[6-text p 242] as to manye folk / [2852] [folio 345b] for the victorie of batayle / comyth not by the greete noumbre of peple [2853] but it comyth from oure lord god / of heuene [2854] ¶ And deere sere for as meche as theere is no man / certeyn if it be worthi that god ȝeue hym victorie / . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] or noght aftyr that salomon seyth / [2855] therfore euery man / schulde greetly drede werris / to begynne / [2856] And by cause that in bataylis fallyn manye perilis / [2857] And happith othir|while / that as soone as the greete man slayn as the lityl man / [2858] And as it is I-wretyn in the secunde book of kyngis / the deedis of bataylis been auenturouse And no thyng certeyn / [2859] for as lyȝtely is on hurt with a spere as a-nothir / [2860] And for there is gret peril in werre / therfore schulde a man fle & eschewe werre in as meche as a man may goodly / [2861] ffor Salomon seyth / he that louyth peril / schal falle in peril / [2862]
Aftyr that Dame Prudence hadde spokyn in this maneere / Melibee answerede & seyde [2863] I se weel dame prudence / that be ȝoure fayre wordys and by ȝoure resonys / that ȝe han schewede me; that the werre lykyth ȝow no thyng / [2864] but I haue not ȝit herd ȝoure conseyl / how I schal doon / in this neede [2865]
CErtis quod sche / I conseyle ȝow that ȝe acorde with ȝoure aduersaryis / & that ȝe han pees with hem / [2866] ffor seynt Iame seyth / in hise epistellis That by concord & pees / the smale rychessis waxen greete / [2867] & by debat & discord / the greete richessis fallyn doun [2868] & ȝe knowyn weel that on of the gretteste / & most souereyn thyng that is in this world / is vnytee & pees / [2869] and therfore seyde oure lord Ihesu Crist to hise apostell in this wyse / [2870] wol happi & blyssede been they / that louyn & purchasyn pees / for they been callede childeryn of god / [2871] A Quod Melibee / Now se I that ȝe louyn not myn honour / ne myn worchepe / [2872] ȝe knowyn weel that mynne
