[6-text p 206] þat þei bne frische & newe ¶ And wiþ loude voice þei criden. werre. werre.
[2227] Vprose one of þe olde wise. & wiþ his honde he maade a countenance þat þei schold holde hem stil; and ȝeuen hem audience [2228] ¶ lordeinge quod he þere is ful mony a man þat crieþ werre. werre. þat woote ful lytel what þat werre amounteþ // [2229] Werre att his beginynge haþ so grete an entringe & so large; þat euery wight maie entren whan him likeþ And lyhtly finde werre. [2230] Bot certes to whatt ende þat schal þere-of be-fal; it is note lyhtly to knowe [2231] ¶ Whan þat werre is ones begonne. þer is ful mony a childe vnborne of his moder þat schal sterue ȝonge be cause of þilke werre. Oþere elles leue in sorwe & deye in wrechednesse, [2232] ¶ And þere-fore or þat any werre be-ginne men most haue grete conseile & goode deliberacion. [2233] ¶ And whan þis olde man wende to enforcen his tale be resoun. welnyhe al att ones bygonne for to rise to breken his tale. & biden him ful oft of his wordes to abrigge //. [2234] For soþely he þat precheþ to hem þat lust nouht his wordes ne his sermon hem he anoyeþ. [2235] For ihesus Sirak seiþe. That Musike in wepeinge is anoyus þinge. Thus muche it is to seine As much anoyeþ to spek to-forne folke to wiche his speche annoyeþ as [folio 194a] it is for to singen be-forne him þat wepeþ. [2236] ¶ And whan þis wiseman sawhe þat him wanted audience al schamfast he sett him doune a-ȝeine [2237] For Salomon seiþe þere as þu mai haue none audience enforce þe nouht to speke. [2238] I. see wele quod þis wiseman þat þe comen prouerbe is soþe; þat good counseile wanteþ whan it is most nede.
[2239] ¶ Ȝitte hadde þis Melebeus in his conseile many folke þat . . . [no gap] conseilled him priue þinge. An counseld him þe contrarie in general audience.
[2240] Whan mellibeus hadde herde þe grettest
