Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Tale of Melibeus - Part Two
§ 16. Whan Melibee hadde herd the wordes of his wyf Prudence, he seyde thus: / ‘I se wel that the word of Salomon is sooth; he seith, that “wordes that been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce, been honycombes; for they yeven swetnesse to the soule, and hoolsomnesse to the body.
” / And wyf, by-cause of thy swete wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol governe me by thy conseil in alle thing.
’ / § 17. ‘Now sir,’ quod dame Prudence, ‘and sin ye vouche-sauf [208] to been governed by my conseil, I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe your-self in chesinge of your conseillours.
/2305 Ye shul first, in alle your werkes, mekely biseken to the heighe god that he wol be your conseillour; / and shapeth yow to swich entente, that he yeve yow conseil and confort, as taughte Thobie his sone.
/ “At alle tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye him to dresse thy weyes”; and looke that alle thy conseils been in him for evermore.
/ Seint Iame eek seith: “if any of yow have nede of sapience, axe it of god.
” / And afterward thanne shul ye taken conseil in your-self, and examine wel your thoghtes, of swich thing as yow thinketh that is best for your profit.
/2310 And thanne shul ye dryve fro your herte three thinges that been contrariouse to good conseil, / that is to seyn, ire, coveitise, and hastifnesse.
/ 2310. in] E. of.
E.
_om.
_ self.
§ 18. First, he that axeth conseil of him-self, certes he moste been with-outen ire, for manye causes.
/ The firste is this: he that hath greet ire and wratthe in him-self, he weneth alwey that he may do thing that he may nat do.
/ And secoundely, he that is irous and wroth, he ne may nat wel deme; /2315 and he that may nat wel deme, may nat wel conseille.
/ The thridde is this; that “he that is irous and wrooth,” as seith Senek, “ne may nat speke but he blame thinges;” / and with his viciouse wordes he stireth other folk to angre and to ire.
/ And eek sir, ye moste dryve coveitise out of your herte.
/ For the apostle seith, that “coveitise is rote of alle harmes.
” /2320 And trust wel that a coveitous man ne can noght deme ne thinke, but only to fulfille the ende of his coveitise; / and certes, that ne may never been accompliced; for ever the more habundaunce that he hath of richesse, the more he desyreth.
/ And sir, ye moste also dryve out of your herte hastifnesse; for certes, / ye ne may nat deme for the beste a sodeyn thought that falleth in youre herte, but ye moste avyse yow on it ful ofte.
/ For as ye herde biforn, the commune proverbe is this, that “he that sone demeth, sone repenteth.
” /2325 § 19. Sir, ye ne be nat alwey in lyke disposicioun; / for certes, som thing that somtyme semeth to yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it semeth to yow the contrarie.
/ § 20. Whan ye han taken conseil in your-self, and han demed by good deliberacion swich thing as you semeth best, / thanne rede I yow, that ye kepe it secree.
/ Biwrey nat your conseil to no persone, [209] but-if so be that ye wenen sikerly that, thurgh your biwreying, your condicioun shal be to yow the more profitable.
/2330 For Iesus Syrak seith: “neither to thy foo ne to thy freend discovere nat thy secree ne thy folie; / for they wol yeve yow audience and loking and supportacioun in thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn absence.
” / Another clerk seith, that “scarsly shaltou finden any persone that may kepe conseil secreely.
” / The book seith: “whyl that thou kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest it in thy prisoun: / and whan thou biwreyest thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth thee in his snare.
” /2335 And therefore yow is bettre to hyde your conseil in your herte, than praye him, to whom ye han biwreyed your conseil, that he wole kepen it cloos and stille.
/ For Seneca seith: “if so be that thou ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how darstou prayen any other wight thy conseil secreely to kepe?
” / But nathelees, if thou wene sikerly that the biwreying of thy conseil to a persone wol make thy condicioun to stonden in the bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen him thy conseil in this wyse.
/ First, thou shalt make no semblant whether thee were lever pees or werre, or this or that, ne shewe him nat thy wille and thyn entente; / for trust wel, that comunly thise conseillours been flatereres, /2340 namely the conseillours of grete lordes; / for they enforcen hem alwey rather to speken plesante wordes, enclyninge to the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe or profitable.
/ And therfore men seyn, that “the riche man hath seld good conseil but-if he have it of him-self.
” / And after that, thou shalt considere thy freendes and thyne enemys.
/ And as touchinge thy freendes, thou shalt considere whiche of hem been most feithful and most wyse, and eldest and most approved in conseilling.
/2345 And of hem shalt thou aske thy conseil, as the caas requireth.
/ 2328. in] E. of; Ln.
vnto.
semeth] E. list.
2332. E.
to (_after_ loking); _rest_ and.
2333, 7. E.
sikerly; _rest_ secreely.
2336. E.
hem; _rest_ him.
2339. E.
wheither.
2340. E.
co_m_e_n_li.
2343. E.
seeld.
2345. E.
wiche.
been] E. Hn.
that been.
§ 21. I seye that first ye shul clepe to your conseil your freendes that been trewe.
/ For Salomon seith: that “right as the herte of a man delyteth in savour that is sote, right so the conseil of trewe freendes yeveth swetenesse to the soule.
” / He seith also: “ther may no-thing be lykned to the trewe freend.
” / For certes, gold ne silver beth nat so muche worth as the gode wil of a trewe freend.
/2350 And eek he seith, that “a trewe freend is a strong deffense; who-so that it findeth, certes he findeth a greet tresour.
” / Thanne [210] shul ye eek considere, if that your trewe freendes been discrete and wyse.
For the book seith: “axe alwey thy conseil of hem that been wyse.
” / And by this same resoun shul ye clepen to your conseil, of your freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn and been expert in manye thinges, and been approved in conseillinges.
/ For the book seith, that “in olde men is the sapience and in longe tyme the prudence.
” / And Tullius seith: that “grete thinges ne been nat ay accompliced by strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by science; the whiche three thinges ne been nat feble by age, but certes they enforcen and encreesen day by day.
” /2355 And thanne shul ye kepe this for a general reule.
First shul ye clepen to your conseil a fewe of your freendes that been especiale; / for Salomon seith: “manye freendes have thou; but among a thousand chese thee oon to be thy conseillour.
” / For al-be-it so that thou first ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayst afterward telle it to mo folk, if it be nede.
/ But loke alwey that thy conseillours have thilke three condiciouns that I have seyd bifore; that is to seyn, that they be trewe, wyse, and of old experience.
/ And werke nat alwey in every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme bihoveth it to been conseilled by manye.
/2360 For Salomon seith: “salvacioun of thinges is wher-as ther been manye conseillours.
” / 2355. E.
Hn.
fieble; Cp.
Pt.
Hl.
feble; Cm.
feblid; Ln.
fiebled.
E.
encreescen.
§ 22. Now sith that I have told yow of which folk ye sholde been counseilled, now wol I teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe.
/ First ye shul eschewe the conseilling of foles; for Salomon seith: “taak no conseil of a fool, for he ne can noght conseille but after his owene lust and his affeccioun.
” / The book seith: that “the propretee of a fool is this; he troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly troweth alle bountee in him-self.
” / Thou shalt eek eschewe the conseilling of alle flatereres, swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise your persone by flaterye than for to telle yow the sothfastnesse of thinges.
/2365 2362. Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
that; Pt.
what; _rest om.
_ 2365. E.
_om.
_ alle.
§ 23. ‘Wherfore Tullius seith: “amonges alle the pestilences that been in freendshipe, the gretteste is flaterye.
” And therfore is it more nede that thou eschewe and drede flatereres than any other peple.
/ The book seith: “thou shalt rather drede and flee fro the swete wordes of flateringe preiseres, than fro the egre [211] wordes of thy freend that seith thee thy sothes.
” / Salomon seith, that “the wordes of a flaterere is a snare to cacche with innocents.
” / He seith also, that “he that speketh to his freend wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn his feet to cacche him.
” / And therfore seith Tullius: “enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres, ne taketh no conseil of wordes of flaterye.
” /2370 And Caton seith: “avyse thee wel, and eschewe the wordes of swetnesse and of plesaunce.
” / And eek thou shalt eschewe the conseilling of thyne olde enemys that been reconsiled.
/ The book seith: that “no wight retourneth saufly in-to the grace of his olde enemy.
” / And Isope seith: “ne trust nat to hem to whiche thou hast had som-tyme werre or enmitee, ne telle hem nat thy conseil.
” / And Seneca telleth the cause why.
“It may nat be,” seith he, “that, where greet fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther ne dwelleth som vapour of warmnesse.
” /2375 And therfore seith Salomon: “in thyn olde foo trust never.
” / For sikerly, though thyn enemy be reconsiled and maketh thee chere of humilitee, and louteth to thee with his heed, ne trust him never.
/ For certes, he maketh thilke feyned humilitee more for his profit than for any love of thy persone; by-cause that he demeth to have victorie over thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the which victorie he mighte nat have by stryf or werre.
/ And Peter Alfonce seith: “make no felawshipe with thyne olde enemys; for if thou do hem bountee, they wol perverten it in-to wikkednesse.
” / And eek thou most eschewe the conseilling of hem that been thy servants, and beren thee greet reverence; for peraventure they seyn it more for drede than for love.
/2380 And therfore seith a philosophre in this wyse: “ther is no wight parfitly trewe to him that he to sore dredeth.
” / And Tullius seith: “ther nis no might so greet of any emperour, that longe may endure, but-if he have more love of the peple than drede.
” / Thou shalt also eschewe the conseiling of folk that been dronkelewe; for they ne can no conseil hyde.
/ For Salomon seith: “ther is no privetee ther-as regneth dronkenesse.
” / Ye shul also han in suspect the conseilling of swich folk as conseille yow a thing prively, and conseille yow the contrarie openly.
/2385 For [212] Cassidorie seith: that “it is a maner sleighte to hindre, whan he sheweth to doon a thing openly and werketh prively the contrarie.
” / Thou shalt also have in suspect the conseilling of wikked folk.
For the book seith: “the conseilling of wikked folk is alwey ful of fraude:” / And David seith: “blisful is that man that hath nat folwed the conseilling of shrewes.
” / Thou shalt also eschewe the conseilling of yong folk; for hir conseil is nat rype.
/ 2368. E.
chacche (_for_ cacche).
Pt.
to cacchen innocentes withe;
_rest_ (_except_ E. ) _om.
_ with.
2370. E.
Cp.
Ln.
the wordes; _rest om.
_ the.
2374. E.
Hn.
enemytee.
2377. E.
chiere.
2378. E.
nat winne; _rest_ nat haue.
2380. E.
doon; _rest_ seyn.
2382. E.
for drede; _rest om.
_ for.
2383. E.
_om.
_ ne.
2388. E.
sherewes.
§ 24. Now sir, sith I have shewed yow of which folk ye shul take your conseil, and of which folk ye shul folwe the conseil, /2390 now wol I teche yow how ye shal examine your conseil, after the doctrine of Tullius.
/ In the examininge thanne of your conseillour, ye shul considere manye thinges.
/ Alderfirst thou shalt considere, that in thilke thing that thou purposest, and upon what thing thou wolt have conseil, that verray trouthe be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn, telle trewely thy tale.
/ For he that seith fals may nat wel be conseilled, in that cas of which he lyeth.
/ And after this, thou shalt considere the thinges that acorden to that thou purposest for to do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde therto; /2395 and eek, if thy might may atteine ther-to; and if the more part and the bettre part of thy conseillours acorde ther-to, or no. / Thanne shaltou considere what thing shal folwe of that conseilling; as hate, pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage; and manye othere thinges.
/ And in alle thise thinges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve alle othere thinges.
/ Thanne shaltow considere of what rote is engendred the matere of thy conseil, and what fruit it may conceyve and engendre.
/ Thou shalt eek considere alle thise causes, fro whennes they been sprongen.
/2400 And whan ye han examined your conseil as I have seyd, and which partie is the bettre and more profitable, and hast approved it by manye wyse folk and olde; / thanne shaltou considere, if thou mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good ende.
/ For certes, resoun wol nat that any man sholde biginne a thing, but-if he mighte parfourne it as him oghte.
/ Ne no wight sholde take up-on hym so hevy a charge that he mighte nat bere it.
/ For the proverbe seith: “he that to muche embraceth, distreyneth litel.
” /2405 And Catoun seith: “assay to do swich thing as thou hast power to doon, lest that the charge [213] oppresse thee so sore, that thee bihoveth to weyve thing that thou hast bigonne.
” / And if so be that thou be in doute, whether thou mayst parfourne a thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than biginne.
/ And Piers Alphonce seith: “if thou hast might to doon a thing of which thou most repente thee, it is bettre ‘nay’ than ‘ye’;” / this is to seyn, that thee is bettre holde thy tonge stille, than for to speke.
/ Thanne may ye understonde by strenger resons, that if thou hast power to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre than biginne.
/2410 Wel seyn they, that defenden every wight to assaye any thing of which he is in doute, whether he may parfourne it or no. / And after, whan ye han examined your conseil as I have seyd biforn, and knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at an ende.
/ 2396. or no] E. or noon; Pt.
anoon.
2397. of that] E. after hir.
2398. E.
Thanne of; _rest_ And in.
2399. E.
matiere.
conceyve] E. Hl.
conserue.
2407, 2411. E.
wheither.
2411. Hn.
Cm.
no; _rest_ noon (non).
§ 25. Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow, whanne, and wherfore, that ye may chaunge your conseil with-outen your repreve.
/ Soothly, a man may chaungen his purpos and his conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a newe caas bitydeth.
/ For the lawe seith: that “upon thinges that newely bityden bihoveth newe conseil.
” /2415 And Senek seith: “if thy conseil is comen to the eres of thyn enemy, chaunge thy conseil.
” / Thou mayst also chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou finde that, by errour or by other cause, harm or damage may bityde.
/ Also, if thy conseil be dishonest, or elles cometh of dishoneste cause, chaunge thy conseil.
/ For the lawes seyn: that “alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no value.
” / And eek, if it so be that it be inpossible, or may nat goodly be parfourned or kept.
/2420 2413. Hl.
conseil; _rest_ conseillors.
2416. E.
eeris.
2417. finde] E.
mayst finde.
2420. E.
Cp.
if; _rest_ if it.
§ 26. And take this for a general reule, that every conseil that is affermed so strongly that it may nat be chaunged, for no condicioun that may bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked.
’ / § 27. This Melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the doctrine of his wyf dame Prudence, answerde in this wyse.
/ ‘Dame,’ quod he, ‘as yet in-to this tyme ye han wel and covenably taught me as in general, how I shal governe me in the chesinge and in the withholdinge of my conseillours.
/ But now wolde I fayn that ye wolde condescende in especial, / and telle me how lyketh yow, [214] or what semeth yow, by our conseillours that we han chosen in our present nede.
’ /2425 2423. in-to] Cp.
Ln.
vnto.
E.
couenablely.
§ 28. ‘My lord,’ quod she, ‘I biseke yow in al humblesse, that ye wol nat wilfully replye agayn my resouns, ne distempre your herte thogh I speke thing that yow displese.
/ For god wot that, as in myn entente, I speke it for your beste, for your honour and for your profite eke.
/ And soothly, I hope that your benignitee wol taken it in pacience.
/ Trusteth me wel,’ quod she, ‘that your conseil as in this caas ne sholde nat, as to speke properly, be called a conseilling, but a mocioun or a moevyng of folye; / in which conseil ye han erred in many a sondry wyse.
/2430 2428. E.
benyngnytee.
§ 29. First and forward, ye han erred in thassemblinge of your conseillours.
/ For ye sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to your conseil, and after ye mighte han shewed it to mo folk, if it hadde been nede.
/ But certes, ye han sodeynly cleped to your conseil a greet multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous for to here.
/ Also ye han erred, for there-as ye sholden only have cleped to your conseil your trewe freendes olde and wyse, / ye han y-cleped straunge folk, and yong folk, false flatereres, and enemys reconsiled, and folk that doon yow reverence withouten love.
/2435 And eek also ye have erred, for ye han broght with yow to your conseil ire, covetise, and hastifnesse; / the whiche three thinges been contrariouse to every conseil honeste and profitable; / the whiche three thinges ye han nat anientissed or destroyed hem, neither in your-self ne in your conseillours, as yow oghte.
/ Ye han erred also, for ye han shewed to your conseillours your talent, and your affeccioun to make werre anon and for to do vengeance; / they han espyed by your wordes to what thing ye been enclyned.
/2440 And therfore han they rather conseilled yow to your talent than to your profit.
/ Ye han erred also, for it semeth that yow suffyseth to han been conseilled by thise conseillours only, and with litel avys; / wher-as, in so greet and so heigh a nede, it hadde been necessarie mo conseillours, and more deliberacioun to parfourne your emprise.
/ Ye han erred also, for ye han nat examined your conseil in the forseyde manere, ne in due manere as the caas requireth.
/ Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no divisioun bitwixe your conseillours;
this is to [215] seyn, bitwixen your trewe freendes and your feyned conseillours; /2445 ne ye han nat knowe the wil of your trewe freendes olde and wyse; / but ye han cast alle hir wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned your herte to the more part and to the gretter nombre; and ther been ye condescended.
/ And sith ye wot wel that men shal alwey finde a gretter nombre of foles than of wyse men, / and therfore the conseils that been at congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, ther-as men take more reward to the nombre than to the sapience of persones, / ye see wel that in swiche conseillinges foles han the maistrie.
’ /2450 Melibeus answerde agayn, and seyde: ‘I graunte wel that I have erred; / but ther-as thou hast told me heer-biforn, that he nis nat to blame that chaungeth hise conseillours in certein caas, and for certeine Iuste causes, / I am al redy to chaunge my conseillours, right as thow wolt devyse.
/ The proverbe seith: that “for to do sinne is mannish, but certes for to persevere longe in sinne is werk of the devel.
”’ / 2438. E.
_om.
_ thinges.
Hl.
_om.
_ hem.
2442. Hn.
Cm.
Pt.
Hl.
yow;
E.
it.
2445. E.
nat maked; _rest om.
_ nat.
2447. E.
partie; _rest_ part.
§ 30. To this sentence answerde anon dame Prudence, and seyde: /2455 ‘Examineth,’ quod she, ‘your conseil, and lat us see the whiche of hem han spoken most resonably, and taught yow best conseil.
/ And for-as-muche as that the examinacioun is necessarie, lat us biginne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens, that first speken in this matere.
/ I sey yow, that the surgiens and phisiciens han seyd yow in your conseil discreetly, as hem oughte; / and in hir speche seyden ful wysly, that to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to every wight honour and profit, and no wight for to anoye; / and, after hir craft, to doon greet diligence un-to the cure of hem whiche that they han in hir governaunce.
/2460 And sir, right as they han answered wysly and discreetly, / right so rede I that they been heighly and sovereynly guerdoned for hir noble speche; / and eek for they sholde do the more ententif bisinesse in the curacioun of your doghter dere.
/ For al-be-it so that they been your freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren that they serve yow for noght; / but ye oghte the rather guerdone hem and shewe hem your largesse.
/2465 And as touchinge the proposicioun [216] which that the phisiciens entreteden in this caas, this is to seyn, / that, in maladyes, that oon contrarie is warisshed by another contrarie, / I wolde fayn knowe how ye understonde thilke text, and what is your sentence.
’ / ‘Certes,’ quod Melibeus, ‘I understonde it in this wyse: / that, right as they han doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I doon hem another.
/2470 For right as they han venged hem on me and doon me wrong, right so shal I venge me upon hem and doon hem wrong; / and thanne have I cured oon contrarie by another.
’ / 2455. E.
answereth; _rest_ answerde (andswered).
2456. E.
resonablely.
2457. E.
matiere.
2459. E.
seyd; Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
seyden.
2460. E.
in; _rest_ after.
2462. E.
Hn.
gerdoned; _rest_ guerdoned.
2465. E.
Hn.
Pt.
gerdone.
2466. E.
encreesceden; Hn.
Ln.
encresceden;
Cp.
Cm.
encreseden; Pt.
encresden; Hl.
han schewed; ed.
1561, entreteden.
2468. thilke] E. this.
§ 31. ‘Lo, lo!
’ quod dame Prudence, ‘how lightly is every man enclyned to his owene desyr and to his owene plesaunce!
/ Certes,’ quod she, ‘the wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat han been understonden in this wyse.
/ For certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse, ne vengeaunce to vengeaunce, ne wrong to wrong; but they been semblable.
/2475 And therfore, o vengeaunce is nat warisshed by another vengeaunce, ne o wrong by another wrong; / but everich of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth other.
/ But certes, the wordes of the phisiciens sholde been understonden in this wyse: / for good and wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and werre, vengeaunce and suffraunce, discord and accord, and manye othere thinges.
/ But certes, wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse, discord by accord, werre by pees, and so forth of othere thinges.
/2480 And heer-to accordeth Seint Paul the apostle in manye places.
/ He seith: “ne yeldeth nat harm for harm, ne wikked speche for wikked speche; / but do wel to him that dooth thee harm, and blesse him that seith to thee harm.
” / And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees and accord.
/ But now wol I speke to yow of the conseil which that was yeven to yow by the men of lawe and the wyse folk, /2485 that seyden alle by oon accord as ye han herd bifore; / that, over alle thynges, ye sholde doon your diligence to kepen your persone and to warnestore your hous.
/ And seyden also, that in this caas ye oghten for to werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun.
/ And sir, as to the firste point, that toucheth to the keping of your persone; / ye shul understonde that he that hath werre shal evermore mekely and devoutly preyen biforn alle thinges, /2490 that Iesus Crist of his grete [217] mercy wol han him in his proteccioun, and been his sovereyn helping at his nede.
/ For certes, in this world ther is no wight that may be conseilled ne kept suffisantly withouten the keping of our lord Iesu Crist.
/ To this sentence accordeth the prophete David, that seith: / “if god ne kepe the citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth.
” / Now sir, thanne shul ye committe the keping of your persone to your trewe freendes that been approved and y-knowe; /2495 and of hem shul ye axen help your persone for to kepe.
For Catoun seith: “if thou hast nede of help, axe it of thy freendes; / for ther nis noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe freend.
” / And after this, thanne shul ye kepe yow fro alle straunge folk, and fro lyeres, and have alwey in suspect hir companye.
/ For Piers Alfonce seith: “ne tak no companye by the weye of a straunge man, but-if so be that thou have knowe him of a lenger tyme.
/ And if so be that he falle in-to thy companye paraventure withouten thyn assent, /2500 enquere thanne, as subtilly as thou mayst, of his conversacioun and of his lyf bifore, and feyne thy wey;
