[6-text p 208] knowe & this it may nat bee [2252. For it is written, 'the Iangelerye of women can hide thyngis that they wot nought.' [2253] Furthermore the philo|sopher saith, 'in wikkede conseyl wemen venquysse men;' and for these reasons I ought not to make use of thy counsel. See lines 2274, 2280, p. 209, 210, below.] [2254]
WHan dame Prudence ful debonerly & with greet pacience hadde herd al that hire husbonde hadde seyd & that hym likede for to seyne / thanne axed sche of hym lycence for to spekyn & seyde in this wyse [2255] ¶ Myn lord quod sche as to ȝoure fyrste resoun certis it may lyghtely been answeryd ffor I seye that it is no folye for to chaunge conseyl / whan the thyng is chaungit / or ellys whan the þyng semyth othir wyse than it was by forn / [2256] And moore-ouyr I seye / that thogh that ȝe han sworn & by-hight to perforne ȝoure empryse / & nathe-les ye weyue to perforne tilke same empryse by iuste cause / men schulde nat seyn therefore / that ȝe weere a lyere ne for-sworn [2257] for the bok seyth that the wyse man makyth no lesynge; whan he turnyth hise corage to the bettere. [2258] And al be it so that ȝoure empryse be establid & ordeined / by gret multitude of folk / ȝit thar ȝe not accomplyssche thikke same ordynau[n]ce but ȝow lyke // [2259] ffor the trouthe of thyngis & the profyt been rathere ffoundyn in fewe folk that been wyse & ful of resoun than by greet multytude of folk theere euery man cryeth & clateryth what that hym lykyth / sothly swich [folio 330a] multytude is nat honest / [2260] And to the secunde resoun wheere that ȝe seyn that alle wemen been wekke. saue ȝoure grace / certis ȝe dispise alle wemen in this wyse / & he that alle dispiseth; alle displesyth as seyth the book / [2261] & senek seyth / that who so wele haue sapi|ence. schal no man dispreyse / but he schal gladly teche the cience that he can; with-outyn presumpcioun or pride / [2262] And sweche thyngis as he nought ne can; he schal not been aschamed to lerne hem / & enquyre of lasse
