‘ No more of this, for goddes dignitee,’
Quod oure hoste, ‘ for thou makest me
So wery of thy verray lewednesse
That, also wisly god my soule blesse,
Myn eres aken of thy drasty speche ;
Now swiche a rym the devel I biteche !
This may wel be rym dogerel,’ quod he.
‘ Why so ? ‘ quod I, ‘ why wiltow lette me
More of my tale than another man,
Sin that it is the beste rym I can ? ‘
‘ By god,’ quod he, ‘ for pleynly, at a word,
Thy drasty ryming is nat worth a tord ;
Thou doost nought elles but despendest tyme,
Sir, at o word, thou shalt no lenger ryme.
Lat see wher thou canst tellen aught in geste,
Or telle in prose somwhat at the leste
In which ther besom mirthe or som doctryne.’
‘ Gladly,’ quod I, ‘ by goddes swete pyne,
I wol yow telle a litel thing in prose,
That oghte lyken yow, as I suppose,
Or elles, certes, ye been to daungerous.
It is a moral tale vertuous,
Al be it told som-tyme in sondry wyse
Of sondry folk, as I shal yow devyse.
As thus ; ye woot that every evangelist,
That telleth us the peyne of Jesu Crist,
Ne saith nat al thing as his felaw dooth,
But natheles, hir sentence is al sooth,
And alle acorden as in hir sentence,
Al be ther in hir telling difference.
For somme of hem seyn more, and somme lesse,
Whan they his pitous passioun expresse ;
I mene of Mark [and] Mathew, Luk and John ;
But doutelees hir sentence is al oon.
Therfor, lordinges alle, I yow biseche,
If that ye thinke I varie as in my speche,
As thus, thogh that I telle som-what more
Of proverbes, than ye han herd bifore,
Comprehended in this litel tretis here,
To enforce with the th’effect of my matere,
And thogh I nat the same wordes seye
As ye han herd, yet to yow alle I preye,
Blameth me nat ; for, as in my sentence,
Ye shul not fynden moche difference
Fro the sentence of this tretis lyte
After the which this mery tale I wryte.
And therfor herkneth what that I shal seye,
And lat me tellen al my tale, I preye.’
Explicit.
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.
§ 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. Three of his olde foos han
it espyed, and setten laddres to the walles of his hous,
and by the windowes been entred, 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.
§ 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.
§ 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.
§ 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 certein 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 Pru-
dence 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 ? For
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 chil-
dren, but certes he sholde suffren it in pacience, as
wel as he abydeth the deeth of his owene propre
persone.” ‘
§ 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 ? Jesu 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 rejoyse with hem that maken joye, and
wepen with swich folk as wepen.” But thogh attem-
pree weping be y-graunted, outrageous weping certes
is defended. 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 Avepe 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 Jesus Syrak seith : ” a man that
is joyous and glad in herte, it him conserveth fiorissh-
ing in his age ; but soothly sorweful herte maketh his
bones drye.” He seith eek thus : ” that sorwe in
herte sleeth fui 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.
§ 7. Remembre yow up-on the pacient Job, whan he
hadde lost his children and his temporel substance, and
in his body 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.” ‘ 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 : ” vverk alle thy thinges by conseil, and
thou shalt never repente.” ‘
§ 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 ; 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 advo-
cats lerned in the lawe.
§ 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. A surgien, by licence and assent of
swiche as weren wyse, up roos and un-to Melibeus
seyde as ye may here.
§ 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 sound as
sone as is possible.’ Almost right in the same wyse the
phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a fewe
hordes 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 agreg-
geden muchel of this matere, in preising greetly Melibee
of might, of power, of richesse, and of freendes, des-
pysinge the power of his adversaries, and seiden outrely
that he anon sholde wreken him on his foos and biginne
werre.
§ 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 assem-
bled 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.
Wherfore, Melibeus, this is our sentence : we conseille
vow 1 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.” And eek men seyn that thilke
juge is wys, that sone understondeth a matere and
juggeth by leyser. For al-be-it so that alle tarying be
anoyful, algates it is nat to repreve in yevinge of juge-
ment, ne in vengeance -taking, whan it is suffisant and
resonable. And that shewed our lord Jesu 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 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.’
§ 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, 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 ! ‘
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. 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 wrecched-
nesse. 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 Jesus 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. And whan this
wyse man saugh that him wanted audience, al shame-
fast he sette him doun agayn. For Salomon seith :
k 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.” ‘
§ 13. Yet hadde this Melibeus in his conseil many
folk, that 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. 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
Avyse thy freend wol abyde, and thyn enemy shal the
lenger live in drede.” The proverbe seith : ” he hasteth
Avel that wysely can abyde ” ; and in wikked haste is
no profit.’
§ 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 ; 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 Jesus Syrak seith : ” that
if the wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir hous-
bonde.” And Salomon seith : ” never in thy lyf, to
thy wyf, ne to thy child, ne to thy freend, ne yeve no
power over thyself. 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.”
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 janglerie of wommen can
hyden thinges that they witen noght.” Furthermore,
the philosophre seith, ” in wikked conseil wommen
venquisshe men ” ; and for thise resouns I ne ow nat
usen thy conseil.’]
§ 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. And
more-over I seye, that though ye han sworn and bihight
to perfourne your emprise, and nathelees ye wey ve to
perfourne thilke same emprise by juste cause, men
sholde nat seyn therefore that ye were a Iyer ne for-
sworn. 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 estab-
lissed 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. And Senek seith
that ” who-so wole have sapience, shal no man dis-
preise ; 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 Jesu
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 Jesu Crist, whan he was risen fro deeth to
lyve, appeered rather to a womman than to his apostles.
And though that Salomon seith, that ” he ne fond never
womman good,” if folweth nat therfore that alle
wommen ben wikke. For though that he ne fond no
good 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. 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 janglerie 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 jangleresses and
wikked ; 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 nfthe resoun, wher-as ye seyn, that ” in wikked
conseil wommen venquisshe men ” ; god woot, thilke
resoun stant here in no stede. For understond 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. Eek som men han seyd, that ” the con-
seillinge 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, Jacob, by good conseil
of his moder Rebekka, wan the benisoun of Ysaak his
fader, and the lordshipe over alle his bretheren. Judith,
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.
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, our lord god of hevene
wolde never han wroghthem, 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 ?
Jaspre. What is bettre than jaspre ? 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 profit-
able. And therfore sir, if ye wol triste to my conseil,
I shal restore yow your doghter hool and sound. And
eek I wol do to yow so muche, that ye shul have honour
in this cause.’
§ 16. Whan Melibee hadde herd the wordes of his
wyf Prudence, he seyde thus : ‘ I see 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 hoolsom-
nesse 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 to been governed by my conseil, I wol
enforme yow how ye shul governe your-self in chesinge
of your conseillours. 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 contort, 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 besn in him for evermore. Seint Jame
eek seith : ” if any of yow have nede of sapience, axe
it of god.” And afterward thanne shul ye taken con-
seil in your-self, and examine wel your thoghtes, of
swich thing as yow thinketh that is best for your
profit. And thanne shul ye dryve fro your herte three
thinges that been contrariouse to good conseil, that is
to seyn, ire, coveitise, and hastifnesse.
§ 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 ; 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.” 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 habun-
daunce that he hath of richesse, the more he desyreth.
And sir, ye moste also dryve out of your herte hastif-
nesse ; 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.”
§ 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, but-if so be that
ye wenen sikerly that, thurgh your biwreying, your
condicioun shal be to yow the more profitable. For
Jesus Syrak seith : ” neither to thy foo ne to thy
freend disco vere 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.” 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, 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 himself.” 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. And of hem shalt
thou aske thy conseil, as the caas requireth.
§ 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. And eek he seith, that ” a trewe
freend is a strong deffense ; who-so that it findeth,
certes he findeth a greet tresour.” Thanne shul ye
eek considere, if that your trewe freendes been dis-
crete 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 – r the
whiche three thinges ne been nat feble by age, but certes
they enforcen and encreesen day by day.” 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. For Salomon seith :
” salvacioun of thinges is wher-as ther been manye
conseillours.”
§ 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 himself.” 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.
§ 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
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.” 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.” And ther-
fore 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 con-
seilling of hem that been thy servants, and beren thee
greet reverence ; for pera venture they seyn it more for
drede than for love. And therfore seith a philosophre
in this Avyse : ” 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. For
Cassidorie seith : that ” it is a maner sleigh te 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.
§ 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, 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 con-
sidere, 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 ; 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 con-
seilling ; 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 consid-
ere alle thise causes, fro whennes they been sprongen.
And whan ye han examined your conseil as I have
seyd, and which partie is the bettre and more profit-
able, and hast approved it by manye wyse folk and
olde ; thanne shaltou considere, if thou mayst par-
fourne 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.” And Catoun
seith : ” assay to do swich thing as thou hast power to
doon, lest that the charge 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. Wei 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
192 THE CANTERBURY TALES
knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre emprise,
conferme it thanne sadly til it be at an ende.
§ 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 la we seith :
that ” upon thinges that newely bityden bihoveth
newe conseil.” 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 dis-
honeste been of no value.” And eek, if it so be that
it be inpossible, or may nat goodly be parfourned or
kept.
§ 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 with-
holdinge of my conseillours. But now wolde I fayn
that ye wolde condescende in especial, and telle me
how lyketh yow, or what semeth yow, by our con-
seillours that we han chosen in our present nede.’
§ 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
THE TALE OF MELIBEUS 193
a mocioun or a moevyng of folye ; in which conseil ye
han erred in many a sondry wyse.
§ 29. First and forward, ye han erred in th’assem-
blinge 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. 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 profit-
able ; the whiche three thinges ye han nat anientissed or
destroyed hem, neither in your-self ne in your conseil-
lours, 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. 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 con-
seillours ; this is to seyn, bitwixen your trewe freendes
and your feyned conseillours ; 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.’ 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 juste causes, I am al redy to chaunge my
conseillours, right as thou 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.” ‘
§ 30. To this sentence answerde anon dame Prudence,
and seyde : ‘ Examineth,’ quod she, ‘ your conseil, and
lat us see the whiche of hem han spoken most reson-
ably, 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.
And sir, right as they han answered wysly and dis-
creetly, 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. And as
touchinge the proposicioun 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.
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.’
§ 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. And therfore, o ven-
geaunce is nat warisshed by another vengeaunce, ne
o wrong by another wrong ; but everich of hem en-
creesceth 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, wikked-
nesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse, discord by accord,
werre by pees, and so forth of othere thinges. 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, 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 Avarnestore 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, that Jesus Crist of his grete
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 suffi-
santly wi thou ten the keping of our lord Jesu 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 ; 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 para-
venture withouten thyn assent, enquere thanne, as
subtilly as thou mayst, of hj s 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 ; 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 em-
busshements and alle espiaille. For Senek seith : that
” the wyse man that dredeth harmes eschewe th harmes ;
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 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.” 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 shalt 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.”
§ 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 sen-
tence.’
§ 33. Melibeus answerde and seyde, ‘ Certes I under-
stande 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.’
§ 34. To this sentence answerde anon Prudence ;
‘ warnestoring,’ quod she, ‘ of heighe toures and of
grete edifices apperteneth som-tyme to pryde ; 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 gret-
teste 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 dis-
confite, and that is, a lord to be biloved of hise citezeins
and of his peple.”
§ 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 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, er thow biginne, I rede that thou
apparaille thee ther-to, and do it with greet delibera-
cioun. 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.”
§ 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 recon-
siled, your flatereres that conseilled yow certeyne
thinges prively, and openly conseilleden yow the con-
trarie ; 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 aforeseyd. But
nathelees, lat us now descende to the special. Ye
shuln first procede after the doctrine of Tullius. Certes,
the trouthe of this matere or of this conseil nedeth nat
diligently enquere ; for it is wel wist whiche they been
that han doon to yow this trespas and 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 seyri ; who been they
and how manye, and whiche been they, that con-
senteden 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. For al-be-it so that
ye be mighty 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 ; 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, 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 juge that hath
the jurisdiccioun of it, whan it is graunted him to take
thilke vengeance, hastily or attemprely, as the lawe
requireth. 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, right-
fully ne mowe ye take no vengeance as of your propre
auctoritee. Thanne mowe ye seen, that your power
ne consenteth nat ne accordeth nat with your wilful-
nesse. Lat us now examine the thridde point that
Tullius clepeth ” consequent.” Thou shalt under-
stonde 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,” 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 was tinge of richesses, as I
seyde.
§ 37. Now sir, as to the point that Tullius clepeth
” causes,” which that is the laste point, thou shalt
understonde that the wrong that thou hast receyved
hath certeine causes, whiche that clerkes clepen Oriens
and Efliciens, and Causa longinqua and Causa pro-
pinqua ; this is to seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause.
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. 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 con-
jectinge 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.”
§ 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. For th’apostle
seith, that ” the sciences and the juggementz of our
lord god almighty been ful depe ; ther may no man
comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly.” Nathelees,
by certeyne presumptions and conjectinges, I holde
and bileve that god, which that is ful of justice and of
rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by juste cause
resonable.
§ 39. Thy name is Melibee, this is to seyn, ” a man
that drinketh hony.” 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
Jesu 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.” 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 per-
aventure 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 hast y-trespassed. Thou hast
doon sinne agayn our lord Crist ; 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 thyself suffisantly agayns hir
assautes and hir temptaciouns, so that they han
wounded thy soule in fyve places ; this is to seyn,
the deedly^innes 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, and han
y-wounded thy doghter in the fore-seyde manere.’
§ 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 ; 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 aper-
teneth nat unto everichoon, but only unto juges and
unto hem that han jurisdiccioun upon the trespassours.]
And yet seye I more, that right as a singuler persone
sinneth in takinge vengeance of another man, right so
sinneth the juge 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
juges and sovereyns.” And another seith : ” the juge
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 juges beren
nat the spere with-outen cause ; ” but they beren it to
punisse the shrewes and misdoeres, and for to defende
the gode men. If ye wol thanne take vengeance of
your enemys, ye shul retourne or have your recours to
the juge that hath the jurisdiccion up-on hem ; and he
shal punisse hem as the lawe axeth and requyreth.’
§ 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. 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.” 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 wheras 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.”
Now thanne, sin ye desyre and axe vengeance, and the
vengeance that is doon after the lawe and bifore the
juge 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 juge 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.” ‘
§ 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 bere it ne sustene ; and
so sholde I been put and holden over lowe. For men
seyn: “in muchel suffringe shul manye thinges falle
un-to thee whiche thou shalt nat mowe suffre.”
§ 44. ‘ Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘ I graunte yow that
over muchel suffraunce nis nat good ; but yet ne f olweth
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 juges, for they shul venge the
vileinyes and iniuries. And ther-fore tho two auctori-
tees that ye han seyd above, been only understonden
in the juges ; for whan they suffren over muchel the
wronges and the vileinyes to be doon withouten punissh-
inge, they sompne nat a man al only for to do newe
wronges, but they comanden it. Also a wys man
seith : that ” the juge that correcteth nat the sinnere
comandeth and biddeth him do shine.” And the juges
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 juges and
the sovereyns from hir places, and atte laste maken
hem lesen hir lordshipes.
§ 45. But lat us now putte, that ye have leve to
venge vow. 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. xAnd therfore
seye I, that it is good as now that ye suffre and be
pacient.
§ 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.” 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.” Yet sette I caas, ye have bo the might and
licence for to 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 whichc
defautes god hath suffred yow have this tribulacioun,
as I have seyd yow heer-biforn. 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.” Also ye owen to
enclyne and bowe your herte to take the pacience of
our lord Jesu Crist, as seith seint Peter in hise epistles :
” Jesu 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 earn 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,
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 joye
that a man seketh to have by pacience in tribulaciouns
is perdurable, after that the apostle seith in his epistle :
” the joye of god,” he seith, ” is perdurable,” that is
to seyn, everlastinge. Also troweth and bileveth stede-
fastly, that he nis nat wel y-norissed ne wel y-taught,
that can nat have pacience or wol nat recey ve 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 ; and he that may have the lordshipe of
his owene herte is more to preyse, than he that by his
force or strengthe taketh grete citees.” And therfore
seith seint Jame in his epistle : that ” pacience is a
greet vertu of perfeccioun.” ‘
§ 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,
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 ther-
fore, 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.’ .
§ 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
venge th 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 out-
rage of your adversaries in other maner than right
comandeth, ye sinnen ; and therfore seith Senek : that
” a man shal never vengen shrewednesse by shrew’ed-
nesse.” 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, that men have no cause ne matere to
repreven him that defendeth him of excesse and out-
rage ; for elles were it agajm 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.” ‘
§ 49. ‘ Certes,’ quod Melibee, ‘ I graunte yow, that
whan 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. 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 entre-
metteth 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 in-
pacience 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. 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 j
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.” ‘
§ 50. Whan Prudence hadde herd hir housbonde
avanten him of his richesse and of his moneye, dis-
preisinge 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 I
nat liven withoute the soule, namore may it live with-
outen temporel goodes. And by richesses may a man
gete him grete freendes. And therfore seith Pamphilles : ‘
” if a netherdes 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 for-
saken 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.” And yet seith this
Pamphilles moreover : that ” they that been thralle
and bond of 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.
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 con-
streyneth him to axe.” 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
bere yow in gaderinge of richesses, and in what manere
ye shul usen hem.
§ 51. First, ye shul geten hem withouten greet desyr,
by good leyser sokingly, and nat over hastily. For
a man that is to desyringe to gete richesses abaun-
doneth 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.” 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 la we 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 himself 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 is so muchel agayns nature, as a man to
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 ” ydel-
nesse 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 ; but he
that is ydel and casteth him to no bisinesse ne occupa-
cioun, shal falle in-to poverte, and dye for hunger.”
And he that is ydel and slow can never finde coven-
able tyme for to doon his profit. For ther is a versifiour I
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 Jerome : ” doth somme gode
dedes, that the devel which is our enemy ne finde yow
nat unoccupied. For the devel ne taketh nat lightly
un-to his werkinge swiche as he findeth occupied in
gode werkes.”
§ 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 avari-
cious man by-cause of his scarsetee and chincherye, 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 ; 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 your
might and in your weeldinge. For a wys man repreveth
the avaricious man, and seith thus, in two vers : ” wher-
to and why burnetii 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 joyneth 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 ; 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 s wel we 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.
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 debonaire-
tee” ; 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. First, ye shul have
god in your herte ; and for no richesse ye shullen do
no-thing, 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, than to been holden a shrewe
and have grete richesses.” And yet seye I ferther-
more, that ye sholde alwey doon your bisinesse to gete
yow richesses, so that ye gete hem with good con-
science. And th’ apostle seith : that ” ther nis thing
in this world, of which we sholden have so greet joye
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.”
Afterward, in getinge of your richesses, and in usinge
of hem, yow moste have greet bisinesse and greet dili-
gence, that your goode name be alwey kept and con-
served. For Salomon seith : that ” bettre it is and more
it availleth a man to have a good name, than for to
have grete richesses.” 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 pre-
cious.” 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 nede-
fulle, 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.”
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.
§ 53. Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul do
in getinge richesses, and how ye shullen usen hem ;
and I see we!, that for the trust that ye han in youre
richesses, ye wole moeve werre and bataille. I con-
seille yow, that ye biginne no werre in trust of your
richesses ; for they ne suffysen noght werres to mayn-
tene. 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 woie 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.
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 Judas
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 : ” 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 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. 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. For Salomon seith :
” he that loveth peril shal falle in peril.” ‘
§ 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 ham 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 have pees
with hem. For seint Jame 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 Jesu 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.” ‘ ‘ A ! ‘ quod Melibee,
‘ now see 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. For right as men seyn, that ” over-greet
homlinesse engendreth dispreysinge,” so fareth it by
to greet humylitee or mekenesse.’
§ 56. Thanne bigan dame Prudence to maken sem-
blant 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.
For the wyse man seith : ” the dissensioun biginneth
by another man, and the reconsiling biginneth 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. 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. 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.” ‘
§ 58. Thanne seide dame Prudence, ‘ I make no sem-
blant 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 amende th him -self.” ‘
§ 59. Thanne seyde Melibee, ‘I shal nat conne answerc
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.’
§ 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. 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 adver-
saries 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.” 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.’
§ 61. ‘ Dame,’ quod Melibee, ‘ dooth your wil and
your lykinge, for I putte me hoolly in your disposicioun
and ordinaunce.’
§ 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 adver-
saries to come un-to hir in-to a privee place, and shewed
wysly un-to hem the grete gcodes that comen of pees,
and the grete harmes and perils that been in werre ;
and seyde to hem in a goodly manere, how that hem
oughte have greet repentaunce of the injurie and
wrong that they hadden doon to Melibee hir lord, and
to hir, and to hir doghter.
§ 63. And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of
dame Prudence, they weren so surprised and ravisshed,
and hadden so greet joye 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 ; 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 multi-
plyen and encresen freendes, and maken shrewes to be
debonaire and meke.”
§ 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 comanderaent
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 good-
nesse to f ulfillen in dede your goodliche wordes ; for we
consideren and knowlichen that we han offended and
greved my lord Melibee out of mesure ; 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 enjoyne us swich
a peyne as we mowe nat bere ne sustene. And therfore,
noble lady, we biseke to your wommanly pitee, 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 juggement, 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 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 woot wel and knowe verraily, that he
is debonaire and meke, large, curteys, 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 ; and been redy to comen,
what day that it lyke un-to your noblesse to liniite
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.’
§ 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, 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, whereas confessioun is ” ;
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 ther-
fore 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.’
§ 69. Thanne was Prudence right glad and joyeful,
and seyde, ‘Certes, sir,’ quod she, ‘ye han wel and
goodly answered. 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 ;
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 de-
liberacioun of the f orseide 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.
§ 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 seyde : ‘ ther is
an old proverbe,’ quod she, ‘ seith : that ” the good-
nesse that thou mayst do this day, do it ; and abyde
nat ne delaye it nat til to-morwe.” 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 par-
fourned was in dede. 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 joyeful,
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.
§ 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, han doon grete
injuries 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 ? ‘
§ 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 wit-
nesseth of your persone, we submitten us to the ex-
cellence and benignitee of your gracious lordshipe, and
been redy to obeie to alle your comandements ; bisek-
inge yow, that of your merciable pitee ye wol con-
sidere 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 good-
nesse, than doon our outrageouse giltes and trespas
in-to wikkednesse ; al-be-it that cursedly and damp-
nably we han agilt agayn your heigh lordshipe.’
§ 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 jugement that
Melibee wolde comande to be doon on hem by the
causes afore-seyd ; 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.’
§ 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.” 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 dili-
gence 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 ;
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 reno veiled.” 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 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.”
And I sette cas ye mighte enjoyne 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 cur-
teisly ; this is to seyn, ye moste yeven more esy
sentences and jugements. 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 over-
cometh his herte, overcometh twyes.” And Tullius
seith : ” ther is no- thing so comendable in a greet lord
as whan he is debonaire and meke, and appeseth him
lightly.” And I prey yow that ye wol 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. 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 th’effect and
entente that god almighty have mercy on yow in his
laste jugement. For seint Jame seith in his epistle:
” jugement withouten mercy shal be doon to him, that
hath no mercy of another wight.” ‘
§ 78. Whanne Melibee hadde herd the grete skiles
and resouns of dame Prudence, and hir wise informa-
ciouns and techinges, his herte gan enclyne to the wil
of his wyf, consideringe hir trewe entente ; and con-
formed 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 : ‘ 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
been sory and repentant of your giltes, it constreyneth
me to doon yow grace and mercy. Therfore I receyve
yow to my grace, and foryeve yow outrely alle the
offences, injuries, 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 fo^even 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, 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.’
Here is ended Chancers Tale of Melibee and of Dame
Prudence.