The pylgrym: [[C. has this heading 4 lines higher.]]
"Ma dame," quod I, ("yiff ye lyst lere,) [Stowe folio 156a]
I ha founde a chaumberere,
Me suyng at my bak be-hynde,
Off whom I hadde to-forn no mynde
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Nor no maner rémembraunce;
And syker, I ha no gret plesaunce
Off hyr offyce nor hyr seruise;
Causë why, I shal devyse:
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Me semeth she ys vngracyous,
Counterfeet & monstruous:
And as me semeth in my syht,
She ne kan nat, halff a-ryht,
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Wyth me trussen myn armure,
Nouther kepe myn harneys sure."
Grace dieu:
'Certys,' quod Gracë dieu ryht tho,
'I wot my sylff yt ys nat so:
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She kan hem trussë most trewly,
And beren [[beren St., bern C.]] also sykerly.
Wherfor, in thyn oppynyoun,
Tyl thow haue occasïoun
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Or som cause, dyspreyse hyr nouht;
ffor whan the trouthe ys clerly souht,
Thow shalt knowë wel that she
Ys ful necéssarye to the,
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Yiff thow lyst maken [[maken St., makem C.]] prouydence [folio 137b]
Off any konnyng or scyence,
Yt to concevue wyth-outë lak,
'By cause hyr Eyen stonden bak,
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Yt ys a sygne (as thow shalt lere)
That she is a tresourere
Off konnyng & of sciencys, [Stowe folio 156b]
And off all Experyencys
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That be commyttyd to hyr garde;
Yiff thow konne a-ryht rewarde,
Thyngis passyd, thow shalt fynde
Sche kepeth hem closyd in hyr mynde,
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Sorë shet wyth lok & keye,
That they go nat lyhtly awey.
