The Tale of Melibee
A yong man called melibeus, myghty and
967
Riche, bigat upon his wyf, that called was prudence,
967
a doghter which that called was sophie./
968
Upon a day bifel that he for his desport is
968
Went into the feeldes hem to pleye./ His wyf
969
And eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous,
969
Of which the dores weren faste yshette./ Thre
970
Of his olde foes han it espyed, and setten laddres
970
To the walles of his hous, and by wyndowes
970
been entred,/ and betten his wyf,
971
And wounded his doghter with fyve mortal
971
woundes in fyve sondry places, -- / this is to
972
Seyn, in hir feet, in hire handes, in hir erys, in
972
Hir nose, and in hire mouth, -- and leften hire
972
For deed, and wenten awey./
973
Whan melibeus retourned was in to his hous,
973
And saugh al this meschief, he, lyk a mad man,
973
Rentynge his clothes, gan to wepe and crie./
974
Prudence, his wyf, as ferforth as she dorste,
974
Bisoghte hym of his wepyng for to stynte;/ but
975
Nat forthy he gan to crie and wepen
975
Evere lenger the moore./
975
This noble wyf prudence remembred
976
Hire upon the sentence of ovide, in his book
976
That cleped is the remedie of love, where as
976
He seith/ he is a fool that destourbeth the
977
Mooder to wepen in the deeth of hire child,
977
Til she have wept hir fille as for a certein tyme;/
978
And thanne shal man doon his diligence with
978
Amyable wordes hire to reconforte, and preyen Page 168
978
Hire of hir wepyng for to stynte./ For which
979
Resoun this noble wyf prudence suffred hir
979
Housbonde for to wepe and crie as for a certein
979
Space;/ and whan she saugh hir tyme, she
980
Seyde hym in this wise: allas, my lord, quod
980
She, why make ye youreself for to be
980
Lyk a fool?/ for sothe it aperteneth nat
981
To a wys man to maken swich a sorwe./
982
Youre doghter, with the grace of god, shal
982
Warisshe and escape./ And, al were it so that
983
She right now were deed, ye ne oughte nat, as
983
For hir deeth, youreself to destroye./ Senek
984
Seith: the wise man shal nat take to greet disconfort
984
for the deeth of his children;/ but,
985
Certes, he sholde suffren it in pacience as wel
985
As he abideth the deeth of his owene
985
Propre persone. -- /
986
This melibeus answerde anon, and
986
Seyde, what man, quod he, sholde of his
986
Wepyng stente that hath so greet a cause for
986
To wepe?/ jhesu crist, oure lord, hymself
987
Wepte for the deeth of lazarus hys freend./
988
Prudence answerde: certes, wel I woot attempree
988
wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym
988
That sorweful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it
988
Is rather graunted hym to wepe./ The apostle
989
Paul unto the romayns writeth, -- man shal rejoyse
989
with hem that maken joye, and wepen
989
With swich folk as wepen. -- / ut though attempree
990
wepyng be ygraunted, outrageous
990
wepyng certes is deffended./
991
Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered,
991
after the loore that techeth us senek:/
992
-- whan that thy frend is deed, -- quod he, -- lat
992
Nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris, ne
992
To muche drye; although the teeris come to
992
Thyne eyen, lat hem nat falle;/ and whan thou
993
Hast forgoon thy freend, do diligence to gete
993
Another freend; and this is moore wysdom than
993
For to wepe for thy freend which that thou has
993
Lorn, for therinne is no boote. -- / and therfore,
994
If ye governe yow by sapience, put awey sorwe
994
Out of youre herte./ Remembre yow that
995
Jhesus syrak seith, -- a man that is joyous and
995
Glad in herte, it hym conserveth florissynge
995
In his age; but soothly sorweful herte
995
Maketh his bones drye. -- / he seith eek
996
Thus, that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many
996
A man./ Salomon seith that right as motthes
997
In shepes flees anoyeth to the clothes, and
997
The smale wormes to the tree, right so anoyeth
997
Sorwe to the herte./ Wherfore us oghte, as wel
998
In the deeth of oure children as in the los of
998
Oure othere goodes temporels, have pacience./
999
Remembre yow upon the pacient job. Whan
999
He hadde lost his children and his temporeel
999
Substance, and in his body endured and receyved
999
ful many a grevous tribulacion, yet
999
Seyde he thus:/ -- oure lord hath yeve it me;
1000
Oure lord hath biraft it me; right as oure lord
1000
Hath wold, right so it is doon; blessed
1000
Be the name of oure lord! -- /
1001
To thise forseide thynges answerde
1001
Melibeus unto his wyf prudence: alle thy
1001
Wordes, quod he, been sothe, and therto profitable;
1001
but trewely myn herte is troubled with
1001
This sorwe so grevously that I noot what to
1001
Doone./
1002
Lat calle, quod prudence, thy trewe
1002
Freendes alle, and thy lynage whiche that been
1002
Wise. Telleth youre cas, and herkneth what
1002
They seye in conseillyng, and yow governe after
1002
Hire sentence./ Salomon seith, -- werk alle thy
1003
Thynges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente.
1003
Thanne, by the conseil of his wyf prudence,
1004
This melibeus leet callen a greet congregacion
1004
Of folk;/ as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and
1005
Yonge, and somme of his olde enemys reconsiled
1005
as by hir semblaunt to his love and
1005
Into his grace;/ and therwithal ther
1006
Coomen somme of his neighebores that
1006
Diden hym reverence moore for drede than for
1006
Love, as it happeth ofte./ Ther coomen also
1007
Ful many subtille flatereres, and wise advocatz
1007
lerned in the lawe./
1008
And whan this folk togidre assembled weren,
1008
This melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his
1008
Cas./ And by the manere of his speche it
1009
Semed that in herte he baar a crueel ire, redy
1009
To doon vengeaunce upon his foes, and sodeynly
1009
desired that the werre sholde bigynne;/
1010
But nathelees, yet axed he hire conseil
1010
Upon this matiere./ A surgien, by licence
1011
and assent of swiche as weren
1011
Wise, up roos, and to melibeus seyde as ye may
1011
Heere:/
1012
Sire, quod he, as to us surgiens aperteneth
1012
that we do to every wight the beste that
1012
We kan, where as we been withholde, and to
1012
Oure pacientz that we do no damage;/ wherfore
1013
it happeth many tyme and ofte that whan
1013
Twey men han everich wounded oother, oon
1013
Same surgien heeleth hem bothe;/ wherfore
1014
Unto oure art it is nat pertinent to norice werre
1014
Ne parties to supporte./ But certes, as to the
1015
Warisshynge of youre doghter, al be it so that
1015
She perilously be wounded, we shullen do so Page 169
1015
Ententif bisynesse fro day to nyght that with
1015
The grace of God she shal be hool and
1015
Sound as soone as is possible./
1016
Almoost right in the same wise the
1016
Phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a
1016
Fewe woordes moore:/ that right as maladies
1017
Been cured by hir contraries, right so shul men
1017
Warisshe werre by vengeaunce./
1018
His neighebores ful of envye, his feyned
1018
Freendes that semeden reconsiled, and his flatereres/
1018
maden semblant of wepyng, and empeireden
1019
and agreggeden muchel of this matiere
1019
in preisynge greetly melibee of myght, of
1019
Power, of richesse, and of freendes, despisynge
1019
The power of his adversaries,/ and seiden outrely
1020
that he anon sholde wreken hym on
1020
His foes, and bigynne werre./
1021
Up roos thanne an advocat that was
1021
Wys, by leve and by conseil of othere that were
1021
Wise, and seide:/ lordynges, the nede for
1022
Which we been assembled in this place is a ful
1022
Hevy thyng and an heigh matiere,/ by cause
1023
Of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath
1023
Be doon, and eek by resoun of the grete damages
1023
that in tyme comynge been possible to
1023
Fallen for this same cause,/ and eek by resoun
1024
Of the grete richesse and power of the parties
1024
Bothe;/ for the whiche resouns it were a
1025
Ful greet peril to erren in this matiere./
1026
Wherfore, melibeus, this is oure sentence:
1026
we conseille yow aboven alle thyng
1026
That right anon thou do thy diligence in
1026
Kepynge of thy propre persone in swich
1026
A wise that thou ne wante noon espie ne
1026
Wacche, thy persone for to save./ And after
1027
That, we conseille that in thyn hous thou sette
1027
Sufficeant garnisoun so that they may as wel
1027
Thy body as thyn hous defende./ But certes,
1028
For to moeve werre, ne sodeynly for to doon
1028
Vengeaunce, we may nat demen in so litel
1028
Tyme that it were profitable./ Wherfore we
1029
Axen leyser and espace to have deliberacion in
1029
This cas to deme./ For the commune proverbe
1030
Seith thus: -- he that soone deemeth,
1030
Soone shal repente. -- / and eek men seyn
1031
That thilke juge is wys that soone under-
1031
Stondeth a matiere and juggeth by leyser;/ for
1032
Al be it so that alle tariyng be anoyful, algates it
1032
Is nat to repreve in yevynge of juggement ne
1032
In vengeance takyng, whan it is sufficeant
1032
And resonable./ And that shewed oure lord
1033
Jhesu crist by ensample; for whan that the
1033
Womman that was taken in avowtrie was broght
1033
In his presence to knowen what sholde be doon
1033
With hire persone, al be it so that he wiste wel
1033
Hymself what that he wolde answere, yet ne
1033
Wolde he nat answere sodeynly, but he wolde
1033
Have deliberacion, and in the ground he wroot
1033
Twies./ And thise causes weaxen deliberacioun,
1034
and we shal thanne, by the grace of
1034
God, conseille thee thyng that shal be profitable./
1034
n=11035>Up stirten thanne the yonge folk atones, and
1035
The mooste partie of that compaignye han
1035
Scorned this olde wise man, and bigonnen
1035
to make noyse, and seyden that/
1036
Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men
1036
Sholden smyte, right so men sholde wreken hir
1036
Wronges whil that they been fresshe and newe;
1036
And with loud voys they criden werre!
1036
Werre!/
1037
Up roos tho oon of thise olde wise, and with
1037
His hand made contenaunce that men sholde
1037
Holden hem stille and yeven hym audience./
1038
Lordynges, quod he, ther is ful many a man
1038
That crieth -- werre! werre! -- that woot ful litel
1038
What werre amounteth./ Werre at his bigynnyng
1039
hath so greet an entryng and so large, that
1039
Every wight may entre whan hym liketh, and
1039
Lightly fynde werre;/ but certes what ende
1040
That shal therof bifalle, it is nat light to
1040
Knowe./ For soothly, whan that werre is
1041
Ones bigonne, ther is ful many a child
1041
Unborn of his mooder that shal sterve yong by
1041
Cause of thilke werre, or elles lyve in sorwe and
1041
Dye in wrecchednesse./ And therfore, er that
1042
Any werre bigynne, men moste have greet conseil
1042
and greet deliberacion./ And whan this
1043
Olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons,
1043
Wel ny alle atones bigonne they to rise for to
1043
Breken his tale, and beden hym ful ofte his
1043
Wordes for to abregge./ For soothly, he that
1044
Precheth to hem that listen nat heeren his
1044
Wordes, his sermon hem anoieth./ For jhesus
1045
Syrak seith that musik in wepynge ia a noyous
1045
Thyng; this is to seyn: as muche availleth to
1045
Speken bifore folk to which his speche anoyeth,
1045
as it is to synge biforn hym that
1045
Wepeth./ And whan this wise man
1046
Saugh that hym wanted audience, al
1046
Shamefast he sette hym doun agayn./ For
1047
Salomon seith: ther as thou ne mayst have
1047
Noon audience, enforce thee nat to speke./
1048
I see wel, quod this wise man, that the commune
1048
proverbe is sooth, that -- good conseil
1048
Wanteth whan it is moost nede. -- /
1049
Yet hadde this melibeus in his conseil many
1049
Folk that prively in his eere conseilled hym Page 170
1049
Certeyn thyng, and conseilled hym the contrarie
1049
in general audience./
1050
Whan melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste
1050
partie of his conseil weren accorded that
1050
He sholde maken werre, anoon he consented to
1050
Hir conseillyng, and fully affermed hire
1050
Sentence./ Thanne dame prudence,
1051
Whan that she saugh how that hir
1051
Housbonde shoop hym for to wreken hym on
1051
His foes, and to bigynne werre, she in ful humble
1051
wise, whan she saugh hir tyme, seide to
1051
Hym thise wordes:/ my lord, quod she, I
1052
Yow biseche as hertely as I dar and kan, ne
1052
Haste yow nat to faste, and for alle gerdons, as
1052
Yeveth me audience./ For piers alfonce seith,
1053
-- whoso that dooth to thee oother good or harm,
1053
Haste thee nat to quiten it; for in this wise thy
1053
Freend wole abyde, and thyn anemy shal the
1053
Lenger lyve in drede. -- / the proverbe seith, -- he
1054
Hasteth wel that wisely kan abyde, -- and in
1054
Wikked haste is no profit./
1055
This melibee answerde unto his wyf prudence:
1055
I purpose nat, quod he, to werke by
1055
Thy conseil, for many causes and resouns.
1055
For certes, every wight wolde holde me
1055
Thanne a fool;/ this is to seyn, if I, for
1056
Thy conseillyng, wolde chaungen thynges
1056
That been ordeyned and affermed by so manye
1056
Wyse./ Secoundely, I seye that alle wommen
1057
Been wikke, and noon good of hem alle. For -- of
1057
A thousand men, -- seith salomon, -- I foond o
1057
Good man, but certes, of alle wommen, good
1057
Womman foond I nevere.--/ and also, certes,
1058
If I governed me by thy conseil, it sholde
1058
Seme that I hadde yeve to thee over me
1058
The maistrie; and God forbede that it so
1058
Weere!/ for jhesus syrak seith that -- if the
1059
Wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir
1059
Housbonde./ -- and salomon seith: -- nevere in
1060
Thy lyf to thy wyf, ne to thy child, ne to
1060
Thy freend, ne yeve no power over thy-
1060
Self; for bettre it were that thy children aske
1060
Of thy persone thynges that hem nedeth, than
1060
Thou see thyself in the handes of thy
1060
Children. -- / and also if I wolde werke
1061
By thy conseillyng, certes, my conseil
1061
Moste som tyme be secree, til it were tyme
1061
That it moste be knowe, and this ne may noght
1061
Be./ (car il est escript, la genglerie des
1062
Femmes ne puet riens celler fors ce qu' elle ne
1062
Scet./ Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais
1063
Conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et
1063
Par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil.)/
1063
n=11064>Whanne dame prudence, ful debonairly and
1064
With greet pacience, hadde herd al that hir
1064
Housbonde liked for to seye, thanne axed she
1064
Of hym licence for to speke, and seyde in this
1064
Wise:/ my lord, quod she, as to youre firste
1065
Resoun, certes it may lightly been answered.
1065
For I seye that it is no folie to chaunge conseil
1065
Whan the thyng is chaunged, or elles whan
1065
The thyng semeth ootherweyes than it
1065
Was biforn./ And mooreover, I seye
1066
That though ye han sworn and bihight
1066
To perfourne youre emprise, and nathelees ye
1066
Weyve to perfourne thilke same emprise by
1066
Juste cause, men sholde nat seyn therfore that
1066
Ye were a liere ne forsworn./ For the book
1067
Seith that -- the wise man maketh no lesyng
1067
Whan he turneth his corage to the bettre. --/
1068
And al be it so that youre emprise be establissed
1068
and ordeyned by greet multitude of folk,
1068
Yet that ye nat accomplice thilke ordinaunce,
1068
But yow like./ For the trouthe of thynges and
1069
The profit been rather founden in fewe folk that
1069
Been wise and ful of resoun, than by greet multitude
1069
of folk ther every man crieth and clatereth
1069
what that hym liketh. Soothly swich multitude
1069
is nat hones./ And as to the seconde
1070
Resoun, where as ye seyn that alle wommen
1070
Been wikke; save youre grace, certes ye despisen
1070
alle wommen in this wyse, and -- he that
1070
Al despiseth, al displeseth, -- as seith the
1070
Book./ And senec seith that -- whose
1071
Wole have sapience shal no man dispreyse,
1071
but he shal gladly techen the science
1071
That he kan withouten presumpcion or pride,/
1072
And swiche thynges as he noght ne kan, he
1072
Shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem, and enquere
1072
of lasse folk than hymself. -- / and, sire,
1073
That ther hath been many a good womman,
1073
May lightly be preved./ For certes, sire, oure
1074
Lord jhesu crist wolde nevere have descended
1074
To be born of a womman, if alle wommen hadden
1074
been wikke./ And after that, for the grete
1075
Bountee that is in wommen, oure lord jhesu
1075
Crist, whan he was risen fro deeth to lyve,
1075
Appeered rather to a womman than to
1075
His apostles./ And though that salomon
1076
seith that he ne foond nevere womman
1076
good, it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen
1076
ben wikke./ For though that he ne foond
1077
No good womman, certes, many another man
1077
Hath founden many a womman ful good and
1077
Trewe./ Or elles, per aventure, the entente of
1078
Salomon was this, that, as in sovereyn bounte,
1078
He foond no womman;/ this is to seyn, that ther Page 171
1079
Is no wight that hath sovereyn bountee save
1079
God allone, as he hymself recordeth in hys
1079
Evaungelie./ For ther nys no creature so good
1080
That hym ne wanteth somwhat of the
1080
Perfeccioun of god, that is his makere./
1081
Youre thridde reson is this: ye seyn that
1081
If ye governe yow by my conseil, it sholde
1081
Seme that ye hadde yeve me the maistrie and
1081
The lordshipe over youre persone./ Sire, save
1082
Youre grace, it is nat so. For if it so were that
1082
No man sholde be conseilled but oonly of hem
1082
That hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone,
1082
men wolden nat be conseilled so ofte./
1083
For soothly thilke man that asketh conseil of
1083
A purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he
1083
Wole werke by that conseil or noon./ And as
1084
To youre fourthe resoun, ther ye seyn that the
1084
Janglerie of wommen kan hyde thynges that
1084
They wot noght, as who seith that a womman
1084
Kan nat hyde that she woot;/ sire, thise wordes
1085
Been understonde of wommen that been
1085
Jangleresses and wikked;/ of whiche
1086
Wommen men seyn that thre thynges
1086
Dryven a man out of his hous, -- that is to seyn,
1086
Smoke, droppyng of reyn, and wikked wyves,/
1087
And of swiche wommen seith salomon that -- it
1087
Were bettre dwelle in desert than with a woman
1087
that is riotous. --/ and sire, by youre leve,
1088
That am nat I;/ for ye han ful ofte assayed my
1089
Grete silence and my grete pacience, and eek
1089
How wel that I kan hyde and hele thynges that
1089
Men oghte secreely to hyde./ And soothly, as
1090
To youre fifthe resoun, where as ye seyn that
1090
In wikked conseil wommen venquisshe men,
1090
God woot, thilke resoun stant heere in
1090
No stede./ For understoond now, ye
1091
Asken conseil to do wikkednesse;/ and if
1092
Ye wole werken wikkednesse, and youre wif
1092
Restreyneth thilke wikked purpos, and overcometh
1092
yow by reson and by good conseil,/
1093
Certes youre wyf oghte rather to be preised
1093
Than yblamed./ Thus sholde ye understonde
1094
The philosophre that seith, -- in wikked conseil
1094
Wommen venquisshen hir housbondes. -- / and
1095
Ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resouns,
1095
I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples
1095
That many a womman hath ben ful good, and
1095
Yet been, and hir conseils ful hoolsome
1095
And profitable./ Eek som men han seyd
1096
That the conseillynge of wommen is
1096
Outher to deere, or elles to litel of pris./ But al
1097
Be it so that ful many a womman is badde, and
1097
Hir conseil vile and noght worth, yet han men
1097
Founde ful many a good womman, and ful discret
1097
and wis in conseillynge./ Loo, jacob, by
1098
Good conseil of his mooder rebekka, wan the
1098
Benysoun of ysaak his fader, and the lordshipe
1098
Over alle his bretheren./ Judith, by hire good
1099
Conseil, delivered the citee of bethulie, in
1099
Which she dwelled, out of the handes of olofernus,
1099
that hadde it biseged and wolde have al
1099
Destroyed it./ Abygail delivered nabal hir
1100
Housbonde fro david the kyng, that wolde
1100
Have slayn hym, and apaysed the ire of the
1100
Kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseillyng./
1100
hester, by hir good conseil,
1101
Enhaunced greetly the peple of God in
1101
The regne of assuerus the kyng./ And the
1102
Same bountee in good conseillyng of many a
1102
Good womman may men telle./ And mooreover,
1103
Whan oure lord hadde creat adam, oure
1103
Forme fader, he seyde in this wise:/ -- it is nat
1104
Good to been a man alloone; make we to
1104
Hym an helpe semblable to hymself. -- / heere
1105
May ye se that if that wommen were nat
1105
Goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable,/
1105
oure lord God of hevene wolde
1106
Nevere han wroght hem, ne called hem
1106
Help of man, but rather confusioun of man./
1107
And ther seyde oones a clerk in two vers,
1107
-- What is bettre than gold? jaspre. What is
1107
Bettre than jaspre? wisedoom./ And what is
1108
Better than wisedoom? womman. And what is
1108
Bettre than a good womman? nothyng. -- / and,
1109
Sire, by manye of othre resons may ye seen
1109
That manye wommen been goode, and hir
1109
Conseils goode and profitable./ And therfore,
1110
sire, if ye wol triste to my conseil, I shal
1110
Restoore yow youre doghter hool and
1110
Sound./ And eek I wol do to yow so
1111
Muche that ye shul have honour in this
1111
Cause./
1112
Whan melibee hadde herd the wordes of his
1112
Wyf prudence, he seyde thus:/ I se wel that
1113
The word of salomon is sooth. He seith that
1113
-- Wordes that been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce
1113
been honycombes, for they yeven swetnesse
1113
to the soule and hoolsomnesse to the
1113
Body. -- / and, wyf, by cause of thy sweete
1114
Wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved
1114
Thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol
1114
Governe me by thy conseil in alle thyng./
1115
Now, sire, quod dame prudence, and syn
1115
Ye vouche sauf to been governed by my conseil,
1115
I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe
1115
Yourself in chesynge of youre conseillours./
1115
ye shul first in alle youre werkes
1116
Mekely biseken to the heighe God that Page 172
1116
He wol be youre conseillour;/ and shapeth yow
1117
To swich entente that he yeve yow conseil and
1117
Confort, as taughte thobie his sone:/ -- at alle
1118
Tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye hym
1118
To dresse thy weyes, and looke that alle thy
1118
Conseils been in hym for everemoore. -- / seint
1119
Jame eek seith: -- if any of yow have nede of
1119
Sapience, axe it of god. -- / and afterward
1120
Thanne shul ye taken conseil in youreself, and
1120
Examyne wel youre thoghtes of swich thyng
1120
As yow thynketh that is bes for youre
1120
Profit./ And thanne shul ye dryve fro
1121
Youre herte thre thynges that been contrariouse
1121
to good conseil;/ that is to seyn, ire,
1122
Coveitise, and hastifnesse./
1123
First, he that axeth conseil of hymself, certes
1123
He moste been withouten ire, for manye
1123
Causes./ The firste is this: he that hath greet
1124
Ire and wratthe in hymself, he weneth alwey
1124
That he may do thyng that he may nat do./
1125
And secoundely, he that is irous and
1125
Wrooth, he ne may nat wel deme;/ and
1126
He that may nat wel deme, may nat wel
1126
Conseille./ The thridde is this, that he that is
1127
Irous and wrooth, as seith senec, ne may nat
1127
Speke but blameful thynges,/ and with his
1128
Viciouse wordes he stireth oother folk to angre
1128
And to ire./ And eek, sire, ye moste dryve
1129
Coveitise out of youre herte./ For the aposthe
1130
seith that coveitise is roote of alle
1130
Harmes./ And trust wel that a coveitous
1131
Man ne kan noght deme ne thynke, but
1131
Oonly to fulfille the ende of his coveitise;/ and
1132
Certes, that ne may nevere been accompliced;
1132
For evere the moore habundaunce that he hath
1132
Of richesse, the moore he desireth./ And, sire,
1133
Ye moste also dryve out of youre herte hastifnesse;
1133
for certes,/ ye ne may nat deeme for
1134
The beste by a sodeyn thought that falleth in
1134
Youre herte, but ye moste avyse yow on it
1134
Ful ofte./ For, as ye herde her biforn, the
1135
Commune proverbe is this, that -- he that
1135
Soone deemeth, soone repenteth. -- / sire,
1136
Ye ne be nat alwey in lyk disposicioun;/
1137
For certes, somthyng that somtyme semeth to
1137
Yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it
1137
Semeth to yow the contrarie./
1138
Whan ye han taken conseil in youreself, and
1138
Han deemed by good deliberacion swich thyng
1138
As yow semeth bes,/ thanne rede I yow that
1139
Ye kepe it secree./ Biwrey nat youre conseil
1140
To no persone, but if so be that ye wenen
1140
Sikerly that thurgh youre biwreyyng youre
1140
Condicioun shal be to yow the moore profitable./
1140
for jhesus syrak seith, -- neither
1141
To thy foo, ne to thy frend, discovere nat
1141
Thy secree ne thy folie;/ for they wol yeve yow
1142
Audience and lookynge and supportacioun in
1142
Thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn absence.
1142
-- / another clerk seith that -- scarsly
1143
Shaltou fynden any persone that may kepe conseil
1143
secrely. -- / the book seith, -- whil that thou
1144
Kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest
1144
It in thy prisoun;/ and whan thou biwreyest
1145
Thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth
1145
Thee in his snare. -- / and therfore yow
1146
Is bettre to hyde youre conseil in youre
1146
Herte than praye him to whom ye han biwreyed
1146
Youre conseil that he wole kepen it cloos and
1146
Stille./ For seneca seith: -- if so be that thou
1147
Ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how
1147
Darstou prayen any oother wight thy conseil
1147
Secrely to kepe? -- / but nathelees, if thou wene
1148
Sikerly that the biwreiyng of thy conseil to a
1148
Persone wol make thy condicion to stonden in
1148
The bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen hym thy
1148
Conseil in this wise./ First thou shalt make no
1149
Semblant wheither thee were levere pees or
1149
Werre, or this or that, ne shewe hym nat thy
1149
Wille and thyn entente. / for trust wel that
1150
Comunli thise conseillours been flatereres,/
1150
namely the conseillours of grete
1151
Lordes;/ for they enforcen hem alwey
1152
Rather to speken plesante wordes, enclynynge
1152
To the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe
1152
Or profitable./ And therfore men seyn that the
1153
Riche man hath seeld good conseil, but if he
1153
Have it of hymself./
1154
And after that thou shalt considere thy
1154
Freendes and thyne enemys./ And as touchynge
1155
thy freendes, thou shalt considere which
1155
Of hem been moost feithful and moost wise
1155
And eldest and most approved in conseillyng;/
1155
and of hem shalt thou aske
1156
Thy conseil, as the caas requireth./ I
1157
Seye that first ye shul clepe to youre conseil
1157
Youre freendes that been trewe./ For salomon
1158
Seith that -- right as the herte of a man deliteth in
1158
Savour that is soote, right so the conseil of trewe
1158
Freendes yeveth swetnesse to the soule -- / he
1159
Seith also, -- ther may no thyng be likned to the
1159
Trewe freend;/ for certes gold ne silver ben nat
1160
So muche worth as the goode wyl of a
1160
Trewe freend. -- / and eek he seith that
1161
-- A trewe freend is a strong deffense;
1161
Who so that it fyndeth, certes he fyndeth a
1161
Greet tresour. -- / thanne shul ye eek considere
1162
If that youre trewe freendes been discrete and Page 173
1162
Wise. For the book seith, -- axe alwey thy conseil
1162
of hem that been wise. -- / and by this same
1163
Resoun shul ye clepen to youre conseil of youre
1163
Freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn
1163
And been expert in manye thynges and been
1163
Approved in conseillynges./ For the book seith
1164
That -- in olde men is the sapience, and in longe
1164
Tyme the prudence. -- / and tullius seith that
1165
-- Grete thynges ne been nat ay accompliced by
1165
Strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by
1165
Good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by
1165
Science; the whiche thre thynges ne been nat
1165
Fieble by age, but certes they enforcen
1165
And encreescen day by day. -- / and
1166
Thanne shul ye kepe this for a general
1166
Reule: first shul ye clepen to youre conseil a
1166
Fewe of youre freendes that been especiale;/
1167
For salomon seith, -- manye freendes have thou,
1167
But among a thousand chese thee oon to be
1167
Thy conseillour. -- / for al be it so that thou first
1168
Ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayst
1168
Afterward telle it to mo folk if it be nede./ But
1169
Looke alwey that thy conseillours have thilke
1169
Thre condiciouns that I have seyd bifore, that
1169
Is to seyn, that they be trewe, wise, and of
1169
Oold experience./ And werke nat alwey in
1170
Every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme
1170
bihooveth it to been conseilled by
1170
Manye./ For salomon seith, -- salvacion
1171
Of thynges is where as ther been manye
1171
Conseillours. -- /
1172
Now, sith that I have toold yow of which
1172
Folk ye sholde been conseilled, now wol I
1172
Teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe/.
1173
First, ye shul eschue the conseillyng of fooles;
1173
For salomon seith, -- taak no conseil of a fool,
1173
For he ne kan noght conseille but after his
1173
Owene lust and his affeccioun. -- / the book
1174
Seith that -- the propretee of a fool is this: he
1174
Troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly
1174
Troweth alle bountee in hymself. -- / thou shalt
1175
Eek eschue the conseillyng of alle flatereres,
1175
Swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre
1175
Persone by flaterye than for to telle yow
1175
The soothfastnesse of thynges./ Wherfore
1176
tullius seith, -- amonges alle the
1176
Pestilences that been in freendshipe the gretteste
1176
is flaterie. -- and therfore is it moore nede
1176
That thou eschue and drede flatereres than any
1176
Oother peple./ The book seith, -- thou shalt
1177
Rather drede and flee fro the sweete wordes of
1177
Flaterynge preiseres than fro the egre wordes
1177
Of thy freend that seith thee thy sothes. -- / salomon
1178
seith that -- the wordes of a flaterere is a
1178
Snare to cacche with innocentz. -- / he seith also
1179
That -- he that speketh to his freend wordes of
1179
Swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn
1179
his feet to cacche hym. -- / and therfore
1180
Seith tullius, -- enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres,
1180
ne taak no conseil of the wordes
1180
Of flaterye. -- / and caton seith, -- avyse
1181
Thee wel, and eschue the wordes of swetnesse
1181
and of plesaunce. -- / and eek thou shalt
1182
Eschue the conseillyng of thyne olde enemys
1182
That been reconsiled./ The book seith that -- no
1183
Wight retourneth saufly into the grace of his
1183
Olde enemy. -- / and isope seith, -- ne trust nat
1184
To hem to whiche thou hast had som tyme
1184
Werre or enemytee, ne telle hem nat thy
1184
Conseil. -- / and seneca telleth the cause why:
1185
-- it may nat be. -- seith he, -- that where greet
1185
Fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther
1185
Ne dwelleth som vapour of warmness.
1185
-- / and therfore seith salomon, -- in
1186
Thyn olde foo trust nevere. -- / for sikerly,
1187
Though thyn enemy be reconsiled, and maketh
1187
thee chiere of hymylitee, and lowteth to
1187
Thee with his heed, ne trust hym nevere./ For
1188
Certes he maketh thilke feyned humilitee moore
1188
For his profit than for any love of thy persone,
1188
By cause that he deemeth to have victorie over
1188
Thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the
1188
Which victorie he myghte nat have by strif or
1188
Werre./ And peter alfonce seith, -- make no
1189
Felawshipe with thyne olde enemys; for if thou
1189
Do hem bountee, they wol perverten it into
1189
Wikkednesse. -- / and eek thou most eschue
1190
The conseillyng of hem that been thy servantz
1190
and beren thee greet reverence, for
1190
Peraventure they seyn it moore for drede
1190
Than for love./ And therfore seith a philosophre
1191
in this wise: ther is no wight
1191
Parfitly trewe to hym that he to soore dredeth.
1191
-- / and tullius seith, ther nys no myght
1192
So greet of any emperour that longe may endure,
1192
but if he have moore love of the peple
1192
Than drede. -- / thou shalt also eschue the conseiling
1193
of folk that been dronkelewe, for they
1193
Ne kan no conseil hyde./ For salomon seith,
1194
-- ther is no privetee ther as regneth dronkenesse.
1194
-- / ye shul also han in suspect the conseillyng
1195
of swich folk as conseille yow o thyng
1195
Prively, and conseille yow the contrarie
1195
Openly./ For cassidorie seith that -- it
1196
Is a manere sleighte to hyndre, whan he
1196
Sheweth to doon o thyng openly and werketh
1196
Prively the contrarie. -- / thou shalt also have
1197
In suspect the conseillyng of wikked folk, for Page 174
1197
The book seith, -- the conseillyng of wikked folk
1197
Is alwey ful of fraude. -- / and david seith, -- blisful
1198
is that man that hath nat folwed the con --
1198
Seilyng of shrewes. -- / thou shalt also eschue
1199
The conseillyng of yong folk, for hir conseil is
1199
Nat rype./
1200
Now, sire, sith I have shewed yow of
1200
Which folk ye shul take youre conseil, and of
1200
Which folk ye shul folwe the conseil,/
1200
now wol I teche yow how ye shal
1201
Examyne youre conseil, after the doctrine
1201
of tullius./ In the examynynge thanne
1202
Of youre conseillour ye shul considere manye
1202
Thynges./ Alderfirst thou shalt considere that
1203
In thilke thyng that thou purposest, and upon
1203
What thyng thou wolt have conseil, that verray
1203
Trouthe be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn,
1203
Telle trewely thy tale./ For he that seith fals
1204
May nat wel be conseilled in that cas of which
1204
He lieth./ And after this thou shalt considere the
1205
Thynges that acorden to that thou purposest for
1205
To do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde
1205
therto;/ and eek if thy myhgt may
1206
Atteine therto; and if the moore part and
1206
The bettre part of thy conseillours acorde therto,
1206
Or noon./ Thanne shaltou considere what
1207
Thyng shal folwe of that conseillyng, as hate,
1207
Pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage, and
1207
Manye othere thynges./ And in alle thise
1208
Thynges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve
1208
Alle othere thynges./ Thanne shaltow considere
1209
of what roote is engendred the matiere of
1209
Thy conseil, and what fruyt it may conceyve
1209
And engendre./ Thou shalt eek considere
1210
Alle thise causes, fro whennes they been
1210
Sprongen./ And whan ye han examyned
1211
youre conseil, as I have seyd, and
1211
Which partie is the bettre and moore profitable,
1211
and han approved it by manye wise folk
1211
And olde,/ thanne shaltou considere if thou
1212
Mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good
1212
Ende./ For certes, resoun wol nat that any
1213
Man sholde bigynne a thyng, but if he myghte
1213
Parfourne it as hym oghte;/ ne no wight sholde
1214
Take upon hym so hevy a charge that he
1214
Myghte nat bere it./ For the proverbe seith,
1215
-- he that to muche embraceth, distreyneth
1215
litel. -- / and catoun seith, -- assay
1216
To do swich thyng as thou hast power to
1216
Doon, lest that the charge oppresse thee so
1216
Soore that thee bihoveth to weyve thyng that
1216
Thou hast bigonne. -- / and if so be that thou
1217
Be in doute wheither thou mayst parfourne a
1217
Thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than bigynne./
1217
and piers alphonce seith, -- if thou hast
1218
Myght to doon a thyng of which thou most
1218
Repente, it is bettre nay than ye. -- / this is
1219
To seyn, that thee is bettre holde thy tonge
1219
Stille than for to speke./ Thanne may ye understonde
1220
by strenger resons that if thou hast
1220
Power to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt
1220
Repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre
1220
than bigynne./ Wel seyn they that
1221
Defenden every wight to assaye a thyng
1221
Of which he is in doute wheither he may parfourne
1221
it or noon./ And after, whan ye han
1222
Examyned youre conseil, as I have seyd biforn,
1222
And knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre
1222
Emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at
1222
And ende./
1223
Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow
1223
Whanne and wherfore that ye may chaunge
1223
Youre conseillours withouten youre repreve./
1224
Soothly, a man may chaungen his purpos and
1224
His conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a newe
1224
Caas bitydeth./ For the lawe seith that -- upon
1225
Thynges that newely bityden bihoveth
1225
Newe conseil. -- / and senec seith, -- if thy
1226
Conseil is comen to the eeris of thyn enemy,
1226
chaunge thy conseil. -- / thou matst also
1227
Chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou fynde
1227
That by errour, or by oother cause, harm or
1227
Damage may bityde./ Also if thy conseil be
1228
Dishonest, or ellis cometh of dishonest cause,
1228
Chaunge thy conseil./ For the lawes seyn that
1229
-- alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no
1229
Value -- ;/ and eek if so be that it be inpossible,
1230
or may nat goodly be parfourned
1230
Or kept./
1231
And take this for a general reule, that
1231
Every conseil that is affermed so strongly that
1231
It may nat be chaunged for no condicioun that
1231
May bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked./
1231
n=11232>This melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the
1232
Doctrine of his wyf dame prudence, answerde
1232
In this wyse:/ dame, quod he, as yet into
1233
This tyme ye han wel and covenably taught me
1233
As in general, how I shal governe me in the
1233
Chesynge and in the withholdynge of my conseillours./
1233
but now wolde I fayn that ye wolde
1234
Condescende in especial,/ and telle me how liketh
1235
yow, or what semeth yow, by oure conseillours
1235
that we han chosen in oure present
1235
nede./
1236
My lord, quod she, I biseke yow in al
1236
Humblesse that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn
1236
My resouns, ne distempre youre herte, thogh I Page 175
1236
Speke thyng that yow displese./ For God woot
1237
That, as in myn entente, I speke it for youre
1237
Beste, for youre honour, and for youre profite
1237
Eke./ And soothly, I hope that youre benyngnytee
1238
wol taken it in pacience./ Trusteth me
1239
Wel, quod she, that youre conseil as in this
1239
Caas ne sholde nat, as to speke properly, be
1239
Called a conseillyng, but a mocioun or a moevyng
1239
of folye,/ in which conseil ye han
1240
Erred in many a sondry wise./
1241
First and forward, ye han erred in
1241
Th' assemblynge of youre conseillours./ For ye
1242
Sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to youre
1242
Conseil, and after ye myghte han shewed it
1242
To mo folk, if it hadde been nede./ But certes,
1243
Ye han sodeynly cleped to youre conseil a greet
1243
Multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous
1243
for to heere./ Also ye han erred, for theras
1244
Ye sholden oonly have cleped to youre conseil
1244
Youre trewe frendes olde and wise./ Ye han
1245
Ycleped straunge folk, yonge folk, false flatereres,
1245
And enemys reconsiled, and folk that
1245
Doon yow reverence withouten love./
1246
And ekk also ye have erred, for ye han
1246
Broght with yow to youre conseil ire, coveitise,
1246
And hastifnesse,/ the whiche thre thinges been
1247
Contrariouse to every conseil honest and profitable;/
1247
the whiche thre thinges ye han nat
1248
Anientissed or destroyed hem, neither in youreself,
1248
ne in youre conseillours, as yow oghte./
1249
Ye han erred also, for ye han shewed to youre
1249
Conseillours youre talent and youre affeccioun
1249
To make werre anon, and for to do vengeance./
1250
They han espied by youre wordes to
1250
What thyng ye been enclyned;/ and
1251
Therfore han they rather conseilled
1251
Yow to youre talent that to youre profit./
1252
Ye han erred also, for it semeth that yow
1252
Suffiseth to han been conseilled by thise
1252
Conseillours oonly, and with litel avys,/
1253
Whereas in so greet and so heigh a nede
1253
It hadde been necessarie mo conseillours
1253
And moore deliberacion to parfourne youre emprise./
1253
ye han erred also, for ye ne han nat
1254
Examyned youre conseil in the forseyde manere,
1254
ne in due manere, as the caas requireth./
1255
Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no division
1255
bitwixe youre conseillours; this is to
1255
Seyn, bitwixen youre trewe freendes and
1255
Youre feyned conseillours;/ ne ye han
1256
Nat knowe the wil of youre trewe
1256
Freendes olde and wise;/ but ye han cast alle
1257
Hire wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned
1257
Youre herte to the moore part and to the gretter
1257
Nombre, and there been ye condescended./
1258
And sith ye woot wel that men shal alwey
1258
Fynde a gretter nombre of fooles than of wise
1258
Men,/ and therfore the conseils that been at
1259
Congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, there as
1259
Men take moore reward to the nombre than to
1259
The sapience of persones,/ ye se wel that in
1260
Swiche conseillynges fooles han the maistrie./
1260
Melibeus answerde agayn, and seyde,
1261
I graunte wel that I have erred;/ but there
1262
As thou hast toold me heerbiforn that he nys
1262
Nat to blame that chaungeth his conseillours in
1262
Certein caas and for certeine juste causes,/ I am
1263
Al redy to chaunge my conseillours right as thow
1263
Wolt devyse./ The proverbe seith that -- for
1264
To do synne is mannyssh, but certes for to persevere
1264
longe in synne is werk of the devel. -- /
1265
To this sentence answered anon dame
1265
Prudence, and seyde:/ examineth,
1266
Quod she, youre conseil, and lat us see
1266
The whiche of hem han spoken most resonably
1266
And taught yow best conseil./ And for as
1267
Muche as that the examynacion is necessarie,
1267
Lat us bigynne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens,
1267
that first speeken in this matiere./ I sey
1268
Yow that the surgiens and phisiciens han
1268
Seyd yow in youre conseil discreetly, as hem
1268
Oughte;/ and in hir speche seyden ful wisely
1269
That to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to
1269
Every wight honour and profit, and no wight
1269
For to anoye;/ and after hir craft to doon greet
1270
Diligence unto the cure of hem which
1270
That they han in hir governaunce./
1271
And, sire, right as they han answered
1271
Wisely and discreetly,/ right so rede I that they
1272
Been heighly and sovereynly gerdoned for hir
1272
Noble speche;/ and eek for they sholde do the
1273
Moore ententif bisynesse in the curacion of
1273
Youre doghter deere./ For al be it so that they
1274
Been youre freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren
1274
that they serve yow for noght,/ but ye
1275
Oghte the rather gerdone hem and shewe
1275
Hem youre largesse./ And as touchynge
1276
The proposicioun which that the phisiciens
1276
encreesceden in this caas, this is to seyn./
1277
That in maladies that oon contrarie is warisshed
1277
By another contrarie,/ I wolde fayn knowe hou
1278
Ye understonde thilke text, and what is youre
1278
Sentence./
1279
Certes, quod melibeus, I understonde
1279
It in this wise:/ that right as they han
1280
Doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I
1280
Doon hem another./ For right as they Page 176
1281
Han venged hem on me and doon me wrong,
1281
Right so shal I venge me upon hem and doon
1281
Hem wrong;/ and thanne have I cured oon contrarie
1282
by another./
1283
Lo, lo, quod dame prudence, how lightly
1283
Is every man enclined to his owene desir and
1283
To his owene plesaunce!/ certes, quod she,
1284
The wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat
1284
Han been understonden in thys wise./ For
1285
Certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse,
1285
ne vengeance to vengeaunce, ne
1285
Wrong to wrong, but they been semblable./
1285
and therfore o vengeaucne is
1286
Nat warisshed by another vengeaunce,
1286
Ne o wroong by another wroong,/ but everich
1287
Of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth oother./
1288
But certes, the wordes of the phisiciens sholde
1288
Been understonden in this wise:/ for dood and
1289
Wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and
1289
Werre, vengeaunce and suffraunce, discord and
1289
Accord, and manye othere thynges./ But certes,
1290
Wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse,
1290
Discord by accord, werre by pees, and
1290
So forth of othere thynges./ And heerto
1291
Accordeth seint paul the apostle in
1291
Manye places./ He seith: -- ne yeldeth nat
1292
Harm for harm, ne wikked speche for wikked
1292
Speche;/ but do wel to hym that dooth thee
1293
Harm, and blesse hym that seith to thee harm./
1294
And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees
1294
And accord./ But now wol I speke to yow of
1295
The conseil which that was yeven to yow
1295
By the men of lawe and the wise
1295
Folk,/ that seyden alle by oon accord,
1296
As ye han herd bifore,/ that over alle
1297
Thynges ye shal doon youre diligence to kepen
1297
Youre persone and to warnestoore youre hous;
1297
And seyden also that in this caas yow oghten
1297
For to werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun./
1297
and, sire, as to the firste point, that
1298
Toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone,/ ye
1299
Shul understonde that he that hath werre
1299
Shal everemoore mekely and devoutly
1299
Preyen, biforn alle thynges,/ that jhesus
1300
Crist of his mercy wol han hym in his
1300
Proteccion and been his sovereyn helpyng at
1300
His nede./ For certes, in this world ther is no
1301
Wight that may be conseilled ne kept sufficeantly
1301
Withouten the kepyng of oure lord jhesu
1301
Crist./ To this sentence accordeth the prophete
1302
david, that seith,/ -- if God ne kepe the
1303
Citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth. -- /
1304
Now, sire, thanne shul ye committe the kepyng
1304
of youre persone to youre trewe freendes,
1304
That been approved and yknowe,/ and
1305
Of hem shul ye axen help youre persone
1305
For to kepe. For catoun seith: -- if thou hast
1305
Nede of help, axe it of thy freendes;/ for ther
1306
Nys noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe
1306
Freend. -- / and after this thanne shul ye kepe
1307
Yow fro alle straunge folk, and fro lyeres, and
1307
Have alwey in suspect hire compaignye./ For
1308
Piers alfonce seith, -- ne taak no compaignye by
1308
The weye of a straunge man, but if so be that
1308
Thou have knowe hym of a lenger tyme./ And
1309
If so be that he falle into thy compaignye
1309
Paraventure, withouten thyn assent,/ enquere
1310
thanne as subtilly as thou mayst of
1310
His conversacion, and of his lyf bifore, and feyne
1310
Thy wey; seye that thou wolt thider as thou
1310
Wolt nat go;/ and if he bereth a spere, hoold
1311
Thee on the right syde, and if he bere a swerd,
1311
Hoold thee on the lift syde. -- / and after this
1312
Thanne shul ye kepe yow wisely from all swich
1312
Manere peple as I have seyd bifore, and hem
1312
And hir conseil eschewe./ And after this
1313
Thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere/
1314
That, for any presumpcion of youre strengthe,
1314
That ye ne dispise nat, ne accompte nat the
1314
Myght of youre adversarie so litel, that ye lete
1314
The kepyng of youre persone for youre
1314
Presumpcioun;/ for every wys man
1315
Dredeth his enemy./ And salomon
1316
Seith: -- weleful is he that of alle hath drede;/
1317
For certes, he that thurgh the hardynesse of
1317
His herte, and thurgh the hardynesse of
1317
Hymself, hath to greet presumpcioun, hym shal
1317
Yvel bityde. -- / thanne shul ye everemoore contrewayte
1318
embusshementz and alle espiaille./
1319
For senec seith that -- the wise man that
1319
Dredeth harmes, eschueth harmes,/ ne
1320
He ne falleth into perils that perils eschueth.
1320
-- / and al be it so that it seme that
1321
Thou art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do
1321
Thy diligence in kepynge of thy persone;/ this
1322
Is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone,
1322
nat oonly for thy gretteste enemys, but
1322
Fro thy leeste enemy./ Senek seith: -- a man
1323
That is well avysed, he dredeth his leste enemy.
1323
-- / ovyde seith that -- the litel wesele
1324
Wol slee the grete bole and the wilde
1324
Hert. -- / and the book seith, -- a litel
1325
Thorn may prikke a kyng ful soore, and
1325
An hound wol holde the wolde boor. -- / but
1326
Nathelees, I sey nat thou shalt be so coward
1326
That thou doute ther wher as is no drede./ The
1327
Book seith that -- somme folk han greet lust to
1327
Deceyve, but yet they dreden hem to be deceyved. Page 177
1327
-- / yet shaltou drede to been empoisoned,
1328
and kepe the from the compaignye of
1328
Scorneres./ For the book seith, -- with scorneres
1329
make no compaignye, but flee hire
1329
Wordes as venym. -- /
1330
Now, as to the seconde point, where
1330
As youre wise conseillours conseilled yow to
1330
Warnestoore youre hous with gret diligence,/
1331
I wolde fayn knowe how that ye understonde
1331
Thilke wordes and what is youre sentence./
1332
Melibeus answerde, and seyde, certes, I understande
1332
it in this wise: that I shal warne --
1332
Stoore myn hous with toures, swiche as han
1332
Castelles and othere manere edifices, and armure,
1332
and artelries;/ by whiche thynges I may
1333
My persone and myn hous so kepen and deffenden
1333
that myne enemys shul been in drede
1333
Myn hous for to approche./
1334
To this sentence answerde anon prudence:
1334
Warnestooryng, quod she, of heighe toures
1334
And of grete edifices apperteyneth somtyme
1334
to pryde./ And eek men make
1335
Heighe toures, and grete edifices with
1335
Grete costages and with greet travaille; and
1335
Whan that they been accompliced, yet be they
1335
Nat worth a stree, but if they be defended by
1335
Trewe freendes that been olde and wise./ And
1336
Understoond wel that the gretteste and strongeste
1336
garnysoun that a riche man may have, as
1336
Wel to kepen his persone as his goodes, is/
1337
That he be biloved with hys subgetz and with
1337
His neighebores./ For thus seith tullius, that
1338
-- ther is a manere garnysoun that no man may
1338
Vanquysse ne disconfite, and that is/ a lord to
1339
Be biloved of his citezeins and of his
1339
Peple. -- /
1340
Now, sire, as to the thridde point,
1340
Where as youre olde and wise conseillours
1340
Seyden that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne
1340
Hastily proceden in this nede,/ but that yow
1341
Oghte purveyen and apparaillen yow in this caas
1341
With greet diligence and greet deliberacioun;/
1342
Trewely, I trowe that they seyden right wisely
1342
And right sooth./ For tullius seith: -- in every
1343
Nede, er thou bigynne it, apparaille thee with
1343
Greet diligence. -- / thanne seye I that in vengeance-
1344
takyng, in were, in bataille, and
1344
In warnestooryng,/ er thow bigynne, I
1345
Rede that thou apparaille thee therto,
1345
And do it with greet deliberacion./ For tul
1346
Lius seith that -- longe apparaillyng biforn the
1346
Bataille maketh short victorie. -- / and cassidorus
1347
seith, -- the garnysoun is stronger, whan
1347
It is longe tyme avysed. -- /
1348
But now lat us speken of the conseil that
1348
Was accorded by youre neighebores, swiche
1348
As doon yow reverence withouten love,/
1349
Youre olde enemys reconsiled, youre flatereres,/
1349
that conseilled yow certeyne
1350
Thynges prively, and openly conseilleden
1350
Yow the contrarie;/ the yonge folk also, that
1351
Conseilleden yow to venge yow, and make
1351
Werre anon./ And certes, sire, as I have seyd
1352
Biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped
1352
Swich manere folk to youre conseil,/ which
1353
Conseillours been ynogh repreved by the re/
1354
Souns aforeseyd./ But nathelees, lat us now
1355
Descende to the special. Ye shuln first
1355
Procede after the doctrine of tullius./
1356
Certes, the trouthe of this matiere, or of
1356
This conseil, nedeth nat diligently enquere;/
1357
For it is wel wist whiche they been that han
1357
Doon to yow this trespas and vileynye,/ and
1358
How manye trespassours, and in what manere
1358
They han to yow doon al this wrong and al this
1358
Vileynye./ And after this, thanne shul ye examyne
1359
the seconde condicion which that the
1359
Same tullius addeth in this matiere./ For tullius
1360
put a thyng which that he clepeth
1360
-- consentynge -- ; this is to seyn,/ who been
1361
They, and which been they and how
1361
Manye, that consenten to thy conseil in thy
1361
Wilfulnesse to doon hastif vengeance./ And
1362
Lat us considere also who been they, and how
1362
Manye been they, and whiche been they, that
1362
Consenteden to youre adversaries./ And certes,
1363
As to the first poynt, it is wel knowen whiche
1363
Folk been they that consenteden to youre hastif
1363
Wilfulnesse;/ for trewely, alle tho that conseilleden
1364
yow to maken sodeyn were ne been nat
1364
Youre freendes./ Lat us now considere whiche
1365
Been they that ye holde so greetly youre
1365
Freendes as to youre persone./ For al
1366
Be it so that ye be myghty and riche,
1366
Certes ye ne been but allone,/ for certes ye ne
1367
Han no child but a doghter,/ ne ye ne han
1368
Brotheren, ne cosyns germayns, ne noon oother
1368
Neigh kynrede,/ wherfore that youre enemys
1369
For drede wholde stinte to plede with yow, or
1369
To destroye youre persone./ Ye knowen also
1370
That youre richesses mooten been dispended
1370
in diverse parties,/ and whan
1371
That every wight hath his part, they ne
1371
Wollen taken but litel reward to venge thy
1371
Deeth./ But thyne enemys been thre, and they
1372
Han manie children, bretheren, cosyns, and
1372
Oother ny kynrede./ And though so were that
1373
Thou haddest slayn of hem two or tree, yet Page 178
1373
Dwellen ther ynowe to wreken hir deeth and
1373
To sle thy persone./ And though so be that
1374
Youre kynrede be moore siker and stedefast
1374
Than the kyn of youre adversarie,/ yet nathelees
1375
youre kynrede nys but a fer kynrede;
1375
they been but litel syb to yow,/
1376
And the kyn of youre enemys been ny
1376
Syb to hem. And certes, as in that, hir condicioun
1376
is bet than youres./ Thanne lat us considere
1377
also if the conseillung of hem that conseilleden
1377
yow to taken sodeyn bengeaunce,
1377
Wheither it accorde to resoun./ And certes, ye
1378
Knowe wel -- nay. -- / for, as by right and resoun,
1379
Ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight
1379
But the juge that hath the jurisdiccioun of it,/
1380
Whan it is graunted hym to take thilke vengeance
1380
hastily or attemprely, as the lawe
1380
Requireth./ And yet mooreover of thilke
1381
Word that tullius clepeth -- consentynge,
1381
-- / thou shalt considere if thy myght and
1382
Thy power may consenten and suffise to thy
1382
Wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours./ And certes
1383
Thou mayst wel seyn that -- nay. -- / for sikerly,
1384
as for to speke proprely, we may do
1384
No thyng, but oonly swich thyng as we may
1384
Doon rightfully./ And certes rightfully ne mowe
1385
Ye take no vengeance, as of youre
1385
Propre auctoritee./ Thanne mowe ye
1386
Seen that youre power ne consenteth
1386
Nat, ne accordeth nat, with youre wilfulnesse./
1387
Lat us now examyne the thridde point, that
1387
Tullius clepeth -- consequent. -- / thou shal understonde
1388
that the vengeance that thou purposest
1388
for to take is the consequent;/ and
1389
Therof folweth another vengeaunce, peril, and
1389
Werre, and othere damages withoute nombre,
1389
Of whiche we be nat war, as at this tyme./
1390
And as touchynge the fourthe point,
1390
That tullius clepeth -- engendrynge, -- /
1391
Thou shalt considere that this wrong
1391
Which that is doon to thee is engendred of the
1391
Hate of thyne enemys,/ and of the vengeance-
1392
Takynge upon that wolde engendre another
1392
Vengeance, and muchel sorwe and wastynge
1392
Of richesses, as I seyde./
1393
Now, sire, as to the point that tullius clepeth
1393
-- causes, -- which that is the laste point,/ thou
1394
Shalt understonde that the worng that thou hast
1394
Receyved hath certeine causes,/ whiche that
1395
Clerkes clepen oriens and efficiens, and causa
1395
Longinqua and causa propinqua, this is
1395
To seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause./
1396
The fer cause is almyghty god, that is
1396
Cause of alle thynges./ The neer cause is thy
1397
Thre enemys.// the cause accidental was hate./
1399
The cause material been the fyve woundes of
1399
Thy doghter./ The cause formal is the manere
1400
Of hir werkynge that broghten laddres
1400
And cloumben in at thy wyndowes./
1401
The cause final was for to sle thy doghter.
1401
it letted nat in as muche as in hem was./
1402
But for to speken of the fer cause, as to what
1402
Ende they shul come, or what shal finally bityde
1402
Of hem in this caas, ne kan I nat deeme but
1402
By conjectynge and by supposynge./ For we
1403
Shul suppose that they shul come to a wikked
1403
Ende,/ by cause that the book of decrees seith,
1404
-- seelden, or with greet peyne, been causes
1404
Ybroght to good ende whanne they been baddely
1404
bigonne. -- /
1405
Now, sire, if men wolde axe me why that
1405
God suffred men to do yow this vileynye, certes,
1405
I kan nat wel answere, as for no soothfastnesse./
1405
for th' apostle seith that -- the
1406
Sciences and the juggementz of oure
1406
Lord God almyghty been ful depe;/ ther may
1407
No man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly.
1407
-- / nathelees, by certeyne presumpciouns
1408
and conjectynges, I holde and bileeve/
1409
That god, which that is ful of justice and of
1409
Rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by juste
1409
Cause resonable./
1410
Thy name is melibee, this is to seyn,
1410
-- a man that drynketh hony. -- / thou hast
1411
Ydronke so muchel hony of sweete temporeel
1411
richesses, and delices and honours of
1411
This world,/ that thou art dronken, and hast
1412
Forgeten jhesu crist thy creatour./ Thou ne
1413
Hast nat doon to hym swich honour and reverence
1413
as thee oughte,/ ne thou ne hast nat
1414
Wel ytaken kep to the wordes of ovide, that
1414
Seith,/ -- under the hony of the goodes of
1415
The body is hyd the venym that sleeth
1415
The soule -- / and salomon seith, -- if thou
1416
Hast founden hony, ete of it that suffiseth;/
1416
for if thou ete of it out of mesure, thou
1417
Shalt spewe, -- and be nedy and povre./ And
1418
Peraventure crist hath thee in despit, and hath
1418
Turned awey fro thee his face and his eeris of
1418
Misericorde;/ and also he hath suffred that thou
1419
Hast been punysshed in the manere that thow
1419
Hast ytrespassed./ Thou hast doon
1420
Synne agayn oure lord crist;/ for certes,
1421
The three enemys of mankynde, that is to
1421
Seyn, the flessh, the feend, and the world,/
1422
Thou hast suffred hem entre in to thyn herte
1422
Wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body,/ and
1423
Hast nat defended thyself suffisantly agayns Page 179
1423
Hire assautes and hire temptaciouns, so that they
1423
Han wounded thy soule in fyve places;/ this is
1424
To seyn, the deedly synnes that been entred into
1424
Thyn herte by thy fyve wittes./ And in the
1425
Same manere oure lord crist hath woold and
1425
Suffred that thy three enemys been entred
1425
into thyn house by the wyndowes,/
1426
And han ywounded thy doghter in the
1426
Forseyde manere./
1427
Certes, quod melibee, I se wel that ye
1427
Enforce yow muchel by wordes to overcome
1427
Me in swich manere that I shal nat venge me
1427
Of myne enemys,/ shewynge me the perils and
1428
The yveles that myghten falle of this vengeance./
1428
but whoso wolde considere in alle
1429
Vengeances the perils and yveles that myghte
1429
Sewe of vengeance-takynge,/ a man wolde
1430
Nevere take vengeance, and that were
1430
Harm;/ for by the vengeance-takynge
1431
Been the wikked men dissevered fro the
1431
Goode men,/ and they that han wyl to do wikkednesse
1432
restreyne hir wikked purpos, whan
1432
They seen the punyssynge and chastisynge of
1432
The trespassours./
1433
(et a ce respont dame prudence, certes,
1433
Dist elle, je t' ottroye que de vengence vient
1433
Molt de maulx et de biens;/ mais vengence
1434
N' appartient pas a un chascun fors seulement
1434
Aux juges et a ceulx qui ont la juridicion sur
1434
Les malfaitteurs.)/ and yet seye I moore, that
1435
Right as singuler persone synneth in
1435
Takynge vengeance of another man,/
1436
Right so synneth the juge if he do no
1436
Vengeance of hem that it han disserved./ For
1437
Senec seith thus: -- that maister, -- he seith, -- is
1437
Good that proveth shrewes. -- / and as cassidore
1438
seith, -- a man dredeth to do outrages
1438
Whan he woot and knoweth that it despleseth
1438
To the juges and the sovereyns. -- / and another
1439
Seith, -- the juge that dredeth to do right, maketh
1439
men shrewes. -- / and seint paul the apostle
1440
seith in his epistle, whan he writeth unto
1440
The romayns, that -- the juges beren nat
1440
The spere withouten cause,/ but they
1441
Beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoers,
1441
and for to defende the goode men./ If ye
1442
Wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys, ye
1442
Shul retourne or have youre recours to the juge
1442
That hath the jurisdiccion upon hem,/ and he
1443
Shal punysse hem as the lawe axeth and requireth./
1443
A! quod melibee, this vengeance liketh
1444
Me no thyng./ I bithenke me now and take
1445
Heede how fortune hath norissed me fro my
1445
Childhede, and hath holpen me to passe
1445
Many a stroong paas./ Now wol I assayen
1446
hire, trowynge, with goddes help,
1446
That she shal helpe me my shame for to
1446
Venge./
1447
Certes, quod prudence, if ye wol werke
1447
By conseil, ye shul nat assaye fortune by
1447
No wey,/ ne ye shul nat lene or bowe unto
1448
Hire, after the word of senec;/ for -- thynges that
1449
Been folily doon, and that been in hope of
1449
Fortune, shullen nevere come to good ende. -- /
1450
And, as the same senec seith, -- the moore cleer
1450
And the moore shynyng that fortune is, the
1450
Moore brotil and the sonner broken she
1450
Is -- ./ Trusteth nat in hire, for she nys
1451
Nat stidefast ne stable;/ for whan thow
1452
Trowest to be moost seur or siker of hire help,
1452
She wol faille thee and deceyve thee./ And
1453
Where as ye seyn that fortune hath norissed
1453
Yow fro youre childhede,/ I seye that in so
1454
Muchel shul ye the lasse truste in hire and in
1454
Hir wit./ For senec seith, -- what man that is
1455
Norissed by fortune, she maketh hym
1455
A greet fool. -- / now thanne, syn ye desire
1456
and axe vengeance, and the vengeance
1456
that is doon after the lawe and bifore
1456
The juge ne liketh yow nat,/ and the vengeance
1457
That is doon in hope of fortune is perilous and
1457
Uncertein,/ thanne have ye noon oother remedie
1458
but for to have youre recours unto the sovereyn
1458
juge that vengeth alle vileynyes and
1458
Wronges./ And he shal venge yow after that
1459
Hymself witnesseth, where as he seith,/ -- leveth
1460
the vengeance to me, and I shal
1460
Do it. -- /
1461
Melibee answerde, if I ne venge me
1461
Nat of the vileynye that men han doon to me,/
1462
I sompne or warne hem that han doon to me
1462
That vileynye, and alle othere, to do me another
1462
Vileynye./ For it is writen, -- if thou take no
1463
Vengeance of an oold vileynye, thou sompnest
1463
Thyne adversaries to do thee a newe vileynye. -- /
1464
And also for my suffrance men wolden do
1464
Me so muchel vileynye that I myghte neither
1464
Bere it ne susteene,/ and so sholde I
1465
Been put and holden overlowe./ For
1466
Men seyn, -- in muchel suffrynge shul
1466
Manye thynges falle unto thee whiche thou
1466
Shalt nat mowe suffre. -- /
1467
Certes, quod prudence, I graunte yow
1467
That over -- muchel suffraunce is nat good./ But
1468
Yet ne folweth it nat therof that every persone
1468
To whom men doon vileynye take of it vengeance;/
1468
for that aperteneth and longeth al Page 180
1469
Oonly to the juges, for they shul venge the
1469
Vileynyes and injuries./ And therfore tho two
1470
Auctoritees that ye han seyd above been
1470
Oonly understonden in the juges./ For
1471
Whan they suffren over-muchel the
1471
Wronges and the vileynyes to be doon withouten
1471
punysshynge,/ the sompne nat a man
1472
Al oonly for to do newe wronges, but they
1472
Comanden it./ Also a wys man seith that the
1473
Juge that correcteth nat the synnere comandeth
1473
and biddeth hym do synne. -- / and the juges
1474
And sovereyns myghten in hir land so muchel
1474
Suffre of the shrewes and mysdoeres/ that they
1475
Sholden, by swich suffrance, by proces of
1475
Tyme wexen of swich power and myght that
1475
They sholden putte out the juges and the
1475
Sovereyns from hir places,/ and atte laste
1476
Maken hem lesen hire lordshipes./
1477
But lat us now putte that ye have leve to
1477
Venge yow./ I seye ye been nat of myght and
1478
Power as now to venge yow;/ for if ye wole
1479
Maken comparisoun unto the myght of youre
1479
Adversaries, ye shul fynde in manye thynges
1479
That I have shewed yow er this that hire condicion
1479
is bettre than youres./ And therfore
1480
Seye I that it is good as now that ye suffre
1480
and be pacient./
1481
Forthermoore, ye knowen wel that
1481
After the comune sawe, -- it is a woodnesse a
1481
Man to stryve with a strenger or a moore
1481
Myghty man than he is hymself;/ and for to
1482
Stryve with a man of evene strengthe, that is
1482
To seyn, with as strong a man as he is, it is
1482
Peril;/ and for to stryve with a weyker man, it
1483
Is folie. -- / and therfore sholde a man flee stryvynge
1484
as muchel as he myghte./ For salomon
1485
Seith, -- it is a greet worshipe to a man to
1485
Kepen hym fro noyse and stryf. -- / and
1486
If it so bifalle or happe that a man of
1486
Gretter myght and strengthe than thou art do
1486
Thee grevaunce,/ studie and bisye thee rather
1487
To stille the same grevaunce than for to venge
1487
Thee./ For senec seith that -- he putteth hym in
1488
Greet peril that stryveth with a gretter man
1488
Than he is hymself. -- / and catoun seith, -- if a
1489
Man of hyer estaat or degree, or moore myghty
1489
Than thou, do thee anoy or grevaunce, suffre
1489
Hym;/ for he that oones hath greved thee,
1490
May another tyme releeve thee and
1490
Helpe. -- / yet sette I caas, ye have bothe
1491
Myght and licence for to venge yow,/ I
1492
Seye that ther be ful manye thynges that shul
1492
Restreyne yow of vengeance-takynge,/ and
1493
Make yow for to enclyne to suffre, and for to
1493
Han pacience in the wronges that han been
1493
Doon to yow./ First and foreward, if ye wole
1494
Considere the defautes that been in youre
1494
Owene persone,/ for whiche defautes God hath
1495
Suffred yow have this tribulacioun, as I
1495
Have seyd yow heer-biforn./ For the
1496
Poete seith that -- we oghte paciently
1496
Taken the tribulacions that comen to us, whan
1496
We thynken and consideren that we han disserved
1496
to have hem. -- / and seint gregorie
1497
Seith that -- whan a man considereth wel the
1497
Nombre of his defautes and of his synnes,/ the
1498
Peynes and the tribulaciouns that he suffreth
1498
Semen the lesse unto hym;/ and in as muche
1499
As hym thynketh his synnes moore hevy and
1499
Grevous,/ in so muche semeth his peyne
1500
The lighter and the esier unto hym. -- /
1501
Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre
1501
Herte to take the pacience of oure lord jhesu
1501
Crist, as seith seint peter in his epistles./
1502
Jhesu crist, -- he seith, -- hath suffred for us and
1502
Yeven ensample to every man to folwe and
1502
Sewe hym;/ for he dide nevere synne, ne nevere
1503
cam ther a vileyns word out of his mouth./
1504
Whan men cursed hym, he cursed hem noght;
1504
And whan men betten hym, he manaced hem
1504
Noght. -- / also the grete pacience which the
1505
Seintes that been in paradys han had in tribulaciouns
1505
that they han ysuffred, withouten
1505
Hir desert or gilt,/ oghte muchel stiren
1506
Yow to pacience./ Forthermoore ye
1507
Sholde enforce yow to have pacience,/ considerynge
1508
that the tribulaciouns of this world but
1508
Litel while endure, and soone passed been and
1508
Goon,/ and the joye that a man seketh to have
1509
By pacience in tribulaciouns is perdurable,
1509
After that the apostle seith in his epistle./ The
1510
Joye of god, he seith, is perdurable,
1510
That is to seyn, everelastynge./ Also
1511
Troweth and bileveth stedefastly that he
1511
Nys nat wel ynorissed, ne wel ytaught, that kan
1511
Nat have pacience, or wol nat receyve pacience./
1511
for salomon seith that -- the doctrine
1512
And the wit of a man is knowen by pacience. -- /
1513
And in another place he seith that -- he that is
1513
Pacient governeth hym by greet prudence. -- /
1514
And the same salomon seith, -- the angry and
1514
Wrathful man maketh noyses, and the pacient
1514
Man atempreth hem and stilleth. -- / he seith
1515
Also, -- it is moore worth to be pacient
1515
Than for to be right strong;/ and he
1516
That may have the lordshipe of his
1516
Owene herte is moore to preyse than he that
1516
By his force or strengthe taketh grete citees. -- / Page 181
1517
And therfore seith seint jame in his epistle that
1517
-- pacience is a greet vertu of perfeccioun. -- /
1518
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow,
1518
Dame prudence, that pacience is greet vertu
1518
Of perfeccioun;/ but every man may nat have
1519
The perfeccioun that ye seken;/ ne I nam
1520
Nat of the nombre of right parfite men,/
1521
For myn herte may nevere been in pees
1521
Unto the tyme it be venged./ And al be it so
1522
That it was greet peril to myne enemys to do
1522
Me a vileynye in takynge vengeance upon me,/
1523
Yet tooken they noon heede of the peril, but
1523
Fulfilleden hir wikked wyl and hir corage./
1524
And therfore me thynketh men oghten nat
1524
Repreve me, though I putte me in a litel peril
1524
For to venge me,/ and though I do a greet
1525
Excesse, that is to seyn, that I venge
1525
Oon outrage by another./
1526
A, quod dame prudence, ye seyn
1526
Youre wyl and as yow liketh,/ but in no caas
1527
Of the world a man sholde nat doon outrage
1527
Ne excesse for to vengen hym./ For cassidore
1528
Seith that -- as yvele dooth he that vengeth hym
1528
By outrage as he that dooth the outrage. -- / and
1529
Therfore ye shul venge yow after the ordre of
1529
Right, that is to seyn, by the lawe, and noght
1529
By excesse ne by outrage./ And also, if ye
1530
Wol venge yow of the outrage of youre adversaries
1530
in oother manere than right comandeth,
1530
ye synne./ And therfore seith senec
1531
That -- a man shal nevere vengen shrewednesse
1531
by shrewednesse. -- / and if ye seye that
1532
Right axeth a man to defenden violence by violence,
1532
and fightyng by fightyng,/ certes ye seye
1533
Sooth, whan the defense is doon anon withouten
1533
intervalle or withouten tariyng or delay,/
1533
for to deffenden hym and nat for to
1534
Vengen hym./ And it bihoveth that a man
1535
Putte swich attemperance in his deffense/
1535
that men have no cause ne matiere
1536
to repreven hym that deffendeth
1536
Hym of excesse and outrage, for ellis were it
1536
Agayn resoun./ Pardee, ye knowen wel that
1537
Ye maken no deffense as now for to deffende
1537
Yow, but for to venge yow;/ and so seweth
1538
It that ye han no wyl to do youre dede attemprely./
1538
and therfore me thynketh that pacience
1539
is good; for salomon seith that -- he that
1539
Is nat pacient shal have a greet harm. -- /
1540
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow that
1540
Whan a man is inpacient and wrooth, of that
1540
That toucheth hym noght and that aperteneth
1540
Nat unto hym, though it harme hym, it
1540
Is no wonder./ For the lawe seith that
1541
-- he is coupable that entremetteth hym or
1541
Medleth with swych thyng as aperteneth nat
1541
Unto hym. -- / and salomon seith that -- he that
1542
Entremetteth hym of the noyse or strif of another
1542
man is lyk to hym that taketh an hound
1542
By the eris. -- / for right as he that taketh a
1543
Straunge hound by the eris is outherwhile biten
1543
With the hound,/ right in the same wise is it
1544
Resoun that he have harm that by his inpacience
1544
medleth hym of the noyse of another
1544
Man, wheras it aperteneth nat unto hym./ But
1545
Ye knowen wel that this dede, that is to seyn,
1545
My grief and my disese, toucheth me
1545
Right ny./ And therfore, though I be
1546
Wrooth and inpacient, it is no merveille./
1547
And, savynge youre grace, I kan nat seen that it
1547
Myghte greetly harme me though I tooke vengeaunce./
1547
for I am richer and moore myghty
1548
Than myne enemys been;/ and wel knowen ye
1549
That by moneye and by havynge grete possessions
1549
been alle the thynges of this world governed./
1549
and salomon seith that -- alle
1550
Thynges abeyen to moneye. -- /
1551
Whan prudence hadde herd hir housbonde
1551
avanten hym of his richesse and of his
1551
Moneye, dispreisynge the power of his adversaries,
1551
she spak, and seyde in this wise:/
1552
Certes, deere sire, I graunte yow that ye been
1552
Riche and myghty,/ and that the richesses been
1553
Goode to hem that han wel ygeten hem and wel
1553
Konne usen hem./ For right as the body of a
1554
Man may nat lyven withoute the soule, namoore
1554
May it lyve withouten temporeel goodes./ And
1555
By richesses may a man gete hym grete
1555
Freendes./ And therfore seith pamphilles:
1556
-- if a net -- herdes doghter, -- seith
1556
He, -- be riche, she may chesen of a thousand
1556
Men which she wol take to hir housbonde;/
1557
For, of a thousand men, oon wol nat forsaken
1557
Hire ne refusen hire. -- / and this pamphilles
1558
Seith also: -- if thow be right happy -- that is to
1558
Seyn, if thou be right riche -- thou shalt fynde
1558
A greet nombre of felawes and freendes./ And
1559
If thy fortune change that thou wexe povre,
1559
Farewel freendshipe and felaweshipe;/ for thou
1560
Shalt be alloone withouten any compaignye,
1560
But if it be the compaignye of povre
1560
Folk. -- / and yet seith this pamphilles
1561
Moreover that -- they that been thralle and
1561
Bonde of lynage shullen been maad worthy and
1561
Noble by the richesses. -- / and right so as by
1562
Richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so
1562
By poverte come ther manye harmes and
1562
Yveles./ For greet poverte constreyneth a man Page 182
1563
To do manye yveles./ And therfore clepeth
1564
Cassidore poverte the mooder of ruyne,/ that
1565
Is to seyn, the mooder of overthrowynge
1565
Or fallynge doun./ And therfore seith
1566
Piers alfonce: -- oon of the gretteste adversitees
1566
of this world is/ whan a free man by
1567
Kynde or of burthe is constreyned by poverte
1567
To eten the almesse of his enemy, -- / and the
1568
Same seith innocent in oon of his bookes. He
1568
Seith that -- sorweful and myshappy is the condicioun
1568
of a povre beggere;/ for if he axe nat
1569
His mete, he dyeth for hunger;/ and if he axe,
1570
He dyeth for shame; and algates necessitee
1570
constreyneth hym to axe. -- / and
1571
Seith salomon that -- bet it is to dye than
1571
For to have swich poverte. -- / and as the same
1572
Salomon seith, -- bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth
1572
Than for to lyven in swich wise. -- / by thise
1573
Resons that I have seid unto yow, and by manye
1573
Othere resons that I koude seye,/ I graunte yow
1574
That richesses been goode to hem that geten
1574
Hem wel, and to hem that wel usen tho richesses./
1574
and therfore wol I shewe yow hou ye
1575
Shul have yow and how ye shul bere yow in
1575
Gaderynge of richesses, and in what
1575
Manere ye shul usen hem./
1576
First, ye shul geten hem withouten
1576
Greet desir, by good leyser, sokyngly and nat
1576
Over-hastily./ For a man that is to desirynge
1577
To gete richesses abaundoneth hym first to
1577
Thefte, and to alle othere yveles;/ and therfore
1578
seith salomon, -- he that hasteth hym to
1578
Bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent. -- /
1579
He seith also that -- the richesses that hastily cometh
1579
to a man, soone and lightly gooth and
1579
Passeth fro a man;/ but that richesse that
1580
Cometh litel and litel, wexeth alwey and
1580
Multiplieth. -- / and, sire
1581
Richesses by youre wit and by youre
1581
Travaille unto youre profit;/ and that withouten
1582
Wrong or hamr doynge to any oother persone./
1583
For tha lawe seith that -- ther maketh no man
1583
Himselven riche, if he do harm to another
1583
Wight. -- / this is to seyn, htat nature deffendeth
1584
and fordedeth by right that no man make
1584
Hymself riche unto the harm of another persone./
1584
and tulliur seith that -- no sorwe, ne no
1585
Drede of deeth, ne no thyng that may
1585
Falle unto a man,/ is so muchel agayns
1586
Nature as a man to encressen his owene
1586
Profit to the harm of another man./ And
1587
Though the grete man and the myghty men
1587
Geten richesses moore lightly than thou, / yet
1588
Shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit,
1588
For thou shalt in alle wise flee ydelnesse. -- / for
1589
Salomon seith that -- ydelnesse techeth a man to
1589
Do manye yveles. -- / and the same salomon
1590
Seith that -- he that travailleth and bisieth
1590
Hym to tilien his land, shal eten breed;/
1591
But he that is ydel and casteth hym to
1591
No bisynesse ne occupacioun, shal falle into
1591
Poverte, and dye for hynger. -- / and he that is
1592
Ydel and slow kan nevere fynde covenable
1592
Tyme for to doon his profit./ For ther is a
1593
Versifiour seith that -- the ydel man excuseth hym
1593
In wynter by cause of the grete coold, and in
1593
Somer by enchesoun of the greete heete. -- / for
1594
Thise causes seith caton, -- waketh and enclyneth
1594
nat yow over -- muchel for to slepe, for overmuchel
1594
reste norisseth and causeth manye
1594
Vices. -- / and therfore seith seint jerome,
1595
-- dooth somme goode dedes that the devel,
1595
Which is oure enemy, ne fynde yow nat
1595
Unocupied. -- / for the devel ne taketh
1596
Nat lightly unto his werkynge swiche as
1596
He fyndeth occupied in goode werkes./
1597
Thanne thus, in getynge richesses, ye mosten
1597
Flee ydelnesse./ And afterward, ye shul use
1598
The richesses which ye have geten by youre wit
1598
And by youre travaille,/ in swich a manere that
1599
Men holde yow nat to scars, ne to sparynge, ne
1599
To fool-large, that is to seyen, over-large a
1599
Spendere./ For right as men blamen an avaricious
1600
man by cause of his scarsetee and
1600
Chyncherie,/ in the same wise is he to
1601
Blame that spendeth over-largely./ And
1602
Therfore seith caton: -- use, -- he seith, -- thy richesses
1602
that thou hast geten/ in swich a manere
1603
That men have no matiere ne cause to calle
1603
The neither wrecche ne chynche;/ for it is a
1604
Greet shame to a man to have a povere herte
1604
And a riche purs. -- / he seith also: -- the goodes
1605
That thou hast ygeten, use hem by mesure, --
1605
That is to seyn, spende hem mesurably;/
1605
for they that folily wasten and
1606
Despenden the goodes that they han,/
1607
What they han namoore propre of hir owene,
1607
They shapen hem to take the goodes of another
1607
Man./ I seye thanne that ye shul fleen avarice;/
1608
usynge youre richesses in swich manere
1609
That men seye nat that youre richesses been
1609
Yburyed,/ but that ye have hem in
1610
Youre myght and in youre weeldynge./
1611
For a wys man repreveth the avaricious
1611
Man, and seith thus in two vers:/ -- wherto and
1612
Why burieth a man his goodes by his grete
1612
Avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste
1612
He dye?/ for deeth is the ende of every man Page 183
1613
As in this present lyf. -- / and for what cause or
1614
Enchesoun joyneth he hym or knytteth he hym
1614
So faste unto his goodes/ that alle hise wittes
1615
Mowen nat disseveren hym or departen
1615
Hym from his goodes,/ and knoweth
1616
Wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is
1616
Deed he shal no thyng bere with hym out of
1616
This world?/ and therfore seith seint austyn
1617
That -- the avaricious man is likned unto helle,/
1618
That the moore it swelweth. The moore desir it
1618
Hath to swelwe and devoure. -- / and as wel as
1619
Ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious
1619
Man or chynche,/ as wel sholde ye kepe yow
1620
And governe yow in swich a wise that
1620
Men calle yow nat fool-large./ Therfore
1621
seith tullius: -- the goodes, -- he seith,
1621
-- of thyn hous ne sholde nat been hyd ne kept
1621
So cloos, but that they myghte been opened
1621
By pitee and debonairetee; -- / that is to seyn, to
1622
Yeven part to hem that han greet nede;/ -- ne
1623
Thy goodes shullen nat been so opene to been
1623
Every mannes goodes. -- / afterward, in getynge
1624
Of youre richesses and in usynge hem, ye shul
1624
Alwey have thre thynges in youre herte,/ that
1625
Is to seyn, oure lord god, conscience,
1625
And good name./ First, ye shul have
1626
God in youre herte,/ and for no richesse
1627
Ye shullen do no thyng which may in any
1627
Manere displese god, that is youre creator
1627
And makere./ For after the word of salomon,
1628
-- it is bettre to have a litel good with the love
1628
Of god,/ than to have muchel good and tresour,
1629
and lese the love of his lord god./ And
1630
The prophete seith that -- bettre it is to been
1630
A good man and have litel good and
1630
Tresour,/ than to been holden a shrewe
1631
And have grete richesses. -- / and yet seye
1632
I ferthermoore, that ye sholde alwey doon youre
1632
Bisynesse to gete yow richesses,/ so that ye
1633
Gete hem with good conscience./ And th' apostle
1634
seith that -- ther nys thyng in this world
1634
Of which we sholden have so greet joye as
1634
Whan oure conscience bereth us good witnesse.
1634
-- / and the wise man seith, -- the substance
1635
of a man is ful good, whan synne
1635
Is nat in mannes conscience. -- / afterward,
1636
in getynge of youre richesses and
1636
In usynge of hem,/ yow moste have greet bisynesse
1637
and greet diligence that youre goode
1637
Name be alwey kept and conserved./ For salomon
1638
seith that -- bettre it is an moore it availleth
1638
a man to have a good name, than for
1638
To have grete richesses. -- / and therfore he
1639
Seith in another place, -- do greet diligence,
1639
Seith salomon, -- in kepyng of thy freend and
1639
Of thy goode name;/ for it shal lenger abide
1640
With thee than any tresour, be it never
1640
So precious. -- / and certes he sholde nat
1641
Be called a gentil man that after god
1641
And good conscience, alle thynges left, ne
1641
Dooth his diligence and bisynesse to kepen his
1641
Goode name./ And cassidore seith that -- it is
1642
Signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and
1642
Desireth to han a good name. -- / and therfore
1643
Seith seint austyn that -- ther been two thynges
1643
That arn necessarie and nedefulle,/ and that
1644
Is good conscience and good loos;/ that is to
1645
Seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone
1645
Inward, and good loos for thy neighebor
1645
Outward. -- / and he that trusteth hym so
1646
Muchel in his goode conscience/ that he
1647
Displeseth, and setteth at noght his goode
1647
Name or loos, and rekketh noght though he
1647
Kepe nat his goode neam, nys but a crueel
1647
Cherl./
1648
Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul
1648
Do in getynge richesses, and how ye shullen
1648
Usen hem,/ and I se wel that for the trust
1649
That ye han in youre richesses ye wole moeve
1649
Werre and bataille./ I conseille yow that ye
1650
Bigynne no were in trust of youre richesses,
1650
For thay ne suffisen noght werres to
1650
Mayntene./ And therfore seith a philosophre,
1651
hthat man that desireth and
1651
Wole algates han werre, shal nevere have suffisaunce;/
1651
for the richer that he is, the gretter
1652
Despenses moste he make, if he wole have worshipe
1652
and victorei. -- / and salomon seith that
1653
-- the gretter richesses that a man hath, the mo
1653
Despendours he hath. -- / and, deere sire, al be
1654
It so that for youre richesses ye mowe have
1654
Muchel folk,/ yet bihoveth it nat, ne it is nat
1655
Good, to bigynne werre, whereas ye mowe in
1655
Oother manere have pees unto youre
1655
Worshipe and profit./ For the victorie
1656
Of batailles that been in this world lyth
1656
Nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple,
1656
Ne in the vertu of man,/ but it lith in the wyl
1657
And in the hand of oure lord God almyghty./
1658
And therfore judas machabeus, which was
1658
Goddes knyght,/ whan he sholde fighte agayn
1659
His adversarie that hadde a gretter nombre and
1659
A gretter multitude of folk and strenger than
1659
Was this peple of machabee,/ yet he reconforted
1660
his litel compaignye, and seyde
1660
Right in this wise:/ -- als lightly, -- quod
1661
He, -- may oure lord God almyghty yeve
1661
Victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk;/ for the Page 184
1662
Victorie of a bataile comth nat by the grete
1662
Nombre of peple,/ but it cometh from oure
1663
Lord God of hevene. -- / and, deere sire, for as
1664
Muchel is ther is no man certein if he be
1664
Worthy that God yeve hym victorie, (ne plus
1664
Que il est certain se il est digne de l' amour de
1664
Dieu), or naught, after that salomon seith,/
1665
Therfore every man sholde greetly drede
1665
Werres to bigynne./ And by cause that
1666
In batailles fallen manye perils,/ and
1667
Happeth outher while that as soone is the grete
1667
Man slayn as the litel man;/ and as it is writen
1668
In the seconde book of kynges, -- the dedes of
1668
Batailles been aventurouse and nothyng certeyne,/
1668
for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere
1669
As another; -- / and for ther is gret peril in
1670
Werre; therfore sholde a man flee and eschue
1670
Werre, in as muchel as a man may
1670
Goodly./ For salomon seith, -- he that
1671
Loveth peril shal falle in peril -- /
1672
After that dame prudence hadde spoken in
1672
This manere, melibee answerde, and seyde:/
1673
I see wel, dame prudence, that by youre faire
1673
Wordes, and by youre resouns that ye han
1673
Shewed me, that the werre liketh yow no
1673
Thyng;/ but I have nat yet herd youre conseil,
1674
How I shal do in this nede./
1675
Certes, quod she, I conseille yow that ye
1675
Accorde with youre adversaries and that
1675
Ye have pees with he./ For seint jame
1676
Seith in his epistles that -- by concord and
1676
Pees the smale richesses wexen grete,/ and by
1677
Debaat and discord the grete richesses fallen
1677
Doun. -- / and ye knowen wel that oon of the
1678
Gretteste and moost sovereyn thyng that is in
1678
This world is unytee and pees./ And therfore
1679
Seyde oure lord jhesu crist to his apostles in
1679
This wise:/ -- wel happy and blessed been they
1680
That loven and purchacen pees, for they
1680
Been called children of god. -- /
1681
A, quod melibee, now se I wel that
1681
Ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe./
1682
Ye knowen wel that myne adversaries han
1682
Bigonnen this debaat and bryge by hire outrage,/
1682
and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne
1683
Preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be
1683
Reconsiled./ Wol ye thanne that I go and meke
1684
Me and obeye me to hem, and crie hem
1684
Mercy?/ for sothe, that were nat my
1685
Worshipe./ For right as men seyn that
1686
-- over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge,
1686
-- so fareth it by to greet hymylitee
1686
Or mekenesse./
1687
Thanne bigan dame prudence to maken
1687
Semblant of wratthe, and seyde:/ certes, sire,
1688
Sauf youre grace, I love youre honour and youre
1688
Profit as I do myn owene, and evere have
1688
Doon;/ ne ye, ne noon oother, seyn nevere
1689
The contrarie./ And yit if I hadde seyd that
1690
Ye sholde han purchaced the pees and the
1690
Reconsilacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel
1690
Mystaken me, ne seyd amys./ For the
1691
Wise man seith, -- the dissensioun bigynneth
1691
by another man, and the reconsilyng bygynneth
1691
by thyself. -- / and the prophete seith,
1692
-- flee shrewednesse and do goodnesse;/ seke
1693
Pees and folwe it, as muchel as in thee is. -- /
1694
Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to
1694
Youre adversaries for pees than they shuln to
1694
Yow./ For I knowe wel that ye been so hard-
1695
Herted that ye wol do no thyng for
1695
Me./ And salomon seith, -- he that hath
1696
Over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal
1696
Myshappe and mystyde. -- /
1697
Whanne melibee hadde herd dame prudence
1697
Maken semblant of wratthe, he seyde in this
1697
Wise:/ dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed
1698
of thynges that I seye,/ for ye knowe
1699
Wel that I am angrey and wrooth, and that is
1699
No wonder;/ and they that been wrothe witen
1700
Nat wel what they don, ne what they
1700
Seyn./ Therfore the prophete seith that
1701
-- troubled eyen han no cleer sighte. -- / but
1702
Seyeth and conseileth me as yow liketh, for I
1702
Am redy to do right as ye wol desire;/ and if
1703
Ye repreve me of my folye, I am the moore
1703
Holden to love yow and to preyse yow./ For
1704
Salomon seith that -- he that repreveth hym
1704
That dooth folye,/ he shal fynde gretter grace
1705
Than he that deceyveth hym by sweete
1705
Wordes. -- /
1706
Thanne seide dame prudence, I
1706
Make no semblant of wratthe ne anger, but
1706
For youre grete profit./ For salomon seith,
1707
-- he is moore worth that repreveth or chideth
1707
A fool for his folye, shewynge hym semblant
1707
Of wratthe,/than he that supporteth hym and
1708
Preyseth hym in his mysdoynge, and laugheth
1708
At his folye. -- / and this same salomon seith
1709
Afterward that -- by the sorweful visage of a
1709
Man, -- that is to seyn by the sory and hevy contenaunce
1709
of a man,/ -- the fool correcteth
1710
And amendeth hymself. -- /
1711
Thanne seyde melibee, I shal nat
1711
Koone answere to so manye faire resouns as ye
1711
Putten to me and shewen./ Seyeth shorthly
1712
Youre wyl and youre conseil, and I am al redy
1712
To fulfille and parfourne it./ Page 185
1713
Thanne dame prudence discovered al hir
1713
Wyl to hym, and seyde,/ I conseille yow,
1714
Quod she, aboven alle thynges, that ye make
1714
Pees bitwene God and yow;/ and beth
1715
Reconsiled unto hym and to his grace./
1716
For, as I have seyd yow heer biforn, god
1716
Hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and
1716
Disese for youre synnes./ And if ye do as I sey
1717
Yow, God wol sende youre adversaries unto
1717
Yow,/ and maken hem fallen at youre feet,
1718
Redy to do youre wyl and youre comande --
1718
Mentz./ For salomon seith, -- whan the condicioun
1719
of man is plesaunt and likynge to god,/
1720
He chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries
1720
and constreyneth hem to biseken
1720
hym of pees and of grace. -- / and
1721
I prey yow lat me speke with youre adversaries
1721
in privee place;/ for they shul nat
1722
Knowe that it be of youre wyl or of youre adsent./
1722
and thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and
1723
Hire entente, I may conseille yow the moore
1723
Seurely./
1724
Dame, quod melibee, dooth youre wil and
1724
Youre likynge;/ for I putte me hoolly in
1725
Youre disposicioun and ordinaunce./
1726
Thanne dame prudence, whan she
1726
Saugh the goode wyl of hir housbonde, delibered
1726
and took avys in hirself,/ thinkinge how
1727
She myghte brynge this nede unto a good conclusioun
1727
and to a good ende./ And whan she
1728
Saugh hir tyme, she sente for thise adversaries
1728
To come unto hire into a pryvee place,/ and
1729
Shewed wisely unto hem the grete goodes that
1729
Comen of pees,/ and the grete harmes
1730
And perils that been in werre;/ and
1731
Seyde to hem in a goodly manere hou
1731
That hem oughten have greet repentaunce/ of
1732
The injurie and wrong that they hadden doon
1732
To melibee hir lord, and unto hire, and to hire
1732
Doghter./
1733
And whan they herden the goodliche wordes
1733
Of dame prudence,/ they weren so supprised
1734
And ravysshed, and hadden so greet joye of
1734
Hire that wonder was to telle./ A, lady, quod
1735
They, ye han shewed unto us the blessynge
1735
Of swetnesse, after the sawe of david the
1735
Prophete;/ for the reconsilynge which
1736
We been nat worthy to have in no manere,/
1736
but we oghte requeren it with greet contricioun
1737
and humylitee,/ ye of youre grete
1738
Goodnesse have presented unto us./ Now se
1739
We wel that the science and the konnynge
1739
Of salomon is ful trewe./ For he seith that
1740
-- sweete wordes multiplien and encreescen
1740
Freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire
1740
and meeke. -- /
1741
Certes, quod they, we putten oure
1741
Dede and al oure matere and cause al hooly in
1741
Youre goode wyl/ and been redy to obeye to
1742
The speche and comandement of my lord melibee./
1742
and therfore, deere and benygne lady,
1743
We preien yow and biseke yow as mekely as we
1743
Konne and mowen,/ that it lyke unto youre
1744
Grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede youre goodliche
1744
wordes./ For we consideren and knowelichen
1745
that we han offended and greved
1745
My lord melibee out of mesure,/ so ferforth
1746
that we be nat of power to maken
1746
His amendes./ And therfore we oblige and
1747
Bynden us and oure freendes for to doon al
1747
His wyl and his comandementz./ But peraventure
1748
he hath swich hevynesse and swich wratthe
1748
To us -- ward, by cause of oure offense,/ that he
1749
Wole enjoyne us swich a peyne as we mowe
1749
Nat bere ne susteene./ And therfore, noble
1750
Lady, we biseke to youre wommanly
1750
Pitee/ to taken swich avysement in this
1751
Nede that we, ne oure freendes, be nat
1751
Desherited ne destroyed thurgh oure folye./
1752
Certes, quod prudence, it is an hard
1752
Thyng and right perilous/ that a man putte
1753
Hym al outrely in the arbitracioun and juggement,
1753
and in the myght and power of his enemys./
1753
for salomon seith, -- leeveth me, and
1754
Yeveth credence to that I shal seyn: I seye, --
1754
Quod he, -- ye peple, folk and governours of
1754
Hooly chirche,/ to thy sone, to thy wyf,
1755
To thy freend, ne to thy broother,/ ne
1756
Yeve thou nevere myght ne maistrie of
1756
Thy body whil thou lyvest. -- / now sithen he
1757
Deffendeth that man sholde nat yeven to his
1757
Broother ne to his freend the myght of his
1757
Body,/ by a strenger resoun he deffendeth and
1758
Forbedeth a man to yeven hymself to his enemy./
1758
and nathelees I conseille you that ye
1759
Mystruste nat my lord,/ for I woot wel and
1760
Knowe verraily that he is debonaire and
1760
Meeke, large, curteys,/ and nothyng desirous
1761
ne coveitous of good ne richesse./
1762
For ther nys nothyng in this world that he
1762
Desireth, save oonly worshipe and honour./
1763
Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur
1763
That he shal nothyng doon in this nede withouten
1763
my conseil;/ and I shal so werken in this
1764
Cause that, by the grace of oure lord god, ye
1764
Shul been reconsiled unto us./
1765
Thanne seyden they with o voys, worshipful
1765
lady, we putten us and oure goodes Page 186
1765
Al fully in youre wil and disposicioun,/
1766
And been redy to comen, what day that
1766
It like unto youre noblesse to lymyte us or assigne
1766
us,/ for to maken oure obligacioun and
1767
Boond as strong as it liketh unto youre goodnesse,/
1767
that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow
1768
And of my lord melibee./
1769
Whan dame prudence hadde herd the answeres
1769
of thise men, she bad hem goon agayn
1769
Prively;/ and she retourned to hir lord melibee,
1770
and tolde hym how she foond his
1770
Adversaries ful repentant,/ knowelechynge
1771
ful lowely hir synnes and trespas,
1771
And how they were redy to suffren al peyne,/
1772
Requirynge and preiynge hym of mercy and
1772
Pitee./
1773
Thanne seyde melibee: he is wel worthy
1773
To have pardoun and foryifnesse of his synne.
1773
That excuseth nat his synne,/ but knowelecheth
1774
It and repenteth hym, axinge indulgence./ For
1775
Senec seith, ther is the remissioun and
1775
Foryifnesse, where as the confessioun is -- ;/
1776
For confessioun is neighebor to innocence./
1776
and he seith in another place that -- he
1777
That hath shame of his synne and knowlecheth
1777
It, is worthy remissioun. -- and therfore I assente
1777
and conferme me to have pees;/ but it
1778
Is good that we do it nat withouten the assent
1778
And wyl of oure freendes./
1779
Thanne was prudence right glad and joyeful,
1779
and seyde:/ certes, sire, quod
1780
She, ye han wel and goodly answered;/
1781
For right as by the conseil, assent, and
1781
Help of youre freendes ye han been stired to
1781
Venge yow and maken werre,/ right so withouten
1782
hire conseil shul ye nat accorden yow
1782
Ne have pees with youre adversaries./ For the
1783
Lawe seith: -- ther nys no thyng so good by wey
1783
Of kynde as a thyng to be unbounde by hym
1783
That it was ybounde. -- /
1784
And thanne dame prudence, withouten delay
1784
or tariynge, sente anon hire messages for
1784
Hire kyn, and for hire olde freendes which
1784
That were trewe and wyse,/ and tolde hem
1785
By ordre in the presence of melibee al this mateere
1785
as it is aboven expressed and declared,/
1785
and preyden hem that they
1786
Wolde yeven hire avys and conseil what
1786
Best were to doon in this nede./ And whan
1787
Melibees freendes hadde taken hire avys and
1787
Deliberacioun of the forseide mateere,/ and
1788
Hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and
1788
Greet diligence,/ they yave ful conseil for to
1789
Have pees and reste,/ and that melibee sholde
1790
Receyve with good herte his adversaries
1790
To foryifnesse and mercy./
1791
And whan dame prudence hadde herd
1791
The assent of hir lord melibee, and the conseil
1791
of his freendes/ accorde with hire wille
1792
And hire entencioun,/ she was wonderly glad
1793
In hire herte, and seyde:/ ther is an old
1794
Proverbe, quod she, seith that -- the goodnesse
1794
that thou mayst do this day, do it,/
1795
And abide nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe.
1795
-- / and therfore I conseille that
1796
Ye sende youre messages, swiche as been
1796
Discrete and wise,/ unto youre adversaries,
1797
Tellynge hem on youre bihalve/ that if they
1798
Wole trete of pees and of accord,/ that they
1799
Shape hem withouten delay or tariyng to comen
1799
Unto us./ Which thyng parfourned was
1800
In dede./ And whanne thise trespassours
1801
and repentynge folk of hire folies,
1801
That is to seyn, the adversaries of melibee,/
1802
Hadden herd what thise messagers seyden unto
1802
Hem,/ they weren right glad and joyeful, and
1803
Answereden ful mekely and benignely,/ yeldynge
1804
graces and thankynges to hir lord melibee
1804
and to al his compaignye;/ and shopen
1805
Hem withouten delay to go with the messagers,
1805
And obeye to the comandement of hir
1805
Lord melibee./
1806
And right anon they tooken hire wey
1806
To the court of melibee,/ and tooken with hem
1807
Somme of hire trewe freendes to maken feith
1807
For hem and for to been hire borwes./ And
1808
Whan they were comen to the presence of
1808
Melibee, he seyde hem thise wordes:/ it standeth
1809
thus, quod melibee, and sooth it is, that
1809
Ye,/ causelees and withouten skile and
1810
Resoun,/ han doon grete injuries and
1811
Wronges to me and to my wyf prudence,
1811
And to my doghter also./ For ye han entred
1812
Into myn hous by violence,/ and have doon
1813
Swich outrage that alle men knowen wel that
1813
Ye have disserved the deeth./ And therfore
1814
Wol I knowe and wite of yow/ wheither ye
1815
Wol putte the punyssement and the chastisynge
1815
And the vengeance of this outrage in the wyl
1815
Of me and of my wyf prudence, or ye
1815
Wol nat?/
1816
Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde
1816
for hem alle, and seyde,/ sire, quod
1817
He, we knowen wel that we been unworthy
1817
To comen unto the court of so greet a lord and
1817
So worthy as ye been./ For we han so greetly
1818
Mystaken us, and han offended and agilt in
1818
Swich a wise agayn youre heigh lordshipe,/ Page 187
1819
That trewely we han disserved the deeth./ But
1820
Yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee
1820
That al the world witnesseth of youre
1820
Persone,/ we submytten us to the excellence
1821
and benignitee of youre gracious
1821
Lordshipe,/ and been redy to obeie to alle youre
1822
Comandementz;/ bisekynge yow that of youre
1823
Merciable pitee ye wol considere oure grete
1823
Repentaunce and lowe submyssioun,/ and
1824
Graunten us foryevenesse of oure outrageous
1824
Trespas and offense./ For wel we knowe that
1825
Youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem
1825
Ferther into goodnesse than doon oure outrageouse
1825
giltes and trespas into wikkednesse,/
1825
al be it that cursedly and
1826
Dampnablely we han agilt agayn youre
1826
Heigh lordshipe./
1827
Thanne melibee took hem up fro the ground
1827
Ful benignely,/ and receyved hire obligaciouns
1828
And hir boondes by hire othes upon hire plegges
1828
And borwes,/ and assigned hem a certeyn day
1829
To retourne unto his court,/ for to accepte and
1830
Receyve the sentence and juggement that
1830
Melibee wolde comande to be doon on
1830
Hem by the causes aforeseyd./ Whiche
1831
Thynges ordeyned, every man retourned
1831
To his hous./
1832
And whan that dame prudence saugh hir
1832
Tyme, she freyned and axed hir lord melibee/
1833
What vengeance he thoughte to taken of his
1833
Adversaries./
1834
To which melibee answerde, and seyde:
1834
Certes, quod he, I thynke and purpose me
1834
Fully / to desherite hem of al that evere they
1835
Han, and for to putte hem in exil for
1835
Evere./
1836
Certes, quod dame prudence, this
1836
Were a crueel sentence and muchel agayn resoun./
1836
for ye been riche ynough, and han
1837
No nede of oother mennes good;/ and ye
1838
Myghte lightly in this wise gete yow a coveitous
1838
name,/ which is a vicious thyng, and
1839
Oghte been eschued of every good man./ For
1840
After the sawe of the word of the apostle,
1840
-- coveitise is roote of alle harmes. -- /
1841
And therfore it were bettre for yow to
1841
Lese so muchel good of youre owene, than for
1841
To taken of hir good in this manere;/ for bettre
1842
it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it
1842
Is to wynne good with vileynye and shame./
1843
And everi man oghte to doon his diligence and
1843
His bisynesse to geten hym a good name./
1844
And yet shal he nat oonly bisie hym in kepynge
1844
of his good name,/ but he shal also enforcen
1845
hym alwey to do somthyng by
1845
Which he may renovelle his good name./
1846
For it is writen that -- the olde good loos
1846
Or good name of a man is soone goon and
1846
Passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled. -- /
1847
And as touchynge that ye seyn ye wole exile
1847
Youre adversaries,/ that thynketh me muchel
1848
Agayn resoun and out of mesure,/ considered
1849
The power that they han yeve yow upon hemself./
1849
and it is writen that -- he is worthy
1850
To lesen his privilege, that mysuseth the
1850
Myght and the power that is yeven
1850
Hym. -- / and I sette cas ye myghte enjoyne
1851
hem that peyne by right and by
1851
Lawe,// which I trowe ye mowe nat do,/ I seye
1853
Ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun peraventure,/
1853
and thanne were it likly to retourne
1854
To the werre as it was biforn./ And therfore,
1855
If ye wole that men do yow obeisance,
1855
Ye moste deemen moore curteisly;/ this
1856
Is to seyn, ye moste yeven moore esy sentences
1856
and juggementz./ For it is writen that
1857
-- he that moost curteisly comandeth, to hym
1857
Men moost obeyen. -- / and therfore I prey yow
1858
That in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste
1858
Yow to overcome youre herte./ For senec seith
1859
That -- he that overcometh his herte, overcometh
1859
Twies. -- / and tullius seith: -- ther is no
1860
Thyng so comendable in a greet lord/ as
1861
Whan he is debonaire and meeke, and
1861
Appeseth him lightly. -- / and I prey yow that ye
1862
Wole forbere now to do vengeance,/ in swich
1863
A manere that youre goode name may be kept
1863
And conserved,/ and that men mowe have
1864
Cause and mateere to preyse yow of pitee and
1864
Of mercy,/ and that ye have no cause to
1865
Repente yow of thyng that ye doon./
1866
For senec seith, -- he overcometh in an
1866
Yvel manere that repenteth hym of his victorie.
1866
-- / wherfore I pray yow, lat mercy been in
1867
Youre herte,/ to th' effect and entente that
1868
God almighty have mercy on yow in his laste
1868
Juggement./ For seint jame seith in his epistle:
1869
-- juggement withouten mercy shal be doon
1869
To hym that hath no mercy of another wight. -- /
1870
Whanne melibee hadde herd the grete skiles
1870
And resouns of dame prudence, and hire
1870
Wise informaciouns and techynges,/ his
1871
Herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wif,
1871
Considerynge hir trewe entente,/ and conformed
1872
hym anon, and assented fully to werken
1872
After hir conseil;/ and thonked god, of whom
1873
Procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that
1873
Hym sente a wyf of so greet discrecioun./ And Page 188
1874
Whan the day cam that his adversaries sholde
1874
Appieren in his presence,/ he spak unto
1875
Hem ful goodly, and seyde in this wyse:/
1876
Al be it so that of youre pride and heigh
1876
Presumpcioun and folie, and of youre necligence
1876
and unkonnynge,/ ye have mysborn yow
1877
And trespassed unto me,/ yet for as muche as
1878
I see and biholde youre grete humylitee,/ and
1879
That ye been sory and repentant of youre
1879
Giltes,/ it constreyneth me to doon yow
1880
Grace and mercy./ Wherfore I receyve
1881
Yow to my grace,/ and foryeve yow outrely
1882
alle the offenses, injuries, and wronges that
1882
Ye have doon agayn me and myne,/ to this
1883
Effect and to this ende that God of his endelees
1883
mercy/ wole at the tyme of oure diynge
1884
Foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespassed
1884
To hym in this wrecched world./ For doutelees,
1885
if we be sory and repentant of the synnes
1885
And giltes which we han trespassed in
1885
The sighte of oure lord god,/ he is so
1886
Free and so merciable/ that he wole foryeven
1887
us oure giltes,/ and bryngen us to the
1888
Blisse that nevere hath ende. Amen.
1888
