Hoccleve's works. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[§ 14.] De consilio habendo in omnibus factis.

(695)

Now purpose I, to trete how to a kyng [This page is illuminated.] Line 4859 It nedeful is to do by consail ay; With-outen whiche, good is he do no þing; ffor a kyng is but a man soul, parfay! And be [be R, he H.] his witt neuere so good, he may Line 4863 Erre and mistake hym oþer while among, Where-as good counsail may exclude a [all R.] wrong.

(696)

Excellent princë, in axynge of reed, Line 4866 Descouereþ naght your wille in no maneere; What þat ye þinkë doo, lat it be deed As for þe tymë, lat no word appere; But what euery man seith, wel herkne & here; Line 4870 And yit whan good counsail is yeuen yow, What ye do wolë, kepe it close y-now Line 4872

(697)

Til þat yow lykë párforme it in dede; Line 4873 And if it schal be don, lat it noght tarie, ffor þat is perillous with-outë drede; Ther is no þing may make a lond myscarie Morë than swiche delay; ful necessárie Line 4877 It is, a gode purpos parforme as bliue, [folio 86a] As, if it naght be, [And that ye not R.] out of mynde it dryue. Line 4879

Line 4879

(698)

¶ And if þat á man of symple degree, Line 4880 Or pore of birth, or ȝonge, be wel conseile, [be, goode counseile Yow yeve R.] Admytte his resoun and take it in gre: Why naght, my godë lorde? what shuld yow eyle? But men do naght so; where-of I merueyle; Line 4884 Þe worlde fauórith ay þe richës sawe, Þow þat his conseil be noght worth an hawe. Line 4886

(699)

¶ What he seith, is vp to þe clowdës bore; [¶ Ecclesias|tici xiiij^o diues locutus est, & omnes tacuerunt, & verbum illius vsque ad nu|bes perdu|cunt: pauper locutus est, & dicunt, 'quis est hic?' &c.] Line 4887 But and þe porë spekë worth þe twey, His seed naght spryngë [spryng H R.] may, it nys but lore; Thei seyen, "what is he, þis? lat hym goo pley! O! worthi princë, beth wel ware, I prey, Line 4891 Þat your hye dygnite and sad prudénce No desdein haue [haue R, om. H.] of þe porës senténce. Line 4893

(700)

¶ Thogh men contrárie eek your óppynyoun, Line 4894 Þei may, per cas, conseilë [counceile R, conseil H.] yow þe best; Also ye ben at your eleccioun To doo or leuë, as your seluen lyst. If it be gode, impresse it in þe chest Line 4898 Of your memórie, and excusith it [execute R] ; If it naght be, to leue it, is a wyt. Line 4900

(701)

¶ And if yow list your cónseilere to preue, Line 4901 Ye feynë mot ye haue necessite Of golde; and if he sterë yow, and meeue, Your Iewels ley in weddë, [wedde R, wed H.] certeyn he Loueth your éstate and prosperite; Line 4905 But he þat redith yow, your peple oppresse, [folio 86b] He hatheth [hateth R.] yow, certéyne, it is no lesse. Line 4907

Line 4907

(702)

¶ And if a man, in tyme of swich a nede, Line 4908 Of his goode ȝeuë yow a goode substaunce, Swich oon cherich, and ellës [Suche non cherissheth and elles R, els H.] god forbede, Konneth hym þank of his goode cheuesaunce, ffor him is leuer to suffre penaunce Line 4912 Him-self, þan þat your peple shuldë [shulde R, shuld H.] smert; Ther is a preef of trewë louyng hert. Line 4914

(703)

¶ In auxenge [axyng R.] eeke of reed, ware of fauel; Line 4915 Also ware [beware R.] of þe auaricïouse; [¶ Non exiga|tur consilium ab adulatore nec de auaro.] ffor none of þo two can conseilë [counceille R, conseil H.] wel; Hir reed & conseil is envenymouse; Þei bothë [bothe R, bot H.] ben of golde so désirous, Line 4919 Þei rekkë naght what bryge [brike R.] her lorde be Inne, So þat þei mowen golde & siluyr wynne. Line 4921

(704)

¶ And if your conseil which þat ye haue take, Line 4922 Vnto þe knowlech or þe audience Of your foos comen be, þan lat it slake, And witterly putte it in abstinence; ffor execute it were an [and H (it/it were grete prudence R!).] inprudence; Line 4926 In swich a caas, is wisdam it to chaunge; Goode is, your conseil be to your foes straunge.

(705)

¶ Conseil may wel be likend to a bridil, [¶ Scriptum est, quod consilium bene potest freno com|parari.] Line 4929 Which þat an hors vpkepeth fro fallyng, If man do by conseil; but al in Idel Is reed, if [yf R, of H.] man naght folwe it in wirkyng. Do no þing redeles, do by conseylyng Line 4933 Of hedës wyse, and than [than R, om. H.] noo répentaunce [¶ Sine con|silio nichil facias, & post factum non penitebis.] Þer folwe yow schal in your gouernaunce. [folio 87a] Line 4935

Line 4935

(706)

¶ Comméndable is, conséil take óf þe wyse, [¶ Thobie 4^o. Consilium semper a sa|piente per|quire, & non a fatuo, &c. ¶ Scriptum est, Cum fa|tuis non ha|beas consili|um, quia nou possunt dili|gere nisi quod eis placet. ¶ Iterum Thobie 4^o. Omnia con|silia tua in deo perma|neant, &c. ¶ Scriptum est, Cum bo|nis fac tuum consilium, non cum impiis, &c. ¶ Prouerbia|rum 12^o. con|silia impior|um fraudu|lenta. ¶ 3^o Regum 12^o. Ad Ro|boam dixer|unt Iuuenes qui nutriti erant cum eo, 'sic loqueris ad eos; Mini|mus digitus meus est grossior dor|so patris mei; & nunc pater meus posuit super vos iu|gum graue, ego autem addam super iugum ves|trum; pater mens cecidit vos flagellis, ego autem cedam vos scorpionibus.'] Line 4936 And noght of foolës, for þei may noght loue But [But R, And H.] swich þing as hem likyth. in al wyse, Your conseiler, chesith our lorde god a-boue; Chesith eke godë men; ánd awey shoue Line 4940 The wykkyd, whos conseyl is déceyuáble; Þus byddyth holy writ, it is no fable. Line 4942

(707)

¶ Chesith men eke of olde experience; Line 4943 Hir wit and intellect is gloriouse; Of hir conseil, holsome is þe sentence; Þe oldë mannës rede is fructuouse; Ware of yong cónseyl, it is perilouse; Line 4947 Roboas fonde it so, whan he forsoke Oldë conseil, and to þe yong hym toke. Line 4949

(708)

¶ The éntente, wot I wele, of þe yong man Line 4950 As louyng is and trewe, as of the olde, Þogh þat he noght so wele conseilen can. Yong men, strong ben, hardy, and bolde, And more weldy to fight, if þat þei sholde; Line 4954 But aske [aske R, þow H.] þe olde in tyme of pees or werre Rede & conseil; it schal naght be þe werre. Line 4956

(709)

¶ He þat is fressh and lusty now þis day, Line 4957 By lengthe of yerees shal no þing be so; ffresshnesse & lust may naght endure al-wey; Whan age is comen, he commaundeth, ho! But lat see, who considereth þis two, [who R.] Line 4961 Goode is þat agë sette a gouernayle, [folio 87b] And youthe it sue: thus may al avayle. Line 4963

Line 4963

(710)

Excellent prince, eeke on the holydayes [¶ Mandatum est, sabata sanctifices.] Line 4964 Beth warë þat ye nat your conseilles holde; As for tho tymës, [the tyme R.] put hem in deleyes; Thenketh wel this, ye wel apayed be nolde If your soggettes not be your hestës [by your hest R.] tolde, Line 4968 Right so our lorde god, kyng & commaundour Of kynges al, [alle R.] is wroth with þat errour. Line 4970

(711)

¶ In þe longe ȝere be werkë daye [ben werke dayes R.] I-nowe, Line 4971 If þei be wel despent, for to entende To conseilës [counceiles R, conseils H.] : to god your hertë [hert H R.] bowe, If ye desire men hir hertës bende To yow. What kyng nat dredeth god offende, Line 4975 Ne naght rekkéth do hym desóbeisaunce, He shal be disobeiëd eeke perchaunce. [perchaunce R, perchaunche H.] Line 4977

(712)

¶ The firstë fyndere of our faire langáge, Line 4978 Hath seyde in caas sembláble, & othir moo, So hyly wel, þat it is my dotáge ffor to expresse or touche any of thoo. Alasse! my fadir fro þe worlde is goo— Line 4982 My worthi maister Chaucer, hym I mene— Be þou aduóket for hym, heuenes [heuen R.] quene! Line 4984

(713)

¶ As þou wel knowest, o blissid virgyne, Line 4985 With louyng hert, and hye deuocïoun In þyne honour he wroot ful many a lyne; O now þine helpe & þi promocïoun, To god þi sonë make a mocïoun, Line 4989 How he þi seruaunt was, maydén marie, [folio 88a] And lat his louë [soule R.] floure and fructifie. Line 4991

Line 4991

(714)

¶ Al-þogh his lyfe be queynt, þe résemblaunce [In the MS. Chaucer's carefully drawn and colourd likeness is in the right margin. At the top of the much commoner full-length figure in the left margin of MS. Reg. 17 D 6, is "¶ Chaucers yn age."] Line 4992 Of him haþ in me so fressh lyflynesse, Þat, to putte othir men in rémembraunce Of his persóne, I haue heere his lyknesse Do makë, to þis ende in sothfastnesse, Line 4996 Þat þei þat haue of him lest [lost R.] þought & mynde, By þis peynturë may ageyn him fynde.

[figure]

[Grass-green background, black hood and gown, gray hair, hazel eyes, red lips, paleish face and hands; black beads and penner on red strings.]

Line 4998

(715)

¶ The ymages þat in þe chirchë been, Line 4999 Maken folk þenke on god & on his seyntes, Whan þe ymáges þei be-holden & seen; Were oft vnsyte [Wher as vnsight R.] of hem causith restreyntes Of þoughtës godë: whan a þing depeynt is, Line 5003 Or éntailëd, if men take of it heede, Thoght of þe lyknesse, it wil in hem [hem R, hym H.] brede. Line 5005

Line 5005

(716)

¶ Yit somme holden oppynÿoun, and sey, Line 5006 Þat none ymáges schuld I-maked be: Þei erren foule, & goon ont of þe wey; Of trouth haue þei scant sensibilite. Passe ouer þat: now, blessid trinite, Line 5010 Vppon my maistres soulë, mercy haue, ffor him, lady, eke þi mercy I craue. Line 5012

(717)

¶ More othir þing, wolde I fayne speke & touche Line 5013 Heere in þis booke; but such [such R, schuch H.] is my dulnesse— ffor þat al voyde and empty is my pouche,— Þat al my lust is queynt with heuynesse, And [An R.] heuy spirit cómaundith stilnesse. Line 5017 And haue I spoke of pees, I schal be stille; [folio 88b] God sende vs pees, if þat it be his wille. Line 5019