A YONGE man called Melibeus, mighty and riche, begate upon his wif that called was Prudence a doughter which that called was Sophie.

Upon a day befell that he for his difport is went into the feldes him to playe. His wif and eke his doughter hath he left within his hous, of which the dores weren faft yfhette. Foure of his olde foos han it efpied, and fetten ladders to the walles of his hous, and by the windowes ben entred, and beten his wif, and wounded his doughter with five mortal woundes in five fondry places; this is to fay, in hire feet, in hire høndes, in hire eres, in hire nofe, and in hire mouth, and leften hire for dede, and

This noble wif Prudence remembred hire upon the fentence of Ovide, in his book that cleped is The Remedie of Love, wheras he faith, He is a fool that diftourbeth the moder to wepe in the deth of hire childe til fhe have wept hire fille, as for a certain time; and than fhal a man don his diligence with amiable wordes hire to reconforte, and preye hire of hire weping for to ftinte. For which refon this noble wif Prudence fuffred hire huíbond for to wepe and crie as for a certain space, and whan fhe faw hire time fhe fayde to him in this wife Alas! my Lord, quod fhe, why make ye yourself for to be like a fool? forfothe it apperteineth not to a wife man to maken swiche a forwe. Youre doughter with the grace of God shal warish and escape. And al were it so that the right now were dede, ye ne ought not as for hire deth yourefelf to destroye. Senek faith, The wife man fhal not take to gret discomfort for the deth of his children, but certes he fhulde fuffren it in patience, as wei as he abideth the deth of his owen propre perfone.

Prudence, the difcreet wife of Melibeus, perfuadeth her husband to patience, and to receive his enemies to mercie and grace. A Tale full of moralitie, wherin both high and low may learne to governe their affections. Speght.

This Melibeus anfwered anon and faide; What man (quod he) fhulde of his weping flinte that hath fo gret a caufe for to wepe? Jefu Crift our Lord himself wepte for the deth of Lazarus his frend. Prudence answerd; Certes wel I wote attempte weping is nothing defended to him that forweful is among folk in forwe, but it is rather graunted him to wepe. The apostle Poule unto the Romaines writeth, Man fhal rejoyce with hem that maken joye, and wepen with fwiche folk as wepen. But though attempre weping be granted, outrageous weping certes is defended. Mesure of weping fhulde be confidered after the lore that techeth us Senek. Whan that thy frend is dede (quod he) let not thin eyen to moiste ben of teres ne to muche drie; although the teres comen to thin eyen let hem not falle. And whan thou haft forgon thy frend do diligence to get ageig another frend; and this is more wisdom than for to wepe for thy frende which that thou haft lorne, for therin is no bote. And therfore if ye governe you by fapience, put away forwe out of youre herte. Remembreth you that Jefus Sirak fayth, A man that is joyous and glad in herte it him conferveth florifhing in his age; but fothly a forweful herte maketh his bones drie. He faith eke thus, that furwe in herte fleeth ful many a man, Salomon fayth, that right as mouthes in the fhepes fleese anoien to the clothes, and the smale wormes to the tree, right so anoieth forwe to the herte of man; wherfore us ought as wel in the deth of oure children as in the loffe of our goodes temporel have patience.

Remembre you upon the patient Job; whan he hadde loft his children and his temporel subftaunce, and in his body endured and received ful many a grevous tribulation, yet fayde he thus, Oure Lord hath yave it to me, our Lord hath beraft it me; right as oure Lord hath wold right fo it is don; ybleffed be the name of oure Lord. To thise forefaide thinges anfwered Melibeus unto his wif Prudence: All thy wordes (quod he) ben trewe, and therto profitable, but trewely min herte is troubled with this forwe fo grevously that I n'ot what to don. Let calle (quod Prudence) thy trewe frendes alle, and thy linage, which that ben wife, and telleth to hem your cas, and herkeneth what they faye in confeilling, and go

verne you after hir fentence. Salomon faith, Werke all thinges by confeil and thou shalt never repente.

Than by confeil of his wif Prudence this Melibeus let callen a gret congregation of folk, as furgiens, phificiens, oide folk and yonge, and fom of his olde enemies reconciled (as by hir semblant) to his love and to his grace; and therwithal ther comen some of his neigheboures that diden him reverence more for drede than for love, as it happeth oft: ther comen alfo ful many fubtil flatterers, and wife advocats lerned in the lawe.

And whan thife folk togeder affembled weren, this Melibeas in forweful wife fhewed hem his cas, and by the manere of his speche it femed that in herte he bare a cruel ire, ready to don vengeaunce upon his foos, and fodeinly defired that the werre hulde beginne, but natheles yet axed he his confeil upon this matere. A furgien, by licence and affent of fwiche as weren wife, up rofe, and unto Melibeus fayde as ye moun here.

Sire, (quod he) as to us furgiens apperteineth that we do to every wight the beste that we can, wher as we ben withholden, and to our patient that we do no damage, wherfore it happeth many time and ofte that whan twey men han everich wounded other o fame furgien heleth hem both, wherfore unto our art it is not pertinent to norice werre, ne parties to fupporte: but certes as to the warifhing of youre doughter, al be it fo that perilously the be wounded, we fhuln do fo entent if befineffe fro day to night, that with the grace of God the fhal be hole and found as fone as is poflible. Almoft right in the fame wife the phificiens anfwerden, fave that they faiden a fewe wordes more; that right as maladies ben cured by hir contraries, right fo fhal man warishe werre. neigheboures ful of envie, his feined frendes that femed reconciled, and his flaterers, maden femblant of weping, and empeired and agregged muchel of this matere, in preyfing gretly Melibee of might, of power, of richeffe, and of frendes, defpiling the power of his adverfaries, and saiden outrely that he anon fhulde wreken him on his foos, and beginnen werre.

His

Up rofe than an advocat that was wife, by leve and by confeil of other that were wife, and fayde; Lordinges, the nede for the which we ben affembled in this place is a ful havie thing, and heigh matere, because of the wrong and of the wikkedneffe that hath be don, and cke by reafon of the grete damages that in time coming ben poffible to fallen for the fame caufe, and eke by refon of the gret richeffe and power of the parties bothe, for the which refons it were a ful gret peril to erren in this matere; wherfore, Melibeus, this is oure fentence: we confeille you, aboven alle thing, that right anon thou do thy diligence in keping of thy propre perfone in fwichea wife that thou ne want non efpiene watche thy body for to fave: and after that we confeille that in thin hous thou fette fuffifant garnifon, fo that they moun as wel thy body as thy hous deLende; but certes for to meeven werre, ne fodenly VOL. I.

for to do vengeaunce, we moun not deme in fo litel time that it were profitable; wherefore we axen leifer and space to have deliberation in this as to deme; for the comune proverbe faith thus He that fone demeth fone fhal repente; and cke men fain that thilke juge is wife that fone underftondeth a matere and jugeth by leifer : for al be it fo that al tarying be anoiful, algates it is not to repreve in yeving of jugement, ne in vengeance taking, whan it is fuffifant and refonable: and that fhewed our Lord Jefu Crist by enfample; for whan that the woman that was taken in advoutrie was brought in his prefence, to knowen what fhuld be don with hire perfone, al be it that he wift wel himself what that he wolde anfwere, yet ne wolde he not anfwere fo deinly, but he wolde have deliberation, and in the ground he wrote twies and by thife caufes we axen deliberation, and we fhuin than by the grace of God confeille the thing that fhal be profitable.

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Up fterte than the yonge folk at ones, and the moft partie of that compagnie han fcorned this olde wife man, and begonnen to make noise and faiden, Right fo as while that iren is hot men fhulde fmite, right fo men fhuln do wreken hir wronges while that they ben freshe and newe: and with loude voys they criden Werre! werre! Up rofe tho on of thift old wife, and with his hand made countenance that men fhuld holde hem stille and yeve him audience. Lordinges, (quod he) ther is ful many a man thet crieth Werre! werre! that wote ful litel what werre amounteth. Werre at his beginning hath fo gret an entring and fo large, that every wight may enter whan him liketh, and lightly find werre; but certes what end that fhal befalle it is not light to know; for fothly whan that werre is ones begonne there is ful many a child unborne of his moder that fhal terve yong by caufe of thilke werre, other elles live in forwe, and dien in wretchedneffe; and therfore or that any werre be begonne men must have gret confeil and gret deliberation. And whan this olde man wende to enforcen his tale by refons, wel nie alle at ones begonne they to rife for to breken his tale, and bidden him ful oft his wordes for to abregge; for fothly he that precheth to hem that liften not heren his wordes, his fermon hem anoicth; for Jefus Sirak fayth that mut ke in weping is a noious thing this is to fayn, as muche availleth to fpeke beforn folk to which his fpeche anoieth as tofinge beforne him that wepeth. And whan this wife man faw that him wanted audience al fhamefaft he fette him doun agcin: for Salomon faith, Ther as thou ne may have non audience enforce thee not to fpeke. I fee wel (quod this wife man) that the comune proverbe is foth, that good confeil wanteth whan it is moft nede.

Yet had this Melibeus in his confeil many folk that prively in his ere confeiled him certain thing, and confeilled him the contrary in general audi

and fully affermed hir fentence. Than Dame Prudence, whan that the faw how that hire hufbonde fhope him for to awreke him on his foos, and to beginne werre, the in ful humble wife, whan fhe faw hire time, fayde him these wordes: My Lord, (quod fhe) 1 you befeche, as hertly as I dare and can, ne hafte you not to fafte, and for alle guerdonds as yeve me audience; for Piers Alphonfe* fayth, Who fo that doth to thee outher good or harme haite thee not to quite it, for in this wife thy frend wol abide, and thin enemie fhal the lenger live in drede. The proverbe fayth, He hafteth wel that wifely can abide; and in wikked haft is no profite.

This Melibee answered unto his wif Prudence; I purpofe not (quod he) to werken by thy confeil for many caufes and refons, for certes every wight wold hold me than a fool; this is to fayn, if I for thy confeilling wolde change thinges that bed ordained and affirmed by fo many wife men. Secondly, 1 fay that all women ben wicke, and non good of hem all; for of a thousand men, faith Salomon, I found o good man; but certes of alle women good found I never. And alfo, certes if I governed me by thy confeil it fhulde feme that I had yeve thee over me the maistrie; and God forbede that it fo were; for Jefus Sirak fayth, that if the wif have the mailtrie fhe is contrarious to hire hufbond; and Salomon fayth, Never in thy lif to thy wif, ne to thy child, ne to thy frend, ne yeve no power over thyfelf; for better it were that thy children axe of thee thinges that hem nedeth, than thou fee thyfelf in the handes of thy children. And alfo if I wol werche by thy confeilling, certes it must be somtime fecree, til it were time that it be knowen, and this ne may not be if I fhulde be confeilled by thee [For it is writen The janglerie of women ne can no thing hide fave that which they wote not; after the philofophre feyth, In wikked confeil women venquifhen men and for thife refons I ne owe not to be confeilled by thee.]

Whan Dame Prudence, ful debonairly, and with gret pacience, had herd all that hire hufbonde liked for to fay, than axed fhe of him licence for to fpcke, and fayde in this wife: My lord, (quod fhe) as to your first refon it may lightly ben anfwerd, for I fay that it is no folie to chaunge confeil whan the thing is chaunged, or elles whan the thing femeth otherwife than it femed afore. And moreover, I fay, though that ye have fworne and

He calls himself Petrus Alfunni in his Dialogus contra udacos, mf. Harl. 3861. He there informs us, that he was himfelf originally a Jew, but converted and baptized in the year 1106, in July, die natalis App. Petri et Fauli, upon which account he took the name of Peter.

+ What is included between hooks is wanting in all the ff. which I have examined; it is plainly neceffary to the fenfe, as it thews us what the fourth and fifth reafons of Melibeus were to which Prudence replies: I have thereforc inferted as literal a tranfion as I imagine Chaucer amight have made of the following paffage in the Fr. Melibee, mf. Reg. 19 C. vii :" Car il eft efcript, gengleri.

des femmes ne puet riens celler fors ce qu'elle ne feet: Apris le philofophre dit, en mauvais conici les femmes vainquent les hommes, et par ces raifons je ne dois point ufer de ton confeil." Tyrebitt.

behight to performe your emprife, and neverthe les ye weive to performe thilke fame emprise by just cause, men shuld not say therfore ye were a lyer ne forfworn; for the book fayth that the wise man maketh no lefing whan he turneth his corage for the better. And al be it that your emprise be established and ordeined by gret multitude of folk, yet thar you not accomplish thilke ordinance but you liketh, for the trouthe of thinges and the profit ben rather founden in fewe folk that ben wife and ful of refon, than by gret multitude of folk ther every man cryeth and clattereth what him liketh; fothly fwiche multitude is not honeft. As to the second refon, wheras ye fay that all women ben wicke; fave your grace, certes ye defpife alle women in this wife, and he that all despiseth, as faith the book, all defplefeth. And Senek faith, that who fo wol have fapience fhall no man difpreife, but he fhal gladly teche the science that he can without prefumption or pride, and fwiche thinges as he nought can he fhal not ben afhamed to lere hem, and to enquere of leffe folk than himfelf. And, Sire, that ther hath ben ful many a good woman may lightly be preved; for certes, Sire, our Lord Jefu Crift n'olde never han defcended to be borne of a woman if all women had be wicked; and after that, for the gret bountee that is in women, our Lord Jefu Crift, whan he was rifen from deth to lif, appeared rather to a woman than to his apoftles. And though that Salomon fayde he founde never no good woman, it folweth not therfore that all women be wicked; for though that he ne found no good woman, certes many another man hath founde n.any a woman ful good and trewe: or elles, peraventure, the entent of Salomon was this, that in foveraine bountee he found no woman; this is to say, that ther is no wight that hath foveraine bountee fave God alone, as he himself recordeth in his Evangelies; for ther is no creature fo good that him ne wanteth fomwhat of the perfection of God that is his maker. Youre thridde refon is this; ye fay that if that ye governe you by my confeil it fhulde feme that ye had yeve me the maistrie and the lordship of your perfon. Sire, fave your grace, it is not fo; for if fo were that no man fhulde be confeilled but only of hem that han lordship and maiftrie of his perfon, men n'olde not be confeilled fo often; for fothly thilke man that asketh confeil of a purpos, yet hath he free chois whether he wol werke after that confeil or non. to your fourth refon, ther as ye fain that the janglerie of women can hide thinges that they wot not, as who fo fayth that a woman can not hide that she wote; Sire, thife wordes ben understonde of women that ben janglereffes and wicked, of which women men fain that three thinges driven a man out of his hous, that is to fay, fmoke, dropping of raine, and wicked wives; and of fwiche women Salomon fayth, that a man were better dwell in defert than with a woman that is riotous: and, Sire, by your leve, that am not I, for ye have ful often affaied my gret filence and my gret patience, and eke how wel that I can hide and hele

And as

thinges that men oughten fecretly to hiden. And fothly as to your fifthe refon, wheras ye fay that in wicked confeil women venquifhed men, God wote that thilke refon ftant here in no ftede; for understondeth now ye axen confeil for to do wickedneffe, and if ye wol werken wickedneffe, and your wif reftraineth thilke wicked purpos, and overcometh you by refon and by good confeil, certes your wif ought rather to be preised than to be blamed: thus fhulde ye understonde the philofophre that fayth, in wicked confeil women venquifhen hir hufbondes. And ther as you blamen all women and hir refons, I fhal fhewe you by many enfamples that many women have ben ful good, and yet ben, and hir confeil holefome and profitable. Eke fom men han fayd that the confeil of women is either to dere or elles to litel of pris: but al be it fo that ful many a woman be bad, and hire confeil vile and nought worth, yet han men founden ful many a good woman, and difcrete and wife in confeilling. Lo Jacob, thurgh the good confeil of his mother Rebecke, wan the benion of his father and the lordship over all his brethren; Judith by hire good confeil delivered the citee of Bethulie, in which the dwelt, out of the honde of Holofern, that had it befeged, and wolde it al destroye; Abigail delivered Nabal hire houfbond fro David the king, that wolde han flain him, and appefed the ire of the king by hire wit and by hire good confeilling; Hester by hire confeil enhaunced gretly the peple of God in the regn of Affuerus the king; and the same bountec in good confeilling of many a good woman moun men rede and tell. And further more, whan that oure Lord had created Adam oure forme father he fayde in this wife; It is not good to be a man allone; make we to him an helpe femblable to himself. Here moun ye fee that if that women weren not good, and hir confeil good and profitable, oure Lord God of heven wolde neither han wrought hem ne called hem helpe of man, but rather confufion of man. And ther fayd a clerk ones in two vers, What is better than gold? jafpre; what is better than jafpre? wisdom; and what is better than wisdom? woman; and what is better than a good woman? nothing. And, Sire, by many other refons moun ye feen that many women ben good, and hir confeil good and profitable and therefore, Sire, if ye wol trofte to my confeil, I fhall reftore you your doughter hole and found, and I wol don to you fo muche that ye fhuln have honour in this cas.

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Whan Melibee had herd the wordes of his wif Prudence, he fayd thus; I fe wel that the word of Salomon is foth, for he faith that wordes that ben fpoken difcretly by ordinaunce ben honiecombes, for they yeven fweteneffe to the foule and holfomneffe to the body: and, wif, because of thy fwete wordes, and eke for I have preved and affaied thy grete fapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol governe me by thy confeil in alle thing.

Now, Sire, (quod Dame Prudence) and fn that ye vouchfafe to be governed by my confeil, I wol enforme you how that ye fhuln governe yourfall in chefing of youre confeillours. Ye fauln firft

in alle your werkes mekely befechen to the heigh God that he wol be your confeillour, and shapeth you to fwiche entente that he yeve you confeil and comforte, as taught Tobie his fone; At alle times thou fhalt bleffe God, and preie him to dreffe thy wayes; and loke that alle thy confeils ben in him for evermore. Seint James eke fayth, If any of you have nede of fapience, axe it of God. And afterwarde than fhullen ye take confeil in yourself, and examine wel your owen thoughtes of fwiche thinges as you thinketh that ben beft for your profit; and than fhuln ye drive fro your herte three thinges that ben contrarious to good confeil, that is to fayn, ire,coveitise, and hastinesse.

First, he that axeth confeil of himfelf, certes he must be withouten ire for many causes. The first is this; he that hath gret ire and wrath in himself, he weneth alway that he may do thing that he may not do. And, fecondly, he that is irous and wroth he may not wel deme; and he that may not wel deme may not wel confeille. The thridde is this; he that is irous and wroth, as fayth Senek, ne may not fpeke but blameful thinges, and with his vicious wordes he stirreth other folk to anger and to ire. And eke, Sire, ye muft drive coveitife out of your herte; for the apostle fayth, that coveitife is the rote of all harmes: and trofteth wel that a coveitous man ne can not deme, ne thinke, but only to fulfille the end of his coveitife, and certes that ne may never ben accomplised; for ever the more haboundance that he hath of richeffe, the more he defireth. And, Sire, ye muft alfo drive out of youre herte haftineffe; for certes ye ne moun not deme for the beste a foden thought that falleth in your herte, but ye must avife you on it ful ofte; for, as ye have herde herebeforn, the commune proverbe is this, He that fone demeth fone repenteth.

Sire, ye ne be not alway in like difpofition, for certes fom thing that fomtime femeth to you that it is good for to do, another time it femeth to you

the contrarie.

And whan ye han taken confeil in yourself, and han demed by good deliberation fwiche thing as you femeth befte, than rede I you that ye kepe it fecrec. Bewreye not your confeil to no perfone, but if fo be that ye wenen fikerly that thurgh youre bewreying youre condition fhal ben to you more profitable; for Jefus Sirak faith, Neither to thy foo ne to thy frend discover not thy fecree, ne thy folie; for they woln yeve you audience and loking, and fupportation, in your prefence, and fcorne you in youre abfence. Another clerk fayth, that scarfly fhalt thou finden any perfone that may kepe thy confeil fecrely. The book faith, While that thou kepeft thy confeil in thin herte thou kepeft it in thy prifon, and whan thou bewreyest thy confeil to any wight, he holdeth thee in his fnare: and therfore you is better to hide your confeil in your herte than to preye him to whom ye han bewreyed youre confeil that he wol kepe it close and ftille; for Seneca fayth, If fo be that thou ne mayst not thin owen confeil hide, how dareft thou preyen any other wight thy confeil fecrely to kepe? But natheles, if thou wene fiker