ouȝten be chaungid; for thanne ouer many and ouer thicke chaungis of ful vertuose gouernauncis schulde be mad, and no good gouernaunce schulde be bi [bi is interlineated by a later (?) hand.] eny while contynued: but certis aȝens such vicis comyng bi tho gouernauncis labour ouȝte be maad, and tho gouernauncis ouȝten be suffrid to stonde and contynue stille.
Another confirmacioun into this present purpos may be this: If y haue a fruyteful tre, which in oon or in summe of hise braunchis hath a canker, schal y therfore hewe doun al my tre? Goddis forbode y schulde be so lewid; but y ouȝt rather pare awey the canker, and sette medicyn therto, and lete the tre stonde forto bringe forth good fruyt. Also in caas that this tree in summe of his bowis bringith forth soure applis and in summe othere bowȝes sweete hap|plis and gode, as y haue knowe so to be trewe in a tre which hath come of dyuerse graffis in oon stok, or if perauenture many of tho applis roten upon the tre, eer it be tyme to schake the tree, schal y therfore hewe doun the tree? Nay, nai, y ouȝte cast awei what is badde, ȝhe, and helpe cure what is badde, and kepe what is good. Wherfore bi like skile in oure present purpos a badde husbondrie [husbondie, MS. (first hand).] it were for [for is interlineated in a later hand.] to caste awey the having and vsing of ymagis for ech moral vice which myȝte rise therbi, namelich sithen the havyng and vsing of ymagis is fruyteful into moral good, and the yuel therbi comyng is pareable and kutteable awey bi good and thrifti bisynes therto sett. And this is ynouȝ forto schewe, that the iije. bifore spokun and sett doom of resoun is not sufficient forto weerne and lette the hauyng and vsing of ymagis into rememoratijf or mynding signes.
