[Sidenote: [FOLLY OF REHOBOAM.]] After the deth of Salomon, Whan thilke wise king was gon, [Sidenote: Hic dicit quod Seniores magis experti ad Principis consilium admittendi pocius existunt. Et narrat qualiter, pro eo quod Roboas Salomonis filius et heres senium sermonibus renuncians dicta iuuenum preelegit, de xii. tribubus Israel a dominio suo x. penitus amisit, et sic cum duabus tantummodo illusus postea regnauit.] And Roboas in his persone Receive scholde the corone, 4030 The poeple upon a Parlement[1322] Avised were of on assent, And alle unto the king thei preiden, With comun vois and thus thei seiden: ‘Oure liege lord, we thee beseche That thou receive oure humble speche And grante ous that which reson wile,[1323] Or of thi grace or of thi skile. Thi fader, whil he was alyve And myhte bothe grante and pryve, 4040 Upon the werkes whiche he hadde The comun poeple streite ladde: Whan he the temple made newe, Thing which men nevere afore knewe[1324] He broghte up thanne of his taillage, And al was under the visage [Sidenote: =P. iii. 228=] Of werkes whiche he made tho. Bot nou it is befalle so, That al is mad, riht as he seide, And he was riche whan he deide; 4050 So that it is no maner nede, If thou therof wolt taken hiede, (4250*) To pilen of the poeple more, Which long time hath be grieved sore. And in this wise as we thee seie, With tendre herte we thee preie That thou relesse thilke dette, Which upon ous thi fader sette. And if thee like to don so, We ben thi men for everemo, 4060 To gon and comen at thin heste.’ The king, which herde this requeste, Seith that he wole ben avised, And hath therof a time assised; And in the while as he him thoghte Upon this thing, conseil he soghte. And ferst the wise knyhtes olde, To whom that he his tale tolde, [Sidenote: De consilio Senium.] Conseilen him in this manere; That he with love and with glad chiere 4070 Foryive and grante al that is axed Of that his fader hadde taxed; For so he mai his regne achieve With thing which schal him litel grieve. The king hem herde and overpasseth, And with these othre his wit compasseth, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 229=] That yonge were and nothing wise. And thei these olde men despise, [Sidenote: De consilio iuuenum.] And seiden: ‘Sire, it schal be schame For evere unto thi worthi name, 4080 If thou ne kepe noght the riht,[1325] Whil thou art in thi yonge myht, Which that thin olde fader gat.