she wylle obeye of curtesieA wyf is keper of thy husbondryeWel may the seek man bewayle and wepeThere as no wyf is the hous to kepeI warne the if thou wysely wilt wircheLoue wel thy wyf as crist loueth his
newe wyf / And anone the seruaunt wente in to the hows / and s yd to Exantus wyf / Madame ther ben newe tydyuges / And what ben they sayd she / Exantus shalle haue a newe wyf /
cosyns of his wyf. And yf he take hyr the maryage is none after the lawe / and yf he take a wyf after hyr cosyn. he loseth the ryght that he hath to hys owen wyf. in so moche
in for to preyse the to thy lady and maystresse my wyf / well sayd Esope / And Exan∣tus entryd in to his hows / and sayd to his wyf / Dame ye shalle nomore haue cause to be at
a walBut drede not yf I playnly speke shalA wyf wil laste and in thy hous endureWel lenger than the liste {per}auentureMariage is a ful greet sacramentWho that hath no wyf is but shentHe liuyth helples and is al desolatI
to mariageAnd namely with a yong wyf & a feirBe hym that made watir erthe and heirThe yongest man that is in al this routeIs besy ynough to brynge it abouteTo haue a wyf alone but trusteth meYe shul not
the chere / And therfore thou oughtest to saye to thy wyf / and not to her that loueth the best / ¶ Thenne Exātus sayd to his wyf thou seest that this felawe is a raylar and an Inuentar
at his dyner / there was brought before hym vnto his wyf a child of thre yere of age / or there aboute / wherfore he demaunded of his wyf / My frend to whome belongeth this fayre child /
as god is kyngTo take a wyf it is a glorious thingAnd namely whan a man is old and hoorThen is a wyf the fruyt of his tresoorThan sholde he take a yong wyf & a feirOn whiche he myghte
some clerkis sayn it is not soOf whiche Theophraste is on of thoWhat fors theygh Theophraste doth lyeNe take no wyf quod he for husbondryeAs forto spare in housholde thyn expenceA trewe seruaunt doth more diligenceThy good to kepe than
warm wexe plyeTherfore I say you pleynly in a clauseI wol non olde wyf haue for this causeFor yf so were yf y hadde suche myschaunceThat I in here coude haue no plesaunceThan sholde I lede my lif in avontryeAnd
Ianuary hath caught so greet awylThorough eggyng of his wyf hym forto pleyeIn his gardyn & no wight but they tweyeThat in a morow vnto this may said heRise vp my wyf my loue my lady freThe turtelis voys I
deuyl / Item thou oughtest to holde the by thy wyf yf thou be maryed / Saynt Crisostom sayth that he is a fole whiche leueth his good and trewe wyf and holdeth other comyn wymmen in his felawshyp /
onely to his wyf But whan the lecherye and the delyte is so grete in hys wyf that reason is deed and so blynde. that as moche he wold doo to hyr yf she were not his wyf. In suche
felawe vnto man / Man shold bere hym to his wyf. in fayth. in trouthe and in loue as seyth saynt Poule / and that man shold lue his wyf as Crist dyde holy chirche that louyd it so wel
THou oughtest to flee and eschewe all hate and me∣lancolye of thy wyf / that is to saye whanne thou hast a fayre wyf / And that thow hast not wel / wherwith to susteyne her estate / ner wherwith
defendeth alle desyres and consentyng to haue flesshly companye to another mans wyf and other woman whateuer she be / but yf it be to thy wedded wyf. It defendeth the euyll signes without forth. whiche may drawe folk to
bourgeys wyf seyng her husbond which supposeth to be trouth that the olde woman had tolde to hym / And yet ageyn the olde bawde yede for to speke wyth the bourgeys wyf and said to hyr maystresse be you
and take the moost seurest wey / wherof I wold ye wyst hou it happed to an euyll wyf / whiche was wyf to a roper or ca∣ble maker / seruynge for shippes and grete vessels vpon the see /
a doughter vpon his wyf that Callyd was Prudence whiche dough∣ter Callyd was sophie / Vpon a day befyll that he for his disporte wente hym in to the feldes for to pleye / His wyf & his doughter hath