| | 253 Syn they that defenden euery wight to assaye a thing of | |
| | the whiche he is in doubte / whether he may performe it or noo | |
| | 254 And after whan ye haue examyned your counceyll as I | |
| | haue said beforn and knowe well that ye may performe | |
| | your emprise / conferme hit than sadly til it be at an ende . | |
| 255 | N | Ow it is reson said she and tyme that I shewe yow | |
| | whan and wherfore that ye may chaunge your coun | |
| | ceyllours withouten repreef / 256 Sothly a man may change | |
| | his counceille or his purpose yf the cause cesseth or whan an | |
| | other cause begynneth 257 For the lawe vpon thinges that newly | |
| | betyden behoueth newe counceyll . 258 And Seneca saith Yf | |
| | that thy connceyll come to the eeris of wicked men thyn | |
| | enemyes / chaunge thy counceyll / 259 Thou maist also chaunge | |
| | thy counceyll yf so be that ther be errour or thou fynde ony | |
| | other cause harme or domage maye betyde / 260 Also yf thy coun | |
| | ceyll be dishonest or ellis cometh of dishonest cause / chaūge | |
| | thy counceyll 261 For the lawe saith that alle beheestes that ben | |
| | dishonest been of no valewe / 262 And eke yf so be that it be In | |
| | possible or may not goodly be performed or kept / 263 take this | |
| | for a general rewle that euery counceyll that is affermed | |
| | so strongly that it may not be changed for no condition | |
| | that may betide / I saye that ilke counceyll is wicked . | |
| 264 | T | His Mellebeus whan he herde the doctryne of his wif | |
| | dame prudence he answerd in this wise . 265 Dame said | |
| | he as yet in to this tyme ye haue couenably taught me as | |
| | in general how I shall gouerne me in chesyng and with- | |
| | holdyng of my counceyllours . 266 But now wolde I fayn that | |
| | ye wold condescende especyall 267 and telle me how liketh or | |
| | what semeth yow be our counceyllours that we haue chosen | |
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