and to enquere of leffe folk than himself. And, Site, that ther hath ben ful many a good woman may lightly be preved; for certes, Sire, our Lord Jefu Crist n'olde never han defcended to be borne of a woman if all women had be wicked; and after that for the gret bountce that is in women our Lord Jefu Crift whan he was rifen from deth to lif appered rather to a woman than to his apostles. And though that Salomon fayde he found 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 many 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 fay, 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 thridderefon is this; yefay that ifthat yegoverneyouby my confeil it fhulde feme that ye had yeve me the maiftrie 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 maifrie of his perfon men n'olde not be confeilled fo often; for fothly thilke man that afketh confeil of. purpos yet hath he free chois whether he wol werke after that confeil or non. And as 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 underfonde 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 (wiche 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 thinges that men oughten fecretly to hiden. And fothly as to your fifthe refon, wheras ye fay that in wicked confeil women venquifhen men, God wote that thilke refon ftant here in no ftede; for underftondeth now ye axen confeil for to do wickedneffe, and if ye wol werken wickednesse, and your wif restraineth thilke wicked purpos, and overcometh you by refon and by good confeil, certes your wif ought rather to be preifed than to be blamed: thus fhulde ye underflonde the philofophre that fayth, In wicked confeil women venquifhen hir husbandes. And ther as ye blamen all women and hir refons, I fhal fhewe you by many enlamples that many women have ben ful good, and yet ben, and hir confeil holesome 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 discrete and wife in confeilling. Lo Jacob, thurgh the good confeil of his mother Rebecke, wan the benifon of his father and the lordship over all his brethren; Judith by hire good confeil delivered the citce of Bethulie, in which the dwelt, out of the honde of Holofern, that had it befeged, and wolde it al defroye; 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; Hefter by hire confeil enhaunced gretly the peple of God in the regne of Affuerus the king; and the fame bountee 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 fayd in this wife; It is not good to be a man allone; make we to him an helpe femblable to himfelf. 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 jaspre? wisdom; and what is better than wifdom? 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 therfore, Sire, if ye wob trofe to my confeil I fhal reflore you your doughter

hole and found, and I wol don to you so muche that ye fhuln have honour in this cas.

Whan Melibee had herd the wordes of his wif Prudence he fayd thus; Ife wel that the word of Salomon is foth, for he faith that wordes that ben spoken difcretly by ordinaunce ben hopiecombes, for they yeven fweteneffe to the foule and bolfomneffe to the body: and, wif, because of thy fwete wordes, and cke 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 fin that ye vouchefafe to be governed by my confeil i wolenforme you how that ye fhulp governe yourself in chefing of youre confeillours. Ye fhuln firft in alle your werkes mekely befechen to the heigh God that he wol be your confeillour, and fhapeth you to fwiche entente that he yeve you confeil and comforte, as taught Tobie his fone; At alle times thou shalt bleffe God, and preie him to dreffe thy wayes; andloke that alle thy confeils ben in him for evermore. Seint Jamescke fayth, If any of you have nede of fapience axe it of God. And afterwarde than fhullen ye take coufeil in yourself, and examine wel your owen thoughtes of swiche 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 conseil, that is to sayn, ire, coveitife, and haftineffe.

First, he that axeth confeil of himself certes he muf be withouten ire for many caufes. 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 web confeille. The thridde is this; he that is irous and wroth, as fayth Senek, ne may not speke but blameful thinges, and with his vicious wordes he ftirreth other folk to anger and to ire. And eke, Sire, ye muft drive coveitife out of your herte, for the apoftle fayth that coveitife is the rote of alle 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 accomplifed, for ever the more haboundance that he hath of richeffe the more he defireth. And, Sire, ye must also drive out of youre herte hafineffe; for certes ye ne moun not deme for the befte 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 fe