[6-text p 208] knowe and this / ne may noght be [2252. Car il est escript, la genglerie des femmes ne puct riens celler fors ce qu'elle ne scet. [2253] Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil. MS Reg. 19 C. vii, in Tyrwhitt, iv. 335. (See Prudence on Reasons 4 & 5, further on.)]
[2254] Whanne dame Prudence / ful debonairly and [¶ Prudence] with greet pacience / hadde herd / al that hir housbonde liked for to seye / thanne axed she of hym licence for to speke / and seyde in this wise [2255] ¶ My lord quod she / as to youre firste reson / certes it may lightly been answered ¶ ffor I seye / that it is no folie / to chaunge conseil ‖. whan the thyng is chaunged ¶ or elles / whan the thyng semeth / ootherweyes / than it was biforn [2256] ¶ And mooreouer I seye / that though ye han sworn and bihight to perfourne youre emprise ¶ And nathelees / ye weyue to perfourne / thilke same emprise by Iuste cause / men sholde nat seyn therfore / that ye were a lier ne forsworn [2257] ¶ ffor the book seith / þat the wise man maketh no lesyng whan he turneth his corage to the bettre [2258] ¶ And al be it so / that youre emprise be establissed and ordeyned / by greet multitude of folk / yet thar ye nat accomplice thilke ordinance / but yow like [2259] ¶ ffor the trouthe of thynges / and the profit been rather founden in fewe folk that been wise / and ful of reson / than by greet multitude of folk ther euery man crieth and clatereth / what that hym liketh ¶ Soothly / swich multitude is nat honeste [2260] ¶ As to the seconde reson /. where as ye seyn þat alle wommen been wikke? Saue youre grace / certes ye despisen alle wommen in this wyse / [car il est escript, qui tout desprist, a tous desplaist] [2261] & Senec seith / that who so wole haue sapi|ence [¶ Seneca] / shal no man despise but he shal gladly / techen the science that he kan with-outen presumpcion or pride / [2262] And swiche thynges // as he nought ne kan / he shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem and enquere of lasse
