[6-text p 218] take vp on hym so heuy a charge / that he myghte nat bere it [2405] ¶ ffor the prouerbe seith ‖. he that to muche [¶ prouerbe] embraceth / distreyneth litel [2406] And Caton seith [¶ Cato] ¶ Assay to do swich thyng. as thou hast power to doon / lest that the charge oppresse thee / so soore / that thee bihoueth / to weyue thyng that thou hast bigonne / [2407] And if so be / þat thou be in doute / wheither thou mayst parfourne a thing or noon / chese rather / to suffre than bigynne [2408] ¶ And Piers Alphonce seith ¶ If [¶ Petrus Alfonce] thou hast myght to doon a thyng of which thou most repente thee / it is bettre / nay than ye [2409] ¶ this is to seyn / that thee is bettre / holde thy tonge stille / than for to speke [2410] ¶ Thanne may ye vnderstonde / by strenger resons / that if thou hast po [folio 162b] wer / to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt repente / thanne is it bettre / that thou suffre than bigynne [2411] ¶ wel seyn they þat defenden euery wight to assaye any thyng of which he is in doute / wheither he may parfourne it or noon ‖ [2412] And after / whan ye han examyned youre conseil / as I haue seyd biforn / and knowen wel / that ye may par|fourne youre emprise / conferme it thanne sadly til it be at an ende
[2413] NOw is it reson and tyme þat I shewe yow / whanne and wherfore / that ye may chaunge youre conseil|lours / with-outen youre repreue [2414] ¶ Soothly / a man [¶ How a man may chaungen hise conseillours with-outen repreue] may chaungen his purpos and his conseil if the cause cesseth / or whan a newe caas bitydeth [2415] ¶ ffor the lawe seith that vpon thynges þat newely bityden / bihoueth newe conseil [2416] ¶ And senec/ seith ‖. If thy conseil [¶ Seneca] is comen / to the eeris of thyn enemy chaunge thy conseil [2417] ¶ Thou mayst also chaunge thy conseil / If so be / that thou mayst fynde / that by errour / or by oother cause / harm or damage may bityde [2418] ¶ Also / if thy conseil be dishonest. or ellis cometh of dishoneste cause / chaunge thy conseil ‖. [2419] ffor the lawes seyn ¶ that alle bihestes that been dishoneste / been of no value
