Of the kepyng of a kyng. Capitulum 27m.
alexandre, dere sone, trust neuyr in women, in her werkis, in her service, ne in her company, ne dwelle thou nought with hem; and if þou must nede haue company of sum woman, loke that thou preve hir welle and longe, and in deuerse wise, or thou trust to moche in her, for a man þat is in the possessioun of a woman, he stondith as do iewelis in the hondis of a marchaunt, whiche that hath power to selle or to yeve tho Iewellis to whom him lust; right so doth [folio 13b] a man that puttith him in the hondis and power of a woman, he puttith his lyf and his deth in gret aventure: þou hast herd tolde that kyngis, dukis, and many othir worthi men haue ben dede thorugh venyme. Now the most violent venyme that any man kan deuyse or thynke is the yville wille of a woman, for ayens þat venyme is no leche that kan make tryacle, ne ordeyne medicyne or remedy, but only to fle the dampnacioun of hem. And also truste thou neuyr in oon sool ffisiciane, ne take neuer medicyne [from] on allone, but if gret nede make it, but lete many ffisiciens come togidre, and lete hem trete of that mater, and as they alle accorde, so is best to truste, for it is well perilous whan the lyf of a man stondith in the wille of oo persone. And thynke also, dere sone, whan thou were in Inde how thou haddist ben disceyvid thorugh thyn owen lust þat thou haddist to a maydene that was norisshyd with venyme, and had not y ben there and thorugh the craft that y knewe of phisnomye and of othir natures, thou haddist ben ded bi her; and therfore haue euyr abowt the good phisiciens and wise philesofris, that mowe telle the of suche accidentalle maters, and so maist thou kepe thyn helthe thorugh good governaunce; and thynke on thyn owen prosperite, the whiche is yovene vnto the of the excellent power of goddis maieste, and be suche in gouernaunce that þou maist be glorified and magnyfied in the nombre of wijs men.