[6-text p 215] bifore þat is to say þat þay ben trewe and olde and of wys experiens [2360] ¶ And werke nouȝt alwey in euery neede by oon counseilour alloone ¶ For som tyme byhoueþ it be counseiled by many [2361] ¶ For Salomon saith ¶ Saluacioun of þinges is wher as þere beþ many counseilours.
[2362] Now siþ þat I haue told ȝow of which folk ȝe schul be counseled ¶ Now wil I telle ȝow which counseil ȝe ought eschiewe. [2363] First ȝe schal espie þe counseil of fooles ¶ For Salomon seiþ take no coun|seil of a fool For he ne can not counseile but after his oughne lust and his affeccioun [2364] ¶ The book seiþ þat þe proprete of a fool is þis he troweþ lightly harm of euery wight & lightly troweþ alle bounte in himself [2365] ¶ Thow schalt eschiewe eek þe counseil of alle flaterers suche as enforcen hem raþere to prayse ȝoure persone by flaterie þan for to telle ȝow þe soþ|fastnesse of þinges
[2366] ¶ wherfore Tullius saith Amonges alle pestilences þat [folio 212a] ben in frendschipe þat is þe grettest flaterie. ¶ And þerfore is it more neede þat þou eschiewe and drede flaterers more þan eny oþer peple [2367] ¶ The book saiþ. Þou schalt raþer drede and flee fro þe swete wordes of flaterers. þen fro þe egre wordes of þy frend þat saiþ þe þi soþes [2368] ¶ Salamon saiþ þat þe wordes of a flaterer is a snare to cacche in Innocentȝ [2369] ¶ He saiþ also. he þat spekeþ to his frend wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce setteþ a nette byfore his feet to cacchen him [2370] and þerfore saiþ Tullius ¶ Encline not þin eeres to flaterers ne tak no confort of þe wordes of flaterers [2371] ¶ And Catoun saiþ Auyse the wel and eschiewe wordes of swetnes and of plesaunce [2372] and eek þou schalt eschiewe þe counselyng of þin olde enemyes þat ben recounsiled. [2373] Þe book saiþ. that wight retorneth soone in to þe
