges ne ben not ay accomplised by strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by science: the which three thinges ne ben not feble by age, but certes they enforcen and encresen day by day. And than shuln ye kepe this for a general reule.

First ye shuln clepe to youre conseil a fewe of youre frendes that ben especial. For Salomon saith; many frendes have thou, but among a thousand chese thee on to be thy conseillour. For al be it so, that thou first ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayest afterwarde tell it to ino folk, if it be nede. But loke alway that thy conseillours have thilke three conditions that I have sayd before; that is to say, that they be trewe, wise, and of olde experience. And werke not alway in every nede by on conseillour allone : for somtime behoveth it to be conseilled by many. For Salomon sayth; salvation of thinges is wher as ther ben many conseillours.

Now sith that I have told you of which folk ye shulde be conseilled: now wol I teche you which conseil ye ought to eschue. First ye shuln eschue the conseilling of fooles; for Salomon sayth, Take no conseil of a fool: for he ne can not conseille but after his owen lust and his affection. The book sayth, the propretee of a fool is this: He troweth lightly harme of every man, and lightly troweth all bountee in himself. Thou shalt eke eschue the conseilling of all flaterers, swiche as enforcen hem rather to preisen youre persone by flaterie, than for to tell you the sothfastnesse of thinges.

And

Wherfore Tullius sayth, Among alle the pestilences that ben in frendship, the gretest is flaterie. And therfore it is more nede that thou eschue and drede flaterers, than any other peple. The book saith, Thou shalt rather drede and flee fro the swete wordes of flatering preisers, than fro the egre wordes of thy frend that saith thee sothes. Salomon saith, that the wordes of a flaterer is a snare to cacchen innocentes. He sayth also, He that speketh to his frend wordes of swetenesse and of plesaunce, he setteth a net beforne his feet to cacchen him. And therfore sayth Tullius, Encline not thin eres to flaterers, ne take no conseil of wordes of flaterie. And Caton sayth, Avise thee wel, and eschue wordes of swetenesse and of plesaunce. And eke thou shalt eschue the conseilling of thin olde enemies that ben reconciled. The book sayth, that no wight retourneth safely into the grace of his olde enemie. Ysope sayth, Ne trost not to hem, to which thou hast somtime had werre or enmitee, ne telle hem not thy conseil. And Senek telleth the cause why. It may not be, sayth he, ther as gret fire hath long time endured, that ther ne dwelleth som vapour of warmnesse. And therfore saith Salomon, In thin olde foo trost thou never. For sikerly, though thin enemie be reconciled, and maketh thee chere of humilitee, and louteth to thee with his hed, ne trost him never for certes he maketh thilke feined humilitee more for his profite, than for any love of thy persone; because that he demeth to have victorie over thy persone by swiche feined contenance, the which victorie he might not have by strif of werre. And Peter Alphonse sayth; Make no felawship with thin olde enemies, for if thou do hem bountee, they wollen perverten it to wickednesse. And eke thou must eschue the conseilling of hem that ben thy servaunts, and beren thee gret reverence: for, paraventure they fein it more for drede than for love. And therfore saith a philosophre in this wise: Ther is no wight parfitly trewe to him that he to sore dredeth. And Tullius sayth, Ther n'is no might so gret of any emperour that longe may

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