[6-text p 215] before. that is to sey that they be triewe wise and old experience [2360] and werk nat alwey in euery nede be oo counseillour alone for somtyme behovith it to be counseiled be many [2361] ffor Salamon seyth saluacion of thynges is where as there bien many counseillours [[MS Reg. extract ends]] ]
[2362] ¶ Now haue .I. tolde ȝowe of whiche folke [Lansdowne MS, on leaf 195, back] ȝe scholde be counseled Nowe wil .I. teche ȝowe whiche counsell ȝe owe to eschewe [2363] ¶ ffirst ȝe scholne eschewe þe counseillinge of foles. Salomon seiþe; Takeþ no coun|sell of no foole for he wil counsel bot after his owen lust and his affeccions; [2364] ¶ The booke seiþe þat þe properte of a foole is þis. He troueþ lyhtly harme of euery whight; & lyhtly troueþ a bounte in him self [2365] ¶ Thou schalt eke eschewe þe counseileinge of al flaterers whiche enforcen hem raþer to preysen ȝoure persone by flatry þan for to tel ȝow þe soþe|fastnesse of þe þinge.
[2366] Wherefore tullius. seiþe Amonge al þe pestelence þat ben in frenschip þe grettest is flaterie; And þer-fore is it more nede þat þoue eschewe & drede flatrers þan any oþer peple. [2367] The boke seiþe þou schalt raþer [drede and] fle fro þe swete wordes of flateringe & preiseinge þat from þe egre wordes of þine frende þat seiþe þe þi soþes; [2368] Salomon. seiþe; The wordes of a flaterer is a snare to cache innocence. [2369] ¶ He seiþe also; He þat spekeþ to his frendes wordes of swettnesse; & al plesance; setteþ a nette to for his fete to cache him; [2370] And þerefor tullius seiþe Enclyne nouȝt þine eres to flatere[r]s ne take no counsel of wordes of flaterye; [2371] And Caton· Avise þe wele & eschewe þe wordes of [folio 196a] swetenesse & of plesance; [2372] ¶ And eke þou schalt eschewe þe counsellinge of þine olde enmys þat be reconsiled [2373] ¶ The boke seiþe þat no whiht retorneþ safly in to þe
