The fabill seith that Sephalus was an ancient knyght the which delyted hym grettely all his lyue in the disporte of huntyng, and he coude cast a darte hade sich a propirte that it was neuer cast in veyne, but it kyllyd all þat it tovched. And because that he hade a costome to ryse in the mornyng and to goo to the forest to aspye the wylde bestis, his wyff was ielous ouer hyme and supposed that he loued othir than hire, and for to know the trowthe she went after to aspy hym. Sephalus, the which was in the woode, when he herde the leues make noyse where that his wyff went, supposed that it hadde ben some wylde best, kest his iauelot and kyllyd his wyff. He was hevy of that mysse aventure, but there myght no remedy be hadde. The woman Lothes wyffe, as that Holy Scripture wytnessyth, turnyd ayen ayens the commawndment off the aungell, when she herde that the .v. cetees sanke behynde hyr, and therfor anon she was chawnged into a [Sidenote: f. 57.] salte ston. And be all sich figures may be sette many vndirstondynges. For the trwthe and for to take it in example for the trowthe, no good man shulde delyte hym to spye anothir in thynges that longeth not to hym; and to the entend that no man wolde be aspyed, Hermes seith, “Do not to thi felawe that the which thou woldyst not were done to the, and strech no snaris for to take men wythall, ne purches noon harme to theyme be aspyeng ne be wyles, for at the last it will turne opon þiselfe.” That a man shulde not sette hym for to spye may be vndirstondyn that the good sperite shuld not peyne hym to knowe othir mennis dedes, ne to enqwere tydyngges of othir. For Seynt John Crisostome seith opon the Gospell of Seynt Mathieu, “Howe takys thow so grete hede,” seith he, “of so many litell defawtes of othir men and latyst pase so many grete defawtes in thyn owyn dedes? Yf thou loued thi selfe better than thi neyghburght, whi empechest thou his dedes and leuys thyne owyn? Be diligent to considir thin owyn dedes fryst, and than consider the dedes off othir.” To this purpose owre Lorde seith in the Gospelle, [“Quid autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, trabem autem in oculo tuo non vides?”].[462] LXXVII. Disprayse not of Helene the councell; I counsel the so wythowte fayle, For ofte many hurtes falleth then, Because that we beleue not wyse men. Helene was brothir to Hector and Kyng Priantes sone of Troye. He was a full wyse clerke and full off konyng. As mych as he myght, he counseyled that Paarys shulde not goo into Grece to rauyssh Helayne; but thei wolde not do aftyr hym, for the which the Troyens were hurte. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld beleue wyse men and there councell, and Hermes seith, “Who so worchyppyth wyse men and vsyth there councell, thei be euerlestyng pepyll.”