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434
E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
[T. 9361-9394.
But though that Salomon spak swich a word,
Myn owene dere brother and my lord,
So wisly god my soule bringe at reste,
1490I hold your owene conseil is the beste.
For brother myn, of me tak this motyf,
I have now been a court-man al my lyf.
And god it woot, though I unworthy be,
(250)I have stonden in ful greet degree
1495Abouten lordes of ful heigh estaat;
Yet hadde I never with noon of hem debaat.
I never hem contraried, trewely;
I woot wel that my lord can more than I.
What that he seith, I holde it ferme and stable;
1500I seye the same, or elles thing semblable.
A ful gret fool is any conseillour,
That serveth any lord of heigh honour,
That dar presume, or elles thenken it,
(260)That his conseil sholde passe his lordes wit.
1505Nay, lordes been no foles, by my fay;
Ye han your-selven shewed heer to-day
So heigh sentence, so holily and weel,
That I consente and conferme every-deel
Your wordes alle, and your opinioun.
1510By god, ther nis no man in al this toun
Nin al Itaille, that coude bet han sayd;
Crist halt him of this conseil wel apayd.
And trewely, it is an heigh corage
(270)Of any man, that stopen is in age,
1515To take a yong wyf; by my fader kin,
Your herte hangeth on a Ioly pin.
Doth now in this matere right as yow leste,
For finally I holde it for the beste.'
Iustinus, that ay stille sat and herde,
1520Right in this wyse to Placebo answerde:
Myn owene dere brother and my lord,
So wisly god my soule bringe at reste,
1490I hold your owene conseil is the beste.
For brother myn, of me tak this motyf,
I have now been a court-man al my lyf.
And god it woot, though I unworthy be,
(250)I have stonden in ful greet degree
1495Abouten lordes of ful heigh estaat;
Yet hadde I never with noon of hem debaat.
I never hem contraried, trewely;
I woot wel that my lord can more than I.
What that he seith, I holde it ferme and stable;
1500I seye the same, or elles thing semblable.
A ful gret fool is any conseillour,
That serveth any lord of heigh honour,
That dar presume, or elles thenken it,
(260)That his conseil sholde passe his lordes wit.
1505Nay, lordes been no foles, by my fay;
Ye han your-selven shewed heer to-day
So heigh sentence, so holily and weel,
That I consente and conferme every-deel
Your wordes alle, and your opinioun.
1510By god, ther nis no man in al this toun
Nin al Itaille, that coude bet han sayd;
Crist halt him of this conseil wel apayd.
And trewely, it is an heigh corage
(270)Of any man, that stopen is in age,
1515To take a yong wyf; by my fader kin,
Your herte hangeth on a Ioly pin.
Doth now in this matere right as yow leste,
For finally I holde it for the beste.'
Iustinus, that ay stille sat and herde,
1520Right in this wyse to Placebo answerde:
