Structure of the Tale of Melibee (from Helen Cooper’s Oxford Guide, 315-16)

967-73 (2157-63) Melibee's foes break into his house, beat his wife and wound his daughter Sophie with five 'mortal woundes'.

974-1001 (2164-9 1) Prudence draws Melibee away from excessive grief.

1002-49 (2192-239) At her instigation, Melibee summons a large council of all kinds of people; he is given conflicting advice, but he decides to follow the prevailing voice to wreak war and vengeance.

1050-114 (2240-304) Prudence counters Melibee's reluctance to follow her own advice by a defence of women.

1115- 1231 (2305-421) She lays down principles of wise self-counselling and of prudent discrimination between good and bad counsellors and good and bad advice.

1232-354 (2422- 544) She analyses Melibee's errors in his calling of counsellors, and in his interpretation of their advice.

1355-426 (2545-616) She analyses the true causes of Melibee's affliction, culminating in an allegorical reading of it.

1427-545 (2617-735) She urges the superiority of patience to vengeance.

1546-670 (2736- 860) To counter Melibee's trust in wealth and might, she advises the careful use of riches, concern for one's good name, and a distrust of the chances of battle.

1671-725 (2861-915) Prudence overrides her husband's objections to a peaceful settlement and persuades him to seek reconciliation.

1726-69 (2916-59) She searches out his enemies and persuades them to submit to her husband; they, like Melibee, acknowledge her superiority.

1770-887 (2960-3077) Melibee agrees to her terms, and receives his enemies; she dissuades him from punishing them, and the treatise ends with his speech of forgiveness--'to this ende, that God of his endelees mercy wole at the tyme of oure diynge foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespased to hym in this wrecched worId'.