[6-text p 213]
[2328] whan ȝe han taken counseil vn-to ȝoure self / And han demed by good deliberacion / swich thyng as ȝow semeth best [2329] ¶ Thanne rede I ȝow / þat ȝe kepe it secree / [2330] by-wreye nat ȝoure counseil to no persone / but if so be / þat ȝe wenen sikerly / þat thurgh ȝoure bywreiynge / ȝoure condicion shal ben to ȝow more profitable / [2331] ffor Ihesus Syrak seith / Neyther to thy foo / ne to thy frend / diskeure nat thi secree / ne þi folie / [2332] for they woln ȝeue ȝow audience & lokyng & supportacion in thy presence / & skorne the in thyn absence [2333] ¶ A-nother clerk seith / þat skarsly shalt þou fynden any persone / þat may kepe thy counseil secrely [2334] ¶ The book seith / whil þat þou kepest thy counseil in thyn herte / þou kepest it in thy prison / [2335] And whan þou bewreyest thy counseil / to any wight / he holdeth the in his snare / [2336] & þerfore ȝow is bettre / to hide ȝoure counseil in ȝoure herte / than preye him to whom ȝe han by-wreyed ȝoure counseil / þat be wol kepe it clos & stille [2337] ¶ ffor Seneca seith / If so be / [¶ Nota] þat þou ne maist nat / thyn owen counseil hide / how darstow preyen / any oþer wight / thyn counseil secrely to kepe [2338] ¶ But nathelees / if þou wene sikerly / þat thy biwreiyng of þi counseil to a persone / wol make thy condicion / to stonden in the bettre pliȝt / thanne shalt þou telle him thy counseile in this wyse [2339] ¶ ffirst þou shalt make no semblaunt / wheiþer the were leuere pees or werre / or this / or that / ne shewe him nat thy wil / and thyn entente / [2340] for troste wel / þat comunely theise counseillours ben flatereres / [2341] namely the counseillours of grete lordes / [2342] ffor they enforcen hem alwey / rather to speken plesaunte wordes / enclynyng to the lordes lust / than wordes / that ben trewe or profitable / [2343] & þerfore men seyn / þat þe riche man hath selde good coun|seil / but if he [folio 165a] haue it of him self / [2344] And after þat / þou shalt considre þine frendes / & thyne enemys / [2345] And as touchyng thy frendes / þou shalt con|sidre
