DXXVIII.
Mulier eciam amicum nititur decipere.
Valerius tellis of one þat hight Zenocrates Platonicus, whilk þat was a man̛ of sucℏ vertue, þat he wolde lat no man̛ swere for no maner of cauce, bod att euere man̛ sulde be trowid̛ be his playn̛ wurd̛; & he was ffamilier vnto a womman̛ of Athenis. So on̛ a day as sho spak with oþer wommen̛, sho trustyng gretelie in þe familiaritie of þis philosophur, sho laid̛ a grete wageor at sho sulde bryng hym̛ oute of þe purpos of chastite. So þis philosophur on̛ a tyme come vnto hur, & sho made hym̛ mery of wyne so þat he liste slepe. & sho lenyd his head̛ down̛ in hur kne, & of his awn̛ wyƚƚ þer he lay a grete while. And evur sho talkid vnto hym̛ wurdis to provoce hym̛ to luste of his bodie, and yit be no wyse myght sho induce hym̛ þerto, & so he went his wais & sho loste hur wageor. And when̛ þe toder wommen̛ axked hur þat at sho had loste, sho ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛, þat sho layd̛ hur wageor of a man̛ & not of a stokk̘, for he was a stokk, sho sayd̛, & no man̛.