'ffor yt was hydde in especyal
ffrom hyr knowyng euerydel.
And also ek, ye wytë wel,
Line 5528
Offtë sythë Ryot & age
Puttë folkys in dotáge, [folio 82b] [[C. & St.]]
That they may not trouthë se. [[C. & St.]]
And for she doutede hyr off me [[C. & St.]]
Line 5532
To be blamyd in certeyn, [[C. & St.]]
Yiff so were she kome a-geyn,
Or put a-bak fro hyr entent,
Ther-fore she hath hyr clerk now sent,
Line 5536
Arystotyles the wyse,
In dyffence off hyr fraunchyse,
To thys lady Sapyence.
'And whan he kam to hyr presence,
Line 5540
As hym thouhtë fyrst was due,
Goodly he gan hyr to salue;
Affter, demeur & sad off chere, [Stowe folio 100b]
To hyre he sayde in thys manere: [[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]]
Line 5544
Arystotyles dyde hys massage in thys manere: [prose cap lxxvi]
'Ma dame,' quod he, 'in-to thys place,
Vnder súpport off your grace,
Nature hath me hyder sent,
To declare yow (off entent)
Line 5548
Your dyffautës, by & by;
And to shewe the causë why
Off my komyng, ys [[In St.]] thys, that ye
Han to-brook (as semeth me)
Line 5552
Off nature the ordynaunce,
And don [[done St., don C.]] to hyrë gret grevaunce,
Wych pleseth me neueradel,
Al be yt so, I love yow wel.
Line 5556
'Ye knowe (off your dyscrecyoun,
Off trouthe ek, yt ys no Resoun,
Who so cleerly looke & wel,) [folio 83a]
That an hous or a vessél
Line 5560
Sholde be lasse, & her ygynne, [Camb. MS. reads: It is no resoun that the vessel or the hous be lasse than that that is ther-inne, p. 44.] [[C. & St.]]
