defaut make ten tymes gretter yuel come forth, which ouȝte not bi eny lawe of God to be doon.
Who euer wole se more for iustifiyng of the seid first and ije. principal gouernauncis now bifore tretid thoruȝout this present ije. partie of this book, rede he ouer weel The book of worschiping thoruȝ hise bothe parties, and there of this mater he schal se more toward the fulnes.
xviij. CHAPITER.
FOR to make a cleer soiling answere to the xiije. argument y putte bifore these vj. reulis or supposi|ciouns. Oon is this: Fro eeldist daies contynueli hidir to men weren [were, MS. (first hand).] woned forto speke and write her wordis not oonli in treuthe, but also ther with to gidere for to speke and write tho wordis in sum gaynes and bewte or in sum deliciosite; and into this eende and purpos thei vsiden certein colouris of re|thorik, that with hem her spechis schulde be the more lusti, and thei ordeyneden summe certeyn figuris rennyng therwith forto excuse tho colourid spechis fro vntrouthe, and summe othere certein figuris for to excuse tho spechis fro vncongruyte of gramer: euen riȝt as menn fro eeldist daies hider to weren woned not oonli for to ete her mete, but also ther with forto ete her mete in deliciose maner; and therfore thei ordeyneden spicis and saucis forto therwith make her mete the more sauori and more plesant. This reule is so open to alle men, which taken heede how the myche custom of spechis and writingis han be maad and ȝit ben mad, that nede is not forto make therto eny proof.
