* * * * *
=Here biginneth Chaucers Tale of Melibee.=
§ 1. A yong man called Melibeus, mighty and riche, bigat up-on his wyf that
called was Prudence, a doghter which that called was Sophie. /
HEADING. _From_ E.
§ 2. Upon a day bifel, that he for his desport is went in-to the feeldes
him to pleye. / His wyf and eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous,
of which the dores weren fast y-shette. / Thre of his olde foos han it
espyed, and setten laddres to the walles of his hous, and by the windowes
been entred, /2160 and betten his wyf, and wounded his doghter with fyve
mortal woundes in fyve sondry places; / this is to seyn, in hir feet, in
hir handes, in hir eres, in hir nose, and in hir mouth; and leften hir for
deed, and wenten awey. /
2159. inwith] Ln. Cp. within. 2160. Thre] Cp. Ln. Foure. E. hise.
E. foes; Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. foos. by the] E. Hn. _om._ the. 2162. E.
erys.
§ 3. Whan Melibeus retourned was in-to his hous, and saugh al this
meschief, he, lyk a mad man, rendinge his clothes, gan to wepe and crye. /
2163. E. Hn. Ln. rentynge; _rest_ rendyng.
§ 4. Prudence his wyf, as ferforth as she dorste, bisoghte him of his
weping for to stinte; / but nat for-thy he gan to crye and wepen ever
lenger the more. /2165
§ 5. This noble wyf Prudence remembered hir upon the sentence of Ovide, in
his book that cleped is The Remedie of Love, wher-as he seith; / ‘he is a
fool that destourbeth the moder to wepen in the deeth of hir child, til she
have wept hir fille, as for a certain tyme; / and thanne shal man doon his
diligence with amiable wordes hir to reconforte, and preyen hir of hir
weping for to stinte.’ / For which resoun this noble wyf Prudence suffred
hir housbond for to wepe and crye as for a certein space; / and whan she
saugh hir tyme, she seyde him in this wyse. ‘Allas, my lord,’ quod she,’
why make ye your-self for to be lyk a fool? /2170 For [200] sothe, it
aperteneth nat to a wys man, to maken swiche a sorwe. / Your doghter, with
the grace of god, shal warisshe and escape. / And al were it so that she
right now were deed, ye ne oghte nat as for hir deeth your-self to
destroye. / Senek seith: “the wise man shal nat take to greet disconfort
for the deeth of his children, / but certes he sholde suffren it in
pacience, as wel as he abydeth the deeth of his owene propre persone.”’
/2175
2172. Cp. Ln. be warisshed; Hl. warischt be. 2173. _Only_ E. Cp. Ln.
_insert_ to _before_ destroye.
§ 6. This Melibeus answerde anon and seyde, ‘What man,’ quod he, ‘sholde of
his weping stinte, that hath so greet a cause for to wepe? / Iesu Crist,
our lord, him-self wepte for the deeth of Lazarus his freend.’ / Prudence
answerde, ‘Certes, wel I woot, attempree weping is no-thing defended to him
that sorweful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it is rather graunted him to
wepe. / The Apostle Paul un-to the Romayns wryteth, “man shal reioyse with
hem that maken Ioye, and wepen with swich folk as wepen.” / But thogh
attempree weping be y-graunted, outrageous weping certes is defended. /2180
Mesure of weping sholde be considered, after the lore that techeth us
Senek. / “Whan that thy freend is deed,” quod he, “lat nat thyne eyen to
moyste been of teres, ne to muche drye; althogh the teres come to thyne
eyen, lat hem nat falle.” / And whan thou hast for-goon thy freend, do
diligence to gete another freend; and this is more wysdom than for to wepe
for thy freend which that thou hast lorn; for ther-inne is no bote. / And
therfore, if ye governe yow by sapience, put awey sorwe out of your herte.
/ Remembre yow that Iesus Syrak seith: “a man that is Ioyous and glad in
herte, it him conserveth florisshing in his age; but soothly sorweful herte
maketh his bones drye.” /2185 He seith eek thus: “that sorwe in herte
sleeth ful many a man.” / Salomon seith: “that, right as motthes in the
shepes flees anoyeth to the clothes, and the smale wormes to the tree,
right so anoyeth sorwe to the herte.” / Wherfore us oghte, as wel in the
deeth of our children as in the losse of our goodes temporels, have
pacience. /
2176. E. Pt. stente. 2178, 2180. E. deffended. 2182. E. teeris.
2185. E. florissynge. 2187. E. Hl. Motthes; Pt. Cm. mothes; Hn.
moththes; Cp. moughtes. 2188. E. othere (_for_ our _before_ goodes);
_rest_ oure, our.
§ 7. Remembre yow up-on the pacient Iob, whan he hadde lost his children
and his temporel substance, and in his body [201] endured and receyved ful
many a grevous tribulacioun; yet seyde he thus: / “our lord hath yeven it
me, our lord hath biraft it me; right as our lord hath wold, right so it is
doon; blessed be the name of our lord.”’ /2190 To thise foreseide thinges
answerde Melibeus un-to his wyf Prudence: ‘Alle thy wordes,’ quod he, ‘been
sothe, and ther-to profitable; but trewely myn herte is troubled with this
sorwe so grevously, that I noot what to done.’ / ‘Lat calle,’ quod
Prudence, ‘thy trewe freendes alle, and thy linage whiche that been wyse;
telleth your cas, and herkneth what they seye in conseiling, and yow
governe after hir sentence. / Salomon seith: “werk alle thy thinges by
conseil, and thou shalt never repente.”’ /
2189. E. temporeel. 2190. Cp. haþ ȝoue [_read_ yeuen] it me; Ln.
yaue it me; Hl. it sent vnto me; _rest omit_; _only_ Cp. Ln. Hl.
_repeat_ our lord. 2191. E. therwith; _rest_ ther-to.
§ 8. Thanne, by the conseil of his wyf Prudence, this Melibeus leet callen
a greet congregacioun of folk; / as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and
yonge, and somme of hise olde enemys reconsiled as by hir semblaunt to his
love and in-to his grace; /2195 and ther-with-al ther comen somme of hise
neighebores that diden him reverence more for drede than for love, as it
happeth ofte. / Ther comen also ful many subtile flatereres, and wyse
advocats lerned in the lawe. /
2196, 7. E. coomen.
§ 9. And whan this folk togidre assembled weren, this Melibeus in sorweful
wyse shewed hem his cas; / and by the manere of his speche it semed that in
herte he bar a cruel ire, redy to doon vengeaunce up-on hise foos, and
sodeynly desired that the werre sholde biginne; / but nathelees yet axed he
hir conseil upon this matere. /2200 A surgien, by licence and assent of
swiche as weren wyse, up roos and un-to Melibeus seyde as ye may here. /
2199. E. _only ins._ wel _after_ semed. E. baar a crueel; foes.
2200. E. Cm. matiere; Hl. matier. 2201. E. Hl. to (_for_ un-to).
§ 10. ‘Sir,’ quod he, ‘as to us surgiens aperteneth, that we do to every
wight the beste that we can, wher-as we been with-holde, and to our
pacients that we do no damage; / wherfore it happeth, many tyme and ofte,
that whan twey men han everich wounded other, oon same surgien heleth hem
bothe; / wherefore un-to our art it is nat pertinent to norice werre, ne
parties to supporte. / But certes, as to the warisshinge of your doghter,
al-be-it so that she perilously be wounded, we shullen do so ententif
bisinesse fro day to night, that with the grace of god she shal be hool and
[202] sound as sone as is possible.’ /2205 Almost right in the same wyse
the phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a fewe wordes more: /
‘That, right as maladyes been cured by hir contraries, right so shul men
warisshe werre by vengeaunce.’ / His neighebores, ful of envye, his feyned
freendes that semeden reconsiled, and his flatereres, / maden semblant of
weping, and empeireden and agreggeden muchel of this matere, in preising
greetly Melibee of might, of power, of richesse, and of freendes,
despysinge the power of his adversaries, / and seiden outrely that he anon
sholde wreken him on his foos and biginne werre. /2210
2209. E. matiere. 2210. E. foes.
§ 11. Up roos thanne an advocat that was wys, by leve and by conseil of
othere that were wyse, and seyde: / ‘Lordinges, the nede for which we been
assembled in this place is a ful hevy thing and an heigh matere, / by-cause
of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath be doon, and eek by resoun of
the grete damages that in tyme cominge been possible to fallen for this
same cause; / and eek by resoun of the grete richesse and power of the
parties bothe; / for the whiche resouns it were a ful greet peril to erren
in this matere. /2215 Wherfore, Melibeus, this is our sentence: we
conseille yow aboven alle thing, that right anon thou do thy diligence in
kepinge of thy propre persone, in swich a wyse that thou ne wante noon
espye ne wacche, thy body for to save. / And after that we conseille, that
in thyn hous thou sette suffisant garnisoun, so that they may as wel thy
body as thyn hous defende. / But certes, for to moeve werre, or sodeynly
for to doon vengeaunce, we may nat demen in so litel tyme that it were
profitable. / Wherfore we axen leyser and espace to have deliberacioun in
this cas to deme. / For the commune proverbe seith thus: “he that sone
demeth, sone shal repente.” /2220 And eek men seyn that thilke Iuge is wys,
that sone understondeth a matere and Iuggeth by leyser. / For al-be-it so
that alle tarying be anoyful, algates it is nat to repreve in yevynge of
Iugement, ne in vengeance-taking, whan it is suffisant and resonable. / And
that shewed our lord Iesu Crist by ensample; for whan that the womman that
was taken in avoutrie was broght in his presence, to knowen what sholde be
doon with hir persone, al-be-it so that he wiste wel him-self what that he
[203] wolde answere, yet ne wolde he nat answere sodeynly, but he wolde
have deliberacioun, and in the ground he wroot twyes. / And by thise causes
we axen deliberacioun, and we shal thanne, by the grace of god, conseille
thee thing that shal be profitable.’ /
2212, 2215. E. matiere. 2216. E. _om. 1st._ ne. E. p_er_sone (_for_
body). 2217. E. sufficeant; Cp. suffisaunt; Hn. Pt. suffisant.
2218. or] _so_ E. Pt; _rest_ ne. 2221. E. matiere. 2222. E.
sufficeant; Cp. Pt. suffisaunt; Hn. Ln. suffisant. 2223. Cm. Pt. Hl.
of (_for_ with).
§ 12. Up stirten thanne the yonge folk at-ones, and the moste partie of
that companye han scorned the olde wyse men, and bigonnen to make noyse,
and seyden: that, /2225 right so as whyl that iren is hoot, men sholden
smyte, right so, men sholde wreken hir wronges whyle that they been fresshe
and newe; and with loud voys they cryden, ‘werre! werre!’ /
2225. E. _om._ han.
Up roos tho oon of thise olde wyse, and with his hand made contenaunce that
men sholde holden hem stille and yeven him audience. / ‘Lordinges,’ quod
he, ‘ther is ful many a man that cryeth “werre! werre!” that woot ful litel
what werre amounteth. / Werre at his biginning hath so greet an entree and
so large, that every wight may entre whan him lyketh, and lightly finde
werre. / But, certes, what ende that shal ther-of bifalle, it is nat light
to knowe. /2230 For sothly, whan that werre is ones bigonne, ther is ful
many a child unborn of his moder, that shal sterve yong by-cause of that
ilke werre, or elles live in sorwe and dye in wrecchednesse. / And
ther-fore, er that any werre biginne, men moste have greet conseil and
greet deliberacioun.’ / And whan this olde man wende to enforcen his tale
by resons, wel ny alle at-ones bigonne they to ryse for to breken his tale,
and beden him ful ofte his wordes for to abregge. / For soothly, he that
precheth to hem that listen nat heren his wordes, his sermon hem anoyeth. /
For Iesus Syrak seith: that “musik in wepinge is anoyous thing;” this is to
seyn: as muche availleth to speken bifore folk to whiche his speche
anoyeth, as dooth to singe biforn him that wepeth. /2235 And whan this wyse
man saugh that him wanted audience, al shamefast he sette him doun agayn. /
For Salomon seith: “ther-as thou ne mayst have noon audience, enforce thee
nat to speke.” / ‘I see wel,’ quod this wyse man, ‘that the commune
proverbe is sooth; that “good conseil wanteth whan it is most nede.”’ /
2229. Hn. entree; Cm. Pt. Hl. entre; E. Cp. Ln. entryng. 2235. Hn.
Cm. Hl. a noyous; E. anoyous; Cp. annoyous; Pt. noyous. Cm. doth;
_rest_ it is (_badly_). 2236. E. _om._ whan. E. and al (_for_ al).
2238. E. _om._ nede.
§ 13. Yet hadde this Melibeus in his conseil many folk, that [204] prively
in his ere conseilled him certeyn thing, and conseilled him the contrarie
in general audience. /
Whan Melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste partie of his conseil weren
accorded that he sholde maken werre, anoon he consented to hir conseilling,
and fully affermed hir sentence. /2240 Thanne dame Prudence, whan that she
saugh how that hir housbonde shoop him for to wreken him on his foos, and
to biginne werre, she in ful humble wyse, when she saugh hir tyme, seide
him thise wordes: / ‘My lord,’ quod she, ‘I yow biseche as hertely as I dar
and can, ne haste yow nat to faste, and for alle guerdons as yeveth me
audience. / For Piers Alfonce seith: “who-so that dooth to that other good
or harm, haste thee nat to quyten it; for in this wyse thy freend wol
abyde, and thyn enemy shal the lenger live in drede.” / The proverbe seith:
“he hasteth wel that wysely can abyde;” and in wikked haste is no profit.’
/
2241. E. foes; to him (_rest om._ to). 2242. Pt. guerdons; Cp. Ln.
Hl. guerdouns; E. Hn. gerdons.
§ 14. This Melibee answerde un-to his wyf Prudence: ‘I purpose nat,’ quod
he, ‘to werke by thy conseil, for many causes and resouns. For certes every
wight wolde holde me thanne a fool; /2245 this is to seyn, if I, for thy
conseilling, wolde chaungen thinges that been ordeyned and affermed by so
manye wyse. / Secoundly I seye, that alle wommen been wikke and noon good
of hem alle. For “of a thousand men,” seith Salomon, “I fond a good man:
but certes, of alle wommen, good womman fond I never.” / And also certes,
if I governed me by thy conseil, it sholde seme that I hadde yeve to thee
over me the maistrie; and god forbede that it so were. / For Iesus Syrak
seith; “that if the wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir
housbonde.” / And Salomon seith: “never in thy lyf, to thy wyf, ne to thy
child, ne to thy freend, ne yeve no power over thy-self. For bettre it were
that thy children aske of thy persone thinges that hem nedeth, than thou
see thy-self in the handes of thy children.” /2250 And also, if I wolde
werke by thy conseilling, certes my conseilling moste som tyme be secree,
til it were tyme that it moste be knowe; and this ne may noght be. / [For
it is writen, that “the Ianglerie of wommen can hyden thinges that they
witen noght.” / [205] Furthermore, the philosophre seith, “in wikked
conseil wommen venquisshe men;” and for thise resouns I ne owe nat usen thy
conseil.’] /
2247. E. Hn. foond; Cm. fond. 2248. E. weere. 2250. see] E. be; Pt.
sese. 2251. E. _om._ also. 2252, 3. _Not in the_ MSS., _but
necessary; see_ ll. 2274, 2280, _and see_ Note.
§ 15. Whanne dame Prudence, ful debonairly and with greet pacience, hadde
herd al that hir housbonde lyked for to seye, thanne axed she of him
licence for to speke, and seyde in this wyse. / ‘My lord,’ quod she, ‘as to
your firste resoun, certes it may lightly been answered. For I seye, that
it is no folie to chaunge conseil whan the thing is chaunged; or elles whan
the thing semeth otherweyes than it was biforn. /2255 And more-over I seye,
that though ye han sworn and bihight to perfourne your emprise, and
nathelees ye weyve to perfourne thilke same emprise by Iuste cause, men
sholde nat seyn therefore that ye were a lyer ne forsworn. / For the book
seith, that “the wyse man maketh no lesing whan he turneth his corage to
the bettre.” / And al-be-it so that your emprise be establissed and
ordeyned by greet multitude of folk, yet thar ye nat accomplice thilke same
ordinaunce but yow lyke. / For the trouthe of thinges and the profit been
rather founden in fewe folk that been wyse and ful of resoun, than by greet
multitude of folk, ther every man cryeth and clatereth what that him
lyketh. Soothly swich multitude is nat honeste. / As to the seconde resoun,
where-as ye seyn that “alle wommen been wikke,” save your grace, certes ye
despysen alle wommen in this wyse; and “he that alle despyseth alle
displeseth,” as seith the book. /2260 And Senek seith that “who-so wole
have sapience, shal no man dispreise; but he shal gladly techen the science
that he can, with-outen presumpcioun or pryde. / And swiche thinges as he
nought ne can, he shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem and enquere of lasse
folk than him-self.” / And sir, that ther hath been many a good womman, may
lightly be preved. / For certes, sir, our lord Iesu Crist wolde never have
descended to be born of a womman, if alle wommen hadden ben wikke. / And
after that, for the grete bountee that is in wommen, our lord Iesu Crist,
whan he was risen fro deeth to lyve, appeered rather to a womman than to
his apostles. /2265 And though that Salomon seith, that “he ne fond never
womman good,” it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen ben wikke. / For
though that he ne fond no good [206] womman, certes, ful many another man
hath founden many a womman ful good and trewe. / Or elles per-aventure the
entente of Salomon was this; that, as in sovereyn bountee, he fond no
womman; / this is to seyn, that ther is no wight that hath sovereyn bountee
save god allone; as he him-self recordeth in his Evaungelie. / For ther nis
no creature so good that him ne wanteth somwhat of the perfeccioun of god,
that is his maker. /2270 Your thridde resoun is this: ye seyn that “if ye
governe yow by my conseil, it sholde seme that ye hadde yeve me the
maistrie and the lordshipe over your persone.” / Sir, save your grace, it
is nat so. For if it were so, that no man sholde be conseilled but only of
hem that hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone, men wolden nat be
conseilled so ofte. / For soothly, thilke man that asketh conseil of a
purpos, yet hath he free chois, wheither he wole werke by that conseil or
noon. / And as to your fourthe resoun, ther ye seyn that “the Ianglerie of
wommen hath hid thinges that they woot noght,” as who seith, that “a womman
can nat hyde that she woot;” / sir, thise wordes been understonde of wommen
that been Iangleresses and wikked; /2275 of whiche wommen, men seyn that
“three thinges dryven a man out of his hous; that is to seyn, smoke,
dropping of reyn, and wikked wyves;” / and of swiche wommen seith Salomon,
that “it were bettre dwelle in desert, than with a womman that is riotous.”
/ And sir, by your leve, that am nat I; / for ye han ful ofte assayed my
grete silence and my gret pacience; and eek how wel that I can hyde and
hele thinges that men oghte secreely to hyde. / And soothly, as to your
fifthe resoun, wher-as ye seyn, that “in wikked conseil wommen venquisshe
men;” god woot, thilke resoun stant here in no stede. /2280 For understand
now, ye asken conseil to do wikkednesse; / and if ye wole werken
wikkednesse, and your wyf restreyneth thilke wikked purpos, and overcometh
yow by resoun and by good conseil; / certes, your wyf oghte rather to be
preised than y-blamed. / Thus sholde ye understonde the philosophre that
seith, “in wikked conseil wommen venquisshen hir housbondes.” / And ther-as
ye blamen alle wommen and hir resouns, I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples
that many a womman hath ben ful good, and yet been; and hir conseils ful
hoolsome and profitable. /2285 Eek som men han seyd, that “the [207]
conseillinge of wommen is outher to dere, or elles 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 wise in conseillinge. / Lo, Iacob, by good conseil of his moder
Rebekka, wan the benisoun of Ysaak his fader, and the lordshipe over alle
his bretheren. / Iudith, by hir good conseil, delivered the citee of
Bethulie, in which she dwelled, out of the handes of Olofernus, that hadde
it biseged and wolde have al destroyed it. / Abigail delivered Nabal hir
housbonde fro David the king, that wolde have slayn him, and apaysed the
ire of the king by hir wit and by hir good conseilling. /2290 Hester by hir
good conseil enhaunced greetly the peple of god in the regne of Assuerus
the king. / And the same bountee in good conseilling of many a good womman
may men telle. / And moreover, whan our lord hadde creat Adam our
forme-fader, he seyde in this wyse: / “it is nat good to been a man allone;
make we to him an help semblable to himself.” / Here may ye se that, if
that wommen were nat goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable, /2295
our lord god of hevene wolde never han wroght hem, ne called hem help of
man, but rather confusioun 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 a
good womman? No-thing.” / And sir, by manye of othre resons may ye seen,
that manye wommen been goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable. / And
therfore sir, if ye wol triste to my conseil, I shal restore yow your
doghter hool and sound. /2300 And eek I wol do to yow so muche, that ye
shul have honour in this cause.’ /
2258. E. Cp. Ln. _om._ same. 2260. E. (_only_) _om._ and he that _to_
book. 2261. E. Ln. despise; _rest_ dispreise. 2266, 7. E. Hn.
foond; Cm. fond. 2271. E. _om._ that. 2274. E. wiste noght. 2277.
E. Cp. Pt. _om._ of. 2291. E. (_only_) _puts_ by ... conseil after
greetly. 2297, 8. E. wisedom.
§ 16. Whan Melibee 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 been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce, been honycombes; for they yeven
swetnesse to the soule, and hoolsomnesse to the body.” / And wyf, by-cause
of thy swete wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved thy grete
sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol governe me by thy conseil in alle
thing.’ /
§ 17. ‘Now sir,’ quod dame Prudence, ‘and sin ye vouche-sauf [208] to been
governed by my conseil, I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe your-self in
chesinge of your conseillours. /2305 Ye shul first, in alle your werkes,
mekely biseken to the heighe god that he wol be your conseillour; / and
shapeth yow to swich entente, that he yeve yow conseil and confort, as
taughte Thobie his sone. / “At alle tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye
him to dresse thy weyes”; and looke that alle thy conseils been in him for
evermore. / Seint Iame eek seith: “if any of yow have nede of sapience, axe
it of god.” / And afterward thanne shul ye taken conseil in your-self, and
examine wel your thoghtes, of swich thing as yow thinketh that is best for
your profit. /2310 And thanne shul ye dryve fro your herte three thinges
that been contrariouse to good conseil, / that is to seyn, ire, coveitise,
and hastifnesse. /
2310. in] E. of. E. _om._ self.
§ 18. First, he that axeth conseil of him-self, certes he moste been
with-outen ire, for manye causes. / The firste is this: he that hath greet
ire and wratthe in him-self, he weneth alwey that he may do thing that he
may nat do. / And secoundely, he that is irous and wroth, he ne may nat wel
deme; /2315 and he that may nat wel deme, may nat wel conseille. / The
thridde is this; that “he that is irous and wrooth,” as seith Senek, “ne
may nat speke but he blame thinges;” / and with his viciouse wordes he
stireth other folk to angre and to ire. / And eek sir, ye moste dryve
coveitise out of your herte. / For the apostle seith, that “coveitise is
rote of alle harmes.” /2320 And trust wel that a coveitous man ne can noght
deme ne thinke, but only to fulfille the ende of his coveitise; / and
certes, that ne may never been accompliced; for ever the more habundaunce
that he hath of richesse, the more he desyreth. / And sir, ye moste also
dryve out of your herte hastifnesse; for certes, / ye ne may nat deme for
the beste a sodeyn thought that falleth in youre herte, but ye moste avyse
yow on it ful ofte. / For as ye herde biforn, the commune proverbe is this,
that “he that sone demeth, sone repenteth.” /2325
§ 19. Sir, ye ne be nat alwey in lyke disposicioun; / for certes, som thing
that somtyme semeth to yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it
semeth to yow the contrarie. /
§ 20. Whan ye han taken conseil in your-self, and han demed by good
deliberacion swich thing as you semeth best, / thanne rede I yow, that ye
kepe it secree. / Biwrey nat your conseil to no persone, [209] but-if so be
that ye wenen sikerly that, thurgh your biwreying, your condicioun shal be
to yow the more profitable. /2330 For Iesus Syrak seith: “neither to thy
foo ne to thy freend discovere nat thy secree ne thy folie; / for they wol
yeve yow audience and loking and supportacioun in thy presence, and scorne
thee in thyn absence.” / Another clerk seith, that “scarsly shaltou finden
any persone that may kepe conseil secreely.” / The book seith: “whyl that
thou kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest it in thy prisoun: / and
whan thou biwreyest thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth thee in his
snare.” /2335 And therefore yow is bettre to hyde your conseil in your
herte, than praye him, to whom ye han biwreyed your conseil, that he wole
kepen it cloos and stille. / For Seneca seith: “if so be that thou ne mayst
nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how darstou prayen any other wight thy conseil
secreely to kepe?” / But nathelees, if thou wene sikerly that the biwreying
of thy conseil to a persone wol make thy condicioun to stonden in the
bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen him thy conseil in this wyse. / First,
thou shalt make no semblant whether thee were lever pees or werre, or this
or that, ne shewe him nat thy wille and thyn entente; / for trust wel, that
comunly thise conseillours been flatereres, /2340 namely the conseillours
of grete lordes; / for they enforcen hem alwey rather to speken plesante
wordes, enclyninge to the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe or
profitable. / And therfore men seyn, that “the riche man hath seld good
conseil but-if he have it of him-self.” / And after that, thou shalt
considere thy freendes and thyne enemys. / And as touchinge thy freendes,
thou shalt considere whiche of hem been most feithful and most wyse, and
eldest and most approved in conseilling. /2345 And of hem shalt thou aske
thy conseil, as the caas requireth. /
2328. in] E. of; Ln. vnto. semeth] E. list. 2332. E. to (_after_
loking); _rest_ and. 2333, 7. E. sikerly; _rest_ secreely. 2336. E.
hem; _rest_ him. 2339. E. wheither. 2340. E. co_m_e_n_li. 2343.
E. seeld. 2345. E. wiche. been] E. Hn. that been.
§ 21. I seye that first ye shul clepe to your conseil your freendes that
been trewe. / For Salomon seith: that “right as the herte of a man delyteth
in savour that is sote, right so the conseil of trewe freendes yeveth
swetenesse to the soule.” / He seith also: “ther may no-thing be lykned to
the trewe freend.” / For certes, gold ne silver beth nat so muche worth as
the gode wil of a trewe freend. /2350 And eek he seith, that “a trewe
freend is a strong deffense; who-so that it findeth, certes he findeth a
greet tresour.” / Thanne [210] shul ye eek considere, if that your trewe
freendes been discrete and wyse. For the book seith: “axe alwey thy conseil
of hem that been wyse.” / And by this same resoun shul ye clepen to your
conseil, of your freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn and been
expert in manye thinges, and been approved in conseillinges. / For the book
seith, that “in olde men is the sapience and in longe tyme the prudence.” /
And Tullius seith: that “grete thinges ne been nat ay accompliced by
strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by good conseil, by auctoritee
of persones, and by science; the whiche three thinges ne been nat feble by
age, but certes they enforcen and encreesen day by day.” /2355 And thanne
shul ye kepe this for a general reule. First shul ye clepen to your conseil
a fewe of your freendes that been especiale; / for Salomon seith: “manye
freendes have thou; but among a thousand chese thee oon to be thy
conseillour.” / For al-be-it so that thou first ne telle thy conseil but to
a fewe, thou mayst afterward telle it to mo folk, if it be nede. / But loke
alwey that thy conseillours have thilke three condiciouns that I have seyd
bifore; that is to seyn, that they be trewe, wyse, and of old experience. /
And werke nat alwey in every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme
bihoveth it to been conseilled by manye. /2360 For Salomon seith:
“salvacioun of thinges is wher-as ther been manye conseillours.” /
2355. E. Hn. fieble; Cp. Pt. Hl. feble; Cm. feblid; Ln. fiebled. E.
encreescen.
§ 22. Now sith that I have told yow of which folk ye sholde been
counseilled, now wol I teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe. / First
ye shul eschewe the conseilling of foles; for Salomon seith: “taak no
conseil of a fool, for he ne can noght conseille but after his owene lust
and his affeccioun.” / The book seith: that “the propretee of a fool is
this; he troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly troweth alle
bountee in him-self.” / Thou shalt eek eschewe the conseilling of alle
flatereres, swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise your persone by
flaterye than for to telle yow the sothfastnesse of thinges. /2365
2362. Hn. Cm. Hl. that; Pt. what; _rest om._ 2365. E. _om._ alle.
§ 23. ‘Wherfore Tullius seith: “amonges alle the pestilences that been in
freendshipe, the gretteste is flaterye.” And therfore is it more nede that
thou eschewe and drede flatereres than any other peple. / The book seith:
“thou shalt rather drede and flee fro the swete wordes of flateringe
preiseres, than fro the egre [211] wordes of thy freend that seith thee thy
sothes.” / Salomon seith, that “the wordes of a flaterere is a snare to
cacche with innocents.” / He seith also, that “he that speketh to his
freend wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn his feet
to cacche him.” / And therfore seith Tullius: “enclyne nat thyne eres to
flatereres, ne taketh no conseil of wordes of flaterye.” /2370 And Caton
seith: “avyse thee wel, and eschewe the wordes of swetnesse and of
plesaunce.” / And eek thou shalt eschewe the conseilling of thyne olde
enemys that been reconsiled. / The book seith: that “no wight retourneth
saufly in-to the grace of his olde enemy.” / And Isope seith: “ne trust nat
to hem to whiche thou hast had som-tyme werre or enmitee, ne telle hem nat
thy conseil.” / And Seneca telleth the cause why. “It may nat be,” seith
he, “that, where greet fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther ne dwelleth
som vapour of warmnesse.” /2375 And therfore seith Salomon: “in thyn olde
foo trust never.” / For sikerly, though thyn enemy be reconsiled and maketh
thee chere of humilitee, and louteth to thee with his heed, ne trust him
never. / For certes, he maketh thilke feyned humilitee more for his profit
than for any love of thy persone; by-cause that he demeth to have victorie
over thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the which victorie he mighte
nat have by stryf or werre. / And Peter Alfonce seith: “make no felawshipe
with thyne olde enemys; for if thou do hem bountee, they wol perverten it
in-to wikkednesse.” / And eek thou most eschewe the conseilling of hem that
been thy servants, and beren thee greet reverence; for peraventure they
seyn it more for drede than for love. /2380 And therfore seith a
philosophre in this wyse: “ther is no wight parfitly trewe to him that he
to sore dredeth.” / And Tullius seith: “ther nis no might so greet of any
emperour, that longe may endure, but-if he have more love of the peple than
drede.” / Thou shalt also eschewe the conseiling of folk that been
dronkelewe; for they ne can no conseil hyde. / For Salomon seith: “ther is
no privetee ther-as regneth dronkenesse.” / Ye shul also han in suspect the
conseilling of swich folk as conseille yow a thing prively, and conseille
yow the contrarie openly. /2385 For [212] Cassidorie seith: that “it is a
maner sleighte to hindre, whan he sheweth to doon a thing openly and
werketh prively the contrarie.” / Thou shalt also have in suspect the
conseilling of wikked folk. For the book seith: “the conseilling of wikked
folk is alwey ful of fraude:” / And David seith: “blisful is that man that
hath nat folwed the conseilling of shrewes.” / Thou shalt also eschewe the
conseilling of yong folk; for hir conseil is nat rype. /
2368. E. chacche (_for_ cacche). Pt. to cacchen innocentes withe;
_rest_ (_except_ E.) _om._ with. 2370. E. Cp. Ln. the wordes; _rest
om._ the. 2374. E. Hn. enemytee. 2377. E. chiere. 2378. E. nat
winne; _rest_ nat haue. 2380. E. doon; _rest_ seyn. 2382. E. for
drede; _rest om._ for. 2383. E. _om._ ne. 2388. E. sherewes.
§ 24. Now sir, sith I have shewed yow of which folk ye shul take your
conseil, and of which folk ye shul folwe the conseil, /2390 now wol I teche
yow how ye shal examine your conseil, after the doctrine of Tullius. / In
the examininge thanne of your conseillour, ye shul considere manye thinges.
/ Alderfirst thou shalt considere, that in thilke thing that thou
purposest, and upon what thing thou wolt have conseil, that verray trouthe
be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn, telle trewely thy tale. / For he
that seith fals may nat wel be conseilled, in that cas of which he lyeth. /
And after this, thou shalt considere the thinges that acorden to that thou
purposest for to do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde therto; /2395
and eek, if thy might may atteine ther-to; and if the more part and the
bettre part of thy conseillours acorde ther-to, or no. / Thanne shaltou
considere what thing shal folwe of that conseilling; as hate, pees, werre,
grace, profit, or damage; and manye othere thinges. / And in alle thise
thinges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve alle othere thinges. / Thanne
shaltow considere of what rote is engendred the matere of thy conseil, and
what fruit it may conceyve and engendre. / Thou shalt eek considere alle
thise causes, fro whennes they been sprongen. /2400 And whan ye han
examined your conseil as I have seyd, and which partie is the bettre and
more profitable, and hast approved it by manye wyse folk and olde; / thanne
shaltou considere, if thou mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good ende.
/ For certes, resoun wol nat that any man sholde biginne a thing, but-if he
mighte parfourne it as him oghte. / Ne no wight sholde take up-on hym so
hevy a charge that he mighte nat bere it. / For the proverbe seith: “he
that to muche embraceth, distreyneth litel.” /2405 And Catoun seith: “assay
to do swich thing as thou hast power to doon, lest that the charge [213]
oppresse thee so sore, that thee bihoveth to weyve thing that thou hast
bigonne.” / And if so be that thou be in doute, whether thou mayst
parfourne a thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than biginne. / And Piers
Alphonce seith: “if thou hast might to doon a thing of which thou most
repente thee, it is bettre ‘nay’ than ‘ye’;” / this is to seyn, that thee
is bettre holde thy tonge stille, than for to speke. / Thanne may ye
understonde by strenger resons, that if thou hast power to parfourne a werk
of which thou shalt repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre than
biginne. /2410 Wel seyn they, that defenden every wight to assaye any thing
of which he is in doute, whether he may parfourne it or no. / And after,
whan ye han examined your conseil as I have seyd biforn, and knowen wel
that ye may parfourne youre emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at
an ende. /
2396. or no] E. or noon; Pt. anoon. 2397. of that] E. after hir.
2398. E. Thanne of; _rest_ And in. 2399. E. matiere. conceyve] E.
Hl. conserue. 2407, 2411. E. wheither. 2411. Hn. Cm. no; _rest_
noon (non).
§ 25. Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow, whanne, and wherfore,
that ye may chaunge your conseil with-outen your repreve. / Soothly, a man
may chaungen his purpos and his conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a
newe caas bitydeth. / For the lawe seith: that “upon thinges that newely
bityden bihoveth newe conseil.” /2415 And Senek seith: “if thy conseil is
comen to the eres of thyn enemy, chaunge thy conseil.” / Thou mayst also
chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou finde that, by errour or by other
cause, harm or damage may bityde. / Also, if thy conseil be dishonest, or
elles cometh of dishoneste cause, chaunge thy conseil. / For the lawes
seyn: that “alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no value.” / And
eek, if it so be that it be inpossible, or may nat goodly be parfourned or
kept. /2420
2413. Hl. conseil; _rest_ conseillors. 2416. E. eeris. 2417. finde]
E. mayst finde. 2420. E. Cp. if; _rest_ if it.
§ 26. And take this for a general reule, that every conseil that is
affermed so strongly that it may nat be chaunged, for no condicioun that
may bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked.’ /
§ 27. This Melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the doctrine of his wyf dame
Prudence, answerde in this wyse. / ‘Dame,’ quod he, ‘as yet in-to this tyme
ye han wel and covenably taught me as in general, how I shal governe me in
the chesinge and in the withholdinge of my conseillours. / But now wolde I
fayn that ye wolde condescende in especial, / and telle me how lyketh yow,
[214] or what semeth yow, by our conseillours that we han chosen in our
present nede.’ /2425
2423. in-to] Cp. Ln. vnto. E. couenablely.
§ 28. ‘My lord,’ quod she, ‘I biseke yow in al humblesse, that ye wol nat
wilfully replye agayn my resouns, ne distempre your herte thogh I speke
thing that yow displese. / For god wot that, as in myn entente, I speke it
for your beste, for your honour and for your profite eke. / And soothly, I
hope that your benignitee wol taken it in pacience. / Trusteth me wel,’
quod she, ‘that your conseil as in this caas ne sholde nat, as to speke
properly, be called a conseilling, but a mocioun or a moevyng of folye; /
in which conseil ye han erred in many a sondry wyse. /2430
2428. E. benyngnytee.
§ 29. First and forward, ye han erred in thassemblinge of your
conseillours. / For ye sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to your
conseil, and after ye mighte han shewed it to mo folk, if it hadde been
nede. / But certes, ye han sodeynly cleped to your conseil a greet
multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous for to here. / Also ye
han erred, for there-as ye sholden only have cleped to your conseil your
trewe freendes olde and wyse, / ye han y-cleped straunge folk, and yong
folk, false flatereres, and enemys reconsiled, and folk that doon yow
reverence withouten love. /2435 And eek also ye have erred, for ye han
broght with yow to your conseil ire, covetise, and hastifnesse; / the
whiche three thinges been contrariouse to every conseil honeste and
profitable; / the whiche three thinges ye han nat anientissed or destroyed
hem, neither in your-self ne in your conseillours, as yow oghte. / Ye han
erred also, for ye han shewed to your conseillours your talent, and your
affeccioun to make werre anon and for to do vengeance; / they han espyed by
your wordes to what thing ye been enclyned. /2440 And therfore han they
rather conseilled yow to your talent than to your profit. / Ye han erred
also, for it semeth that yow suffyseth to han been conseilled by thise
conseillours only, and with litel avys; / wher-as, in so greet and so heigh
a nede, it hadde been necessarie mo conseillours, and more deliberacioun to
parfourne your emprise. / Ye han erred also, for ye han nat examined your
conseil in the forseyde manere, ne in due manere as the caas requireth. /
Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no divisioun bitwixe your conseillours;
this is to [215] seyn, bitwixen your trewe freendes and your feyned
conseillours; /2445 ne ye han nat knowe the wil of your trewe freendes olde
and wyse; / but ye han cast alle hir wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned
your herte to the more part and to the gretter nombre; and ther been ye
condescended. / And sith ye wot wel that men shal alwey finde a gretter
nombre of foles than of wyse men, / and therfore the conseils that been at
congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, ther-as men take more reward to the
nombre than to the sapience of persones, / ye see wel that in swiche
conseillinges foles han the maistrie.’ /2450 Melibeus answerde agayn, and
seyde: ‘I graunte wel that I have erred; / but ther-as thou hast told me
heer-biforn, that he nis nat to blame that chaungeth hise conseillours in
certein caas, and for certeine Iuste causes, / I am al redy to chaunge my
conseillours, right as thow wolt devyse. / The proverbe seith: that “for to
do sinne is mannish, but certes for to persevere longe in sinne is werk of
the devel.”’ /
2438. E. _om._ thinges. Hl. _om._ hem. 2442. Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. yow;
E. it. 2445. E. nat maked; _rest om._ nat. 2447. E. partie; _rest_
part.
§ 30. To this sentence answerde anon dame Prudence, and seyde: /2455
‘Examineth,’ quod she, ‘your conseil, and lat us see the whiche of hem han
spoken most resonably, and taught yow best conseil. / And for-as-muche as
that the examinacioun is necessarie, lat us biginne at the surgiens and at
the phisiciens, that first speken in this matere. / I sey yow, that the
surgiens and phisiciens han seyd yow in your conseil discreetly, as hem
oughte; / and in hir speche seyden ful wysly, that to the office of hem
aperteneth to doon to every wight honour and profit, and no wight for to
anoye; / and, after hir craft, to doon greet diligence un-to the cure of
hem whiche that they han in hir governaunce. /2460 And sir, right as they
han answered wysly and discreetly, / right so rede I that they been heighly
and sovereynly guerdoned for hir noble speche; / and eek for they sholde do
the more ententif bisinesse in the curacioun of your doghter dere. / For
al-be-it so that they been your freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren that
they serve yow for noght; / but ye oghte the rather guerdone hem and shewe
hem your largesse. /2465 And as touchinge the proposicioun [216] which that
the phisiciens entreteden in this caas, this is to seyn, / that, in
maladyes, that oon contrarie is warisshed by another contrarie, / I wolde
fayn knowe how ye understonde thilke text, and what is your sentence.’ /
‘Certes,’ quod Melibeus, ‘I understonde it in this wyse: / that, right as
they han doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I doon hem another. /2470 For
right as they han venged hem on me and doon me wrong, right so shal I venge
me upon hem and doon hem wrong; / and thanne have I cured oon contrarie by
another.’ /
2455. E. answereth; _rest_ answerde (andswered). 2456. E.
resonablely. 2457. E. matiere. 2459. E. seyd; Hn. Cm. Hl. seyden.
2460. E. in; _rest_ after. 2462. E. Hn. gerdoned; _rest_ guerdoned.
2465. E. Hn. Pt. gerdone. 2466. E. encreesceden; Hn. Ln. encresceden;
Cp. Cm. encreseden; Pt. encresden; Hl. han schewed; ed. 1561,
entreteden. 2468. thilke] E. this.
§ 31. ‘Lo, lo!’ quod dame Prudence, ‘how lightly is every man enclyned to
his owene desyr and to his owene plesaunce! / Certes,’ quod she, ‘the
wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat han been understonden in this wyse.
/ For certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse, ne vengeaunce to
vengeaunce, ne wrong to wrong; but they been semblable. /2475 And therfore,
o vengeaunce is nat warisshed by another vengeaunce, ne o wrong by another
wrong; / but everich of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth other. / But certes,
the wordes of the phisiciens sholde been understonden in this wyse: / for
good and wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and werre, vengeaunce
and suffraunce, discord and accord, and manye othere thinges. / But certes,
wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse, discord by accord, werre by
pees, and so forth of othere thinges. /2480 And heer-to accordeth Seint
Paul the apostle in manye places. / He seith: “ne yeldeth nat harm for
harm, ne wikked speche for wikked speche; / but do wel to him that dooth
thee harm, and blesse him that seith to thee harm.” / And in manye othere
places he amonesteth pees and accord. / But now wol I speke to yow of the
conseil which that was yeven to yow by the men of lawe and the wyse folk,
/2485 that seyden alle by oon accord as ye han herd bifore; / that, over
alle thynges, ye sholde doon your diligence to kepen your persone and to
warnestore your hous. / And seyden also, that in this caas ye oghten for to
werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun. / And sir, as to the
firste point, that toucheth to the keping of your persone; / ye shul
understonde that he that hath werre shal evermore mekely and devoutly
preyen biforn alle thinges, /2490 that Iesus Crist of his grete [217] mercy
wol han him in his proteccioun, and been his sovereyn helping at his nede.
/ For certes, in this world ther is no wight that may be conseilled ne kept
suffisantly withouten the keping of our lord Iesu Crist. / To this sentence
accordeth the prophete David, that seith: / “if god ne kepe the citee, in
ydel waketh he that it kepeth.” / Now sir, thanne shul ye committe the
keping of your persone to your trewe freendes that been approved and
y-knowe; /2495 and of hem shul ye axen help your persone for to kepe. For
Catoun seith: “if thou hast nede of help, axe it of thy freendes; / for
ther nis 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 have
alwey in suspect hir companye. / For Piers Alfonce seith: “ne tak no
companye by the weye of a straunge man, but-if so be that thou have knowe
him of a lenger tyme. / And if so be that he falle in-to thy companye
paraventure withouten thyn assent, /2500 enquere thanne, as subtilly as
thou mayst, of his conversacioun and of his lyf bifore, and feyne thy wey;
seye that thou goost thider as thou wolt nat go; / and if he bereth a
spere, hold thee on the right syde, and if he bere a swerd, hold thee on
the lift syde.” / And after this, thanne shul ye kepe yow wysely from alle
swich manere peple as I have seyd bifore, and hem and hir conseil eschewe.
/ And after this, thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere, / that for any
presumpcioun of your strengthe, that ye ne dispyse nat ne acounte nat the
might of your adversarie so litel, that ye lete the keping of your persone
for your presumpcioun; /2505 for every wys man dredeth his enemy. / And
Salomon seith: “weleful is he that of alle hath drede; / for certes, he
that thurgh the hardinesse of his herte and thurgh the hardinesse of
him-self hath to greet presumpcioun, him shal yvel bityde.” / Thanne shul
ye evermore countrewayte embusshements and alle espiaille. / For Senek
seith: that “the wyse man that dredeth harmes escheweth harmes; /2510 ne he
ne falleth in-to perils, that perils escheweth.” / And al-be-it so that it
seme that thou art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do thy diligence in
kepinge of thy persone; / this is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe thy
persone, nat only fro [218] thy gretteste enemys but fro thy leeste enemy.
/ Senek seith: “a man that is wel avysed, he dredeth his leste enemy.” /
Ovide seith: that “the litel wesele wol slee the grete bole and the wilde
hert.” /2515 And the book seith: “a litel thorn may prikke a greet king ful
sore; and an hound wol holde the wilde boor.” / But nathelees, I sey nat
thou shall be so coward that thou doute ther wher-as is no drede. / The
book seith: that “somme folk han greet lust to deceyve, but yet they dreden
hem to be deceyved.” / Yet shaltou drede to been empoisoned, and kepe yow
from the companye of scorneres. / For the book seith: “with scorneres make
no companye, but flee hir wordes as venim.” /2520
2488. E. Ln. Hl. yow; _rest_ ye. 2491. E grete; _rest om._ 2492. E.
sufficeantly; Hn. suffisantly. 2495. y-knowe] E. knowe. 2499. E.
taak; compaignye. E. straunge men; Cp. straunge man; _rest_ a
straunge man. 2500. he] E. he be. 2502. E. his lift; _rest_ the
lift. 2510. E. he dredeth; _rest_ that dredeth. Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl.
escheweth harmes; _rest om._ 2513. fro] E. Hl. for. 2514. E.
_omits_ Senek ... enemy; _the rest have it_. 2517. E. _om._ so.
§ 32. Now as to the seconde point, wher-as your wyse conseillours
conseilled yow to warnestore your hous with gret diligence, / I wolde fayn
knowe, how that ye understonde thilke wordes, and what is your sentence.’ /
§ 33. Melibeus answerde and seyde, ‘Certes I understande it in this wise;
that I shal warnestore myn hous with toures, swiche as han castelles and
othere manere edifices, and armure and artelleries, / by whiche thinges I
may my persone and myn hous so kepen and defenden, that myne enemys shul
been in drede myn hous for to approche.’ /
2523. Cm. artelleryes; E. Hn. artelries; Hl. artilries; Cp. Ln.
archers.
§ 34. To this sentence answerde anon Prudence; ‘warnestoring,’ quod she,
‘of heighe toures and of grete edifices apperteneth som-tyme to pryde;
/2525 and eek men make heighe toures and grete edifices with grete costages
and with greet travaille; and whan that they been accompliced, yet be they
nat worth a stree, but-if they be defended by trewe freendes that been olde
and wyse. / And understond wel, that the gretteste and strongeste garnison
that a riche man may have, as wel to kepen his persone as hise goodes, is /
that he be biloved amonges his subgets and with hise neighebores. / For
thus seith Tullius: that “ther is a maner garnison that no man may
venquisse ne disconfite, and that is, / a lord to be biloved of hise
citezeins and of his peple.” /2530
2525, 6. E. Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. _omit_ apperteneth ... edifices; Cp. Ln.
_have it_; _see note_.
§ 35. Now sir, as to the thridde point; wher-as your olde and wise
conseillours seyden, that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne hastily proceden in
this nede, / but that yow oghte purveyen and [219] apparaillen yow in this
caas with greet diligence and greet deliberacioun; / trewely, I trowe that
they seyden right wysly and right sooth. / For Tullius seith, “in every
nede, er thou biginne it, apparaille thee with greet diligence.” / Thanne
seye I, that in vengeance-taking, in werre, in bataille, and in
warnestoring, /2535 er thow biginne, I rede that thou apparaille thee
ther-to, and do it with greet deliberacioun. / For Tullius seith: that
“long apparailling biforn the bataille maketh short victorie.” / And
Cassidorus seith: “the garnison is stronger whan it is longe tyme avysed.”
/
2537. E. Ln. The longe; _rest_ that long.
§ 36. But now lat us speken of the conseil that was accorded by your
neighebores, swiche as doon yow reverence withouten love, / your olde
enemys reconsiled, your flatereres, /2540 that conseilled yow certeyne
thinges prively, and openly conseilleden yow the contrarie; / the yonge
folk also, that conseilleden yow to venge yow and make werre anon. / And
certes, sir, as I have seyd biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped
swich maner folk to your conseil; / which conseillours been y-nogh repreved
by the resouns afore-seyd. / But nathelees, lat us now descende to the
special. Ye shuln first procede after the doctrine of Tullius. /2545
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 vileinye, / and how manye trespassours, and in what manere they
han to yow doon al this wrong and al this vileinye. / And after this,
thanne shul ye examine the seconde condicioun, which that the same Tullius
addeth in this matere. / For Tullius put a thing, which that he clepeth
“consentinge,” this is to seyn; /2550 who been they and how manye, and
whiche been they, that consenteden to thy conseil, in thy wilfulnesse to
doon hastif vengeance. / And lat us considere also who been they, and how
manye been they, and whiche been they, that consenteden to your
adversaries. / And certes, as to the firste poynt, it is wel knowen whiche
folk been they that consenteden to your hastif wilfulnesse; / for trewely,
alle tho that conseilleden yow to maken sodeyn werre ne been nat your
freendes. / Lat us now considere whiche been they, that ye holde so greetly
your freendes as to your persone. /2555 For al-be-it so that ye be mighty
[220] and riche, certes ye ne been nat but allone. / For certes, ye ne han
no child but a doghter; / ne ye ne han bretheren ne cosins germayns, ne
noon other neigh kinrede, / wherfore that your enemys, for drede, sholde
stinte to plede with yow or to destroye your persone. / Ye knowen also,
that your richesses moten been dispended in diverse parties; /2560 and whan
that every wight hath his part, they ne wollen taken but litel reward to
venge thy deeth. / But thyne enemys been three, and they han manie
children, bretheren, cosins, and other ny kinrede; / and, though so were
that thou haddest slayn of hem two or three, yet dwellen ther y-nowe to
wreken hir deeth and to slee thy persone. / And though so be that your
kinrede be more siker and stedefast than the kin of your adversarie, / yet
nathelees your kinrede nis but a fer kinrede; they been but litel sib to
yow, /2565 and the kin of your enemys been ny sib to hem. And certes, as in
that, hir condicioun is bet than youres. / Thanne lat us considere also if
the conseilling of hem that conseilleden yow to taken sodeyn vengeaunce,
whether it accorde to resoun? / And certes, ye knowe wel “nay.” / For as by
right and resoun, ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight, but the Iuge
that hath the Iurisdiccioun of it, / whan it is graunted him to take thilke
vengeance, hastily or attemprely, as the lawe requireth. /2570 And yet
more-over, of thilke word that Tullius clepeth “consentinge,” / thou shalt
considere if thy might and thy power may consenten and suffyse to thy
wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours. / And certes, thou mayst wel seyn that
“nay.” / For sikerly, as for to speke proprely, we may do no-thing but only
swich thing as we may doon rightfully. / And certes, rightfully ne mowe ye
take no vengeance as of your propre auctoritee. /2575 Thanne mowe ye seen,
that your power ne consenteth nat ne accordeth nat with your wilfulnesse. /
Lat us now examine the thridde point that Tullius clepeth “consequent.” /
Thou shalt understonde that the vengeance that thou purposest for to take
is the consequent. / And ther-of folweth another vengeaunce, peril, and
werre; and othere damages with-oute nombre, of whiche we be nat war as at
this tyme. / And as touchinge the fourthe point, that Tullius clepeth
“engendringe,” /2580 thou shalt considere, that this wrong which that is
doon to thee is engendred of the hate of thyne enemys; / and of the
vengeance-takinge upon that wolde engendre another vengeance, and muchel
sorwe and wastinge of richesses, as I seyde. /
2551. E. _om._ and whiche been they; _see_ 2552. Hk. consentid;
_rest_ consenten (_for_ consenteden); _see_ 2552.
[221] § 37. Now sir, as to the point that Tullius clepeth “causes,” which
that is the laste point, / thou shall understonde that the wrong that thou
hast receyved hath certeine causes, / whiche that clerkes clepen _Oriens_
and _Efficiens_, and _Causa longinqua_ and _Causa propinqua_; this is to
seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause. /2585 The fer cause is almighty god,
that is cause of alle thinges. / The neer cause is thy three enemys. / The
cause accidental was hate. / The cause material been the fyve woundes of
thy doghter. / The cause formal is the manere of hir werkinge, that
broghten laddres and cloumben in at thy windowes. /2590 The cause final was
for to slee thy doghter; it letted nat in as muche as in hem was. / But for
to speken of the fer cause, as to what ende they shul come, or what shal
finally bityde of hem in this caas, ne can I nat deme but by coniectinge
and by supposinge. / For we shul suppose that they shul come to a wikked
ende, / by-cause that the Book of Decrees seith: “selden or with greet
peyne been causes y-broght to good ende whanne they been baddely bigonne.”
/
2594. E. seelden.
§ 38. Now sir, if men wolde axe me, why that god suffred men to do yow this
vileinye, certes, I can nat wel answere as for no sothfastnesse. /2595 For
thapostle seith, that “the sciences and the Iuggementz of our lord god
almighty been ful depe; / ther may no man comprehende ne serchen hem
suffisantly.” / Nathelees, by certeyne presumpcions and coniectinges, I
holde and bileve / that god, which that is ful of Iustice and of
rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by Iuste cause resonable. /
§ 39. Thy name is Melibee, this is to seyn, “a man that drinketh hony.”
/2600 Thou hast y-dronke so muchel hony of swete temporel richesses and
delices and honours of this world, / that thou art dronken; and hast
forgeten Iesu Crist thy creatour; / thou ne hast nat doon to him swich
honour and reverence as thee oughte. / Ne thou ne hast nat wel y-taken kepe
to the wordes of Ovide, that seith: / “under the hony of the godes of the
body is hid the venim that sleeth the soule.” /2605 And Salomon seith, “if
thou hast founden hony, ete of it that suffyseth; / for if thou ete of it
out of mesure, thou shalt spewe,” and be nedy and povre. / And peraventure
Crist hath thee in despit, and hath turned awey fro thee his face and hise
eres of misericorde; / and also he hath suffred that thou hast been
punisshed in the manere that thow [222] hast y-trespassed. / Thou hast doon
sinne agayn our lord Crist; /2610 for certes, the three enemys of mankinde,
that is to seyn, the flessh, the feend, and the world, / thou hast suffred
hem entre in-to thyn herte wilfully by the windowes of thy body, / and hast
nat defended thy-self suffisantly agayns hir assautes and hir temptaciouns,
so that they han wounded thy soule in fyve places; / this is to seyn, the
deedly sinnes that been entred in-to thyn herte by thy fyve wittes. / And
in the same manere our lord Crist hath wold and suffred, that thy three
enemys been entred in-to thyn hous by the windowes, /2615 and han y-wounded
thy doghter in the fore-seyde manere.’ /
2601. E. sweete temporeel. 2608. E. eeris.
§ 40. ‘Certes,’ quod Melibee, ‘I see wel that ye enforce yow muchel by
wordes to overcome me in swich manere, that I shal nat venge me of myne
enemys; / shewinge me the perils and the yveles that mighten falle of this
vengeance. / But who-so wolde considere in alle vengeances the perils and
yveles that mighte sewe of vengeance-takinge, / a man wolde never take
vengeance, and that were harm; /2620 for by the vengeance-takinge been the
wikked men dissevered fro the gode men. / And they that han wil to do
wikkednesse restreyne hir wikked purpos, whan they seen the punissinge and
chastysinge of the trespassours.’ / [And to this answerde dame Prudence:
‘Certes,’ seyde she, ‘I graunte wel that of vengeaunce cometh muchel yvel
and muchel good; / but vengeaunce-taking aperteneth nat unto everichoon,
but only unto Iuges and unto hem that han Iurisdicctioun upon the
trespassours.] / And yet seye I more, that right as a singuler persone
sinneth in takinge vengeance of another man, /2625 right so sinneth the
Iuge if he do no vengeance of hem that it han deserved. / For Senek seith
thus: “that maister,” he seith, “is good that proveth shrewes.” / And as
Cassidore seith: “A man dredeth to do outrages, whan he woot and knoweth
that it displeseth to the Iuges and sovereyns.” / And another seith: “the
Iuge that dredeth to do right, maketh men shrewes.” / And Seint Paule the
apostle seith in his epistle, whan he wryteth un-to the Romayns: that “the
Iuges beren nat the spere with-outen cause;” /2630 but they beren it to
punisse the shrewes and misdoeres, and for to defende the gode men. / If ye
wol thanne take vengeance of [223] your enemys, ye shul retourne or have
your recours to the Iuge that hath the Iurisdiccion up-on hem; / and he
shal punisse hem as the lawe axeth and requyreth.’ /
2623, 2624. _Not in the_ MSS. _Supplied by translating the French
text_. 2626. E. Hn. disserued. 2629. E. _om._ And. 2631. E. Ln.
_om._ for.
§ 41. ‘A!’ quod Melibee, ‘this vengeance lyketh me no-thing. / I bithenke
me now and take hede, how fortune hath norissed me fro my childhede, and
hath holpen me to passe many a strong pas. /2635 Now wol I assayen hir,
trowinge, with goddes help, that she shal helpe me my shame for to venge.’
/
§ 42. ‘Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘if ye wol werke by my conseil, ye shul nat
assaye fortune by no wey; / ne ye shul nat lene or bowe unto hir, after the
word of Senek: / for “thinges that been folily doon, and that been in hope
of fortune, shullen never come to good ende.” / And as the same Senek
seith: “the more cleer and the more shyning that fortune is, the more
brotil and the sonner broken she is.” /2640 Trusteth nat in hir, for she
nis nat stidefast ne stable; / for whan thow trowest to be most seur or
siker of hir help, she wol faille thee and deceyve thee. / And wher-as ye
seyn that fortune hath norissed yow fro your childhede, / I seye, that in
so muchel shul ye the lasse truste in hir and in hir wit. / For Senek
seith: “what man that is norissed by fortune, she maketh him a greet fool.”
/2645 Now thanne, sin ye desyre and axe vengeance, and the vengeance that
is doon after the lawe and bifore the Iuge ne lyketh yow nat, / and the
vengeance that is doon in hope of fortune is perilous and uncertein, /
thanne have ye noon other remedie but for to have your recours unto the
sovereyn Iuge that vengeth alle vileinyes and wronges; / and he shal venge
yow after that him-self witnesseth, wher-as he seith: / “leveth the
vengeance to me, and I shal do it.”’ /2650
2642. E. and (_before_ siker); _rest_ or; Hl. _om._ or siker.
§ 43. Melibee answerde, ‘if I ne venge me nat of the vileinye that men han
doon to me, / I sompne or warne hem that han doon to me that vileinye and
alle othere, to do me another vileinye. / For it is writen: “if thou take
no vengeance of an old vileinye, thou sompnest thyne adversaries to do thee
a newe vileinye.” / And also, for my suffrance, men wolden do to me so
muchel vileinye, that I mighte neither here it ne sustene; / and so sholde
I been put and holden over lowe. /2655 For men seyn: “in muchel suffringe
shul manye thinges falle un-to thee whiche thou shalt nat mowe suffre.”’ /
[224] § 44. ‘Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘I graunte yow that over muchel
suffraunce nis nat good; / but yet ne folweth it nat ther-of, that every
persone to whom men doon vileinye take of it vengeance; / for that
aperteneth and longeth al only to the Iuges, for they shul venge the
vileinyes and iniuries. / And ther-fore tho two auctoritees that ye han
seyd above, been only understonden in the Iuges; /2660 for whan they
suffren over muchel the wronges and the vileinyes to be doon withouten
punisshinge, / they sompne nat a man al only for to do newe wronges, but
they comanden it. / Also a wys man seith: that “the Iuge that correcteth
nat the sinnere comandeth and biddeth him do sinne.” / And the Iuges and
sovereyns mighten in hir land so muchel suffre of the shrewes and
misdoeres, / that they sholden by swich suffrance, by proces of tyme, wexen
of swich power and might, that they sholden putte out the Iuges and the
sovereyns from hir places, /2665 and atte laste maken hem lesen hir
lordshipes. /
§ 45. But lat us now putte, that ye have leve to venge yow. / I seye ye
been nat of might and power as now to venge yow. / For if ye wole maken
comparisoun un-to the might of your adversaries, ye shul finde in manye
thinges, that I have shewed yow er this, that hir condicioun is bettre than
youres. / And therfore seye I, that it is good as now that ye suffre and be
pacient. /2670
§ 46. Forther-more, ye knowen wel that, after the comune sawe, “it is a
woodnesse a man to stryve with a strenger or a more mighty man than he is
him-self; / and for to stryve with a man of evene strengthe, that is to
seyn, with as strong a man as he, it is peril; / and for to stryve with a
weyker man, it is folie.” / And therfore sholde a man flee stryvinge as
muchel as he mighte. / For Salomon seith: “it is a greet worship to a man
to kepen him fro noyse and stryf.” /2675 And if it so bifalle or happe that
a man of gretter might and strengthe than thou art do thee grevaunce, /
studie and bisie thee rather to stille the same grevaunce, than for to
venge thee. / For Senek seith: that “he putteth him in greet peril that
stryveth with a gretter man than he is him-self.” / And Catoun seith: “if a
man of hyer estaat or degree, or more mighty than thou, do thee anoy or
grevaunce, suffre him; / for he that ones hath greved thee may another tyme
releve thee and helpe.” /2680 Yet sette I caas, ye have bothe might and
licence for to [225] venge yow. / I seye, that ther be ful manye thinges
that shul restreyne yow of vengeance-takinge, / and make yow for to enclyne
to suffre, and for to han pacience in the thinges that han been doon to
yow. / First and foreward, if ye wole considere the defautes that been in
your owene persone, / for whiche defautes god hath suffred yow have this
tribulacioun, as I have seyd yow heer-biforn. /2685 For the poete seith,
that “we oghte paciently taken the tribulacions that comen to us, whan we
thinken and consideren that we han deserved to have hem.” / And Seint
Gregorie seith: that “whan a man considereth wel the nombre of hise
defautes and of his sinnes, / the peynes and the tribulaciouns that he
suffreth semen the lesse un-to hym; / and in-as-muche as him thinketh hise
sinnes more hevy and grevous, / in-so-muche semeth his peyne the lighter
and the esier un-to him.” /2690 Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe your herte
to take the pacience of our lord Iesu Crist, as seith seint Peter in hise
epistles: / “Iesu Crist,” he seith, “hath suffred for us, and yeven
ensample to every man to folwe and sewe him; / for he dide never sinne, ne
never cam ther a vileinous word out of his mouth: / whan men cursed him, he
cursed hem noght; and whan men betten him, he manaced hem noght.” / Also
the grete pacience, which the seintes that been in paradys han had in
tribulaciouns that they han y-suffred, with-outen hir desert or gilt, /2695
oghte muchel stiren yow to pacience. / Forthermore, ye sholde enforce yow
to have pacience, / consideringe that the tribulaciouns of this world but
litel whyle endure, and sone passed been and goon. / And the Ioye that a
man seketh to have by pacience in tribulaciouns is perdurable, after that
the apostle seith in his epistle: / “the Ioye of god,” he seith, “is
perdurable,” that is to seyn, everlastinge. /2700 Also troweth and bileveth
stedefastly, that he nis nat wel y-norissed ne wel y-taught, that can nat
have pacience or wol nat receyve 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 governeth him by greet prudence.”
/ And the same Salomon seith: “the angry and wrathful man maketh noyses,
and the pacient man atempreth hem and stilleth.” / He seith also: “it is
more worth to be pacient than for to be right strong; /2705 and he that may
have the lordshipe of his owene herte is more to preyse, than [226] 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 perfeccioun.”’ /
2680. E. (_only_) _puts_ may _after_ tyme. 2686. E. Hn. Cp.
disserued. 2698. E. Cm. goone.
§ 47. ‘Certes,’ quod Melibee, ‘I graunte yow, dame Prudence, that pacience
is a greet vertu of perfeccioun; / but every man may nat have the
perfeccioun that ye seken; / ne I nam nat of the nombre of right parfite
men, /2710 for myn herte may never been in pees un-to the tyme it be
venged. / And al-be-it so that it was greet peril to myne enemys, to do me
a vileinye in takinge vengeance up-on me, / yet token they noon hede of the
peril, but fulfilleden hir wikked wil and hir corage. / And therfore, me
thinketh men oghten nat repreve me, though I putte me in a litel peril for
to venge me, / and though I do a greet excesse, that is to seyn, that I
venge oon outrage by another.’ /2715
§ 48. ‘A!’ quod dame Prudence, ‘ye seyn your wil and as yow lyketh; / but
in no caas of the world a man sholde nat doon outrage ne excesse for to
vengen him. / For Cassidore seith: that “as yvel doth he that vengeth him
by outrage, as he that doth the outrage.” / And therfore ye shul venge yow
after the ordre of right, that is to seyn by the lawe, and noght by excesse
ne by outrage. / And also, if ye wol venge yow of the outrage of your
adversaries in other maner than right comandeth, ye sinnen; /2720 and
therfore seith Senek: that “a man shal never vengen shrewednesse by
shrewednesse.” / And if ye seye, that right axeth a man to defenden
violence by violence, and fighting by fighting, / certes ye seye sooth,
whan the defense is doon anon with-outen intervalle or with-outen tarying
or delay, / for to defenden him and nat for to vengen him. / And it
bihoveth that a man putte swich attemperance in his defence, /2725 that men
have no cause ne matere to repreven him that defendeth him of excesse and
outrage; for elles were it agayn resoun. / Pardee, ye knowen wel, that ye
maken no defence as now for to defende yow, but for to venge yow; / and so
seweth it that ye han no wil to do your dede attemprely. / And therfore, me
thinketh that pacience is good. For Salomon seith: that “he that is nat
pacient shal have greet harm.”’ /
2724-7. E. deffenden, deffense. 2728. E. sheweth; Hl. semeth; _rest_
seweth.
§ 49. ‘Certes,’ quod Melibee, ‘I graunte yow, that whan [227] a man is
inpacient and wroth, of that that toucheth him noght and that aperteneth
nat un-to him, though it harme him, it is no wonder. /2730 For the lawe
seith: that “he is coupable that entremetteth or medleth with swich thyng
as aperteneth nat un-to him.” / And Salomon seith: that “he that
entremetteth him of the noyse or stryf of another man, is lyk to him that
taketh an hound by the eres.” / For right as he that taketh a straunge
hound by the eres is outherwhyle biten with the hound, / right in the same
wyse is it resoun that he have harm, that by his inpacience medleth him of
the noyse of another man, wher-as it aperteneth nat un-to him. / But ye
knowen wel that this dede, that is to seyn, my grief and my disese,
toucheth me right ny. /2735 And therfore, though I be wroth and inpacient,
it is no merveille. / And savinge your grace, I can nat seen that it mighte
greetly harme me though I toke vengeaunce; / for I am richer and more
mighty than myne enemys been. / And wel knowen ye, that by moneye and by
havinge grete possessions been all the thinges of this world governed. /
And Salomon seith: that “alle thinges obeyen to moneye.”’ /2740
§ 50. Whan Prudence hadde herd hir housbonde avanten him of his richesse
and of his moneye, dispreisinge the power of hise adversaries, she spak,
and seyde in this wyse: / ‘certes, dere sir, I graunte yow that ye been
rich and mighty, / and that the richesses been goode to hem that han wel
y-geten hem and wel conne usen hem. / For right as the body of a man may
nat liven with-oute the soule, namore may it live with-outen temporel
goodes. / And by richesses may a man gete him grete freendes. /2745 And
therfore seith Pamphilles: “if a net-herdes doghter,” seith he, “be riche,
she may chesen 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 thou be right happy, that is to seyn, if
thou be right riche, thou shalt find a greet nombre of felawes and
freendes. / And if thy fortune change that thou wexe povre, farewel
freendshipe and felaweshipe; / for thou shalt be allone with-outen any
companye, but-if it be the companye of povre folk.” /2750 And yet seith
this Pamphilles moreover: that “they that been thralle and bonde of [228]
linage shullen been maad worthy and noble by the richesses.” / And right so
as by richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so by poverte come ther
manye harmes and yveles. / For greet poverte constreyneth a man to do manye
yveles. / And therfore clepeth Cassidore poverte “the moder of ruine,” /
that is to seyn, the moder of overthrowinge or fallinge doun. /2755 And
therfore seith Piers Alfonce: “oon of the gretteste adversitees of this
world is / whan a free man, by kinde or by burthe, is constreyned by
poverte to eten the almesse of his enemy.” / And the same seith Innocent in
oon of hise bokes; he seith: that “sorweful and mishappy is the condicioun
of a povre begger; / for if he axe nat his mete, he dyeth for hunger; / and
if he axe, he dyeth for shame; and algates necessitee constreyneth him to
axe.” /2760 And therfore seith Salomon: that “bet it is to dye than for to
have swich poverte.” / And as the same Salomon seith: “bettre it is to dye
of bitter deeth than for to liven in swich wyse.” / By thise resons that I
have seid un-to yow, and by manye othere resons that I coude seye, / I
graunte yow that richesses been goode to hem that geten hem wel, and to hem
that wel usen tho richesses. / And therfore wol I shewe yow how ye shul
have yow, and how ye shul here yow in gaderinge of richesses, and in what
manere ye shul usen hem. /2765
2744. E. tempered. 2745. by] E. for. 2746. _All_ Pamphilles. Hn.
Hl. which she ... housbonde; _rest om._ 2750. E. Hn. al alloone;
_rest omit_ al.
§ 51. First, ye shul geten hem with-outen greet desyr, by good leyser
sokingly, and nat over hastily. / For a man that is to desyringe to gete
richesses abaundoneth him first to thefte and to alle other yveles. / And
therfore seith Salomon: “he that hasteth him to bisily to wexe riche shal
be noon innocent.” / He seith also: that “the richesse that hastily cometh
to a man, sone and lightly gooth and passeth fro a man; / but that richesse
that cometh litel and litel wexeth alwey and multiplyeth.” /2770 And sir,
ye shul geten richesses by your wit and by your travaille un-to your
profit; / and that with-outen wrong or harm-doinge to any other persone. /
For the lawe seith: that “ther maketh no man himselven riche, if he do harm
to another wight;” / this is to seyn, that nature defendeth and forbedeth
by right, that no man make him-self riche un-to the harm of another
persone. / And Tullius seith: that “no sorwe ne no drede of deeth, ne
no-thing that may falle un-to a man /2775 is so muchel agayns nature, as a
man to [229] encressen his owene profit to the harm of another man. / And
though the grete men and the mighty men geten richesses more lightly than
thou, / yet shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit; for thou shalt
in alle wyse flee ydelnesse.” / For Salomon seith: that “ydelnesse techeth
a man to do manye yveles.” / And the same Salomon seith: that “he that
travailleth and bisieth him to tilien his land, shal eten breed; /2780 but
he that is ydel and casteth him to no bisinesse ne occupacioun, shal falle
in-to poverte, and dye for hunger.” / And he that is ydel and slow can
never finde covenable tyme for to doon his profit. / For ther is a
versifiour seith: that “the ydel man excuseth hym in winter, by cause of
the grete cold; and in somer, by enchesoun of the hete.” / For thise causes
seith Caton: “waketh and enclyneth nat yow over muchel for to slepe; for
over muchel reste norisseth and causeth manye vices.” / And therfore seith
seint Ierome: “doth somme gode dedes, that the devel which is our enemy ne
finde yow nat unoccupied.” /2785 For the devel ne taketh nat lightly un-to
his werkinge swiche as he findeth occupied in gode werkes. /
2766. E. Hn. sekyngly; _rest_ sokyngly. 2785. E. goodes; _rest_ goode
dedes.
§ 52. Thanne thus, in getinge richesses, ye mosten flee ydelnesse. / And
afterward, ye shul use the richesses, whiche ye have geten by your wit and
by your travaille, / in swich a manere, that men holde nat yow to scars, ne
to sparinge, ne to fool-large, that is to seyn, over-large a spender. / For
right as men blamen an avaricious man by-cause of his scarsetee and
chincherye, /2790 in the same wyse is he to blame that spendeth over
largely. / And therfore seith Caton: “use,” he seith, “thy richesses that
thou hast geten / in swich a manere, that men have no matere ne cause to
calle thee neither wrecche ne chinche; / for it is a greet shame to a man
to have a povere herte and a riche purs.” / He seith also: “the goodes that
thou hast y-geten, use hem by mesure,” that is to seyn, spende hem
mesurably; /2795 for they that folily wasten and despenden the goodes that
they han, / whan they han namore propre of hir owene, they shapen hem to
take the goodes of another man. / I seye thanne, that ye shul fleen
avarice; / usinge your richesses in swich manere, that men seye nat that
your richesses been y-buried, / but that ye have hem in [230] your might
and in your weeldinge. /2800 For a wys man repreveth the avaricious man,
and seith thus, in two vers: / “wherto and why burieth a man hise goodes by
his grete avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste he dye; / for deeth is
the ende of every man as in this present lyf.” / And for what cause or
enchesoun Ioyneth he him or knitteth he him so faste un-to hise goodes, /
that alle his wittes mowen nat disseveren him or departen him from hise
goodes; /2805 and knoweth wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is deed, he
shal no-thing bere with him out of this world. / And ther-fore seith seint
Augustin: that “the avaricious man is likned un-to helle; / that the more
it swelweth, the more desyr it hath to swelwe and devoure.” / And as wel as
ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious man or chinche, / as wel sholde
ye kepe yow and governe yow in swich a wyse that men calle yow nat
fool-large. /2810 Therfore seith Tullius: “the goodes,” he seith, “of thyn
hous ne sholde nat been hid, ne kept so cloos but that they mighte been
opened by pitee and debonairetee;” / that is to seyn, to yeven part to hem
that han greet nede; / “ne thy goodes shullen nat been so opene, to been
every mannes goodes.” / Afterward, in getinge of your richesses and in
usinge hem, ye shul alwey have three thinges in your herte; / that is to
seyn, our lord god, conscience, and good name. /2815 First, ye shul have
god in your herte; / and for no richesse ye shullen do nothing, which may
in any manere displese god, that is your creatour and maker. / For after
the word of Salomon: “it is bettre to have a litel good with the love of
god, / than to have muchel good and tresour, and lese the love of his lord
god.” / And the prophete seith: that “bettre it is to been a good man and
have litel good and tresour, /2820 than to been holden a shrewe and have
grete richesses.” / And yet seye I ferthermore, that ye sholde alwey doon
your bisinesse to gete yow richesses, / so that ye gete hem with good
conscience. / And thapostle seith: that “ther nis thing in this world, of
which we sholden have so greet Ioye as whan our conscience bereth us good
witnesse.” / And the wyse man seith: “the substance of a man is ful good,
whan sinne is nat in mannes conscience.” /2825 Afterward, in getinge of
your richesses, and in usinge of hem, / yow moste have greet bisinesse and
greet diligence, that your goode name be alwey kept and conserved. / For
Salomon seith: that “bettre it is and more it availleth a man to have a
good name, than for to have grete richesses.” / [231] And therfore he seith
in another place: “do greet diligence,” seith Salomon, “in keping of thy
freend and of thy gode name; / for it shal lenger abide with thee than any
tresour, be it never so precious.” /2830 And certes he sholde nat be called
a gentil man, that after god and good conscience, alle thinges left, ne
dooth his diligence and bisinesse to kepen his good name. / And Cassidore
seith: that “it is signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and desyreth
to han a good name.” / And therfore seith seint Augustin: that “ther been
two thinges that arn necessarie and nedefulle, / and that is good
conscience and good loos; / that is to seyn, good conscience to thyn owene
persone inward, and good loos for thy neighebore outward.” /2835 And he
that trusteth him so muchel in his gode conscience, / that he displeseth
and setteth at noght his gode name or loos, and rekketh noght though he
kepe nat his gode name, nis but a cruel cherl. /
2790. E. chyngerie; Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. chyncherye. 2837. E. crueel.
§ 53. Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul do in getinge richesses, and
how ye shullen usen hem; / and I se wel, that for the trust that ye han in
youre richesses, ye wole moeve werre and bataille. / I conseille yow, that
ye biginne no werre in trust of your richesses; for they ne suffysen noght
werres to mayntene. /2840 And therfore seith a philosophre: “that man that
desyreth and wole algates han werre, shal never have suffisaunce; / for the
richer that he is, the gretter despenses moste he make, if he wole have
worship and victorie.” / And Salomon seith: that “the gretter richesses
that a man hath, the mo despendours he hath.” / And dere sire, al-be-it so
that for your richesses ye mowe have muchel folk, / yet bihoveth it nat, ne
it is nat good, to biginne werre, where-as ye mowe in other manere have
pees, un-to your worship and profit. /2845 For the victories of batailles
that been in this world, lyen nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple
ne in the vertu of man; / but it lyth in the wil and in the hand of our
lord god almighty. / And therfore Iudas Machabeus, which was goddes knight,
/ whan he sholde fighte agayn his adversarie that hadde a greet nombre, and
a gretter multitude of folk and strenger than was this peple of Machabee, /
yet he reconforted his litel companye, and seyde right in this wyse: /2850
“als lightly,” quod he, “may our lord god almighty yeve victorie to a fewe
folk as to many folk; / for the victorie of bataile cometh nat by the grete
[232] nombre of peple, / but it cometh from our lord god of hevene.” / And
dere sir, for as muchel as there is no man certein, if he be worthy that
god yeve him victorie, [namore than he is certein whether he be worthy of
the love of god] or naught, after that Salomon seith, / therfore every man
sholde greetly drede werres to biginne. /2855 And by-cause that in
batailles fallen manye perils, / and happeth outher-while, that as sone is
the grete man sleyn as the litel man; / and, as it is written in the
seconde book of Kinges, “the dedes of batailles been aventurouse and
nothing certeyne;” / for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere as another. /
And for ther is gret peril in werre, therfore sholde a man flee and eschewe
werre, in as muchel as a man may goodly. /2860 For Salomon seith: “he that
loveth peril shal falle in peril.”’ /
2852. E. Hn. a bataile; _rest om._ a. E. comth. 2853. E. come;
_rest_ cometh. 2854. E. he be; _rest_ it be. _I supply from_ namore
_to_ god; _see_ Note.
§ 54. After that Dame Prudence hadde spoken in this manere, Melibee
answerde and seyde, / ‘I see wel, dame Prudence, that by your faire wordes
and by your resons that ye han shewed me, that the werre lyketh yow
no-thing; / but I have nat yet herd your conseil, how I shal do in this
nede.’ /
§ 55. ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘I conseille yow that ye accorde with youre
adversaries, and that ye haue pees with hem. /2865 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 most sovereyn thing, that is in this
world, is unitee and pees. / And therfore seyde oure lord Iesu Crist to
hise apostles in this wyse: / “wel happy and blessed been they that loven
and purchacen pees; for they been called children of god.”’ /2870 ‘A!’ quod
Melibee, ‘now se I wel that ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe. / Ye
knowen wel that myne adversaries han bigonnen this debaat and brige by hir
outrage; / and ye see wel that they ne requeren ne preyen me nat of pees,
ne they asken nat to be reconsiled. / Wol ye thanne that I go and meke me
and obeye me to hem, and crye hem mercy? / For sothe, that were nat my
worship. /2875 For right as men seyn, that “over-greet homlinesse
engendreth dispreysinge,” so fareth it by to greet humylitee or mekenesse.’
/
2866. seint Iame] F. text, Seneques. 2872. E. bryge; Hn. Cm. Hl.
brige; Cp. Pt. brigge (F. text, _brigue_).
[233] § 56. Thanne bigan dame Prudence to maken semblant of wratthe, and
seyde, / ‘certes, sir, sauf your grace, I love your honour and your profit
as I do myn owene, and ever have doon; / ne ye ne noon other syen never the
contrarie. / And yit, if I hadde seyd that ye sholde han purchaced the pees
and the reconsiliacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel mistaken me, ne seyd amis.
/2880 For the wyse man seith: “the dissensioun biginneth by another man,
and the reconsiling bi-ginneth by thy-self.” / And the prophete seith:
“flee 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 your
adversaries for pees than they shuln to yow; / for I knowe wel that ye been
so hard-herted, that ye wol do no-thing for me. /2885 And Salomon seith:
“he that hath over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal mishappe and
mistyde.”’ /
§ 57. Whanne Melibee hadde herd dame Prudence maken semblant of wratthe, he
seyde in this wyse, / ‘dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed of thinges
that I seye; / for ye knowe wel that I am angry and wrooth, and that is no
wonder; / and they that been wrothe witen nat wel what they doon, ne what
they seyn. /2890 Therfore the prophete seith: that “troubled eyen han no
cleer sighte.” / But seyeth and conseileth me as yow lyketh; for I am redy
to do right as ye wol desyre; / and if ye repreve me of my folye, I am the
more holden to love yow and to preyse yow. / For Salomon seith: that “he
that repreveth him that doth folye, / he shal finde gretter grace than he
that deceyveth him by swete wordes.”’ /2895
2893. to preyse] E. _om._ to.
§ 58. Thanne seide dame Prudence, ‘I make no semblant of wratthe ne anger
but for your grete profit. / For Salomon seith: “he is more worth, that
repreveth or chydeth a fool for his folye, shewinge him semblant of
wratthe, / than he that supporteth him and preyseth him in his misdoinge,
and laugheth at his folye.” / And this same Salomon seith afterward: that
“by the sorweful visage of a man,” that is to seyn, by the sory and hevy
countenaunce of a man, / “the fool correcteth and amendeth him-self.”’
/2900
2898. E. peyseth (_for_ preyseth).
§ 59. Thanne seyde Melibee, ‘I shal nat conne answere to so manye faire
resouns as ye putten to me and shewen. / Seyeth shortly your wil and your
conseil, and I am al ready to fulfille and parfourne it.’ /
[234] § 60. Thanne dame Prudence discovered al hir wil to him, and seyde, /
‘I conseille yow,’ quod she, ‘aboven alle thinges, that ye make pees
bitwene god and yow; / and beth reconsiled un-to him and to his grace.
/2905 For as I have seyd yow heer-biforn, god hath suffred yow to have this
tribulacioun and disese for your sinnes. / And if ye do as I sey yow, god
wol sende your adversaries un-to yow, / and maken hem fallen at your feet,
redy to do your wil and your comandements. / For Salomon seith: “whan the
condicioun of man is plesaunt and likinge to god, / he chaungeth the hertes
of the mannes adversaries, and constreyneth hem to biseken him of pees and
of grace.” /2910 And I prey yow, lat me speke with your adversaries in
privee place; / for they shul nat knowe that it be of your wil or your
assent. / And thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and hir entente, I may conseille
yow the more seurly.’ /
2913. E. seurely; Hn. Cp. Hl. seurly.
§ 61. ‘Dame,’ quod Melibee, ‘dooth your wil and your lykinge, / for I putte
me hoolly in your disposicioun and ordinaunce.’ /2915
§ 62. Thanne Dame Prudence, whan she saugh the gode wil of her housbonde,
delibered and took avys in hir-self, / thinkinge how she mighte bringe this
nede un-to a good conclusioun and to a good ende. / And whan she saugh hir
tyme, she sente for thise adversaries to come un-to hir in-to a privee
place, / and shewed wysly un-to hem the grete goodes that comen of pees, /
and the grete harmes and perils that been in werre; /2920 and seyde to hem
in a goodly manere, how that hem oughte have greet repentaunce / of the
iniurie and wrong that they hadden doon to Melibee hir lord, and to hir,
and to hir doghter. /
2921. Cm. oughte; Cp. Hl. aughte; _rest_ oughten.
§ 63. And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of dame Prudence, / they
weren so surprised and ravisshed, and hadden so greet Ioye of hir, that
wonder was to telle. / ‘A! lady!’ quod they, ‘ye han shewed un-to us “the
blessinge of swetnesse,” after the sawe of David the prophete; /2925 for
the reconsilinge which we been nat worthy to have in no manere, / but we
oghte requeren it with greet contricioun and humilitee, / ye of your grete
goodnesse have presented unto us. / Now see we wel that the science and the
conninge of Salomon is ful trewe; / for he seith: that “swete wordes
multiplyen and encresen freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire and
meke.” /2930
2924. Hl. surprised; Cm. suppreysed; _rest_ supprised.
[235] § 64. ‘Certes,’ quod they, ‘we putten our dede and al our matere and
cause al hoolly in your goode wil; / and been redy to obeye to the speche
and comandement of my lord Melibee. / And therfore, dere and benigne lady,
we preyen yow and biseke yow as mekely as we conne and mowen, / that it
lyke un-to your grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede your goodliche wordes;
/ for we consideren and knowlichen that we han offended and greved my lord
Melibee out of mesure; /2935 so ferforth, that we be nat of power to maken
hise amendes. / And therfore we oblige and binden us and our freendes to
doon al his wil and hise comandements. / But peraventure he hath swich
hevinesse and swich wratthe to us-ward, by-cause of our offence, / that he
wole enioyne us swich a peyne as we mowe nat here ne sustene. / And
therfore, noble lady, we biseke to your wommanly pitee, /2940 to taken
swich avysement in this nede, that we, ne our freendes, be nat desherited
ne destroyed thurgh our folye.’ /
§ 65. ‘Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘it is an hard thing and right perilous, /
that a man putte him al outrely in the arbitracioun and Iuggement, and in
the might and power of hise enemys. / For Salomon seith: “leveth me, and
yeveth credence to that I shal seyn; I seye,” quod he, “ye peple, folk, and
governours of holy chirche, / to thy sone, to thy wyf, to thy freend, ne to
thy brother /2945 ne yeve thou never might ne maistrie of thy body, whyl
thou livest.” / Now sithen he defendeth, that man shal nat yeven to his
brother ne to his freend the might of his body, / by a strenger resoun he
defendeth and forbedeth a man to yeven him-self to his enemy. / And
nathelees I conseille you, that ye mistruste nat my lord. / For I wool wel
and knowe verraily, that he is debonaire and meke, large, curteys, /2950
and nothing desyrous ne coveitous of good ne richesse. / For ther nis
no-thing in this world that he desyreth, save only worship and honour. /
Forther-more I knowe wel, and am right seur, that he shal no-thing doon in
this nede with-outen my conseil. / And I shal so werken in this cause,
that, by grace of our lord god, ye shul been reconsiled un-to us.’ /
§ 66. Thanne seyden they with o vois, ‘worshipful lady, we putten us and
our goodes al fully in your wil and disposicioun; /2955 and been redy to
comen, what day that it lyke un-to your noblesse to limite us or assigne
us, / for to maken our obligacioun and bond as strong as it lyketh un-to
your goodnesse; / that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow and of my lord
Melibee.’ /
[236] § 67. Whan dame Prudence hadde herd the answeres of thise men, she
bad hem goon agayn prively; / and she retourned to hir lord Melibee, and
tolde him how she fond hise adversaries ful repentant, /2960 knowlechinge
ful lowely hir sinnes and trespas, and how they were redy to suffren al
peyne, / requiringe and preyinge him of mercy and pitee. /
§ 68. Thanne seyde Melibee, ‘he is wel worthy to have pardoun and
foryifnesse of his sinne, that excuseth nat his sinne, / but knowlecheth it
and repenteth him, axinge indulgence. / For Senek seith: “ther is the
remissioun and foryifnesse, where-as confessioun is;” /2965 for confession
is neighebore to innocence. / And he seith in another place: “he that hath
shame for his sinne and knowlecheth it, is worthy remissioun.” And therfore
I assente and conferme me to have pees; / but it is good that we do it nat
with-outen the assent and wil of our freendes.’ /
2967. E. Cm. _omit from_ And he _to_ remissioun; Hn. Cp. Hl. _om. only_
is worthy remissioun, _which occurs in_ Pt., _where_ Ln. _has_ is
worthi haue mercy. E. corforme (_sic_); _rest_ conferme.
§ 69. Thanne was Prudence right glad and loyeful, and seyde, / ‘Certes,
sir,’ quod she, ‘ye han wel and goodly answered. /2970 For right as by the
conseil, assent, and help of your freendes, ye han been stired to venge yow
and maken werre, / right so with-outen hir conseil shul ye nat accorden
yow, ne have pees with your adversaries. / For the lawe seith: “ther nis
no-thing so good by wey of kinde, as a thing to been unbounde by him that
it was y-bounde.”’ /
§ 70. And thanne dame Prudence, with-outen delay or taryinge, sente anon
hir messages for hir kin, and for hir olde freendes whiche that were trewe
and wyse, / and tolde hem by ordre, in the presence of Melibee, al this
matere as it is aboven expressed and declared; /2975 and preyden hem that
they wolde yeven hir avys and conseil, what best were to doon in this nede.
/ And whan Melibees freendes hadde taken hir avys and deliberacioun of the
forseide matere, / and hadden examined it by greet bisinesse and greet
diligence, / they yave ful conseil for to have pees and reste; / and that
Melibee sholde receyve with good herte hise adversaries to foryifnesse and
mercy. /2980
2976. E. _om._ hem.
§ 71. And whan dame Prudence hadde herd the assent of hir lord Melibee, and
the conseil of hise freendes, / accorde with hir wille and hir entencioun,
/ she was wonderly glad in hir herte, and [237] seyde: / ‘ther is an old
proverbe,’ quod she, ‘seith: that “the goodnesse that thou mayst do this
day, do it; / and abyde nat ne delaye it nat til to-morwe.” /2985 And
therfore I conseille that ye sende your messages, swiche as been discrete
and wyse, / un-to your adversaries; tellinge hem, on your bihalve, / that
if they wole trete of pees and of accord, / that they shape hem, with-outen
delay or tarying, to comen un-to us.’ / Which thing parfourned was in dede.
/2990 And whanne thise trespassours and repentinge folk of hir folies, that
is to seyn, the adversaries of Melibee, / hadden herd what thise messagers
seyden un-to hem, / they weren right glad and Ioyeful, and answereden ful
mekely and benignely, / yeldinge graces and thankinges to hir lord Melibee
and to al his companye; / and shopen hem, with-outen delay, to go with the
messagers, and obeye to the comandement of hir lord Melibee. /2995
§ 72. And right anon they token hir wey to the court of Melibee, / and
token with hem somme of hir trewe freendes, to maken feith for hem and for
to been hir borwes. / And whan they were comen to the presence of Melibee,
he seyde hem thise wordes: / ‘it standeth thus,’ quod Melibee, ‘and sooth
it is, that ye, / causeless, and with-outen skile and resoun, /3000 han
doon grete iniuries and wronges to me and to my wyf Prudence, and to my
doghter also. / For ye han entred in-to myn hous by violence, / and have
doon swich outrage, that alle men knowen wel that ye have deserved the
deeth; / and therfore wol I knowe and wite of yow, / whether ye wol putte
the punissement and the chastysinge and the vengeance of this outrage in
the wil of me and of my wyf Prudence; or ye wol nat?’ /3005
3003. E. disserued.
§ 73. Thanne the wyseste of hem three answerde for hem alle, and seyde: /
‘sire,’ quod he, ‘we knowen wel, that we been unworthy to comen un-to the
court of so greet a lord and so worthy as ye been. / For we han so greetly
mistaken us, and han offended and agilt in swich a wyse agayn your heigh
lordshipe, / that trewely we han deserved the deeth. / But yet, for the
grete goodnesse and debonairetee that all the world witnesseth of your
persone, /3010 we submitten us to the excellence and benignitee of your
gracious lordshipe, / and been redy to obeie to alle your comandements; /
bisekinge yow, that of your merciable pitee ye wol [238] considere our
grete repentaunce and lowe submissioun, / and graunten us foryevenesse of
our outrageous trespas and offence. / For wel we knowe, that your liberal
grace and mercy strecchen hem ferther in-to goodnesse, than doon our
outrageouse giltes and trespas in-to wikkednesse; /3015 al-be-it that
cursedly and dampnably we han agilt agayn your heigh lordshipe.’ /
3005. E. wheither. 3009. E. disserued. 3010. of] E. in. 3013. E.
lough; _rest_ lowe. 3016. E. Hn. dampnablely.
§ 74. Thanne Melibee took hem up fro the ground ful benignely, / and
receyved hir obligaciouns and hir bondes by hir othes up-on hir plegges and
borwes, / and assigned hem a certeyn day to retourne un-to his court, / for
to accepte and receyve the sentence and Iugement that Melibee wolde comande
to be doon on hem by the causes afore-seyd; /3020 whiche thinges ordeyned,
every man retourned to his hous. /
§ 75. And whan that dame Prudence saugh hir tyme, she freyned and axed hir
lord Melibee, / what vengeance he thoughte to taken of hise adversaries? /
§ 76. To which Melibee answerde and seyde, ‘certes,’ quod he, ‘I thinke and
purpose me fully / to desherite hem of al that ever they han, and for to
putte hem in exil for ever.’ /3025
§ 77. ‘Certes,’ quod dame Prudence, ‘this were a cruel sentence, and muchel
agayn resoun. / For ye been riche y-nough, and han no nede of other mennes
good; / and ye mighte lightly in this wyse gete yow a coveitous name, /
which is a vicious thing, and oghte been eschewed of every good man. / For
after the sawe of the word of the apostle: “coveitise is rote of alle
harmes.” /3030 And therfore, it were bettre for yow to lese so muchel good
of your owene, than for to taken of hir good in this manere. / For bettre
it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it is to winne good with vileinye
and shame. / And every man oghte to doon his diligence and his bisinesse to
geten him a good name. / And yet shal he nat only bisie him in kepinge of
his good name, / but he shal also enforcen him alwey to do som-thing by
which he may renovelle his good name; /3035 for it is writen, that “the
olde good loos or good name of a man is sone goon and passed, whan it is
nat newed ne renovelled.” / And as touchinge that ye seyn, ye wole exile
your adversaries, / that thinketh me muchel agayn resoun and out of mesure,
/ considered the power that they han yeve yow [239] up-on hem-self. / And
it is writen, that “he is worthy to lesen his privilege that misuseth the
might and the power that is yeven him.” /3040 And I sette cas ye mighte
enioyne hem that peyne by right and by lawe, / which I trowe ye mowe nat
do, / I seye, ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun per-aventure, / and
thanne were it lykly to retourne to the werre as it was biforn. / And
therfore, if ye wole that men do yow obeisance, ye moste demen more
curteisly; /3045 this is to seyn, ye moste yeven more esy sentences and
Iugements. / For it is writen, that “he that most curteisly comandeth, to
him men most obeyen.” / And therfore, I prey yow that in this necessitee
and in this nede, ye caste yow to overcome your herte. / For Senek seith:
that “he that overcometh his herte, overcometh twyes.” / And Tullius seith:
“ther is nothing so comendable in a greet lord /3050 as whan he is
debonaire and meke, and appeseth him lightly.” / And I prey yow that ye
wole forbere now to do vengeance, / in swich a manere, that your goode name
may be kept and conserved; / and that men mowe have cause and matere to
preyse yow of pitee and of mercy; / and that ye have no cause to repente
yow of thing that ye doon. /3055 For Senek seith: “he overcometh in an yvel
manere, that repenteth him of his victorie.” / Wherfore I pray yow, lat
mercy been in your minde and in your herte, / to theffect and entente that
god almighty have mercy on yow in his laste Iugement. / For seint Iame
seith in his epistle: “Iugement withouten mercy shal be doon to him, that
hath no mercy of another wight.”’ /
3026. E. crueel. 3032. E. _om._ good (_twice_). 3036. or] E. and.
3051. E. _om._ him. 3057. E. in youre mynde and; _rest om._
§ 78. Whanne Melibee hadde herd the grete skiles and resouns of dame
Prudence, and hir wise informaciouns and techinges, /3060 his herte gan
enclyne to the wil of his wyf, consideringe hir trewe entente; / and
conformed him anon, and assented fully to werken after hir conseil; / and
thonked god, of whom procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that him sente
a wyf of so greet discrecioun. / And whan the day cam that hise adversaries
sholde apperen in his presence, / he spak unto hem ful goodly, and seyde in
this wyse: /3065 ‘al-be-it so that of your pryde and presumpcioun and
folie, and of your necligence and unconninge, / ye have misborn yow and
trespassed un-to me; / yet, for as much as I see and biholde your grete
humilitee, / and that ye [240] been sory and repentant of your giltes, / it
constreyneth me to doon yow grace and mercy. /3070 Therfore I receyve yow
to my grace, / and foryeve yow outrely alle the offences, iniuries, and
wronges, that ye have doon agayn me and myne; / to this effect and to this
ende, that god of his endelees mercy / wole at the tyme of our dyinge
foryeven us our giltes that we han trespassed to him in this wrecched
world. / For doutelees, if we be sory and repentant of the sinnes and
giltes whiche we han trespassed in the sighte of our lord god, /3075 he is
so free and so merciable, / that he wole foryeven us our giltes, / and
bringen us to his blisse that never hath ende. Amen.’ /3078
=Here is ended Chaucers Tale of Melibee and of Dame Prudence.=
3064 E. Hn., appieren. 3078. E. his; Hn. Pt. Hl. the; Cp. Ln.
thilke. _After_ ende, Cp. Ln. _have this spurious couplet_:—
To whiche blisse he us bringe
That blood on crosse for us gan springe,
followed by—_Qui cum patre_, &c.
COLOPHON. _From_ E.; Hn. _has_—Here is endid Chaucers tale of Melibe;
Hl. _has_—Here endith Chaucer his tale of Melibe.
[241: T. 13895-13924.]
* * * * *