[6-text p 230] [2624] mais faire vengence n'appartient pas à un chascun, fors seulement aux juges et à ceulx qui ont la jurisdiction sur les malfaiteurs. (Le Ménagier de Paris, i. 214, ed. 1846.)] [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 Senek seith thus ‖ That maister he seith is good / þat preueth shrewes ‖ [2628] And as Cassidore seith ‖ A man dredeth to do outrages / whan he woot & knoweth / þat it displeseth / to the Iuges and the souereyns ‖ [2629] And another seith ‖ The Iuge þat dredeth to do right maketh men shrewes ‖ [2630] And Seint Poul thapostle seith in his epistle whan he writeth vn-to the Romayns / That the Iuges beren nat the spere / with-outen cause / [2631] but they beren it to punysshe the shrewes & mysdoers / & for 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 þat hath the Iurisdiccion vp-on hem / [2633] & he shal punysshe hem / as the lawe axeth & requereth
[2634] ¶ A quod Melibe / this vengeance liketh me no thyng [2635] I bithenke me now & take hede / how fortune hath norisshed me / fro [folio 227a] my childhode / & hath holpen me / to passe many a strong paas; [2636] Now wol I assayen hire / trowynge with goddes helpe þat she shal helpe me / my shame for to venge /
[2637] ¶ Certes quod Prudence / if ye wol werke by my conseil; ye shul nat assayen fortune / by no wey / [2638] ne ye shul nat lene / or bowe vn-to hire / after the word of Senek ‖ [2639] for thynges þat been folily doon / & þat been in hope of fortune; shullen neuere / come to good ende / [2640] And as the same Senek seith ‖ The moore cleer & the moore shynynge þat fortune is /; the moore brotil & the sonner broke she is / [2641] trusteth nat in hire / for she nys nat stedefast ne stable / [2642] for whan thow trowest to be moost seur or syker of hir
