[6-text p 213]
[2328] [When ye han taken counseile in your self And [Laud MS 600 folio 233a] han demed bi good deliberacion siche þing as you semiþ best [2329] ¶ þanne rede I / you that ye kepe it secre / [2330] bewrie not your counseile to no persone. bot it so be. þat ye wene sikerli þat þurgh your bewrieng / your condicion shal be to you þe more profitable [2331] ¶ For Ihesus Sirac saiþ ¶ Neiþer to þi foo ne to þi frende. discouer not þi secre ne þi foli. [2332] for þai wol yeue you audience and loking and supportacion in þi presence and scorne in þi absence. [2333] ¶ Anoþer clerc saiþ þat scarsli shalt þou [nota] finde any persone þat mai kepe counseil secreli. [2334] ¶ The book saiþ while þou kepest þi counsail in þin hert þou kepist it in þi prison / [2335] and whan þou bewriest þi counsaile to any wight / he holdeþ þe in his snare ./ [2336] And þerfore you is better hide your counsaile. in your hert / þan praien him to whom ye haue bewried your counseil þat he wol kepe it clos and stille. [2337] ¶ For Seneca saiþ if so be. þat þou ne maist not. þin owne counseile hide. How darst þou praien any oþer wight / þi counseil secreli to kepe. [2338] ¶ Bot naþeles if þou wene sicurli / þat þi bewriyng of þi counsaile to a persone wol make þi condicion to stonde in a better plite. Then shalt þou tellen him þi counseil in þis wise [2339] ¶ First þou shalt make no semblant / where þe were leuer werre or pees. or þis. or þat. ne shew him not þi wille / and þin entent [2340] ¶ For trust wel þat comunli þise counseilours. ben flaterers And [2341] namely þe counseil|lours of grete lordes. [2342] for þei enforcen hem alwei. raþer to speke plesant wordes. enclynyng to þe lordes lust þan wordes þat ben trewe. and profitable. [2343] [Laud MS 600 folio 233b] ¶ And þerfore men sai þat þe riche man haþ selden good coun|saile / bot he haue it of himself [2344] ¶ And aftir þat þou shalt considre þi frendes and þi enemyes ./ [2345] And as touching þi frendes. þou shalt con|sidre
