For of þe wil he takeþ hede,
Whon he schal quite a monnes mede.
Line 115
Þe bible bereþ witnesse [Et Raab meretrix fuit, sed postquam domino credidit, salutem invenit;]
Of a wommon of vnclennesse,
Þat þat tyme was Raab iclept,
But aftur þat heo for hir sunnes wept
And in God hedde good bileue,
Line 120
And God hele hire sone had ȝeue.
And also þe byble witnesseþ hit:
Þe noble wommon Judit, [et Judith se, ut adultero placeret, ornavit, quae tamen quia hoc religione, non amore, faciebat, nemo eam adulteram judicabat. (130 Zus.).]
Forte plese an auouter,
Made hire gay and liht of cher;
Line 125
For heo dude þat not for loue
Ne for no displesyng of God aboue,
Þer wente no mon bi þe wey
Þat heo avouteres was wolde sey".
And þen heo seide: "beo my hode,
Line 130
Nou ben þese ensaumples goode: [Bene successit exemplum, nam, si illa, quae se commisit religioni, et pudorem servavit et patriam, fortassis et nos servando religionem servabimus etiam castitatem;]
For, ȝif Judit dude þat for religiun
And wiþ good deuociun
Kept hir clannes and hire cuntre,
In hap hit may falle so by me:
Line 135
Ȝif i kepe my religiun wel,
I may me kepe chast eueridel.
"Ȝit, heo seide, i seo more: [quodsi Judith pudicitiam religioni praeferre voluisset, perdita prima etiam pudicitiam perdidisset".]
Ȝif Judit hedde iput bifore
Clannes raþer þen religioun,
Line 140
Par auntre heo hedde ifallen doun
And lost cuntrei and clannes
And al þe name of goodnes".
Þe wordus in herte heo heold wel
Þat crist seide in þe gospel: [Itaque talibus informata exemplis silenter animo tenens verba domini, quibus ait: "Quicunque perdiderit animam suam propter me, inveniet eam", flevit et tacuit, ne eam vel loquentem adulter audiret, nec pudoris elegit injuriam sed Christi recusavit.]
Line 145
Who so leoseþ his lyf for me
He schal hit fynde aȝein, parde.
Whon heo þus hedde iþouht and seid,
Wondurliche heo abreyd
And wepte sore and heold hire pes,
Line 150
Lest eny auouter hed herd hire res;
Ne heo chese nouȝt of hire clannes
Þe wrong, but refused wiþ mekenes
Þe wrong don to Crist of miht,
Þat lord is of alle riht.
Line 155
SEint Ambrose bit us take nou hed [Ms. non.] [Aestimate utrum adulterare potuerit corpore quae nec voce adulteravit.]
Of þis wommon maydenhed:
Wheþer hir bodi miht do auoutrie,
Ȝif hit weore constreyned be maistrie,
Whos vois to lecherie nolde assent,
Line 160
Þouh þe bodi schulde beo torent.
Sum tyme mi resun aschomed was, [Jamdudum verecundabatur oratio mea et quasi adire gestorum seriem crimino|sam atque explanare formidat. Claudite aures, virgines Dei! ducitur puella Dei ad lupanar; sed aperite aures, virgines Dei! virgo prostitui potest, adulterari non potest; ubicunque dei virgo est, templum Dei est, nec lupanaria infamant castitatem, sed castitas etiam loci abolet infamiam (engl. bezieht loci falsch).]
Ambrose seiþ, to here þis cas,
Or of þe orible doing
To schewe ouht in seying;
Line 165
But alle ȝe Godus maidenes clene,
Schutteþ ȝor eres al bidene!
For þenne þis mayden — þat was del!—
Lad heo was to þe bordel.
Bot, þauh ȝor eȝen renne on teres,
Line 170
Ȝit, maidenes, openeþ ȝor eres
And vndurstondeþ: sikerli,
A maiden wiþ strengþe may beo leȝe bi,
But aȝeines hir wil such vilenye
Schal beo told for non avoutrye;
Line 175
For wher so euere Godus maiden is,
Þer Godus temple is, iwis,
Ne þe bordel place, parde,
