Off the keping of the body after the consaill of Lechis. Capitulum xxxviijm.
alexander, in exspeciall kep the fro venym and pusouns: well [folio 49bL] Whe wot that many kingys and princys that myght not be ouercome with armys by wenym loste thar lywis, And othir whillis by þe hand of that man in whom moste thay trustid, And namely by whemen, for loue of whemen blindith the vndirstanding of men, and ham makith ouer moch to truste of Wemen. Therfor thou shalt not trust in wemen ar that thou han ham approvid, ffor alsson that thou trust the in a woman thy lif is in hir handis. Alexander, well sholdiste thou remenber the þat Sum tym the Quen of Inde the send fair yeftis and gret, Among which she send the a ful fair damsell, Of whos beaute thu wer anon I-caghte. But I, that present ther with the was, besili beheld that damsell, and hir contenaunce, & hir lokinge; And I apparcevid that she had frekelit eyen, and without sham fichit hir sight in men vesagis, by the which I vndirstod well that euery man that hir tuchid Anon shold be enfectid with wenyn without hop of lif, for she was of a child I-norshit with venym, And therfor she was all venym; And yef I had not varnyte the therof at the furste tuching she had shent the. Therfor thou sholdiste haue with the in al tymmys gode lechis and fi[si]ciens; And thou shalt not truste the in on lech, for he myȝt the priuely don the harm, The lighter that he is alon. But manny lechis togedir wold not consent so lighteli to mys-don, ffor euery of tham shall dout othir; therfor of [lechis in] Sciens and wiesdom beste I-provid and of the be beste fam, by thar consaill tak thou medesyne [folio 50L] What the nedith.