Thus shul ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde;
For half so boldely can ther no man
Swere and lyen as a womman can.
I sey nat this by wyves that ben wyse,
[327: T. 5812-5845.]
But-if it be whan they hem misavyse. 230
A wys wyf, if that she can hir good,
Shal beren him on hond the cow is wood,
And take witnesse of hir owene mayde
Of hir assent; but herkneth how I sayde.
226. E. beren: _om._ wrong. 228. MSS. lye; _read_ lyen. Hn. Ln. a
womman kan; Pt. womman can; _rest_ kan a womman. 231. E. Hn. Cm. A
wys; Hl. I-wis a; _rest_ wise. _Read_ wys-e? 232. Hl. beren; _rest_
bere. Cm. cou; Pt. Ln. cowe.
‘Sir olde kaynard, is this thyn array? 235
Why is my neighebores wyf so gay?
She is honoured over-al ther she goth;
I sitte at hoom, I have no thrifty cloth.
What dostow at my neighebores hous?
Is she so fair? artow so amorous? 240
What rowne ye with our mayde? _benedicite_!
Sir olde lechour, lat thy Iapes be!
And if I have a gossib or a freend,
With-outen gilt, thou chydest as a feend,
If that I walke or pleye un-to his hous! 245
Thou comest hoom as dronken as a mous,
And prechest on thy bench, with yvel preef!
Thou seist to me, it is a greet meschief
To wedde a povre womman, for costage;
And if that she be riche, of heigh parage, 250
Than seistow that it is a tormentrye
To suffre hir pryde and hir malencolye.
And if that she be fair, thou verray knave,
Thou seyst that every holour wol hir have;
She may no whyle in chastitee abyde, 255
That is assailled up-on ech a syde.
242. E. Pt. Hl. lecchour. 250. E. Cm. _om._ that. E. Cm. Hl. and
of; _rest_ of. 251. E. Cm. Hl. _om._ that. 252. E. soffren.
Thou seyst, som folk desyre us for richesse,
Somme for our shap, and somme for our fairnesse;
And som, for she can outher singe or daunce,
And som, for gentillesse and daliaunce; 260
Som, for hir handes and hir armes smale;
Thus goth al to the devel by thy tale.
Thou seyst, men may nat kepe a castel-wal;
[328: T. 5846-5880.]
It may so longe assailled been over-al.
257. E. Cm. that som. E. Hn. Cm. desiren. 258. E. Cm. _om._ and.
259. E. Cm. Hl. _om._ outher. E. Cm. Hl. and (_for_ or). 260. and]
E. Cm. and som for; Hl. or.
And if that she be foul, thou seist that she 265
Coveiteth every man that she may se;
For as a spaynel she wol on him lepe,
Til that she finde som man hir to chepe;
Ne noon so grey goos goth ther in the lake,
As, seistow, that wol been with-oute make. 270
And seyst, it is an hard thing for to welde
A thing that no man wol, his thankes, helde.
Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde;
And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde,
Ne no man that entendeth un-to hevene. 275
With wilde thonder-dint and firy levene
Mote thy welked nekke be to-broke!
269. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. ther; _rest om._ 270. Cp. Pt. Ln. that; _rest
om._ 271, 272. Hn. Hl. wolde, holde. 277. E. Hn. Pt. Ln. welked;
Cm. wekede; Cp. Hl. wicked.
Thow seyst that dropping houses, and eek smoke,
And chyding wyves, maken men to flee
Out of hir owene hous; a! _benedicite_! 280
What eyleth swich an old man for to chyde?