[6-text p 662] wynneth he the moste partie of this worlde / [851] And right as a Merchaunt deliteth hym moste in chafare that he hath moost auauntage of/ right so deliteth the fende in this ordure /
[852] This is that other [hond] of the deuel with .v. fyngers to cacche the peple to this vileynye // [853] The firste fynger is the fool lokynge of the fool womman. and of the fool man that sleeth right as the basilicok/ sleth folke / by the venym of hys [Christ Church MS folio 271a] syght for the couetise of the eyen / folwen the couetyse of the herte // [854] The secound fynger is the vyleyns touchynge in wicked manere / And therfore seith seint Salomon. that who so toucheth and handleth a woman he fareth lyke hym that handleth the Scorpion that styngeth & sodeinly sleeth thurgh his enuenemynge / as who so touchith warme piche. hit shent hise fingres // [855] The thridde is fool wordes. that farith lyke fuyr that right anoon brenneth the herte // [856] The ferthe fynger. is the kyssynge / And trewely he were a greet fool that wolde kysse the Mouth of a brennynge Ouene. or of a Forneis [857] And more fooles ben they that kyssen in vileynye / For that Mouth is the Mouthe of helle / And namely this olde Dotardes holors yet wole they kysse; thogh they may nat doo. & smatre hem / [858] Certes they ben lyke to houndes / For an hounde whan he cometh by the roser or by other beautes. thogh he may nat pisse / yet wole he heue up his legge and make kon|tenaunce to pisse / [859] And for that many man weneth that he may nat synne for no lykerousnesse that he doth with his wyfe certes that opynyon is fals / god woot a man may slen hym selfe with his owne knyfe / & make hym selfe dronke of his owne tonne / [860] Certis be it wyfe or childe. or any wordly thynge that he loueth byforn god / it is his mawment. & he is an ydolastre / [861] A man sholde louen his wyfe by discrecion / paciently and attemprely. and thanne is she as it were
