[6-text p 208] knowe and þis ne may nought be doo [2252. For it is written, 'þe Iangelry of wommen can huyde þinges þat þey wot nouȝt' [2253] Furthermore, the philosopher saith, 'in wikked counseil, wommen venquyssheþ men;' and for these reasons I ought not to make use of thy counsel. (See Prudence's answers to Reasons 4 & 5, below.)]
[2254] ¶ When dame Prudence ful debonerly and wiþ alle pacience hadde herde alle þat hire housbonde liked for to say: Then asked sche of him licence for to speke and sayde in þis wise [2255] ¶ My lord quod sche. as to ȝoure ferste resoun it may lightly ben answerde ¶ ffor I say þat it nys foly to chaunge counseille when þe þing is chaunged Oþer elles when þe þing semeþ oþer weyes þenne it semeþ aforn [2256] ¶ And more ouer I say þay þat ȝe haue sworn and behight to parfourme ȝoure emprise [et tu la laissoies a faire (Le Ménagier de Paris, i. 193)] by iuste cause; men schulde nouȝt seyn þerfore þat ȝe were a lyere ne forsworn [2257] ¶ ffor þe book seiþ þat þe wise man makeþ no lesynge when he torneþ his corage / to þe bettre [2258] ¶ And if it be so þat ȝoure emprise be establissht and ordeyned by gret multitude of folk ¶ ȝet þar þe nought acomplyse þilke ordynaunce but ȝou like [2259] ¶ ffor þe trouþe of þinges and for profite ben raþer founde. in fewe folk þat ben wise / and fulle of reson þen by gret multitude of folk þer euery man cryeþ and clatereþ when him likeþ ¶ soþly such multitude nys nought honeste [2260] and as to þe secounde reson wher as ȝe sayn þat alle wommen ben wikke; Saue ȝoure grace ffor certes ȝe despyseþ alle wommen in þis wise. and he þat alle despiseþ all dispyseþ as seiþ þe book [2261] ¶ And Senek seiþ þat who so wole haue sapi|ence. schal no man dispreyse ¶ But he schal gladly teche þe science þat he can wiþouten presumpsioun or pryde [2262] and suche þinges þat he nought ne can he schal nouȝt be asshamed to lere him and to enquere of lasse
