 |
| by strengthe ne be deliuernes of body / but by counceill and | |||
| by auctorite of persones & by science / the whiche thre thinges | |||
| ne be not feble by age / but certes they enforce & encrece day | |||
| by day / 198 And than shal ye kepe this for a general rewle / . | |||
| First shal ye clepe to your counceyll a fewe of your frendes | |||
| that ben specyall / 199 For Salamon saith / Many a frende haue | |||
| thou / but among a thousand chese the one to be thy coun- | |||
| ceyllour / 200 For al be hit so that thou first telle thy counceyll | |||
| to fewe / thou maist after telle thy counceyll to mo folke yf | |||
| hit be nede / 201 But loke alway that thy counceillours haue tho | |||
| thre condicions that I haue said beforn / that is to saye that | |||
| they be trewe . wise . and of old experience / 202 And werke not | |||
| alleway in euery nede by one counceillour allone / For som | |||
| tyme hit behoueth to be counceylled by many / 203 For Sala- | |||
| mon saith / Saluation of thinges is there where be many | |||
| counceyllours / 204 Now sith I haue told yow . of whiche folke | |||
| that ye shold be counceilled / Now will I telle whiche coun | |||
| ceyll ye shal eschewe . 205 First ye shal eschewe the counceillyng | |||
| of foles / For Salamon saith take no counceyll of a fool . | |||
| For he ne can not counceylle but after his luste and his | |||
| affection / 206 The book saith that the properte of a fool is this | |||
| He troweth harme lightly of euery wight / And lightly | |||
| troweth all bounte in hym self / 207 Ye shall also eschewe the | |||
| counceyllyng of flaterars / suche as enforce hem rather to | |||
| preyse your personne be flaterye / than to telle you the soth- | |||
| fastnes of thinges . 208 Wherfore Tullius saith Amonge alle | |||
| the pestelences that been in frende ship / the grettest is flatte- | |||
| rye / And therfore hit is more nede to eschewe and drede | |||
| flaterers than ony other peple / 209 The book saith thou shalt | |||