100
ȝoure empise be establisshet & ordeined be grete multitude of folke
ȝit þarre þe nouht accomplise þilke ordinance bot ȝowe likeþt ;
¶ For þe treuþe of þinges & þe profit bene rather y founde in fewe
folke þat bien wise and ful of resoūe þan be grete multitude of
folke þere euery man crieþ & clatereþ what hem likeþ ; Suche multi
multitude is nouht honest .
And as to þe secund reson . where as ȝe seine
þat al wēmen bene wikke . saue ȝour grace ; for certes ȝe dispisen al
wēmen in þis wise . And he þat aƚƚ despiseþ . aƚƚ þinge him dispiseþ as
seiþe þe boke .
And Seneca . seiþe who þat woƚƚ haue sapience schaƚƚ
And Suche þinges as nouȝ can he schal not be ascamed
to leren hem ; & to enqueren of lesse folke þan of him self ;
105
And sire þt
þare haþ bue many a goode wōmā maie lihtly be proued
¶ Certes sire
oure lorde ihū crist nold neuere haue descended to be borne of wōman if
al wēmen hadde be wikke .
And after þat for þe grete bounte þat is in
wēmen oure lorde ihc̃ whan he was resen fro deþe to lyf . he appered ra-
þer to wēmen þan he dide to his aposteles
¶ And þouhe þat Salomon
seiþ . he ne fonde neuer wōman goode . It fouloweþ nouht þere fore þat al
wēmen be wikke
¶ For þouhe þat he no fonde no good wōman . Certes
mony anoþer man haþ founden many a wōman ful goode & trewe ;
110
Or
elles perauenture þe entente of Salomon was þus ; That as in soue-
reine bounte he fonde no wōman
¶ Þis is to seie þat þere is no wight
þat haþe parfite bounte saue god alone as he him self recordeþ in his
euangeliste ;
For þere ne is no creture þat him ne wanteþ sūwhat of þer
parfeccōn of god þat is his maker
¶ The þred reson is þis ¶ ȝe seie þat
if ȝe gouern ȝoue be my counsel ; it scholde seme þat ȝe hadde ȝeue to me
þe maistre . & þe lordeschipe of ȝoure persone ;
sire ; saue ȝoure grace it is
nouht so ¶ For if so were þat noman scholde be conseiled bot only of
hem þat hadd lordeschip & meistre of his persou . men nold nouȝt be coū-
ceilled so oft .
115
For soþely þilke man þat axeþ counsel of a purpos ; ȝit
¶ And as to ȝour
ferþe reson . þere as ȝe seine þat þe Ianglerye of wēmen can hide þinges
þat þei wote nouht . As who seiþe ; þat a wōman kan nouht hide þt
sche wote ;
sire þes wordes buen vnderstonde of wēmen þat bien Ian-
glers & wikked ;
Of whiche wēmen . men seine þat þre þinges driueþ
a man oute of his house ¶ þat is to seie . Smoke . dropeinge of Reine ;
& wikked wyues
¶ And suche wēmen seiþe Salomon . þat him were bet-
ter duelle in desert . þan wiþ a wōman þat is reyetous .
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And sire be ȝour
leue þat am nouht .I.
For ȝe haue ful oft assaide my grete silence &
my grete pacience . And eke howe wele þat .I. can hide . & hele þinges þt
men ouhten sekerly to hiden
¶ And forþe as to ȝoure fift resone ; wher
as ȝe seie þat \in/ wiked counsel wēmen venquyseþ men ; Gode wote þilke
reson stondeþ here in no stede