(686)
¶ Beeth wel avisëd, or your graunt out go,
Line 4796
¶ How ye þat chargë may performe and bere; [folio 84b]
Whan it is past, obserue it wel also,
ffor ellës wole it yow annoye and dere;
ffor your honur it muchel bettre were,
Line 4800
No graunt to graunt at al, þan þat your graunt
Yow preeue a brekere of a couenaunt.
Line 4802
(687)
¶ He þat is louëd, men drede hym offende;
Line 4803
But he þat drad, & naght by-louëd is,
As Tullïus seith, lightly may descende,
And þe lordschipë leesë þat was his;
And Senek also seith as [as, om. H R.] touchyng þis,
Line 4807
The sogett hateth whom he haþ in drede;
And hate is hard, if it his venym schede.
Line 4809
(688)
¶ Was neuere dredë yit a good wardeyn,
Line 4810
To holdë lordschepe in his sikernesse,
But only loue is þing most souereyn;
Loue is norice of welþe and of gladnesse,
But out of louë spryngeþ ferdfulnesse,
Line 4814
And feere is good, whiche þat on loue hym groundeth,
But othir feerë naght heliþ, but woundeth.
Line 4816
(689)
¶ Louë, withouten a good gouernaille,
Line 4817
A kyng haþ non; for thogh men no word seye,
If he his peple oppresse, it is no faile
They loue hym noght, in no manere of weie;
They may his hestës outward wel obeie,
Line 4821
But in hir hertes is smal obediaunce,
And vnto god þey cómpleyne hir grevaunce.
Line 4823
