The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

I52 T fZYTHE. CANTERBUR Y TALES.
assayed her great wisdom and her great truth, as she will devise; for, as the proverb runs,
leWf1t11govern him by her counsel in all things. to do sin is human, but to persevere long in
Thus encouraged, Prudence enters on a long sin is work of the Devil. Prudence then mindiscourse, full of learned citations, regarding utely recites, analyses, and criticises the counsel
the manner in which counsellors should be given to her husband in the assembly of his
chosen and consulted, and the times and reasons friends. She commends the advice of the
for changing a counsel. First, God must be physicians and surgeons, and urges that they
besought for guidance. Then a man must well should be well rewarded for their noble speech
examine his own thoughts, of such things as and their services in healing Sophia; and she
he holds to be best for his own profit; driving asks Melibceus how he understands their proout of his heart anger, covetousness, and hasti- position that one contrary must be cured by
ness, which perturb and pervert the judgment. another contrary. Melibeeus answers, that he
Then he must keep his counsel secret, unless should do vengeance on his enemies, who had
confiding it to another shall be more profitable; done him wrong. Prudence, however, insists
but, in so confiding it, he shall say nothing to that vengeance is not the contrary of vengeance,
bias the mind of the counsellor toward flattery nor wrong of wrong, but the like; and that
or subserviency. After that he should consider wickedness should be healed by goodness, dishis friends and his enemies, choosing of the cord by accord, war by peace. She proceeds
former such as be most faithful and wise, and to deal with the counsel of the lawyers and
eldest and most approved in counselling; and wise folk that advised Melibceus to take prudent
even of these only a few. Then he must eschew measures for the security of his body and of
the counselling of fools, of flatterers, of his old his house. First, she would have her husband
enemies that be reconciled, of servants who pray for the protection and aid of Christ; then
bear him great reverence and fear, of folk that commit the keeping of his person to his true
be drunken and can hide no counsel, of such as friends; then suspect and avoid all strange folk,
counsel one thingprivilyandthe contraryopenly; and liars, and such people as she had already
and of young folk, for their counselling is not warned him against; then beware of presuming
ripe. Then, in examining his counsel, he must on his strength, or theweakness of his adversary,
truly tell his tale; he must consider whether and neglecting to guard his person-for every
the thing he proposes to do be reasonable, wise man dreadeth his enemy; then he should
within his power, and acceptable to the more evermore be on the watch against ambush and
part and the better part of his counsellors; he all espial, even in what seems a place of safety;
must look at the things that may follow from though he should not be so cowardly, as to fear
that counselling, choosing the best and waiving where is no cause for dread; yet he should
all besides; he must consider the root whence dread to be poisoned, and therefore shun scorthe matter of his counsel is engendered, what ners, and fly their words as venom. As to the
fruits it may bear, and from what causes they fortification of his house, she points out that
be sprung. And having thus examined his towers and great edifices are costlyand laborious,
counsel and approved it by many wise folk and yet useless unless defended by true friends that
old, he shall consider if he may perform it and be old and wise; and the greatest and strongest
make of it a good end; if he be in doubt, he garrison that a rich man may have, as well to
shall choose rather to suffer than to begin; but keep his person as his goods, is, that he be
otherwise he shall prosecute his resolution beloved by his subjects and by his neighbours.
steadfastly till the enterprise be at an end. Warmly approving the counsel that in all this
As to changing his counsel, a man may do so business Melibceus should proceed with great
without reproach, if the cause cease, or when diligence and deliberation, Prudence goes on
a new case betides, or if he find that by error or to examine the advice given by his neighbours
otherwise harm or damage may result, or if that do him reverence without love, his old
his counsel be dishonest or come of dishonest enemies reconciled, his flatterers that councause, or if it be impossible or may not properly selled him certain things privily and openly
be kept; and he must take it for a general rule, counselled him the contrary, and the young
that every counsel which is affirmed so strongly, folk that counselled him to avenge himself and
that it may not be changed for any condition make war at once. She reminds him that he
that may betide, that counsel is wicked. Meli- stands alone against three powerful enemies,
beus, admitting that his wife haspoken well whose kindred are numerous and close, while
and suitably as to counsellors and counsel in his are fewer and remote in relationship; that
general, prays her to tell him in especial what only the judge who has jurisdiction in a case.she thinks of the counsellors whom they have may take sudden vengeance on any man; that
chosen in their present need. Prudence replies her husband's power does not accord with his
that his counsel in this case could not properly desire; and that, if he did take vengeance, it
be called a counselling, but a movement of folly; would only breed fresh wrongs and contests.
and points out that he has erred in sundry wise As to the causes of the wrong done to him, she
against the rules which he had ido. wn. holds that God, the causer of all things, has perGranting that he has erred, MelibTeus says mitted him to suffer because he has drunk so
that he is all ready to change his counsel right much honey 1 of sweet temporal riches, and
I "Thy name," she says, " is Meliboeus; that is to say, a man that drinketh honey."