[6-text p 203] a man þat is Ioyous and glad in herte hit him con|serueþ florisching in his age ¶ But soþly sorwful herte makeþ his bones dryue [2186] ¶ he saiþ eek þus ¶ þat sorwe in herte sleþ ful many a man [2187] Sa|lamon. [¶ Salomon] seiþ þat right as moughtes in þe schepes flees annoyeþ to þe cloþes and þe smale wormes of þe trees ¶ Right so anoyeþ sorwe to þe herte [2188] ¶ Wherfore we ouȝt as wel in þe deþ of oure children as in þe losse of oure good haue pacience
[2189] ¶ Remembreþ ȝow vpon þe pacient Iob. [¶ Iob] whan he hadde lost his children and his temperel sub|stance / In his body endured and suffred many a greuous temptacion ¶ ȝet sayde he þus [2190] ¶ Oure lord quod he haþ ȝoue it me ¶ Oure lord haþ byreft it me Right so as oure lord haþ wolde right so be it don. y-blessed be þe name of oure lord [2191] ¶ To þese afore þinges Melibeus answerde to his wyf dame Prudence / Alle þine wordes quod he ben soþe and þerto pro|ffitable ¶ But trewly myn herte is troubled wiþ þis sorwe so greuously þat I not what to done [2192] ¶ let calle quod Prudence þin trewe frendes alle and þin lynage whiche þat ben wise Telle hem þyn [caas] [folio 218b] and herkne what þay say in counseillynge and ȝou gouerneth þer after here sentence [2193] Salomon saiþ werk alle þing by counseil [Salomon] and þou schalt neuer repente þe
[2194] ¶ Thenne by þe counseil of his wyf dame Pru|dence; Melibeus let callen a gret congregacion of folk [2195]. . . . . [no gap] olde and ȝonge and some of his olde enemys reconsiled as by here semblant in to his loue and in to his grace [2196] ¶ And þer-wiþ-al þer come somme of his olde neyghebours and þat deden him reuerence more for drede þan for loue as it happeþ ofte [2197] ¶ Ther comeþ also ful many subtile flaterers and wyse aduocatis lerned in þe lawe
[2198] And whan þis folk / togidre assembled were; This Melibeus in sorwful wise schewed hem þis caas
