[6-text p 669] holy chirche. And that oother is [folio 232b] for a man / is heued of a womman. algate / by ordinaunce it sholde be so. [923] ffor if a womman / hadde no men than oon. thanne sholde she haue / moo heuedes than oon. and that were an horrible thyng biforn god. and eek / a womman / ne myghte nat plese to many folk / at oones. / And also / ther ne sholde neuere be pees ne reste amonges hem. for euerich / wolde / axen his owene thyng [924] ¶ And forther ouer / no man ne sholde knowe / his owene en|gendrure. ne who sholde haue his heritage. and the womman sholde been the lasse biloued / fro the tyme that she were / conioynt to many men
[925] NOw comth / how that a man sholde bere hym [¶ How a man sholde bere him with his wyf/] with his wif / and namely in two thynges. that is to seyn / in suffrance and reuerence as shewed Crist. whan he made first womman. [926] ffor he ne made hire nat of the heued of Adam. for she sholde nat clayme to greet lordshipe [927] for ther as the womman hath the maistrie / she maketh to muche desray / ther neden none ensamples of this. the experience of day by day oghte suffise [928] ¶ Also certes / god ne made nat womman of the foot of Adam / for she ne sholde nat been holden to lowe. for she kan nat paciently suffre. but god made womman of the ryb of Adam. for womman sholde be felawe vn-to man [929] Man sholde bere hym to his wyf In feith / in trouthe / and in loue / as seith seint [¶ Sanctus Paulus] Paul. that a man sholde louen his wyf / as Crist loued hooly chirche /. that loued it so wel / that he deyde for it. so sholde a man for his wy[f] if it were nede
[930] ¶ Now / how that a womman / sholde be subget [¶ How a womman / sholde be subget to hir housbonde / secundum Petrum & decretum] to hire housbonde that telleth seint Peter. ffirst in Obedi|ence [931] ¶ And eek / as seith the decree. A womman that is wyf / as longe as she is a wyf / she hath noon Auctoritee to swere ne bere witnesse / with-oute leue of hir housbonde. that is hire lord / algate / he sholde be so by reson [932] ¶ She sholde eek/ seruen hym in alle
