[6-text p 207] party of his counseil were acorded þat he schulde make werre; anon he consentede to here counseilyng ¶ and fully affermed to here sentence [2241] ¶ Thanne dame Prudence whan þat sche saugh how þat hire housbonde schope him for to wreke him on his foes and to begynne werre ¶ Sche in ful humble wyse whan sche saugh hire tyme / seyde him in þise wordes [2242] ¶ My lord quod sche I ȝou beseche as hertely as I dar and can ¶ Ne haste ȝou nouȝt to faste ¶ And afore alle guerdouns ȝif me audience [2243] ¶ ffor Pieres Alphons. saiþ ¶ O who so doþ to þe good oþer harme haste þe nought to quyten hit ¶ ffor in þis wise þy frend wole abyde and þin enemy schal þe lengere lyue in drede [2244] ¶ The prouerbe saiþ þat he hasteþ him wel þat wisly can abyde ¶ and in wicked haste is no profyte
[2245] ¶ This mely be answerde to his wijf ¶ ¶ Prudence I purpose nought quod he to werke by þy counseille for many causes and resons ¶ ffor certes euery wight wolde halde me þenne a fool [2246] ¶ This is for to say ¶ If I for þy counseillyng wolde chaunge þinges þat ben ordeynt and affermed by so many wyse [2247] ¶ Sec|oundly I say þat alle wommen ben þikke and none goode of hem alle ffor of a þousend men saiþ Salomon I fand a good man But certes of alle wommen fond I neuer good womman [2248] ¶ And also certes if I gouerned me by þy counseil it schulde seme þat I hadde ȝoue to þe ouer me þe maystrie ¶ and god forbede þat it so were [2249] ¶ ffor Ihesus Cyrak [folio 220a] saiþ. þat if þin wijf haue maistrie; sche is contrarious to hire housebonde [2250] ¶ and Salomon saiþ ¶ Neuer in þy lyf to þy wyf ne to þy childe ne to þy freende ne ȝiue no power ouer þi self ¶ ffor bettre it were þat þin children asken of þy persone þinges þat hem needeþ ¶ þen þou [be] þi self in þe handes of þin children [2251] ¶ And also if I wole wirche by þi counseylyng; certes my counseille moste som tyme be secree til it were tyme þat it moste be
