confcience to thin owen perfone inward, and good los for thy neighebour outward. And he that trofleth him fo muchel in his good confcience that he despiseth and fetteth at nought his good name or los, and recketh not though he kepe not his good name, n'is but a cruel cherl. Sire, now have I fhewed you how ye fhulden do in geting richeffes, and how ye fhuln ufen hem; and f fee wel that for the truft that ye han in youre richeffes ye wiln meve werre and bataille. I confeille you that ye beginne no bataille ne werre in truft of youre richeffes, for they ne fufficen not werres to mainteine; and therfore fayth a philofophre, That man that defireth and wol algates han werre fhal never have fuffifaunce, for the richer that he is the greter difpences muft he make, if he wol have worship and victorie; and Salomon faith, that the greter richeffes that a man hath the mo difpendours he hath. And, dere Sire! al be it fo that for your richeffes ye monn have muchel folk, yet behoveth it not ne it is not good to beginne werre, wheras ye moun in other manere have pees unto youre worship and profite; for the victorie of batailles that ben in this world lith not in gret nombre or multitude of peple, ne in the vertue of man, but it lith in the will and in the hond of oure Lord God Almighty; and therfore Judas Machabeus, which was Goddes knight, whan he fhulde fighte again his adverfarie that hadde a greter nombre and a greter mul itude of folk, and strenger than was the peple of this Machabee, yet he recomforted his litel compaignie, and sayde right in this wife; Al so lightly (fayde he) may our Lord God Almighty yeve victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk, for the victorie of a bataille cometh not by the gret nombre of peple, but it cometh from oure Lord God of heven. And, dere Sire! for as muchel as ther is no man certaine if it be worthy that God yeve him victorie or not, after that Salomon fayth, Therfore every man shulde gretly drede werres to beginne; and because that in batailles fallen many perils, and it happeth other while that as fone is the gret man flain as the litel man; and, as it is ywritten in the second book of Kinges, The dedes of batailles ben aventurous, and nothing certain, for as lightly is on hurt with a spere as another; and for ther is gret peril in werre, therfore fhulde a man flee and eschue werre in as muchel as a man may goodly; for Salomon fayth, He that loveth peril fhal falle in peril. After that Dame Prudence had spoken in this manere Melibee answerd and faide: Ifee wel, Dame Prudence, that by youre faire wordes and by youre refons that ye han fhewed me that the werre liketh you nothing; but I have not yet herd your confeil how I fhal do in this nede. Certes, quod fhe, I confeille you that ye accorde with youre adverfaries, and that ye have pees with hem; for Scint James fayth in his Epiftle that by con corde and pees the fmale richesses wexen grete, and by debat and difcorde grete richeffes fallen doun: and ye knowen wel that on of the greteft and mofte foveraine thing that is in this world is unitee and pees; and therfore fayde oure Lord Jefu Crift to his apostles in this wise, Wel happy and blessed ben they that loven and purchasen pees, for they ben called the children of God. A! quod Melibee, now fee I wel that ye loven not min honour ne my worshipe. Ye knowen wel that min adverfaries han begonne this debat and brige by hir outrage, and ye fee wel that they ne requeren ne prayen me not of pees, ne they axen not to be reconciled; wol ye than that I go and meke me and obeye me to hem, and crie hem mercie? forfoth that were not my worshipe; for right as men sayn that overgret homlineffe engendreth difpreifing, fo fareth it by to gret humilitee or mekeneffe. Than began Dame Prudence to make femblaunt of wrathe, and fayde, Certes, Sire, (fauf your grace) I love youre honour and youre profite as I do min owen, and ever have don, ye ne non other feyn never the contrary: and if I had fayde that ye fhulde han purchafed the pees and the reconciliation I ne hadde not muchel mistake me ne fayde amis; for the wife man fayth, The diffention beginneth by another man, and the reconciling beginneth by thyself: and the prophete faith, Flee fhrewedneffe and do goodnesse; feke pees and folwe it, in as muchel as in thee is. Yet fay youre adverfaries I not that ye fhuln rather pursue to for pees than they fhuln to you, for I know wel that ye ben fo hard-herted that ye wol do nothing for me; and Salomon fayth, He that hath over hard an herte atte laste he shal mishappe and mistide. Whan Melibee had herd Dame Prudence make femblaunt of wrath he fayde in this wife: Dame, I pray you that ye be not difplefed of thinges that I fay, for I knowe wel that I am angry and wroth, and that is no wonder, and they that ben wroth woten not wel what they don ne what they sayn; therfore the prophete fayth, that troubled eyen han no clere fighte. But fayth and conseilleth me as you liketh, for I am redy to do right as ye wol defire; and if ye repreve me of my folie I am the more holden to love you and to preife you; for Salomon faith, that he that repreveth him that doth folie he fhal find greter grace than he that deceiveth him by fwete wordes. Than fayde Dame Prudence, I make no femblaunt of wrath ne of anger but for youre grete profite; for Salomon faith, He is more wroth that repreveth or chideth a fool for his folie, fhewing him semblaunt of wrath, than he that supporteth him and preiseth him in his misdoing, and laugheth at his folie; and this fame Salomon faith afterward, that by the forweful visage of a man, that is to sayn, by the fory and hevy countenance of a man, the fool correcteth and amendeth himself. Than faid Melibee, I fhal not conne answere unte fo many faire refons as ye putten to me and fhewen: fayth fhortly youre will and youre confeil, and I am al redy to performe and fulfille it. Than Dame Prudence difcovered all hire will unto him, and faide, I confeille you, quod fhe, above alle thinges that ye make pees betwene God and you, and be reconciled unto him and to his grace, for as I have fayde you herebeforen, God hath suffered you to have this tribulation and difefe for youre finnes: and if ye do as I fay you God wol fende youre adverfaries unto you, and make hem falle at youre feet, redy to de youre will and youre commaundements; for Salomon faych, Whan the condition of man is piefaunt and liking unto God he chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adverfaries, and conftreineth hem to befechen him of pees and of grace. And I pray you let me fpeke with your adverfaries in prevee place, for they fhuln not knowe that it be of youre will or youre affent,and than whan I knowe hir will and hir entente I may confeille you the more feurely. Dame, quod Melibeus, doth youre will and youre liking, for I putte me wholly in youre disposition and ordinaunce. Than Dame Prudence, whan she sey the good will of hire hufbond, delibered unto hire, and toke avis in hire felf, thinking how the might bring this nede unto goode ende; and whan fhe fey hire time fhe fent |