[6-text p 203] A man þat is ioyus & gladde in hert; it him con|serueþ florischeinge in his Age. Bot soþely Sorweful hert Makeþ his bones drye [2186] ¶ He seiþe eke þus; þat sorwe in hert. sleeþe mony a man. [2187] Sa|lamon seiþe þat riht as mouhtes in þe schepes fles anoyeþ to þe cloþes An þe smale wermes on þe tres vn to þe fruyte; Riht so anoyþe sorwe vnto þe hert /./ [2188] Wherfore we ouht as wele in þe deþe of oure childerne; as in þe losse of oure godes temperel; ¶ Haue pacience.
[2189] Remembre ȝowe vpōn þe pacient ¶ Iob. whan he hadde lost his children & his temperel sub|stance. And in his [folio 193a] bodi endured & suffred mony a greuous temptacionz; Ȝit seid he þus. [2190] ¶ Owre lorde quod he ȝaue it me. oure lorde haþ be-raft it me. Riht so as oure lorde haþe wolde; riht so be it done. y|blissed be þe name of oure lorde [2191] ¶ To þis afor þinges Melibius ansewerd to his wif Dame prudence. Al þi wordes quod he bien soþe & þer-to pro|fitable. Bot trewely Min hert is trobled wiþ þis sorwe so greuously þat .I. note what to done. [2192] ¶ Late cal quod prudence þine trewe frendes al; & þin lignage whiche þat bien wise; telle hem þin caas & herken what þei seine in conseilinge; And ȝowe gouerne þere after here sentence /./ [2193] Salomon seiþe ¶ worche al þi þinge be counsel; & þou schal neuer repent.
[2194] Than be þe conseil of his wif dame Prudence. Melibeus lete callen a grete congregacione of folke [2195] . . . . . [no gap] olde & ȝonge. And somme of his olde ennemys reconsiled as be her semblant in to his loue & in to his grace. [2196] And þer-wiþ-al cam somme of his neihbours þat dide him reuerence more for drede þan for loue as it happeþ oft [2197] ¶ þare commeth also ful mony a subtile flatreres and wise aduocates lerned in þe lawe.
[2198] And whan þis folk togeder assembled were This Mellibeus in sorwful wise schewde hem þis cas.
