[6-text p 230] [2624] Mais vengence n'appartient pas a vn chascun fors seulement aux iuges Et a ceulx qui ont la iuridicion sur les malfaitteurs. (MS Reg. 19 C. vii, leaf 136.)] [2625] ¶ And yet seye I moore /. that right as a singuler persone / synneth / in takynge vengeance of another man ./ [2626] right so / synneth the Iuge / if he do no vengeance of hem / that it han disserued ‖ [2627] ffor Senec seith [¶ Seneca] thus ¶ That maister he seith is good / that proueth shrewes [2628] ¶ And as Cassidore seith ¶ A man dredeth to do [¶ Cassidorus] outrages / whan he woot and knoweth / that it displeseth to the Iuges / and souereyns [2629] ¶ Another seith ¶ The Iuge þat dredeth to do right. maketh men shrewes ‖. [2630] And Seint Paule the Apostle / seith in his epistle / [¶ Paulus Apos|tolus ad Romanos] whan he writeth vn-to the Romayns; That the Iuges beren nat the spere / with-outen cause / [2631] but they beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoeres / and to defende the goode men [2632] ¶ If ye wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys / ye shul retourne / or haue youre recours to the Iuge that hath the Iurisdiccion vp-on hem / [2633] and he shal punysse hem / as the lawe axeth and requireth
[2634] A quod Melibee / this vengeance / liketh me [¶ Melibee] no thyng [2635] ¶ I bithenke me now and take heede / how ffortune / hath norissed me fro my childhede / and hath holpen me / to passe many a stroong paas [2636] ¶ Now wol I assayen hire trowynge with goddes helpe / that she shal helpe me / my shame for to venge
[2637] Certes quod Prudence ¶ If ye wol werke by my [¶ Prudence] conseil / ye shul nat assaye ffortune by no wey / [2638] ne ye shul nat lene or bowe / vnto hire after the word of Senec [2639] ¶ ffor thynges / that been folily doon / and [¶ Seneca] that been in hope of ffortune / shullen neuere come to good ende ‖. [2640] And as the same Senec seith ¶ The moore cleer and the moore shynyng that ffortune is / the moore brotil / and the sonner broken she is ‖ [2641] trusteth nat in hire / for she nys nat stidefast ne stable [2642] for whan thow trowest to be moost seur and siker of hire
