But tel me this, why hydestow, with sorwe,
The keyes of thy cheste awey fro me?
It is my good as wel as thyn, pardee. 310
What wenestow make an idiot of our dame?
Now by that lord, that called is seint Iame,
Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,
Be maister of my body and of my good;
That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne yën; 315
What nedeth thee of me to enquere or spyën?
I trowe, thou woldest loke me in thy chiste!
Thou sholdest seye, “wyf, go wher thee liste,
Tak your disport, I wol nat leve no talis;
I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame Alis.” 320
We love no man that taketh kepe or charge
Wher that we goon, we wol ben at our large.
308. E. Cm. Hl. _om._ this. 309. thy] E. Cm. my. 311. E. Cm. to
make; _rest om._ to. 313. Hn. Ln. that; _rest om._ 315. Hl. yen; E.
eyen. 316. E. nedeth thee; _rest_ helpeth it. Hn. Cp. Ln. _om._
to. Hl. tenqueren; _read_ t’enquere. 319. _All but_ Cp. Ln. _om._
not (nat). 320. E. Pt. Alys; Ln. Ales.
Of alle men y-blessed moot he be,
The wyse astrologien Dan Ptholome,
That seith this proverbe in his Almageste, 325
“Of alle men his wisdom is the hyeste,
That rekketh never who hath the world in honde.”
By this proverbe thou shalt understonde,
Have thou y-nogh, what thar thee recche or care
How merily that othere folkes fare? 330
For certeyn, olde dotard, by your leve,
[330: T. 5914-5949.]
Ye shul have queynte right y-nough at eve.
He is to greet a nigard that wol werne
A man to lighte his candle at his lanterne;
He shal have never the lasse light, pardee; 335
Have thou y-nough, thee thar nat pleyne thee.
323. Hn. Hl. yblessed; _rest_ blessed. 324. MSS. Daun. E.
Protholome; Hn. Cm. Hl. P_ro_tholome. 326. E. Cm. _ins._ the _before_
hyeste; (_read_ th’ hy-est-e). 328. Cp. Pt. Ln. shal wel. 330. E.
myrily. 333. E. Cm. wolde.
Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay
With clothing and with precious array,
That it is peril of our chastitee;
And yet, with sorwe, thou most enforce thee, 340
And seye thise wordes in the apostles name,
“In habit, maad with chastitee and shame,
Ye wommen shul apparaille yow,” quod he,
“And noght in tressed heer and gay perree,
As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche;” 345
After thy text, ne after thy rubriche
I wol nat wirche as muchel as a gnat.
Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat;
For who-so wolde senge a cattes skin,
Thanne wolde the cat wel dwellen in his in; 350
And if the cattes skin be slyk and gay,
She wol nat dwelle in house half a day,
But forth she wole, er any day be dawed,
To shewe hir skin, and goon a-caterwawed;
This is to seye, if I be gay, sir shrewe, 355
I wol renne out, my borel for to shewe.