[6-text p 432]
¶ ffor oute of doute þis olde poure man
Line 904
Þat whan þe lorde had fulfilde his corage
For euer it demed siþþe it first began
Him wold þinge it were disparage
Line 907
To wedde one of so pouere a lignage
To his astate so lowe to a lyht
And voide hir as sone as euer he myht
Line 910
¶ Aȝeine his douhter hastely goþe he
Line 911
For he be noyse of folke knewe hire comeinge
And wiþ hire olde cote as it miht be
He couerde hir ful sorwfully wepinge
Line 914
Bot on hir bodi myht he it nouht bringe
For rude was þe cloþe and more of age
Be fele daies þan was hire Mariage
Line 917
¶ Thus wiþ hire fader for a certeine space
Line 918
Dwelleþ þis floure of wifly pacience
That neyþe[r] be hir wordes ne be hir face
Be-forne þe folke ne eke in hir absence.
Line 921
Ne schewede sche þat hir was done offence
Ne of hire hihe astate in remembrance
Ne hadde sche as be hir countenance
Line 924
¶ No wondere is for in hire grete astate
Line 925
Hire goste was euer in pleine humilite
No tendre mouþe none herte delicate
Ne pompe ne semblant of roialte
Line 928
Bot ful of pacience and benignite
Discrete and prideles ay honurable
And to hir husbond euere meke and stable
Line 931
¶ Men speken of Iob and most of his humblesse
Line 932
As clerkes whan hem liste can endite
Namely of men bot as in sothefastnesse [folio 125b]
Thow clerkes preisen wemmen bo[t] a lite
Line 935
