Of the tokenesse and condycions that a good̛ Consailloure and a frende sholde haue. Capitulum xlvi[i]jm.
aT the begynnynge, thy consailloure and thy frende [sholde haue] Perfitnesse of lymes, well to fulfill al thynges for wych he is chosyn̄. Sethyn̄ he sholde haue good vndyrstondynge, and good will to vndyrstond that a man hym̄ Sayth. Hit be-howyth that he be of good mynde to remembyr that wyche he hath vndyrstonde, so that he foryet not. And that he be Parcewynge of that thynge wych berryth charge, and wyche noon̄, and that he bene corteyse, wel Spekynge, and eloquente wythout Ianlynge: he sholde be cvnnynge in dyuers sciences, he sholde bene Sothefaste in worde and dedd, and lowe throuth abowe al thynge, and hate lesynge. And he sholde ben̄e Softe, bonere, and tretabill. Glotony, dronknesse and euery Surfete of ettynge and [folio 60b] drynkynge, Lechurie, fule plaies, and foule delytes He shollde enchu. Aboue al t[h]ynges he sholde bene hardy, stabill of Purpos, and loue honoure and heynesse; golde, Siluer, and othyr erthely thynges, he sholde haue in dyspite: And nothynge he sholde holde moch of, Saue dignyte, honours, and lordshuppes. he sholde loue and haue in charite good men and ryghtfull, hate wronges, yeue euche man hesyn̄, helpe tho that nede haue, and whan he shall Iustificacion̄ done, he sholde noone dyuersite of Persones make; for-why, god made al men̄ y-lyke. he sholde ben̄e of grete Perseueraunce in purpos [folio 61bL] and in dede that he shall do, that he Pursu ham and fulfill ham wythout drede and couwardy. He sholde know the yssues of the exspensis of the realme, he sholde not be of lyght Semblant that he cvm not in despyte to the Pepill, neuer-the-lasse courteisly he sholde answere the Pepill, his courte sholde be opyn̄ to al tho that thedyr comyth, and he sholde besely enquere and aspi al maner of tythynges: he sholde conforte the subiectes, amende har dedis, and ham Solace in aduersitees; In tymes suffyr har vncunnynge and thar Symplenesse.