|bChaucer,_Canterbury_Tales:_The_Tale_of_Melibeus,_ed._Norman_Blake}


|p.491


Here bigynneth Chaucers tale of Melibeus.

(967/2157) A yong man whilom called Melibeus myghty and riche bigat vpon
his wif that called was Prudence a doghter which that called was Sophie./
  Vpon a day bifel that he for his desport is went into the feeldes hym to pleye./
His wif and eek his doghter hath he laft inwith his hous of which the dores
weren faste yshette. (970/2160) Thre of his olde foos han it espied and setten



|p492


laddres to the walles of his hous and by wyndowes ben entred/ and betten his
wif and wounded his doghter with fyue mortal woundes in fyue sondry places;/
this is to seyn in hir feet, in hir handes, in hir erys, in hir nose, and in hir
mouth. And leften hir for deed and wenten awey./
  Whan Melibeus retourned was into his hous and seigh al this meschief he
lyk a madman rentynge his clothes gan to wepe and crye./ Prudence his wyf
as ferforth as she dorste bisoughte hym of his wepyng for to stynte. (975) But
nat forthy he gan to crye and wepen euere lenger the moore./
  This noble wif Prudence remembred hire vpon the sentence of Ouyde in his book that cleped is The Remedie of Loue wher as he seith:/ He is a fool that
destourbeth the moder to wepe in the deth of hir child til she haue wept hir
fille as for a certeyn tyme;/ and thanne shal man doon his diligence with
amyable wordes hir to reconforte and preye hir of hir wepyng for to stynte./
For which reson this noble wyf Prudence suffred hir housbonde for to wepe
and crye as for a certeyn space. (980/2170) And whan she say hir tyme she
seyde hym in this wise: `Allas my lord,' quod she, `why make ye yourself for to
be lyk a fool?/ For sothe it aperteneth nat to a wys man to maken swich a
sorwe./ Yowre doghter with the grace of god shal warisshe and escape./ [f.216v]
And al were it so that she right now were deed, ye ne oghte nat as for hir
deth yourself to destroye./ Senec seith: The wise man shal nat take to greet
disconfort for the deth of his children: (985) but certes he sholde suffren it in
pacience as wel as he abideth the deth of his owene propre persone.'/
  This Melibeus answerde anon and seyde: `What man,' quod he, `sholde of
his wepyng stynte that hath so gret a cause for to wepe?/ Iesu Crist oure lord
hymself wepte for the deth of Lazarus, his freend.'/
  Prudence answerde: `Certes wel I woot attempree wepynge is nothyng
defended to hym that sorweful is amonges folk in sorwe, but it is rather
graunted hym to wepe./ The apostle Poul vnto the Romayns writeth: Man
shal reioysse with hem that maken ioye and wepen with swich folk as wepen.
(990/2180) But thogh attempree wepyng be graunted, outrageous wepyng
certes is defended./ Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered after the loore that



|p493


techeth vs Senec:/ Whan that thy freend is deed (quod he) lat nat thyne eyen
to moyste ben of terys ne to muche drye. Althogh the teerys come to thyne
eyen lat hem nat falle./ And whan thou hast forgoon thy freend, do diligence
to geten another freend: and this is moore wysdom than for to wepe for thy
freend which that thou hast lorn, for therinne is no boote./ And therfore if ye
gouerne yow by sapience put awey sorwe out of youre herte. (995) Remembre
yow that Iesus Syrak seith: A man that is ioyous and glad in herte it hym
conserueth florisshynge in his age, but soothly sorweful herte maketh his bones
drye./ He seith eek thus that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many a man./ Salomon
seith that right as moththes in the shepes flees anoyeč to the clothes and the
smale wormes to the tree, right so anoyeth sorwe to the herte./ Wherfore vs
oghte as wel in the deth of oure children as in the losse of oure goodes temporels
haue pacience./ Remembre yow vpon the pacient Iob whan he hadde lost his
children and his temporel substance and in his body endured and receyued
ful many a greuous tribulacion, yet seide he thus: (1000/2190) Oure lord hath
yeuen it me; oure lord hath biraft it me; right so as oure lord hath wold,
right so it is doon. Yblessed be the name of oure lord'./
  To thise forseyde thynges answerde Melibeus vnto his wif Prudence: `Alle
thy wordes,' quod he, `been sothe and therto profitable. But trewely myn herte
is troubled with this sorwe so greuously that I noot what to doon.'/
  `Lat calle,' quod Prudence, `thy trewe freendes alle and thy lynage whiche
that [f.217] ben wise. Telleth youre cas and herkneth what they seye in
conseylynge; and yow gouerne after hir sentence./ Salomon seith: Werk alle
thy thynges by conseil and thow shalt neuere repente.'/
  Thanne by the conseil of his wyf Prudence this Melibeus leet callen a greet
congregacioun of folk, (1005) as sirurgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and yonge,
and somme of hise olde enemys reconsiled as by hir semblant to his loue and
into his grace./ And therwithal čer coomen somme of hise neghebores that diden
hym reuerence moore for drede than for loue, as it happeth ofte./ Ther coomen
also ful manye subtile flaterers and wise aduocatz lerned in the lawe./ And
whan this folk togydre assembled weren, this Melibeus in sorweful wise shewed
hem his cas./ And by the manere of his speche it semed that in herte he baar
a cruel ire redy to doon vengeance vpon his foos and sodeynly desired that the



|p494


werre sholde bigynne. (1010/2200) But nathelees yet axed he hir conseil vpon
this matere./
  A sirurgien, by licence and assent of swiche as were wise, vp roos and vnto
Melibeus seyde as ye may heere./ `Sire,' quod he, `as to vs sirurgiens aperteneth
that we do to euery wight the beste that we kan where as we be withholden
and to oure pacientz that we do no damage;/ wherfore it happeth many tyme
and ofte that whan twey men han euerich wounded oother, o same sirurgien
heeleth hem bothe./ Wherfore vnto oure art it is nat pertinent to norice werre
ne parties to supporte. (1015) But certes as to the warisshynge of youre doghter,
al be it so that she perilously be wounded we shullen do so ententif bisynesse
fro day to nyght that with the grace of god she shal be hool and sound as
soone as is possible.'/
  Almoost right in the same wise the phisiciens answerden saue that they
seyden a fewe wordes moore,/ that right as maladyes ben cured by hir contraries
right so shal man warisshe werre by vengeance./
  Hise. neghebores ful of enuye, hise feyned freendes that semeden reconsiled,
hise flaterers/ maden semblant of wepyng and empeyred and agregged muchel
of this matere in preisynge gretly Melibe of myght, of power, of richesse and of
freendes, despisynge the power of hise aduersaries; (1020/2210) and seyden
outrely that he anon sholde wreke hym on hise foos and bigynne werre./
  Vp roos thanne an aduocat that was wys, by leue and by conseil of othere
that weren wise, and seyde:/ `Lordynges, the nede for the which we ben
assembled in this place is ful heuy thyng and an [f.217v] heigh matere/ by cause
of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath be doon and eek by reson of
the grete damages that in tyme comynge been possible to fallen for the same
cause,/ and ek by reson of the grete richesse and power of the parties bothe;
(1025) for the whiche resons it were a ful greet peril to erren in this matere./
Wherfore, Melibeus, this is oure sentence. We conseile yow abouen alle thyng
that right-anon thow do diligence in kepynge of thy propre persone in swich
a wise that thow ne wante noon espye ne wacche thy body for to saue./ And
after that we conseille that in thyn hous thow sette suffisant garnyson so that
they may as wel thy body as thyn hous defende./ But certes for to moeue werre
ne sodeynly for to doon vengeance we may nat deme in so litel tyme that it
were profitable./ Wherfore we axen leyser and espace to haue deliberacioun
in this cas to deme; (1030/2220) for the commune prouerbe seyth this: He that
soone demeth soone shal repente./ And eek men seyn that thilke iuge is wys



|p495


that soone vnderstondeth a matere and iuggeth by leyser./ For al be it so that
al taryyng be anoyful, algates it is nat to repreue in yeuyng ofiuggement ne in
vengeance-takyng whan it is suffisant and resonable;/ and that shewed oure
lord Iesu Crist by ensample. For whan that the womman that was taken in
auoutrye was broght in his presence to knowen what sholde be doon with hir
persone, al be it that he wiste wel hymself what that he wolde answere yet ne
wolde he nat answere sodeynly. But he wolde haue deliberacioun and in the
ground he wroot twies./ And by thise causes we axen deliberacion and we shul
thanne by the grace of god conseille thee thyng that shal be profitable.'
  (1035) Vp stirten thanne the yonge folk atones, and the mooste partie of that
compaignye han scorned this olde wise man and bigonnen to make noyse and
seyden that/ right so as whil that iren is hoot men sholde smyte, right so sholde
men wreken hir wronges whil that they been fresshe and newe. And with loud
voys they criden: `Werre, werre.'/
  Vp roos tho oon of thise olde wise and with his hand made contenance that
men sholde holden hem stille and yeuen hym audience./ `Lordynges,' quod
he, `ther is ful many a man that crieth werre, werre that woot ful litel what
werre amounteth./ Werre at his bigynnyng hath so greet an entree and so large
[f.218] that euery wight may entre whan hym liketh and lightly fynde werre.
(1040/2230) But certes what ende that therof shal falle it is noght light to
knowe./ For soothly whan that werre is ones bigonne, ther is ful many a child
vnborn of his moder that shal sterue yong by cause of thilke werre or ellis
lyue in sorwe and dye in wrecchednesse./ And therfore er that any werre be
bigonne men moste haue gret conseil and gret deliberacioun.'/ And whan this
olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons wel neigh all atones bigonne
they to rise for to breken his tale and beden hym ful ofte hise wordes for to
abregge./ For sothly he that precheth to hem that listen nat heren hise wordes,
hys sarmon hem anoyeth. (1045) For Iesus Syrak seith that musyk in wepynge
is anoyous thyng. This is to seyn, as muche auaileth to speken biforn folk to
whiche his speche anoyeth as it is to synge biforn hym that wepeth./ And whan
this wise man say that hym wanted audience, al shamefast he sette hym doun
agayn./ For Salomon seith: Ther as thow ne mayst haue non audience, enforce
thee nat to speke./ `I se wel,' quod this wise man, `that the comune prouerbe
is sooth that good conseil wanteth whan it is moost nede.'/



|p496


  Yet hadde this Melibeus in his conseil many folk that priuely in his ere
conseiled hym certeyn thyng and conseiled hym the contrarie in general
audience. (1050/2240) Whan Melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste party of
his conseil were acorded that he sholde make werre, anon he consented to hir
conseilyng and fully affermed hir sentence./
  Thanne dame Prudence whan that she say how that hyr housbonde shoop
hym for to wreke hym on his foos and to bigynne werre, she in ful humble
wise whan she say hir tyme seyde hym thise wordes./ `My lord,' quod she,
`I you biseche as hertely as I dar and kan, ne haste yow nat to faste, and for
alle gerdons as yif me audience./ For Piers Alfonce seith: Whoso that dooth to
thee outher good or harm haste thee nat to quiten it, for in this wise thy freend
wol abyde and thyn enemy shal the lenger lyue in drede./ The prouerbe seith:
He hasteth wel that wysly kan abide. And in wikked haste is no profit.'
  (1055) This Melibe answerde vnto his wyf Prudence: `I purpose nat,' quod
he, `to werken by thy conseil for many causes and resons, for certes euery
wight wolde holde me thanne a fool;/ this is to seyn if I for thy conseilyng
wolde chaunge [f.218v] thynges that ben ordeyned and affermed by so manye
wise./ Secoundly I seye that alle wommen ben wikke and noon good of hem
alle, for of a thousand men (seith Salomon) I foond o good man, but certes
of alle wommen good womman foond I neuere./ And also certes if I gouerned
me by thy conseil, it sholde seme that I hadde yeue to thee ouer me the maistrie
and goddes forbode that it so were./ For Iesus Syrak seith that if the wyf haue
maistrie she is contrarious to hir housbonde. (1060/2250) And Salomon seith:
Neuere in thy lyf to thy wyf ne to thy child ne to thy freend ne yif no power
ouer thyself, for bettre it were that thy children axen of thy persone thynges
that hem nedeth than thow see thyself in the handes of thy children./ And
also if I wolde werke by thy conseilyng certes my conseil moste somtyme be
secree til it were tyme that it moste be knowe, and this ne may nat be.'/
[1062-3/2252-3 missing]
  (1064/2254) Whan dame Prudence ful debonairly and with gret pacience
hadde herd al that hir housbonde liked for to seye, thanne axed she of hym
licence for to speke and seyde in this wise. (1065) `My lord,' quod she, `as to
youre firste reson certes it may lightly been answered, for I seye that it is no
folie to chaunge conseil whan the thyng is chaunged or ellis whan the thyng



|p497


semeth ootherweys than it was biforn./ And mooreouer I seye that thogh that ye
han sworn and bihight to parfourne youre emprise and nathelees ye weyue to
parfourne thilke same emprise by iuste cause, men sholde nat seyn therfore
that ye were a lyer ne forsworn./ For the book seith that the wise man maketh
no lesyng whan he turneth his corage to the bettre./ And al be it so that youre
emprise be establissed and ordeyned by gret multitude of folk, yet thar ye nat
accomplice thilke same ordinance but yow like,/ for the trouthe of thynges and
the profit ben rather founde in fewe folk that ben wise and ful of reson than
by gret multitude of folk ther euery man crieth and clatereth what that hym
liketh. Soothly swich multitude is nat honeste.
  (1070/2260) `And to the seconde resoun wher as ye seyn that alle wommen
ben wikke, saue youre grace certes ye despise alle wommen in this wyse; and
he that al despiseth al displeseth, as seith the book./ And Senec seith that whoso
wole haue sapience shal no man dispreise, but he shal gladly teche the science
that he kan withoute presumpcion or pride;/ and swiche thynges as he noght
ne kan he shal nat ben ashamed to lerne hem and enquere [f.219] of lasse folk
than hymself./ And, sire, that ther hath be ful many a good womman may
lightly be preued./ For certes, sire, oure lord Iesu Crist wolde neuere han
descended to be born of a womman if alle wommen hadde be wikke. (1075)
And after that for the grete bountee that is in wommen oure lord Iesu Crist
whan he was risen fro deth to lyf appered rather to a womman than to his
apostles./ And though that Salomon seith that he ne foond neuere womman
good, it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen ben wikke./ For thogh that he
ne foond no good womman, certes many another man hath founde many a
womman ful good and trewe./ Or ellis parauenture the entente of Salomon
was this that as in souereyn bountee he foond no womman;/ this is to seyn that
ther is no wight that hath souereyn bountee saue god allone as he hymself
recordeth in his euaungelie. (1080/2270) For ther nys no creature so good that
hym ne wanteth somwhat of the parfeccioun of god that is his makere./
  `Youre thridde reson is this. Ye seyn that if ye gouerne yow by my conseil,
it sholde seme that ye hadde yeue me the maistrie and the lordshipe ouer
youre persone./ Sire, sauf youre grace it is nat so, for if so were that no man
sholde be conseiled but oonly of hem that hadde lordshipe and maistrie of his
persone men wolde nat ben conseiled so ofte./ For soothly thilke man that
axeč conseil ofa purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he wole werke by that
conseil or noon./
  `And as to youre ferče reson ther ye seyn that the ianglerye of wommen
kan hide thynges that they woot nat, as who seith that a womman kan nat



|p498


hide that that she woot. (1085) Sire, thise wordes been vnderstonde of wommen
that ben iangleresses and wikked./ Of whiche wommen men seyn that thre
thynges dryuen a man out of his hous, that is to seyn smoke, droppyng of reyn,
and wikked wyues./ And of swiche wommen seith Salomon that it were bettre
dwellen in desert than with a womman that is riotous./ And, sire, by youre
leue that am nat I./ For ye han ful ofte assayed my grete silence and my grete
pacience and eek how wel that I kan hiden and hele thynges that men oghten
secrely to hyde.
  (1090/2280) `And soothly as to youre fifthe reson wher as ye seyn that in
wikked conseil wommen venquysse men, god woot thilke reson stant heere in
no stede./ For vnderstond now ye axen conseil to do wikkednesse./ And if ye wol
werke wikkednesse and youre wyf restreyneč čilke [f.219v] wikked purpos and
ouercometh yow by reson and by good conseil,/ certes youre wyf oghte rather
be preysed than yblamed./ Thus sholde ye vnderstonde the philosophre that
seith: In wikked conseil wommen venquyssen hir housbondes.
  (1095) `And ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resons I shal shewe by
manye ensamples that many a womman hath be ful good and yet ben, and
hir conseils holsom and profitable./ Eke som men han seyd that the
conseilyng of wommen is outher to deere or ellis to litel of prys./ But al be it so
that ful many a womman is badde and hir conseil vile and noght worth, yet
han men founde ful many a good womman and ful discrete and wys in
conseilynge./ Lo Iacob by conseil of his moder Rebekka wan the beneyson of
Ysaak his fader and the lordshipe ouer alle his bretheren./ Iudith by hir good
conseil deliuered the citee of Bethulye in which she dwelled out of če handes of
Olofernus that hadde it biseged and wolde it al destroye. (1100/2290) Abigail
deliuered Nabal hir housbonde fro Dauid the kyng that wolde han slayn hym
and apaised the ire of the kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseilyng./ Hester
by hir good conseil enhaunced gretly the peple of god in the regne of Assuerus
the kyng./ And the same bountee in good conseilyng of many a good womman
may men telle./ And mooreouer whan that oure lord hadde creat Adam oure
forme-fader he seyde in this wise:/ `It is nat good to be a man allone; make
we to hym an help semblable to hymself ' (1105) Heere may ye se that if that
wommen were nat goode and hir conseil good and profitable,/ oure lord god of



|p499


heuene wolde neither han wroght hem ne called hem help of man but rather
confusion of man./ And ther seyde ones a clerk in two vers: What is bettre
than gold? Iaspre. What is bettre than iaspre? Wisdom./ And what is bettre
than wisdom? Womman. And what is bettre than good womman? Nothyng./
And, sire, by manye of othere resons may ye seen that manye wommen ben
goode and hir conseil good and profitable. (1110/2300) And therfore, sire, if
ye wol truste to my conseil I shal restore yow youre doghter hool and sound,/
and eek I wol doon to yow so muche that ye shul haue honour in this
cause.'/
  Whan Melibe hadde herd the wordes of his wyf Prudence, he seyde thus:/
`I se wel that the word of Salomon is sooth. He seith that wordes that ben
spoken discretly by ordinance beth honycombes, for they yeue swetnesse to the
soule and holsomnesse to the body./ And, wyf, by cause of the swete [f.220]
wordes and eek for I haue assayed and preued thy grete sapience and thy
grete trouthe, I wol gouerne me by thy conseil in alle thyng.'
  (1115) `Now sire,' quod dame Prudence, `and syn ye vouchesauf to been
gouerned by my conseil, I wol enforme yow how ye shal gouerne yow self
in chesynge of youre conseilours./ Ye shal first in alle youre werkes mekely
biseken to the heighe god that he wol be youre conseillour,/ and shapeth yow
to swich entente that he yeue yow conseil and confort as taughte Thobie his
sone./ At alle tymes thow shalt blesse god and praye hym to dresse thy weyes
and looke that alle thy conseils ben in hym for eueremoore./ Seint Iame eek
seith: If any of yow haue nede of sapience, axe it of god. (1120/2310) And
afterward thanne shal ye take conseil in yourself and examyne wel youre
thoghtes of swiche thynges as yow thynketh that is best for youre profit./
And thanne shal ye dryue fro youre herte thre thynges that been contrariouse
to good conseil;/ that is to seyn, ire, coueitise, and hastynesse./
  `First he that axeth conseil of hymself, certes he moste be withouten ire
for many causes./ The firste is this. He that hath greet ire and wrathe in
hymself he weneth alwey that he may do thyng that he may nat do. (1125)/
And secoundly he that is irous and wroč, he ne may nat wel deme./ And he
that may nat wel deme may nat wel conseille./ The thridde is this that he that
is irous and wroč, as seith Senek, ne may nat speke but blameful thynges./
And with hise viciouse wordes he stireth oother folk to angre and to ire./ And
eek, sire, ye moste dryue coueitise out of youre herte. (1130/2320) For the
apostle seith that coueitise is the roote of alle harmes./ And trust wel that a
coueitous man ne kan nat deme ne thenke but oonly to fulfille the ende of his
coueitise./ And certes that ne may neuere been acompliced, for euere the moore



|p500


habundance that he hath of richesse the moore he desireth./ And, sire, ye moste
also dryue out of youre herte hastifnesse, for certes/ ye may nat deme for če
beste a sodeyn thoght that falleth in youre herte, but ye moste auyse yow on
it ful ofte. (1135) For as ye herde herbiforn the comune prouerbe is this that
he that soone demeth soone repenteth./
  `Sire' ye ne ben nat alwey in lyke disposicioun:/ for certes som thyng that
somtyme semeth to yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it semeth to yow
the contrarie,/ whan ye han taken conseil in yourself and han demed by good
deliberacioun swich thyng as yow semeth best./
  `Thanne rede I yow that ye kepe it secree. (1140/2330) Biwrey nat youre
conseil to no persone, but if so be that ye wenen [f.220v] sikerly that thurgh
yowr bywreyyng youre condicioun shal ben to yow moore profitable./ For
Iesus Syrak seith: Neither to thy foo ne to thy freend discouere nat thy secree
ne thy folie;/ for they wol yeue yow audience and lokyng and supportacioun
in thy presence and scorne thee in thyn absence./ Another clerk seith that
scarsly shaltow fynden any persone that may kepe conseil secrely./ The book
seith: Whil that thow kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thow kepest it in thy
prison. (1145) And whan thow biwreyest thy conseil to any wight he holdeth
thee in his snare./ And therfore yow is bettre to hide youre conseil in youre
herte than preyen hym to whom ye haue biwreyed youre conseil that he wol
kepen it cloos and stille./ For Seneca seith: If so be that thou ne mayst nat
thyn owene conseil hyde, how dorstow preyen any oother wight thy conseil
secrely to kepe?/ But nathelees if thow wene sikerly that thy biwreyyng of thy
conseil to a persone wol maken thy condicion to stonden in the bettre plyt,
thanne shaltow telle hym thy conseil in this wise./ First thow shalt make no
semblant wheither thee were leuere pees or werre or this or that, ne shewe
hym nat thy wyl and thyn entente. (1150/2340) For trust wel that comunely
thise conseillours ben flaterers,/ namely the conseillours of grete lordes/ for they
enforcen hem alwey rather to speke plesante wordes enclynynge to the lordes
lust than wordes that ben trewe or profitable./ And therfore men seyn that
the riche man hath selde good conseil but if he haue it of hymself./ And after
that thow shalt considere thy freendes and thyne enemys. (1155) And as
touchynge thy freendes thow shalt considere whiche of hem that been moost
feithfull and moost wise and eldest and moost approued in conseillyng./ And
of hem shaltow axe thy conseil as the cas requyreth./



|p501


  `I seye that first ye shul clepe to youre conseyl youre freendes that ben
trewe./ For Salomon seith that right as the herte of a man deliteth in sauour
that is soote, right so the conseil of trewe freendes yeueth swetnesse to the
soule./ He seith also: Ther may nothyng be likned to the trewe freend. (1160/
2350) For certes gold ne siluer ben noght so muche worth as the goode wyl
of a trewe freend./ And eek he seith that a trewe freend is a strong defense:
whoso that it fyndeth certes he fyndeth a gret tresor./ Thanne shul ye eek
considere if that youre trewe freendes been discrete and wise; for the book
seith: Axe alwey thy conseil of hem that been wise./ And by this same [f.221]
reson shul ye clepen to youre conseil of yowre freendes that ben of age swiche
as han seighen and ben expert of manye thynges and ben approued in
conseilynges./ For the book seič that in olde men is the sapience and in longe
tyme the prudence. (1165) And Tullius seith that grete thynges ne ben nat ay
acompliced by strengthe ne by delyuernesse of body but by good conseil, by
auctoritee of persones, and by science. The whiche thre thynges ne been nat
fieble by age, but certes they enforcen and encressen day by day./ And thanne
shal ye kepe this for a general rule: first shal ye clepe to youre conseil a fewe
of youre freendes that ben especiale./ For Salomon seith: Manye freendes haue
thow, but among a thousand chees thee oon to be thy conseillour./ For al be
it so that thow first ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thow mayst afterward
telle it to mo folk if it be nede./ But looke alwey that thy conseillours haue
thilke thre condicions that I haue seyd bifore; that is to seye, that they be
trewe, wise, and of old experience. (1170/2360) And werk nat alwey in euery
nede by o conseillour allone, for somtyme bihoueth it to be conseiled by
manye./ For Salomon seith: Saluacion of thynges is wher as ther ben manye
conseilours./
  `Now sith that I haue told yow of which folk ye sholde be conseilled, now
wol I teche yow which conseil ye oghte eschue./ First ye shul eschue the
conseillyng of fooles. For Salomon seith: Take no conseil of a fool for he ne kan
nat conseille but after his owene lust and his affeccioun./ The book seith that
the propretee of a fool is this: He troweč lightly harm of euery wight and lightly



|p502


troweth alle bountee in hymself. (1175) Thow shalt eek eschue the conseillyng
of alle flaterers swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre persone by flaterye
than for to telle yow the soothfastnesse of thynges./ Wherfore Tullius seith:
Among alle the pestilences that been in frendshipe the gretteste is flaterye.
And therfore is it moore nede that thow eschue and drede flaterers than any
oother peple./ The book seith: Thow shalt rather drede and flee fro the swete
wordes of flaterynge preiseres than fro the egre wordes of thy freend that seith
thee thy sothes./ Salomon seith that the wordes of a flaterer is a snare to cacchen
innocentz./ He seith also that he that speketh to his freend wordes of swetnesse
and of [f.221v] plesance setteth a net biforn his feet to cacchen hym. (1180/
2370) And therfore seith Tullius: Enclyne nat thyne erys to flatereres ne tak no
conseil of wordes of flaterye./ And Caton seith: Auyse thee wel and eschue
wordes of swetnesse and of plesance./ And eek thow shalt eschue the conseillyng
of thynne olde enemys that ben reconsiled./ The book seith that no wight
retourneth saufly into the grace of his olde enemy./ And Ysope seith: Ne trust
nat to hem to whiche thow hast had somtyme werre or enemytee, ne telle
hem nat thy conseil. (1185) And Seneca telleth the cause why. It may nat
be (seith he) that wher as greet fyr hath longe tyme endured that ther ne
dwelleth som vapour of warmnesse./ And therfore seith Salomon: In thyn olde
foo trust neuere./ For sikerly thogh thyn enemy be reconsiled and maketh
thee cheere of humylitee and louteth to thee with his heed, ne trust hym
neuere./ For certes he maketh thilke feyned humylitee moore for his profit
than for any loue of thy persone by cause that he demeth to haue victorie
ouer thy persone by swich feyned continance; the which victorie he myghte
nat haue by strif or werre./ And Peter Alfonce seith: Make no felaweshipe
with thyne olde enemys for if thow do hem bountee they wol peruerten it
into wikkednesse. (1190/2380) And eek thou most eschue the conseillyng of hem
that ben thy seruantz and beren thee gret reuerence, for parauenture they
seyn it moore for drede than for loue./ And therfore seith a philosophre in this
wise: Ther is no wight parfitly trewe to hym that he to soore dredeth./ And
Tullius seith: Ther nys no myght so gret of any emperour that longe may



|p503


endure but if he haue moore loue of the peple than drede./ Thou shalt also
eschue the conseillyng of folk that ben dronkelewe for they ne kan no conseil
hyde./ For Salomon seith: Ther is no priuetee ther as regneth dronkenesse.
(1195) Ye shal also han in suspect the conseilyng of swich folk as conseile yow
a thyng priuely and conseille yow the contrarie openly./ For Cassiodorie seith
that it is a maner sleighte to hyndre whan he sheweth to doon a thyng openly
and werketh pryuely the contrarie./ Thow shalt also haue in suspect the
conseilyng of wikked folk. For the book seith: The conseilyng of wikked folk
is alwey ful of fraude./ And Dauid seith: Blisful is that man that hath nat
folwed the conseilyng of sherewes./ Thow shalt also eschue [f.222] the
conseilyng of yong folk for hir conseil is nat rype.
  (1200/2390) `Now' sire, sith I haue shewed yow of which folk ye shul take
youre conseil and of which folk ye shul folwe the conseil,/ now wol I teche
yow how ye shul examyne youre conseil after the doctrine of Tullius./ In the
examynynge thanne of youre conseillour ye shul considere many thynges./
Alderfirst thou shalt considere that in thilke thyng that thow purposest and
vpon what thyng thow wolt haue conseil that verray trouthe be seyd and
conserued; this is to seyn, telle trewely thy tale./ For he that seith fals may nat
wel be conseiled in that cas of which he lyeth. (1205) And after this thow
shalt considere the thynges that acorden to that thow purposest for to do
by thy conseillours if reson acorde therto,/ and eek if thy myght may atteyne
therto, and if the moore part and the bettre part of thy conseillours acorde
therto or no./ Thanne shaltow considere what thyng shal folwe of that
conseilyng as hate, pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage, and many othere
thynges./ And in alle thise thynges thow shalt chese the beste and weyue alle
othere thynges./ Thanne shaltow considere of what roote is engendred the
matere of thy conseil and what fruyt it may conceyue and engendre. (1210/
2400) Thow shalt eek considere alle thise causes from whennes they ben
sprongen./
  `And whan ye haue examyned youre conseil as I haue seyd and which partie
is the bettre and moore profitable and han approued it by manye wise folk
and olde,/ thanne shaltow considere if thou mayst parforme it and maken of
it a good ende./ For reson wol nat that any man sholde bigynne a thyng but
if he myghte parforme it as hym oghte./ Ne no wight sholde take vpon hym



|p504


so heuy charge that he myghte nat beren it. (1215) For the prouerbe seith:
He that to muche embraceth destreyneth litel./ And Caton seith: Assay to do
swich thyng as thow hast power to doon, lest that the charge oppresse thee
so soore that thee bihoueth to weyue thyng that thow hast bigonne./ And if
so be that thow be in doute wheither thow mayst parfourne a thyng or noon,
chees rather to suffre than bigynne./ And Peter Alfonce seith: If thow hast
myght to doon a thyng of which thow most repente, it is bettre nay than ye;/
this is to seyn that thee is bettre to holde thy tonge stille than for to speke.
(1220/2410) Thanne may ye vnderstonde by strenger resons that if thow hast
power to [f.222v] parforme a werk of which thow shalt repente, thanne is it
bettre that thow suffre than bigynne./ Wel seyn they that defenden euery
wight to assaye a thyng of which he is in doute wheither he may parforme
it or no./ And after whan ye haue examyned youre conseil as I haue seyd
biforn and knowen wel that ye may parforme youre emprise, conferme it
thanne sadly til it be at an ende./
  `Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow whanne and wherfore that ye
may chaunge youre conseillours withoute youre reproue./ Soothly man may
chaungen his purpos and his conseil if the cause cesseth or whan a newe cas
bitideth. (1225) For the lawe seith that vpon thynges that newely bitideth
bihoueth newe conseil./ And Seneca seith: If thy conseil is come to the erys
of thyn enemy, chaunge thy conseil./ Thow mayst also chaunge thy conseil
if so be that thou fynde that by errour or by oother cause harm or damage
may bityde./ Also if thy conseil be deshoneste or ellis cometh of deshoneste
cause chaunge thy conseil./ For the lawes seyn that alle bihestes that ben
deshoneste ben of no value; (1230/2420) and eek ifit so be that it be inpossible
or may nat goodly be parformed or kept./ And take this for a general rule that
euery conseil that is affermed so strongly that it may nat be chaunged for no
condicion that may bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked.'/
  This Melibeus whan he hadde herd the doctrine of his wyf dame Prudence
answerde in this wise./ `Dame,' quod he, `as yet into this tyme ye han wel
and couenably taught me as in general how I shal gouerne me in chesynge and
in the withholdyng of my conseillours./ But now wolde I fayn that ye wolde
condescenden in especial (1235) and telle me how liketh yow or what semeth
yow by oure conseillours that we han chosen in oure present nede.'/
  `My lord,' quod she, `I biseke yow in al humblesse that yel wol nat wilfully



|p505


replye ayein my resons ne distempre youre herte thogh I speke thyng that
yow displese./ For god woot that as in myn entente I speke it for youre beste,
for youre honour, and for youre profit eke./ And soothly I hope that youre
benygnytee wol taken it in pacience./ Trusteth me wel,' quod she, `that youre
conseil as in this cas ne sholde nat, as to speke proprely, be called a conseilyng
but a mocioun or a moeuyng of folie. (1240/2430) In which conseil ye han erred
in many a sondry wise./
  `First and forward ye han erred in the assemblyng of youre conseillours./
For ye sholde first han clepid a [f.223] fewe folk to youre conseil and after ye
myghte han shewed it to mo folk if it hadde be nede./ But certes ye han
sodeynly clepid to youre conseil a gret multitude of peple ful chargeant and ful
anoyous for to heere./ Also ye han erred for ther as ye sholde oonly han clepid
to youre conseil youre trewe freendes olde and wise, (1245) ye han yclepid
straunge folk, yong folk, false flatereres, and enemys reconsiled, and folk that
doon yow reuerence withouten loue./ And eek also ye han erred for ye han
broght with yow to youre conseil ire, coueitise, and hastifnesse,/ the whiche
thre thynges ben contrariouse to euery conseil honeste and profitable./ The
whiche thre thynges ye han nat anientissed or destroyed hem neither in
yourself ne in youre conseillours as ye oghte./ Ye han erred also for ye han
shewed to youre conseillours youre talent and youre affeccioun to make werre
anon and for to do vengeance. (1250/2440) They han espied by youre wordes
to what thyng ye ben enclyned./ And therfore han they conseilled yow rather
to youre talent than to youre profit./ Ye han erred also for it semeth that yow
suffiseth to han ben conseilled by thise conseilours oonly and with liteI auys,/
wher as in so gret and so heigh a nede it hadde ben necessarie mo conseilours
and moore deliberacion to parforme youre emprise./ Ye han erred also for ye
ne han nat examyned youre conseil in the forseyde manere ne in due manere
as the cas requyreth. (1255) Ye han erred also for ye han maked no diuision
bitwixe youre conseilours; this is to seyn bytwixe youre trewe freendes and
youre feyned conseilours./ Ne ye ne haue nat knowe the wyl of youre trewe
freendes olde and wise,/ but ye han cast alle hir wordes in an hochepot and
enclyned youre herte to the moore part and to the gretter nombre, and ther
be ye condescended./ And sith ye woot wel that men shal alwey fynde a gretter
nombre of foolis than of wise men,/ and therfore the conseils that ben at
congregacions and multitudes of folk ther as men take moore reward to the
nombre than to the sapience of persones (1260/2450) ye se wel that in swyche
conseillynges foolis han the maistrie. '/
  Melibeus answerde agayn and seyde: `I graunte wel that I haue erred./
But ther as thow hast toold me herbiforn that he ne is nat to blame that



|p506


chaungeth his conseillours in certeyn cas and for certeyne iuste causes,/ I am
al redy to chaunge my conseilours right as thow wolt deuyse./ The prouerbe
seith  seith that for to do synne is mannyssh, but certes for to perseuere longe in
synne [f 223v] is werk of the deuel.'
   (1265) To this sentence answerde anon dame Prudence and seyde:/ `Ex-
amyneth,' quod she, youre conseil and lat vs se the whiche of hem han spoken
moost resonably and taught yow best conseil./ And for as muche as that the
examinacion is necessarie lat vs bigynne at the sirurgiens and at the phisiciens
that first speeken in this matere./ I sey yow that the sirurgiens and phisiciens
han seyd yow in youre conseil descretly as hem oghte./ And in hir speche
seyden ful wysly that to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to euery wight
honour and profit and no wight to anoye, (1270/2460) and after hir craft to
doon gret diligence vnto the cure of hem whiche that they han in hir gouern-
ance./ And, sire, right as they han answered wysly and discretly,/ right so rede
I that they be heighly and souereynly gerdoned for hir noble speche,/ and
eek for they shullen do the moore ententif bisynesse in the curacioun of thy
doghter deere./ For al be it so that they ben youre freendes, therfore shal ye
nat suffren that they serue you for noght, (1275) but ye oghte the rather gerdone
hem and shewen hem youre largesse./ And as touchynge the proposicioun
which that the phisiciens encresceden in this cas, this is to seyn/ that in maladies
that a contrarie is warisshed by another contrarie,/ I wolde fayn knowe how
ye vnderstande thilke text and what is youre sentence.'/
   Certes, quod Melibeus, `I vnderstonde it in this wise (1280/2470) that right
as they han doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I doon hem another./ For
right as they han venged hem on me and doon me wrong, right so shal I
venge me vpon hem and doon hem wrong,/ and thanne haue I cured a contrarie by another.'/
   Lo, lo, quod dame Prudence, `how lightly is euery man enclyned to his
owene desir and to his owene plesance./ Certes,' quod she, `the wordes of the
phisiciens ne sholde nat han ben vnderstonden in that wise. (1285) For certes
wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse, ne vengeance to vengeance, ne
wrong to wrong; but they ben semblable./ And therfore o vengeance is nat
warisshed by another vengeance ne o wrong by another wrong,/ but euerich
of hem encresceth and aggreggeth oother./ But certes the wordes of thise
phisiciens sholde ben vnderstonde in this wise,/ for good and wikkednesse ben
two contraries, and pees and werre, vengeance and suffrance, discord and



|p507


acord, and many othere thynges. (1290/2480) But certes wikked shal be
warisshed by goodnesse, discord by acord, werre by pees, and so forth of othere
thynges./ And herto acordeth seynt [f.224] Poul the Apostle in many places./
He seith: Ne yeldeth noght harm for harm ne wikked speche for wikked
speche,/ but do wel to hym that dooth to thee harm and blesse hym that seith
to thee harm./ And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees and acord.
   (1295) `But now wol I speke to yow of the conseil which that was yeuen
to yow by the men of lawe and the wise folk/ that seyden alle by oon acord,
as ye han herd bifore/ that ouer alle thynges ye shal do youre diligence to kepe
youre persone and to warnestore youre hous./ And seyden also that in this cas
ye oghten for to werke ful auysely and with greet deliberacioun./ And, sire,
as to the firste point that toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone (1300/2490)
ye shul vnderstonde that he that hath werre shal euere moore deuoutly and
mekely preyen byforn alle thynges/ that Iesus Crist of his mercy wol han hym
in his proteccion and ben his souereyn helpyng at his nede./ For certes in
this world ther is no wight that may be conseilled ne kept suffisantly withoute
the kepyng of oure lord Iesu Crist./ To this sentence acordeth the prophete
Dauid that seith:/ If god ne kepe citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth. (1305)
Now, syre, thanne shul ye committe the kepyng of youre persone to youre
trewe freendes that been approued and yknowe./ And of hem shul ye axen
help youre persone for to kepe. For Catoun seith: If thou hast nede of help
axe it of thy freendes,/ for ther nys noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe
freend./ And after this thanne shul ye kepe yow fro alle straunge folk and fro
lyeres and haue alwey in suspect hir compaignye./ For Piers Alfonce seith:
Ne taak no compaignye by the wey of a straunge man but if so be that thow
haue knowe hym of a lenger tyme. (1310/2500) And if so be that he falle into
thy compaignye, parauenture withouten thyn assent,/ enquere thanne as
subtilly as thow mayst of his conuersacioun and of his lyf bifore. And feyne thy
wey: Sey that thow wolt go thider as thow wolt nat go:/ And if he bereth a spere
hoold thee on the right syde. And if he bere a swerd hoold thee on the left



|p508


syde./ And after this thanne shal ye kepe yow wysly from al swich maner peple
as I haue seyd bifore and hem and hir conseil eschewe./ And after this thanne
shal ye kepe yow in swich manere (1315) that for any presumpcion of youre
strengthe that ye ne despise nat ne attempte nat the myght of youre aduersarie
so lite that ye lete the kepyng of youre persone for youre presumpcioun,/
for euery wys man dredeth his enemy./ And Salomon seyth: [f.224v] Weleful
is he that of all hath drede./ For certes he that thurgh the hardynesse of his
herte and thurgh the hardynesse of hymself hath to gret presumpcioun, hym
shal yuel bityde./ Thanne shal ye eueremo countrewayte emboyssementz and
al espiaille. (1320/2510) For Senek seith that the wise man that dredeth harmes
escheweth harmes;/ ne he ne falleth into perils that perils escheweth./ And
al be so that it seme that thow art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do thy
diligence in kepyng of thy persone;/ this is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe
thy persone nat oonly fro thy grettest enemys but fro thy leeste enemy./ Senek
seith: A man that is wel auysed he dredeth his leste enemy. (1325) Ouyde seith
that the litel wesele wol slee the grete bole and the wilde hert./ And the book
seith: A litel thorn may prikke a kyng ful soore, and an hound wol holde the
wilde boor./ But nathelees I sey nat thow shalt be so coward that thow doute:
ther wher as is no drede./ The book seith that som folk haue gret lust to deceyue
but yet they dreden hem to be deceyued./ Yet shaltow drede to been
empoysoned; and kepe thee from the compaignye of scorneres. (1330/2520)
For the book seith: With scomeres make no compaignye, but flee hir wordes
as venym./
   `Now as to the seconde point where as youre wise conseilours conseiled yow
to warnestore youre hous with gret diligence,/ I wolde fayn knowe how that ye
vnderstonde thilke wordes and what is youre sentence.'/
   Melibeus answerde and seyde: `Certes I vnderstonde it in this wise that I
shal warnestore myn hous with toures swiche as han castelles and othere manere
edifices and armure and artelries,/ by whiche thynges I may my persone and
myn hous so kepen and defenden that myne enemys shull been in drede myn
hous for to approche.'



|p509


   (1335) To thys sentence answerde anon Prudence. `Warnestoryng,' quod
she, `of heighe toures and of grete edifices apperteyneth somtyme to pryde./
And eek men make heighe toures and grete edifices with grete costages and with
gret trauaille, and whan that they been accompliced yet be they nat worth a
stree but if they been defended by trewe freendes that been oolde and wise./
And vnderstonde wel that the gretteste and the strengeste garnysoun that ryche
man may haue as wel to kepen his persone as his goodes is/ that he be biloued
with his subgetz and with his neighebores./ For thus seith Tullius that ther is
a manere garneson that no man may venquyse ne discomfite and that [f.225]
is (1340/2530) a lord to be biloued of his citezeins and of his peple./
   `Now, sire, as to the iije poynt wher as youre - olde and wise
conseilours seiden that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne hastily proceden in this
nede,/ but that yow oghte purueien and apparailen yow in this cas with greet
diligence and greet deliberacioun,/ trewely I trowe that they seyden right
wisely and right sooth./ For Tullius seith: In euery nede er thow bigynne it,
apparayle thee with greet diligence. (1345) Thanne seye I that in vengeance-
takynge, in werre, in bataile, and in warnestorynge,/ er thow bigynne I rede
that thow apparaile thee therto and do it with greet deliberacioun:/ For Tullius
seith that long apparailynge biforn the bataile maketh short victorie./ And
Cassidorus seith: The garneson is strenger whan it is long tyme auysed./
   `But now lat vs speke of the conseil that was acorded by youre neighebores
swiche as doon yow reuerence withouten loue, (1350/2540) youre olde enemys
reconsiled, youre flaterers,/ that conseileden yow certeyne thynges pryuely and
openly conseileden yow the contrarie;/ the yonge folk also that conseileden
yow to venge yow and make werre anoon./ And certes, sire, as I haue seyd
biforn ye han greetly erred to han clepid swich maner folk to youre conseil./
Whiche conseilours been ynow repreued bi the resons foreseyd. (1355) But
nathelees lat us now descende to the special. Ye shuln first proceden after the
doctryne of Tullius./ Certes the trouthe of this matere or of this conseil nedeth
nat diligently enquere,/ for it is wel wist whiche they been that han doon to
yow this trespas and vileynye,/ and how manye trespasours and in what manere
they han to yow doon al this wrong and al this vileynye./
   `And after this thanne shulle ye examyne the ije condicioun which



|p510


that the same Tullius addeth in this matere, (1360/2550) for Tullius put a thyng
which that he clepeth consentynge; this is to seyn,/ who been they and whiche
been they and how manye that consenten to thy conseil in thy wilfulnesse
to do hastif vengeance./ And lat vs considere also who been they and how
manye been they and whiche been they that consenteden to youre aduersaries./
And certes as to the firste poynt it is wel knowen whiche folk been they that
consenteden to youre hastif wilfulnesse./ For trewely alle tho that conseileden
yow to maken sodeyn werre ne been nat youre freendes. (1365) Lat vs now
considere whiche been: they that ye holde so greetly youre freendes as to youre
persone./ For al be it so that ye be myghty and ryche, certes ye ne been but
[f.225v] allone./ For certes ye ne han no child but a doghter;/ ne ye ne han
bretheren ne cosyns germayns ne noon oother ney kynrede,/ wherfore that
youre enemys for drede sholden stynte to plede with yow or destroye youre
persone. (1370/2560) Ye knowe also that youre richesses moten be despended
in diuerse parties,/ and whan that euery wight hath his part they ne wollen
take but litel reward to venge thy deeth./ But thyne enemys been iije and
they han manye children, bretheren, cosyns, and oother ney kynrede./ And
thogh so were thow haddest slayn of hem ijo or iije, yet dwellen ther ynowe
to wreken hir deeth and to sle thy persone./ And thogh so be that youre
kynrede be moore syker and stedefast than the kyn of youre aduersarie,
(1375) yet nathelees youre kynrede nys but a fer kynrede, they been but litel
syb to yow./ And the kyn of youre enemys been ney syb to hem. And certes
as in that hir condicion is bet than youres./ Thanne lat vs considere also if the
conseilynge of hem that conseileden yow to, taken sodeyn vengeance wheither
it acorde to reson./ And certes ye knowe wel nay./ For as by right and reson
ther may no man take vengeance on no wight but the iuge that hath the
iurisdiccioun of it, (1380/2570) whan it is ygraunted hym to take thilke
vengeance hastily or attemprely as the lawe requereth./ And yet moreouer
of thilke word that Tullius clepith consentynge,/ thow shalt considere if thy
myght and thy power may consente and suffise to thy wilfulnesse and to thy
conseilours./ And certes thow mayst wel seyn that nay./ For sikerly as for to
speke proprely we may do nothyng but oonly swich thyng as we may do
rightfully. (1385) And certes rightfully ne mowe ye take no vengeance as of
youre propre auctoritee./ Thanne mowe ye seen that youre power ne
consenteth nat ne acordeth nat with youre wilfulnesse./
   `Lat vs now examyne the iije poynt that Tullius clepith consequent./ Thow
shalt vnderstande that the vengeance that thow purposest for to taken is the



|p511


consequent./ And theroffolweth another vengeance, peril and werre and othere
damages withoute nombre, of whiche we been nat waar as at this tyme.
(1390/2580) And as touchynge the iiije poynt that Tullius clepith en-
gendrynge,/ thow shalt considere that this wrong which that is doon to thee
is engendred of the hate of thyne enemys;/ and of the vengeance-takynge vpon
that wolde engendre another vengeance\ and muchil sorwe -and wastynge of
richesses, [f.226] as I seyde:/
`Now, sire, as touchynge to, the poynt that Tullius clepith causes, which
that is the laste poynt,/ thow shalt vnderstonde that the wrong that thow hast
receyued hath certeyne causes (1395) whiche that clerkes clepen oriens and
efficiens and causa longinqua and causa propinqua, this is to seyn the fer cause and
the ny cause./ The fer cause is almyghty god that is cause of alle thynges;/
the neer cause is thy thre enemys;/ the cause accidental was hate;/ the cause
material been the v woundes of thy doghter; (1400/2590) the cause formal is
the manere of hir werkynge that broghten laddres and clomben in at thy
wyndowes;/ the cause final was for to sle thy doghter. It lettyd nat in as muche
as in hem was./ But for to speke of the fer cause as to what ende they shul
come or what shal finally bityde of hem - in this cas, ne kan I nat deme but
by coniectynge and by supposynge:/ For we shuln suppose that they shul come
to a wikked ende/ by cause that the Book of Decrees seith: Selden or with greet
peyne been causes ybroght to good ende whan they been baddely bigonne.
   (1405) `Now, sire, if men wolden axe me why that god suffrede men to do
yow this vileynye, certes I kan nat wel answere as for no soothfastnesse./ For
the apostle seith that the sciences and the iugementz of oure lord god almyghty
been ful depe;/ ther may no man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly./
Nathelees by certeyne presumpcions and coniectynges I holde and bileue/ that
god which that is ful of iustice and of rightwisnesse hath suffred this bityde
by iuste cause resonable.
   (1410/2600) `Thy name is Melibe; this is to seyn a man that drynketh hony./
Thow hast ydronke so muchil hony of swete temporel richesses and delices and
honours of this world,/ that thow art dronken and hast forgeten Iesu Crist thy
creatour./ Thow ne hast,nat doon to hym swich honour and reuerence as thee
oghte,/ ne thow ne hast nat wel taken kepe to the wordes of Ouyde that seith:
(1415) Vnder the hony of the goodes of the body is hyd the venym that sleth
the soule./ And Salomon seith: If thow hast founden hony ete ofit that suffiseth,/



|p512


for if thow ete of it out of mesure thow shalt spewe and be nedy and poore./
And parauenture Crist hath thee in despit and hath torned awey fro thee his
face and his erys of misericorde./ And also he hath suffred that thow [f.226v]
hast been punysshed in the manere that thow hast ytrespased. (1420/2610)
Thow hast doon synne agayn oure lord Crist./ For certes the iije enemys of
mankynde, that is to seyn the flessh, the feend and the world,/ thow hast suffred
hem entre into thyn herte wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body/ and hast
nat defendid thyself suffisantly agayns hir assautes and hir temptacions so that
they han woundid thy soule in v places;/ this is to seyn, the dedly synnes that
been entred into thyn herte by thy v wittes. (1425) And in the same manere
oure lord Crist hath wold and suffred that thy iije enemys been entred into
thyn hous by the wyndowes/ and han ywoundid thy doghter in the forseyde
manere.'/
   `Certes,' quod Melibe, `I se wel that ye enforce yow muchil by wordes to
ouercome me in swich I a manere that I shal nat venge me of myne enemys,/
shewynge me the perils and the yueles that myghten falle of this vengeance./
But whoso wolde considere in alle vengeances the perils and yueles that
myghten sewe of vengeance-takynge, (1430/2620) a man wolde neuere take
vengeance and that were harm./ For by the vengeance-takynge been the
wikked men disseuered fro the goode men,/ and they that han wil to do
wikkednesse restreyne hir wikked purpos whan they seen the punysshynge and
chastisynge of trespassours. [1433-4/2623-4 missing]
   (1435) `And yet seye I moore that right as a singuler persone synneth in
takynge vengeance of another man,/ right so synneth the iuge if he do no
vengeance of hem that it han disserued./ For Senek seith thus: That maister (he
seith) is good that preueth shrewes./ And as Cassidore seith: A man dredeth
to do outrages whan he woot and knoweth that it displeseth to the iuges and
the souereyns./ And another seith: The iuge that dredeth to do right maketh



|p513


men shrewes: (1440/2630) And seint Poul th'apostle seith in his epistle whan
he writeth vnto the Romayns that the iuges beren nat the spere withouten
cause,/ but they beren it to punysshe the shrewes and mysdoers and for to
defende the goode men./ If ye wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys ye
shul retourne or haue youre recours to the iuge that hath the iurisdiccioun
vpon hem,/ and he shal punysshe hem as the lawe axeth and requeret
`A,' quod Melibe, `this vengeance liketh me nothyng..(1445) I bithenke me
now and take hede how fortune hath norisshed me fro [f.227] my childhode
and hath holpen me to passe many a strong paas./ Now wol I assayen hir,
trowynge with goddes help that she shal helpe me my shame for to venge.'/
   `Certes,' quod Prudence, `if ye wol werke by my conseil ye shul nat assayen
fortune by no wey/ ne ye shul nat lene or bowe vnto hire, after the word of
Senek,/ for thynges that been folily doon and that been in hope of fortune
shullen neuere come to good ende. (1450/2640) And as the same Senek seith:
The moore cleer and the moore shynynge that fortune is; the moore brotil
and the sonner broke she is./ Trusteth nat in hir for she nys nat stedefast ne
stable./ For whan thow trowest to be moost seur or syker of hir help, she wol
faile thee and deceyue thee./ And wher as ye seyn that fortune hath norisshed
yow fro youre childhode,/ I seye that in so muchil shul ye the lasse truste in
hire and in hir wit. (1455), For Senek seith: What man that is norisshed by
fortune, she maketh hym to greet a fool./ Now thanne syn ye desire and axe
vengeance and the vengeance that is doon after the lawe and bifore the iuge
ne liketh yow nat,/ and the vengeance that is doon in hope of fortune is
perilous and vncerteyn,/ thanne haue ye noon oother remedie but for to haue
youre recours vnto the souereyn iuge that vengeth alle vileynyes and wronges./
And he shal venge yow after that hymself witnesseth wher as he seith: (1460/
2650) Leueth the vengeance to me and I shal do it'/
   Melibe answerde: `If I ne venge me nat of the vileynye that men han doon
to me,/ I somne or warne hem that han doon to me that vileynye and alle
othere to do me another vileynye./ For it is writen: If thow take no vengeance
of an old vileynye thow somnest thyne aduersaries to do thee a newe vileynye./



|p514


And also for my suffrance men wolden do me so muchil vileynye that I myghte
neither bere it ne sustene, (1465) and so sholde I been put and holden
ouerlowe./ For men seyn: I muchil suffrynge shul manye thynges falle vnto
thee whiche yow shalt nat mowe suffre.'/
   `Certes,' quod Prudence, `I graunte yow that ouermuchil suffrance is nat;
good./ But yet ne folweth it nat ther, of that euery persone to whom men don
vileynye take of it vengeance,/ for that aperteneth and longeth al oonly to the
iuges for they shul venge the vileynyes and iniuries. (1470/2660) And therfore
tho two auctoritees that ye han seyd aboue been oonly vnderstonden in the
iuges/ [f.227v] for whan they suffren ouermuchil the wronges and vileynyes to
be doon withouten punysshynge,/ they somne nat a man al oonly for to do
newe wronges; but they comanden it./ Also a wys man seith that the iuge that
correcteth nat the synnere comandeth and biddeth hym do synne./ And the
iuges and souereyns myghten in hir land so muchil suffre of the shrewes and
mysdoerys (1475) that they sholden by swich suffrance by proces of tyme wexen
of swich power and myght that they sholden putte out the iuges and the
souereyns from hir places/ and at the laste maken hem lese hir lordshipes./
But lat vs now putte that ye haue leue to venge yow./ I seye ye be nat of
myght and power as now to venge yow./ For if ye wol maken comparison
vnto the myght of youre aduersaries, ye shul fynde in manye thynges that I
haue shewid yow er this that hir condicioun is bettre than youres. (1480/2670)
And therfore seye I that it is good as now that ye suffre and be pacient./
   `Forthermoore ye knowen wel that after the comune sawe it is a woodnesse
a man to stryue with a strenger or a moore myghty man than he is hymself./
And for to stryue with a man of euene strengthe, that is to seyn with as strong
a man as he is, it is peril./ And for to stryue with a wayker man, it is folye./
And therfore sholde a man fle stryuynge as muchil as he myghte. (1485) For
Salomon seith: It is a greet worship to a man to kepen hym fro noyse and
stryf/ And if it so bifalle or happe that a man of gretter myght and strengthe
than thow art do thee greuance,/ studie and bisie thee rather to stille the same



|p515


greuance than for to venge thee./ For Senek seith that he putteth hym in greet
peril that stryueth with a gretter man than he is hymself./ And Catoun seith:
If a man of hyer estaat or degree or moore myghty than thow do thee anoy or
greuance, suffre hym; (1490/2680) for he that ones hath greued thee may
another tyme releue thee and helpe./
   `Yet sette I cas ye haue bothe myght and licence for to venge yow./ I seye
that ther be ful manye thynges that shul restreyne yow ofvengeance-takynge/
and make yow for to enclyne to suffre and for to han pacience in the wronges
that han been doon to yow./ First and foreward if ye wol considere the defautes
that been in youre owene persone, (1495) for whiche defautes god hath suffred
yow haue this tribulacioun as I haue seyd yow herbiforn./ For the poete seith
that we oghten paciently taken the tribulacions that comen to vs whan that
we thynken and consideren that we han disserued to haue hem./ And [f.228]
seint Gregorie seith that whan a man considereth wel the nombre of his defautes
and of his synnes,/ the peynes and the tribulaciouns that he suffereth semen the
lesse vnto hym./ And in as muche as hym thynketh his synnes moore heuy
and greuous, (1500/2690) in so muche semeth his peyne the lighter and the
esier vnto hym./ Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre herte to take the
pacience of oure lord Iesu Crist, as seith seint Peter in hise epistles./ Iesu Crist
(he seith) hath suffred for vs and yeuen ensample to euery man to folwe and
sewe hym,/ for he dide neuere synne ne neuere cam ther a vileynous word out
of his mouth./ Whan men cursed hym, he cursed hem noght; and whan men
betten hym, he manaced hem noght. (1505) Also the grete pacience which
seintes that been in paradys han had in tribulacions that they han ysuffred
withouten hir desert or gilt/ oghte muchil stire yow to pacience./ Forthermoore
ye sholde enforce yow to haue pacience/ considerynge that the tribulacions of
this world but litel while endure and soone passed been and goon./ And the ioye
that a man seketh to haue by pacience in tribulaciouns is pardurable after that the
apostle seith in his epistle. (1510/2700) The ioye of god (he seith) is pardurable;
that is to seyn euerelastynge./ Also troweth and bileueth stedefastly that he
nys noght wel ynorisshed ne wel ytaught that kan nat haue pacience or wol
nat receyue pacience./ For Salomon seith that the doctrine and the wit of a man
is knowen by pacience./ And in another place he seith that he that is pacient



|p516


gouerneth.hym by greet prudence./ And the same Salomon seith. The angry
and wrathful man maketh noyses and the pacient man attempreth hem and
stilleth. (1515) He seith also: It is moore worth to be pacient than for to be
right strong/ and he that may haue the lordshipe of his owene herte is moore
to preyse than he that by his force or strengthe taketh grete citees./ And therfore
seith seint Iame in his epistle that pacience is a greet vertu of parfeccioun.'/
   `Certes,' quod Melibe, `I graunte yow, dame Prudence, that pacience is a
greet vertu of parfeccioun,/ but euery man may nat haue the parfeccioun that
ye seken, (1520/2710) ne I nam nat of the nombre of right parfite men./ For
myn herte may neuere be in pees vnto the tyme it be vengid./ And al be it
so that it was greet peril to myne enemys to do me a vileynye in takynge
vengeance vpon me,/ [f.228v] yet token they noon hede of the peril but fulfilden
hir wikked wyl and hir corage./ And therfore me thynketh men oghten nat
repreue me thogh I putte me in a litel peril for to venge me (1525) and thogh
I do a greet excesse; that is to seyn that I venge oon outrage by another.'/
   `A,' quod dame Prudence, `ye seyn youre wil and as yow liketh,/ but in no
caas of the world a man sholde nat do outrage ne excesse for to vengen hym./
For Cassidore seith that as yuele dooth he that vengeth hym by outrage as he
that dooth the outrage./ And therfore ye shul venge yow after the ordre of
right; that is to seyn, by the lawe and nat by excesse ne by outrage. (1530/
2720) And also if ye wol venge yow of the outrage of youre aduersaries in oother
manere than right comandeth, ye synnen./ And therfore seith Senek that a man
shal neuere venge shrewednesse by shrewednesse./ And if ye seye that right
axeth a man to defende violence by violence and fightynge by fightynge,/ certes
ye seye sooth whan the defense is doon anon withouten interualle or withouten
taryynge or delay/ for to defenden hym and nat for to vengen hym. (1535)
And it bihoueth that a man putte swich attemperance in his defense/ that men
haue no cause ne matere to repreuen hym, that defendeth hym, of excesse
and outrage./ Pardee ye knowe wel that ye maken no defense as now for to defende
yow but for to venge yow,/ and so seweth it that ye han no wyl to do youre
dede attemprely./ And therfore me thynketh that pacience is good, for Salomon
seith that he that is nat pacient shal haue greet harm.
   (1540/2730) `Certes, ' quod Melibe, `I graunte yow that whan a man is
inpacient and wrooth of that that toucheth hym nat and that aperteneth nat
unto hym thogh it harme hym it is no wonder./ For the lawe seith that he is



|p517


coupable that entremetteth hym or medleth with swich thyng as aperteneth
nat vnto hym./ And Salomon seith that he that entremeteth of the noyse or
stryf of another man is lyk to hym that taketh an hound by the erys;/ for right
as he that taketh a straunge hound by the erys is outherwhile biten with the
hound,/ right in the same wise is it resoun that he haue harm that by hys
inpacience medleth hym of the noyse of another man wher as it aperteneth
nat vnto hym. (1545) But ye knowe wel that this dede, that is to seyn my
grief and my desese, [f.229] toucheth me right ny./ And therfore thogh I be
wrooth and inpacient, it is no meruaille./ And sauynge youre grace I kan nat
se that it myghte greetly harme me thogh I tooke vengeance,/ for I am richer
and moore myghty than myne enemys been./ And wel knowen ye that by
moneye and by hauynge grete possessions been alle the thynges of this world
gouerned. (1550/2740) And Salomon seith that alle thynges obeyen to
moneye.'/
   Whanne Prudence hadde herd hir housbonde auanten hym of his richesse
and of his moneye dispreisynge the power of his aduersaries, she spak and seyde
in this wise:/ `Certes, deere sire, I graunte yow that ye been riche and myghty/
and that the richesses been goode to hem that han wel ygeten hem and that
wel konne vsen hem./ For right as the body of a man may nat lyue withoute
the soule, namoore may it lyue withoute the temporel goodes. (1555) And by
richesses may a man gete hym grete frendes./ And therfore seith Pamphilles:
If a netherdes doghter (he seith) be riche, she may chese of a thousand men
which she wol take to hir housbonde,/ for of a thousand men oon wol nat
forsaken hir ne refusen hir./ And this Pamphilles seith also: If thow be right
happy, that is to seyn if thow be right riche, thow shalt fynde a greet nombre
of felawes and freendes,/ and if thy fortune chaunge that thow wexe poore,
farwel freendshipe and felaweshipe (1560/2750) for thow shalt been al allone
withouten any compaignye but if it be the compaignye of poore folk./ And
yet seith this Pamphilles mooreouer tha.t they that been thralle and bonde
of lynage shuln be maad worthy and noble by the richesses;/ and right so as



|p518


by richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so by pouerte come ther manye
harmes and yueles./ For greet pouerte constreyneth a man to do manye yueles./
And therfore clepeth Cassidore pouerte the moder of ruyne, (1565) that is to
seyn the moder of ouerthrowynge or fallynge down./ And therfore seib Piers
Alfonce: Oon of the gretteste aduersitees of this world is/ whan a free man
by kynde or of burthe is constreyned by pouerte to eten the almesse of his
enemy./ And the same seith Innocent in oon of his bookes. He seith that
sorweful and myshappy is the condicioun of a poore beggere,/ for if he axe
nat his mete he dyeth for hungir. [f.229] (1570/2760) And if he axe he dyeth
for shame; and algates necessitee constreyneb hym to axe./ And therfore seith
Salomon that bettre is to dye than for to haue swich pouerte./ And as the same
Salomon seith: Bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth than for to lyuen in swich
wise./ By thise resons that I haue seyd vnto yow and by manye othere resons
that I koude seye/ I graunte yow that richesses been goode to hem that geten
hem wel and to hem that wel vsen tho richesses. (1575) And therfore wol I
shewe yow how ye shul haue yow and how ye shul bere yow in gaderynge of
richesses and in what manere ye shul vsen hem./
   `First ye shul geten hem withouten greet desir by good leiser sekyngly and
nat ouerhastily,/ for a man that is to desirynge to geten richesses abandoneth
hym first to thefte and to alle othere yueles./ And therfore seith Salomon: He
that hasteth hym to bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent./ He seith also
that the richesse that hastily cometh to a man soone and lightly gooth and
passeth from a man. (1580/2770) But that richesse that cometh litel and litel
  wexeth alwey and multiplieth./ And, sire, ye shullen gete richesses by youre
  wit and by youre trauaille vnto youre profit/ and that withouten wrong or
  harm-doynge to any oother persone./ For the lawe seith that ther maketh no
  man hymself riche if he do harm to another wight;/ this is to seyn that nature
  defendeth and forbedeth by right that no man make himself riche vnto the
  harm of another persone. (1585) And Tullius seith that no sorwe ne no drede
  of deeth ne nothyng that may falle vnto a man/ is so muchel ageyns nature
  as a man to encresse his owene profit to the harm of another man./ And thogh the
  the grete men and the myghty men geten richesses moore lightly than thow,/



|p519


yet shaltow nat be ydel ne slow to do thy profit for thow shalt in alle wise
fle ydelnesse./ For Salomon seith that ydelnesse techeth a man to do manye
yueles. (1590/2780) And the same Salomon seith that he that trauaileth and
bisieč hym to tilien his lond shal ete breed,/ but he that is ydel and casteth
hym to no bisynesse ne ocupacioun shal falle into pouerte and dye for hunger./
And he that is ydel and slow kan neuere fynde couenable tyme for to do his
profit./ For ther is a versifiour seith that the ydel man excuseth hym in wynter
by cause of the grete coold and in somer by encheson of the hete./ For thise
causes seith Caton: Waketh and enclineth yow nat ouermychel for to slepe,
for ouermychel [f.230] reste norissheth and causeth manye vices. (1595) And
therfore seith seint Ierome: Dooth somme goode dedes that the deuel which
is oure enemy ne fynde yow nat vnocupied,/ for the deuel ne takeč nat lightly
vnto his werkynge swiche as he fyndeth ocupied in goode werkes./
  `Thanne thus in getynge richesses ye mosten fle ydelnesse,/ and afterward ye
shul vse the richesses whiche ye haue geten by your wit and by youre trauaille/
in swich a manere that men holde yow nat to scars ne to sparynge ne to fool-
large; that is to seyn, ouerlarge a spender. (1600/2790) For right as men blamen
an auarous man by cause of his scarsitee and chyncherie,/ in the same wise
is he to blame that spendeth ouerlargely./ And therfore seith Catoun: Vse
(he seith) thy richesses that thow hast ygeten/ in swich a manere that men haue
no matere ne cause to calle thee neither wrecche ne chynche,/ for it is greet
shame to a man to haue a poore herte and a riche purs. (1605) He seith also:
The goodes that thow hast ygeten, vse hem by mesure; that is to seyn, spende
mensurably./ For they that folily wasten and despenden the goodes that they
han,/ what they han namoore propre of hir owene they shapen hem to take the



|p520


goodes of another man./ I seye thanne that ye shal fle auarice,/ vsynge youre
richesses in swich manere that men seye nat that youre richesses been ybiryed
(1610/2800) but that ye haue hem in youre myght and in youre weldynge./
For a wys man repreueth the auaricious man and seith thus in two vers:/
Wherto and why biryeth a man his goodes by his grete auarice and knoweth wel
that nedes moste he dye,/ for deeth is the ende of euery man as in this present lyf?/
And for what cause or encheson ioyneth he hym or knytteth he hym so faste
vnto his goodes (1615) that alle hise wittes mowen nat disseueren hym or
departen hym fro hise goodes,/ and knoweth wel or oghte knowe that whan he
is deed he shal nothyng bere with hym out of this world?/ And therfore seith
seint Austyn that the auaricious man is likned vnto helle,/ that the moore it
swolweth the moore desir it hath to swolwe and deuoure./ And as wel as ye
wolde eschewe to be called an auaricious man or chynche, (1620/2810) as wel
sholde ye kepe yow and gouerne yow in swich a wise that men calle yow nat
fool-large./ Therfore seith Tullius: The goodes (he seith) of thyn hous sholde nat
been hidde ne kept so cloos but that they myghte been opned by pitee and
debonairetee;/ that is to seyn, [f.230v] to yeue hem part that han greet nede;/
ne thy goodes sholden nat be so open to be euery mannes goodes./
  `Afterward in getyng of youre richesses and in vsynge hem ye shul alwey haue
thre thynges in youre herte; (1625) that is to seyn, oure lord god, conscience,
and good name./ First ye shul haue god in youre herte,/ and for no richesse
ye shullen do nothyng, which may in any manere displese god that is youre
creatour and maker./ For after the word of Salomon: It is bettre to haue a litel
good with the loue of god/ than to haue mychel good and tresor and lese the
loue of his lord god. (1630/2820) And the prophete seith that bettre it is to
been a good man and haue a litel good and tresor,/ than to be holden a shrewe
and haue grete richesses./ And yet seye I ferthermoore that ye sholden alwey
doon youre bisynesse to gete yow richesses' so that ye gete hem with good
conscience./ And th'apostle seith that ther nys thyng in this world of which we
sholden haue so greet ioye as whan oure conscience bereth vs good witnesse.
(1635) And the wise man seith: The substance of a man is ful good whan synne
is nat in mannes conscience./ Afterward in getynge of youre richesses and in
vsynge of hem/ yow moste haue greet bisynesse and greet diligence that youre
goode name be alwey kept and conserued./ For Salomon seith that bettre it is



|p521


and moore it auaileth a man to haue good name than for to haue grete
richesses./ And therfore he seith in another place: Do greet diligence (seith
Salomon) in kepynge of thy freend and of thy goode name, (1640/2830) for it
shal lenger abyde with thee than any tresor be it neuer so precious./ And
certes he sholde nat be called a gentil man that after god and good conscience
alle thynges left ne dooth his diligence and bisynesse to kepen his goode name./
And Cassidore seith that it is signe of a gentil herte whan a man loueth and
desireth to haue a good name./ And therfore seith seint Austyn that ther been
two thynges that arn necessarie and nedefulle,/ and that is good conscience
and good loos; (1645) that is to seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone
inward and good loos for thy neighebore outward./ And he that trusteth
hym so muchil in his goode conscience/ that he displeseth and setteth at noght
his goode name or loos and rekketh noght thogh he kepe nat hys goode name
nys but a cruwel cherl./
  `Sire, now haue I shewed yow how ye shul do in getynge richesses and how
[f 231] ye shullen vsen hem./ And I se wel that for the trust that ye han in
youre richesses ye wol moeue werre and bataille. (1650/2840) I conseile yow
that ye bigynne no werre in trust of youre richesses for they ne suffisen noght
werres to mayntene./ And therfore seith a philosophre that man that desireth
and wole algates han werre shal neuere haue suffisance,/ for the richer that
he is the gretter despenses moste he make if he wol haue worship and victorie./
And Salomon seith that the gretter richesses that a man hath the mo
despendours he hath./ And, deere sire, al be it so that for youre richesses ye
mowe haue muchel folk, (1655) yet bihoueth it nat ne it is nat good to bigynne
werre wher as ye mowe in oother manere haue pees vnto youre worship and
profit,/ for the victorie of batailles that been in this world lyth nat in greet
nombre or multitude of peple ne in the vertu of man,/ but it lyth in the wyl
and in the hand of oure lord god almyghty./ And therfore Iudas Machabeus
which was goddes knyght/ whan he sholde fighte ageyn his aduersarie that
hadde a gretter nombre and a gretter multitude of folk and strenger than was
the peple of this Machabe, ( 1660/2850) yet he reconforted his litel compaignye
and seyde right in this wise:/ "Als lightly," quod he, "may oure lord god



|p522


almyghty yeue victorie to fewe folk as to manye folk,/ for the victorie of a
bataile cometh nat by the grete nombre of peple,/ but it come fro oure lord
god of heuene."/ And, deere sire, for as muchel as ther is no man certeyn if
it be worthy that god yeue hym victorie or naght after that Salomon seith,
(1665) therfore euery man sholde greetly drede werres to bigynne./ And by
cause that in batailles fallen manye perils/ and happeth outherwhile that as
soone is the grete man slayn as the litel man./ And as it is ywriten in the
Seconde Book of Kynges: The dedes of batailles been auenturouse and nothyng
certeyne,/ for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere as another. (1670/2860) And
for ther is greet peril in werre therfore sholde a man fle and eschewe werre
in as muchel as a man may goodly./ For Salomon seith: He that loueth peril
shal falle in peril.'/
  After that dame Prudence hadde spoken in this manere, Melibe answerde
and seyde:/ `I se wel, dame Prudence, that by youre faire wordes and by youre
resons that ye han shewed me that the werre liketh yow no [f 231v] thyng/ but I
haue nat yet herd youre conseil how I shal do in this nede.'
  (1675) `Certes,' quod she, `I conseile yow that ye acorde with youre
aduersaries and that ye haue pees with hem./ For seint Iame seith in hise
epistles that by concord and pees the smale richesses wexen grete,/ and by
debaat, and discord the grete richesses fallen doun./ And ye knowen wel that
oon of the gretteste and moost souereyn thyng that is in this world is vnitee
and pees./ And therfore seyde oure lord Iesu Crist to hise apostles in this wise:
(1680/2870) Wel happy and blessed been they that louen and purchacen pees
for they been called children of god.'/
  `A,' quod Melibe, `now se I wel that ye louen nat myn honur ne my
worshipe./ Ye knowen wel that myne aduersaries han bigonnen this debaat and
brige by hir outrage,/ and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne preyen me nat
of pees ne they asken nat to be reconsiled./ Wol ye thanne that I go meke me
and obeye me to hem and crye hem mercy? (1685) For sothe that were nat my
worship./ For right as men seyn that ouergreet homlynesse engendreth
despisynge, so fareth it by to greet humylitee or mekenesse.'/
  Thanne bigan dame Prudence to maken semblant of wrathe and seyde:/
`Certes, sire, sauf youre grace I loue youre honur and your profit as I do myn



|p523


owene and euere haue doon,/ ne ye ne noon oother syen neuere the contrarie.
(1690/2880) And yet if I hadde seyd that ye sholde han purchaced the pees
and the reconsiliacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel mystake me ne seyd amys./
For the wise man seith: The dissensioun bigynneth by another man and the
reconsilyng bigynneth by thyself./ And the prophete seič: Fle shrewednesse and
do goodnesse./ Seke pees and folwe it as muchel as in thee is./ Yet seye I nat
that ye shul rather pursue to youre aduersaries for pees than they shuln to yow.
(1695) For I knowe wel that ye been so hard-herted that ye wol do nothyng
for me./ And Salomon seith that he that hath ouerhard an herte, atte laste
he shal myshappe and mystyde.'/
  Whanne Melibe hadde herd dame Prudence make semblant of wrathe, he
seyde in this wise./ `Dame, I pray yow that ye be nat displesed of thynges that
I seye,/ for ye knowe wel that I am angry and wrooth and that is no wonder.
(1700/2890) And they that been wrothe witen nat wel what they doon ne what
they seyn./ Therfore the prophete seith that troubled eyen han no cleer sighte./
But seieth and conseileth me as yow liketh, for I am redy to do right as ye
wol desire./ And if ye repreue me of my folie, I am the moore holden [f 232]
to loue yow and to preise yow./ For Salomon seith that he that repreueth hym
that dooth folie, (1705) he shal fynde gretter grace than he that deceyueth
hym by swete wordes.'/
  Thanne seyde dame Prudence: `I make no semblant of wrathe ne of angir
but for youre grete profit./ For Salomon seith: He is moore worth that repreueth
or chideth a fool for his folie, shewynge hym semblant of wrathe,/ than he that
supporteth hym and preiseth hym in his mysdoynge and laugheth at his folie./
And this same Salomon seith afterward that by the sorweful visage of a man,
that is to seyn by the sory and heuy contenance of a man, (1710/2900) the
fool correcteč and amendeth hymself.'/
  Thanne seyde Melibe: `I shal nat konne answere vnto so manye resons as ye
putten to me and shewen./ Seieth shortly youre wil and youre conseil and I
am al redy to fulfille and parfourne it.'/
  Thanne dame Prudence discouered al hir wyl vnto hym and seyde./ `I
conseile yow,' quod she, `abouen alle thynges that ye make pees bitwene god
and yow (1715) and beth reconsiled vnto hym and to his grace./ For as I haue
seyd yow heerbiforn god hath suffred yow to haue this tribulacioun and disese
for youre synnes./ And if ye do as I seye yow, god wol sende youre aduersaries
vnto yow/ and maken hem falle at youre feet redy to do youre wyl and youre
comandementz./ For Salomon seith: Whan the condicion of man is plesant and



|p524


likynge to god, (1720/2910) he changeth the hertes of the mannes aduersaries
and constreyneth hem to biseken hym of pees and of grace./ And I pray yow
lat me speken with youre aduersaries in pryuee place,/ for they shal nat knowe
that it be of youre wyl or youre assent./ And thanne whan I knowe hir wyl and
hir entente I may conseille yow the moore seurly.'/
  `Dame,' quod Melibe, `dooth youre wyl and youre likynge, (1725) for I putte
me hoolly in youre disposicion and ordinance.'/
  Thanne dame Prudence whan she say the goode wyl of hir housbonde, she
delyueride and took auys in hirself/ thynkynge how she myghte brynge this
nede vnto a good conclusioun and to a good ende./ And whan she saugh hir
tyme she sente for thise aduersaries to come vnto hir into a priuee place/ and
shewed wysly vnto hem the grete goodes that comen of pees (1730/2920) and
the grete harmes and perils that been in werre./ And seyde to hem in a goodly
manere how that hem oghten haue greet repentance/ of the iniurie and wrong
that they hadden doon to Melibe hir lord and vnto hir and to hir doghter./
  And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of dame Prudence/ they weren
so supprised and rauysshed and hadden so [f 232v] greet ioye of hir that wonder
was to telle. (1735) `A, lady,' quod they, `ye han shewid vnto vs the blessynge
of swetnesse after the sawe of Dauid the prophete;/ for the reconsilynge which
we ne been nat worthy to haue in no manere,/ but we oghten requeren it with
greet contricioun and humylitee,/ ye of youre grete goodnesse haue presented
vnto vs./ Now se we wel that the science and the konnynge of Salomon is ful
trewe, (1740/2930) for he seith that swete wordes multiplien and encressen
freendes and maken shrewes to be debonaire and meke./
  `Certes,' quod they, `we putten oure dede and al oure matere and cause
al hoolly in youre goode wyl/ and been redy to obeye vnto the speche and
comandement of my lord Melibe./ And therfore, deere and benygne lady, we
preyen yow and biseken yow as mekely as we konne and mowen/ that it like
vnto youre grete goodnesse to fulfille in dede youre goodliche wordes, (1745)
for we consideren and knowelichen that we han offendid and greued my lord
Melibe out of mesure/ so ferforth that we been nat of power to maken his
amendes./ And therfore we oblige and bynde vs and oure freendes for to do



|p525


al his wyl and his comandementz./ But parauenture he hath swich heuynesse
and swich wrathe to vsward by cause of oure offense/ that he wole enioyne
vs swich peyne as we mowe nat bere ne sustene. (1750/2940) And therfore,
noble lady, we biseken to youre wommanly pitee/ to taken swich auisement in
this nede that we ne oure freendes be nat desherited and destroyed thurgh oure
folie.'/
  `Certes,' quod Prudence, `it is an hard thyng and right perilous/ that a man
putte hym al outrely in the arbitracioun and iuggement and in the myght
and power of hise enemys./ For Salomon seith: Leeueth me and yeueth credence
to that that I shal seyn; I seye (quod he), ye peple and gouernours and
gouernours of holy chirche, (1755) to thy sone, to thy wyf, to thy freend, ne
to thy brother,/ ne yeue thow neuere myght ne maistrie of thy body whil čow
lyuest./ Now sithen he defendeth that man sholde nat yeue to his brother ne
to his freend the myght of his body,/ by a strenger reson he defendeth and
forbedeth a man to yeue hymself to his enemy./ And nathelees I conseille yow
that ye mystruste nat my lord (1760/2950) for I woot wel and knowe verraily
that he is debonaire and meke, large, curteys/ and nothyng desirous ne
coueitous of good ne richesse,/ for ther nys nothyng in this world that he desireth
saue oonly worship and honour./ Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur
that he shal nothyng do in this nede withouten my conseil/ and I shal so werken
in this [f.233] cause that by the grace of oure lord god ye shul be reconsiled
vnto vs.'
  (1765) Thanne seyden they with o voys: `Worshipful lady, we putten vs and
oure goodes al fully in youre wyl and disposicioun/ and been redy to come what
day that it like vnto youre noblesse to lymyte vs or assigne vs/ for to maken
oure obligacion and boond as strong as it liketh vnto youre goodnesse/ that we
mowe fulfille the wyl of yow and of my lord Melibe.'/
  Whanne dame Prudence hadde herd the answeres of thise men, she bad
hem go agayn priuely. (1770/2960) And she retourned to hir lord Melibe and
tolde hym how she fand hise aduersaries ful repentant,/ knowelichynge ful
lowely hir synnes and trespas and how they weren redy to suffren al peyne,/
requerynge and prayynge hym of mercy and pitee./
  Thanne seyde Melibe: `He is wel worthy to haue pardoun and foryifnesse
of his synne that excuseth nat his synne,/ but knowelicheth and repenteth hym



|p526


axinge indulgence. (1775) For Senek seith: Ther is the remissioun and
foryifnesse where as the confessioun is,/ for confessioun is neighebore to
innocence./ And he seith in another place: He is worthy to haue remyssyoun
and foryifnesse that hath shame of his synne and knowelicheth it. And therfore
I assente and conferme me to haue pees./ But it is good that we do it nat with-
outen th'assent and wil of oure freendes.'/
  Thanne was Prudence right glad and ioyeful and seyde: (1780/2970) `Certes,
sire,' quod she, `ye han wel and goodly answerd,/ for right as by the conseil,
assent and help of youre frendes ye han ben stired to venge yow and make
werre,/ right so withouten hir conseil shul ye nat acorde yow ne haue pees with
youre aduersaries./ For the lawe seith: Ther nys nothyng so good by wey of
kynde as a thyng to been vnbounde by hym that it was ybounde.'/
  And thanne dame Prudence withouten delay or taryynge sente anon
messages for hir kyn and for hir olde freendes whiche that were trewe and wise
(1785) and tolde hem by ordre in the presence of Melibe al this matere as it
is aboue expressed and declared./ And preyde hem that they wolde yeuen hir
auys and conseil what best were to do in this nede./ And whan Melibees
freendes hadde taken hir auys and deliberacioun of the forseyde matere/ and
hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and greet diligence,/ they yaue ful
conseil for to haue pees and reste (1790/2980) and that Melibe sholde receyue
with good herte hise aduersaries to foryifnesse and mercy./
  And whanne dame Prudence hadde herd the assent of hir [f.233v] Iord
Melibe and the conseil of his freendes/ acorde with hir wyl and hir entencioun,/
she was wonderly glad in herte and seyde:/ `Ther is an old prouerbe,' quod she,
`seith that the goodnesse that thow maist do this day, do it (1795) and abide
nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe./ And therfore I conseille that ye sende youre
messages swiche as been discrete and wise/ vnto youre aduersaries tellynge hem
on your bihalue/ that if they wol trete of pees and of acord/ that they shape
hem withouten delay or taryynge to come vnto vs.' (1800/2990) Which thyng
parfourned was in dede./ And whanne thise trespassours and repentynge folk
of hir folies, that is to seyn the aduersaries of Melibe,/ hadden herd what thise
messagers seyden vnto hem,/ they weren right glad and ioyeful and answereden
ful mekely and benygnely,/ yeldynge graces and thankynges to hir lord Melibe



|p527


and to al his compaignye. (1805) And shopen hem withoute delay to go with
the messagers and obeye to the comandement of hir lord Melibe./
  And right-anon they tooken hir wey to the court of Melibe/ and tooke with
hem somme of hir trewe freendes to make feith for hem and for to been hir
borwes./ And whan they were come to the presence of Melibe, he seyde hem
thise wordes./ `It standeth thus,' quod Melibe, `and sooth it is that ye, (1810/
3000) causelees and withouten skile and resoun,/ han doon grete 
iniuries and
wronges to me and to my wyf Prudence and to my doghter also./ For ye han
entred into myn hous by violence/ and haue doon swich outrage that alle men
knowen wel that ye han deserued the deeth./ And therfore wol I knowe and wite
of yow (1815) wheither ye wol putte the punysshynge and chastisynge and the
vengeance of this outrage in the wil of me and of my wyf or ye wol nat.'/
  Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde for hem alle and seyde:/ `Sire,'
quod he, `we knowen wel that we been vnworthy to comen vnto the court
of so greet a lord and so worthy as ye been,/ for we han so gretly mystaken
vs and han offendid and gilt in swich a wise ageyn youre hey lordshipe/ that
trewely we han deserued the deeth. (1820/3010) But yet for the grete goodnesse
and debonairetee that al the world witnesseth of youre persone,/ we submitten
vs to the excellence and benygnytee of youre gracious lordshipe/ and ben redy
t'obeye to alle youre comandementz,/ bisekynge yow that of youre merciable
pitee ye wol considere oure grete repentance and lowe submissioun/ and
graunten vs foryeuenesse of oure outrageous trespas and offense, (1825) For wel
we knowen that youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen ferther into goodnesse
than [f.234] doon oure outrageouse giltes and trespas into wikkednesse,/ al be
it that cursedly and dampnablely we han agilt ageyn youre hey lordshipe.'/
  Thanne Melibe took hem vp fro the ground ful benygnely/ and receyued
hir obligaciouns and hir bondes by hir othes vpon hir plegges and borwes,/
and assigned hem a certeyn day to retourne vnto his court (1830/3020) for to
accepte and receyue the sentence and iugement that Melibe wolde comande
to be doon on hem by the causes aforeseyd./ Whiche thynges ordeyned, euery
man retourned to his hous./
  And whanne that dame Prudence saugh hir tyme she freyned and axed
hir lord Melibe/ what vengeance he thoghte to taken of hise aduersaries./ To
which Melibe answerde and seyde: `Certes,' quod he, `I thynke and purpose
me fully (1835) to disherite hem of al that euere they han and for to putte
hem in exil for evere.'/



|p528


  `Certes,' quod dame Prudence, `this were a cruel sentence and muchel ageyn
reson,/ for ye been riche ynow and han no nede of oother mennes good./
And ye myghten lightly in this wise geten yow a coueitous name,/ which is a
vicious thyng and oghte been eschewid of euery man. (1840/3030) For after the
sawe of the word of th'apostle: Coueitise is roote of alle harmes./ And therfore
it were bettre for yow to lese so mychel good of youre owene than for to take
of hir good in this manere./ For bettre it is to lese good with worshipe than
it is to wynne good with vileynye and shame./ And euery man oghte do his
diligence and his bisynesse to geten hym a good name./ And yet shal he nat
oonly bisien hym in kepynge his goode name (1845) but he shal also enforcen
hym alwey to do som thyng by which he may renouelle his goode name./ For
it is writen that the olde goode loos or good name of a man is soone goon and
passed whanne it is nat newed ne renoueled./ And as touchynge that ye seyn
ye wol exile youre aduersaries/ that thynketh me muchel agayn resoun and out
of mesure,/ considered the power that they han yeuen yow vpon hemself.
(1850/3040) And it is writen that he is worthy to lesen his priuilege that
mysvseth the myght and the power that is yeuen him./ And I sette cas ye
myghte enioyne hem that peyne by right and by lawe,/ which I trowe ye mowe
nat do,/ I seye ye myghte nat putte it to execucioun parauenture/ and thanne
were it likly to retorne to the werre as it was biforn. (1855) And therfore if ye wole
that men do yow obeisance yow [f.234v] moste deme moore curteisly;/ this is
to seyn, ye moste yeue moore esy sentences and iugementz/ For it is writen
that he that moost curteisly commandeth, to hym men moste obeyen./ And
therfore I pray yow that in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste yow to
ouercome your herte./ For Senek seith that he that ouercomeč his herte ouer-
comeč twies. (1860/3050) And Tullius seith: Ther is nothyng so commendable
in a greet lord/ as whan he is debonaire and meke and apeiseth hym lightly./
And I pray yow that ye wol forbere now to do vengeance/ in swich a manere
that youre good name may be kept and conserued,/ and that men mowe haue



|p529


cause and matere to preise yow of pitee and of mercy, (1865) and that ye haue
no cause to repente yow of thyng that ye doon./ For Senek seith: He ouercometh
in an yuel manere that repenteth hym of his victorie./ Wherfore I prey yow
lat mercy be in youre herte/ to th'effect and entente that god almyghty haue
merci on yow in his laste iugement./ For seint Iame seith in his epistle: Iugement
withoute mercy shal be doon to hym that hath no mercy of another wight.'
  (1870/3060) Whanne Melibe hadde herd the grete skiles and resons of dame
Prudence and hir wise informaciouns and techynges,/ his herte gan enclyne to
the wyl of his wyf considerynge hir trewe entente,/ conformed hym anon and
assented fully to werken after hir conseil,/ and thonked god, of whom procedeth
al vertu and al goodnesse, that hym sente a wyf of so greet discrecion./ And
whanne the day cam that hise aduersaries sholde appieren in his presence,
(1875) he spak to hem ful goodly and seyde in this wise:/ `Al be it so that of
youre pride and by presumpcioun and folie and of youre necligence and
vnkonnynge/ ye haue mysborn yow and trespased vnto me,/ yet for as muchel
as I se and biholde youre grete humylitee/ and that ye been sory and repentant
of youre giltes, (1880/3070) it constreyneth me to do yow grace and mercy./
Wherfore I receyue yow to my grace/ and foryeue yow outrely alle the offenses,
iniuries and wronges that ye haue doon ageyns me and myne/ to this effect
and to this ende that god of his endelees mercy/ wole atte tyme of oure dyynge
foryeuen vs oure giltes that we han trespassed to hym in this wrecched world.
(1885) For doutelees if we be sory and repentant of the synnes and giltes whiche
we han trespased in the sighte of oure lord god,/ he is so free and so merciable/
that he wole foryeuen vs oure giltes/ and bryngen us to the blisse that neuere
hath ende.'/

Here is endid Chaucers tale of Melibe.