[6-text p 207] partye of his conseyl were acorded that he schulde make werre; a-noon he concentede to here conseylynge And fully affermede hire centence [2241] ¶ Thanne dame. prudence / whan that sche saw how that hire husbonde schop hym for to wreke hym on hise fois & to begynne werre / Sche in ful humble wyse whan sche sagh hire tyme / seyde hym these wordys [2242] Myn lord quod sche / I ȝow beseche al hertyly / as I dar & can. ne hastyth ȝow to faste / And for alle guerdounnys as ȝeuyth me audyence [2243] ¶ ffor Piers Alfonce seyth / who so that doth to the othir good or harm / haste the not to quite it / for in this wise / thi frend wole abyde / & thyn enemy schal the lengere lyue in drede // [2244] The prouerbe seyth / he hastyth weel that wisely can abyde / And in wikke hast is no profyt
[2245] ¶ This Melibee answerede vn-to his wyf prudence I purpose [. . . .] not to werkyn by thyn conseyl for manye causis & resonys / for certys euery whit wele holdyn me thanne a fool / [2246] this is to seyne / If I for thyn conseylynge wolde schaunge thyngis that been ordeyned And afformede be so manye wise [2247] ¶ Sec|undely I seye. [folio 329b] That alle wemen been wekke & noon good of hem alle. ffor of a thousent men seyth Salomon / I fond on good man / but certis of alle wemen good weman fond I neuere [2248] ¶ And also certys ȝif I gouernede me by thyn conseyl; it schulde seme that I hadde ȝouyn the the maisterye / & goddys forbode that it so were / [2249] for Ihesus Sirak seyth / that ȝif the wyf haue the maysterye / sche is contraryous to hire husbonde [2250] ¶ And Salomon seyth neuere in thyn lyf to thyn wyf / ne thyn child / ne to thyn frend ne ȝeue power ouyr thyn self / for bettere it weere That thynne childeryn axsyn of thyn persone thyngis that hem nedyth; than thow see thyn self in the hondys of thynne childeryn / [2251] And also ȝif I wolde werke by thyn conseylyng / certis myn conseyl muste been secre til it weere tyme that it muste ben
