[6-text p 211] many a good womman / moun men telle [2293] ¶ And more|ouer / whan that oure lord / had creat Adam oure forme fader / he seide in this wyse / [2294] It is nat good / to be a man allone / make we to him an helpe / semblable to him self / [2295] heere moun ȝe se / that if that wommen weren nat goode / & here counseil good & profitable / [2296] oure lord god of heuene / wolde neither han wrought hem / ne called hem helpe of man / but rathere confusion of man / [2297] & there seide oones a Clerk in two vers what is bettre than gold; Iaspre / what is bettre than Iaspre; wysdom / [2298] & what is bettre than wysdom; womman / and what is bettre than good womman; no þing / [2299] And sire / by manye of othere resons / moun ȝe sen / þat many wommen ben goode / & here counseil good & profitable [2300] ¶ And þerfore sire If ȝe wole troste to my counseil / I shal restore ȝow ȝoure doughter hool & sound / [2301] & I wol don to ȝow so muche / that ȝe shuln haue honoure in this cause.
[2302] ¶ Whan Melibe had herd the wordes of his wyf Prudence / he seide thus / [2303] I se wel / that the word of Salamon is soth / he seith þat wordes þat ben spoken discretly by ordynaunce / ben honycombes / for they ȝeuen swetnesse to the soule / & holsumnesse to the body / [2304] And wyf / by cause of thyne swete wordes / & eke for I haue assaied / & preeued thy grete sapience / & thy gret trouthe / I wol gouerne me by thy counseil / in alle thyng
[2305] ¶ Now sire quod Dame Prudence / & syn ȝe vouchesaf / to be gouerned by my counseil / I wol enforme ȝow / how ȝe shuln gouerne ȝoure self / in chesyng of ȝoure counseillours / [2306] ȝe shuln first in alle ȝoure werkes / mekely byseken / to the heigh god / that he wol be ȝoure counseillour / [2307] And shapeth ȝow to swich entente that he ȝeue ȝow counseil & comfort / as taughte Tobye his sone [2308] At alle tymes / þou shalt blisse
