[6-text p 202] hir wepyng for to stynte [2169] ¶ ffor which reson this noble wyf Prudence / suffred hir housbonde for to wepe and crie / as for a certein space /. [2170] And whan she saugh hir tyme / she seyde hym in this wise ¶ Allas / my lord quod she / why make ye youre self for to be lyk a fool / [2171] for sothe / it aperteneth nat to a wys man / to maken swiche a sorwe / [2172] youre [folio 158a] doghter / with the grace of god shal warisshe and escape / [2173] And al were it so / that she right now were deed? ye ne oughte nat as for hir deeth youre self to destroye [2174] ¶ Senek [¶ Seneca] seith / the wise man / shal nat take to greet disconfort for the deeth of his children / [2175] but certes / he sholde suffren it in pacience / as wel / as he / abideth the deeth / of his owene. propre persone
[2176] ¶ This Melibeus / answerde anon and seyde [¶ Melibeus] ¶ What man quod he sholde of his wepyng stente / that hath so greet a cause for to wepe? [2177] Ihesu crist [¶ Qualiter Ihesus christus fleuit propter mortem lazari] oure lord hym self wepte for the deeth of Lazarus hys freend [2178] ¶ Prudence answerde ‖. Certes wel I woot ‖ Attempree wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym þat sorweful is amonges folk in sorwe / but it is rather graunted hym to wepe [2179] ¶ The Apostle Paul vn-to the [¶ Apostolus Pau|lus ad Romanos] Romayns writeth ‖ Man shal reioyse with hem that maken ioye and wepen / with swich folk as wepen [2180] ¶ But though attempree wepyng be ygraunted / outrageous wepyng certes is deffended / [2181] Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered / after the loore þat techeth us Senek [¶ Seneca] [2182] ¶ Whan that thy frend is deed quod he / lat nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris / ne to muche drye / Al though the teeris come to thyne eyen / lat hem nat falle / [2183] And whan thou hast for-goon thy freend / do dili|gence to gete another freend / and this is moore wysdom / than for to wepe for thy freend which that thou hast lorn / for ther-Inne is no boote / [2184] And therfore / if ye gouerne yow by sapience / put awey sorwe / out of youre herte [2185] ¶ Remembre yow / þat Ihesus Syrak seith [¶ Ihesus Syrak]
