[6-text p 207] party of his counseil were accorded þat he schulde make werre. Anoon he consented to here counseilyng and fully affermed here sentence [2241] ¶ Thanne dame Prudence whan þat sche saugh þat hir housbonde schop him to wreke him of his enemyes and to gynne werre; / Sche in ful humble wise whan sche saugh hire tyme sayde him þese wordes [2242] ¶ My lord quod sche I ȝow biseche as hertily as I dar and kan ne haste ȝow nought to faste and for alle guerdouns as ȝeue me audience [2243] ¶ For Peres Alfons saith ¶ who þat doþ to þe ouþer good or harm; haste þe nought to quyten him. For in þis wise þy freend wil abyde; and þin enemy schal þe lenger lyue in drede [2244] ¶ The prouerbe saiþ ¶ he hastith wel þat wisly can abyde and in wikked haste is no profyt
[2245] ¶ This melibeus answerde vn to his wyf prudens ¶ I purpose not quod he to werke by þy counseil for many causes and resouns ¶ For certes euery wight wolde holde me þanne a fool [2246] ¶ þis is to sayn ¶ If I for þy counseil wolde chaunge þinges þat affermed ben by so many wise; [2247] I say þat alle wommen be wikked and noon good of hem alle ¶ For of a þousand men saiþ Salomon I fond oon good man; But certes of alle wommen good womman fond I neuer noon [2248] ¶ And also certes if I gouernede me by þy counseil it schulde seme that I hadde ȝiuen to þe ouer me þe maistry and god forbeede er it so were [2249] ¶ For Ihc Syrac saiþ þat if a wif haue maistrie sche is contrarious to hir housbond [2250] ¶ and Salomon saith ¶ Neuer in þy lif to þy wyf ne to þy child ne to þy freend ne ȝeue no power ouer þiself ¶ For better it were þat þy children axen of þy persone þinges þat been needful to hem þan þou se þiself in þe hondes of þy children [2251] ¶ And also if I wolde werke by þy counselynge certes it most som tyme be secre til it were tyme þat it moste be
