¶ O noble wyues / ful of heigh prudence [¶ Auctor]
lat noon humilite / ȝoure tonges nayle
Ne late no Clerk / haue cause or diligence
Line 1185
To wryte of ȝow / a storie of swich meruaille [folio 105b]
As of Grisilde / pacient and kynde
lest Chechiuache / ȝow swelwe / in hire entraille
Line 1188
¶ ffolweth Ekko / that holdeth noon silence
But euere answereth / at the counter taille
Beth nat be-daffed / for ȝoure Innocence
Line 1191
But sharply taketh on ȝow / the gouernaille
Emprenteth wel / this lesson / in ȝoure mynde
ffor comune profyt / sithe it may a-vaille
Line 1194
¶ Ȝe Archewyues / stondeth ay at defence
Syn ȝe ben stronge / as is a gret Camaille
Ne suffreth nat / that men ȝow do offence
Line 1197
And sklendre wyues / feble as in bataille
Beth egre / as a Tygre is be-ȝonde in Inde
Ay clappeth as a Mille / I ȝow counsaille
Line 1200
¶ Ne drede hem nat / doth hem no reuerence
For though thyn husbonde / armed be in maille
The arwes of thyn crabbed / eloquence
Line 1203
Shal perse his brest / and eke his auentaille
In ielousye / I rede eke thow him bynde
And þou shalt make him couche / as doth a quaille
Line 1206
¶ If thow be fair / there folk ben in presence
Shewe thow thy vysage / and thyn apparaille
If thow be foule / be free of thyn dispence
Line 1209
To gete the frendes / ay do thyn trauaille
Be ay of chere as light / as lef on lynde
And late him care / wepe / wrynge / and waille
Line 1212
