[6-text p 206] that they been frosche & newe & with loude voys. [se escrièrent, "guerre! guerre! guerre!"
[2227] Adonc se leva un des anciens,] And with hise hand made contenaunce that men schuldyn holdyn hem stylle / and ȝeuyn hym audience. [2228] lordyngis quod he theere is ful manye a man that cryeth werre werre; that wot ful lytil what werre amountyth / [2229] werre at hise begynny[n]g hath so greet an entre and so large; that euery whight may entre whan hym lykyth / & lyghtely fynde werre / [2230] but certis what ende therof schal falle; it is nat lyght to knowe [2231] ffor sothly whan that werre is onys begunne; there is ful manye a child born of hise modyr that schal sterue ȝong be cause of thilke werre / & ellys lyue in sorwe & deye in wrechedenesse / [2232] And therefore or that ony werre begynne men must haue gret conseyl / & gret deliberacyoun [2233] And whan this olde man wende for to enforse his tale be resouns wel nygh alleattonys / bygunne they to ryse / for to brekyn his tale & bodyn hym ful oftyn hise wordis to abregge [2234] for sothly he that pre [folio 329a] chith to hem / that lestyth not to heere hise wordys; his; sarmoun hem anoyeth [2235] ¶ ffor Ihesus Syrak seyth. that Musik in wepynge; is a-noyous thyng this is to seyne / as meche avaylyth to speke by-fore folk / to whiche hise speche anoyeth as doth to synge be-fore hym that wepith [2236] ¶ And whan that þis wyse man wantede audience; al schamefast he sette hym doun / agayn [2237] ¶ ffor salomon seyth. There as thow maght haue noon audience / enforce the not to speke / [2238] I se weel quod this wyse man that the comune prouerbe is soth that good conseyl wantyth whan it is most neede. [2239]
And ȝit hadde this Mellibeus in his conseyl manye folk that priuyly in hise eere conseylede hym / certeyn thyng. & conseyllede hym the contrarye; in general audyence// [2240] Whanne Melibeus hadde herd that the grettere
