'Allë vyces to restreyne;
Tharmure off thyn handys tweyne,
A-geyn the lust off fals touchyng,
Tast, or any dyshonest thyng
Line 7760
To ffele or touchë, as by wrong.
'ffor to make the syluë strong,
Thow shalt thy counsayl take off me,
Vp-on thyn handys, armyd to be
Line 7764
With a peyre off glouys sure.
And the name off that armure,
The thryddë part off attempraunce,
Wych ys callyd in substaunce [folio 122b]
Line 7768
(The taforce in thy dyffence)
The noble uertu 'contynence.'
Wych vertu, seyd in syngulerte,
Ys egal to pluralyte.
Line 7772
ffor thys vertu (yiff yt be souht)
By hym-sylff allone ys nouht
ffor honest wyl, conioynt with dede
In clennessë, ys worthy mede,
Line 7776
A-geyn al fflesshly ffreëlte
To arme [[To arme St., Tarme C. Stowe puts this line [folio 140a] before the one above it in C.]] A man in chastyte.
'Nouther off hem (who kan se)
May withouten other be,
Line 7780
No mor than (yiff I shal nat ffeyne)
With-oute noumbre off glouys tweyne,
No man ys suryd for [[for St., for to C.]] diffence,
ffor to makë résistence.
Line 7784
But whan that wyl & tast also
Ben accordyd, bothë two,
Off honeste, nat to trespáce,
Thogh they hadde fredám & space,
Line 7788
And also opportunyte
To don A-mys at lyberte,
Than semeth yt (yiff thow take hede)
He wer worthy ful gret mede;
Line 7792
As was Seyn Bernard, that holy man,
The wych (as I rehersë kan)
Was wel armyd on owther hond,
Whan he off a-venture ffond [[honde . . ffonde St.]]
Line 7796
