f. 324ra
Bot fals men make her fingres feld
& doþ hem wepe wel sore to rewe·
Her res¶
Þurch wroches þat er vntrewe·
Wimen ben holden les·
Chosen þai be to mannes fere·
O niõt in armes for to wende·
õif ani man may it here·
Of a schrewe þat wil wimen schende·
Y speke for hem & make hem skere·
& say þat þai er gode & hende·
When þou art ded & leyd on bere·
Into blis þi soule schal wende·
& bide¶
He was born of woman kinde
For ous bare blody side·
Derworþer drouri wot y non·
Þan woman is & wise of rede·
Gold no siluer no riche ston·
Iis non so douhti in dede·
Þai make willam roberd & õon·
In ioie & blis he liif to lede·
Þat elles schuld spille flesche & bon·
& ly & dwine hem selue to dede·
Þurch pine¶
Birddes blisced mot õe be·
For loue of o virgine·
Eiõen gray & browes brent· ["r" of "brent" subpuncted]
Þat bere þis birddes briõt on ble
In eueri lond þer þer
þai be lent· [second "þer"
striken through]
Is ful of mirþe & iolifte·
It is a sond þat god haþ sent·
In erþe to gladi man wiþ gle·
Were wimen out of lond y went·
Al our blis were brouõt on kne·
Wel lawe¶
Hou schuld men ani corn repe·
Þer no sede is seuwe·
Feir & swete is wimannes viis
Þe man þat wil hem wele bi hold·
White & rede so rose on riis·
Leuely liþe her here y fold· [first "e" of "Leuely" is smudged; may be "o"]
Wiþ eiõe for heued & nose tretiis·
Al berries þai han in wold·
f. 324rb
For loue of on þat berþ þe priis·
Y prais hem boþe õong & old·
Bi dene¶
Who so lackeþ hem in lore·
He wretþen heuen quene·
¶ Gentelri is plaunt as y õou telle·
In wiman it springeþ in ich aliõþ·
Þai er meke & noþing felle·
Hende in halle as hauke in friõþ·
He schal be curssed wiþ boke & belle·
Þat ani vilaini mengeþ hem wiþ
To rest hem in þe pine of helle·
Þer neuer more schal be no griþ·
No bote¶
Y wold rede no cursed wroche·
Oõain our leuedi to mote·
Harpe no fiþel no sautri·
Noiþer wiþ eld no wiþ õong·
Is non so swete to sitten by·
A wiman þer þai speke wiþ tong·
Her speche resteþ a man wel ney·
Bitvene his liuer & his long·
Þat doþ his hert rise on hey·
So clot þat liþ in clay y clong·
Þo sore¶
Who þat lackeþ wiman in lore·
Y rede he do no more·
In al þis world was neuer no clerk
Seþþen adam was fourmed & eue·
No man þat wered breche no serk
Þat wimanes vertu couþe streue·
Þan were it to me ful derk·
A þing þatvschuld min hert greue·
For to ginne swiche awerk
Þat neuer man no miõt in cheue·
To þende¶
Y take wittnes at our leuedi·
Þat wimen er gode & hende·
King & emperour & kniõt·
Alle þai were of wan
bore· wiman ["wan" stricken
out; "wiman" in margin is its replacement]
& god was in a woman liõt·
& elles were alle þis world for lore·
For it is a þing þat bereþ riõt·
Atvix þe crop & þe more
f. 324va
Amid þe tre þe front was piõt·
Þat ihesu was don on rode fore·
To winne¶
Our soules out of helle·
Þat were bounden in sinne·
Liif is alle in woman laft·
& chosen þai be for trister in tour·
Þennes þarf hem neuer be raft·
Þai may þer liue wiþ gret honour·
In a chaumber of leuely craft·
No þarf hem dout of no schour·
Oõain al þing wiman schaft·
Of alle londes þai bere þe flour·
& priis·
As oue ralle oþer floures·
Rose y railed on riis·
Mari þat bar god al miõt·
Help now ich haue nede·
For wimannes honour to fiõt·
Hou þai er hende in ich a dede·
Of hem it springeþ day & niõt·
Swete morseles þis lond to fede·
Front þat is so michel o miõt·
Men y armed stef on stede·
& strong¶
God õiue hem ioie & blis·
& liif to last long·
NOte of þe niõtingale
Y sett at nouõt in time of may·
No oþer foules gret & smale·
Þat sit & singen her lay·
Oõaines a foule þat sit in sale·
Wiþ outen cage euer clad in say·
Hir note abateþ mannes bale·
Þer nis no wiõt þat can say nay·
Wiþ mouþe¶
We auõt for our leuedi loue·
Honour wiman õif we couþe·
Of
al vertus wiman is rote·
Say noman nay for it is so·
Of al bales þai be bote·
To help a man of vn couþe wo·
Þai beren salues þat ben swote·
To hele me & oþer mo·
f. 324vb
To make a man to lepe wiþ fot·
Þat ere was sike & miõt nouõt go
No stonde¶
Wiman is comfort to man·
To bring him out of bond·
Perl is priis & paruink·
Is woman viis in eueri plas
No may no clerk write wiþ ink·
Þe swetnesse þat þai han in face·
No in his hert him bi þink·
Alle his wittes þei he chace·
Wimen þer þai sit on benk·
Hou miõti þai ere & ful of grace·
Ful filt¶
For god for ous in a wiman·
His bigging haþ y bilt·
Quen of heuen icham þi man·
In erþe to speke for þine ost·
Helpe me leuedi for y no can·
For to a bate þe wreche bost
Hem þat schende gode wiman·
Þat ioie of hem in erþe is most·
Al our blis of wimen gan·
Swete leuedy þou it wost·
Ywis¶
For þou bar þat ich bern·
Þat brouõt ous alle to blis·
Rose no no lili flour·
No woderof þat springeþ on heþ·
Is non so swete in his odour·
For soþe so is wimannes breþ·
Piment clare no no licour·
Milke perre no no meþ·
& who so loueþ hem wiþ honour·
No dye he neuer schamely deþ·
Þurch gilt¶
God lat neuer her soules·
For non sinnes be spilt
Spice wiþ schip in time of pes·
Þat com sailand out of þe souþe·
Rapeli raikand on a res·
Ouer þe se þat ebbeþ & flouþ·
Is non so swete in his reles·
So is a cosse of womannes mouþe·
f. 325ra
For priis of spices ichir ches·
Most of vertu & nam couþe·
For why¶
It is euer a liche newe·
Boþe lat & arly·
Trewe as treacle er þai to fond·
Clere of colour so is þe winne·
Þai ben birddes of godes sond·
Loueliche to leggen vnder line·
Mani & fele þer ben in lond·
For soþe y say þat on is min·
Where so þat y wake or stonde·
Ywis ichaue a mele fin·
In hord¶
Lufsum fair & hende·
Trewe & trusti in word·
¶ Vontable is womannes þouõt·
It stikeþ þer þai han it sett·
Þei anoþer hir haþ bi souõt·
Sche wil held þat sche haþ hett·
& say for soþe hem helpeþ nouõt·
No schal hem neuer be þe bett·
Bot fals werkes þat men han wrouõt
Maken oft her leres wet·
Wel wete¶
Þer a woman loue is sett·
Loþ hir is to lete·
Xprist is king & god in tron·
Þay þat woman schende õif hem schame
Lord þou graunt me mi bon·
Y schal grete þe wiþ game·
Þine heued þi fete þi bodi bi don·
Wel oft þai swere idel þi name·
Þou þat made sonne & mone·
Swiche wreches in erþe hem to tame·
To schond¶
For we auõt for our leuedi loue·
Wiman honour to fond·
Þei a schrewe on woman lyõe·
Hir godenis is neuer þe las·
Õete he may happen ar he dye·
Þurch tvelue monþes for to pas·
Heiõe on galwes his mete to fi·
& vnder him grese boþe ox
& asse·
f. 325rb
[a cut-away portion of the folio
has removed the ends of lines, beginning at line 12]
& as a dogge in feld to ly·
Wolues & houndes to don his masse
Bi niõt¶
For we auõt for our leuedi loue·
Hold wiman to riõt·
Zabulon is a lond of lede·
Þat mani man haþ ben inne·
Nouõt al þe minstrels þat ben kidde·
Out of þat lond in to linne·
Wiþ harpe no fiþel sautri þer midde·
Or gens þat er ioned wiþ ginne·
No miõt nouõt telle half þe gode h[?idde]
Þat a gode woman is wiþ inn[?e]
To þende¶
Who þat seit wiman scham?
Ywis he is vn kende·
Þy were as douhti a swa[?in]
As was samson er he w??????
Or also wiõt so was waw[?ain]
Or salamon þat was ?????
Õete wald me nouõt ????
¶ Þat wiman schuld e???
To go on feld in sno??????
To help on erþe to s?????
To growe¶
Of wiman spring ?????????
Ioie & vertus y ??????
Est & west when ????
Swete birdes ??????
Is no þing may ?????????
Swiche a sond þ?????????
In alle þe tales ??????????
Euer be sely wi??????????
He þat alle þin???????????
He was in a wo??????????
For loue¶
Þurch þe bern ?þ?????????
Brouõt we ben ???????????
Amen say we ?????????
Blisced be þat ??????
Þat god wiþ o?????????????
In a woman w?????????????
& seþþen lent l?????????????
To bigge ous o????????????
f. 325va
[The cut-away portion of this folio has removed the beginnings
of lines in this outer column, beginning at line 11.]
His owhen bodi wiþ flesche & bon·
Þo þeld ded wiþ grimly wounde·
On rode¶
Lord blisced be þi name·
It was for our gode·
Place is fair þer wimen he sett·
Þai er louesum & fair of siõt·
In euerich lond þer þai be mett·
In ich a toun þer þai be diõt·
Y wil held þat y haue hett·
[O]uer al þis world bi com her kniõt
???ost for ous her leres be wett·
????e groning þai gron o niõt·
??????de·
?????????þai siken & sorwe for ous
????????? be forsterd & fedde·
??????[smudge]ed in lond·
?????[smudge]if of al is on·
???????????????nde in godes bond·
????????????????ice of mannes mon·
????????????????urch godes sond·
?????????????????ned flesche & bon·
??????????????????m we auõt to fond·
??????????????????ng no wot y non·
??????????????
??????????????????t to worþschip hem·
???????????????????at he can·
???????????????????ai gon in bounde·
??????????????????es ber ous a bout·
???????????????????n a stounde·
??????????????????i ben in dout·
??????????????????ren & gon on grounde
?????????????????? hem to lout·
??????????????????grimli wounde
???????????????????wete wiþ out·
?????????????
??????????????????s oft·
???????????????????ille·
??????????????????n we be brouõt·
??????????????????nes barm·
?????????????????? in þouõt·
??????????????????ani harm·
?????????????????e ous nouõt
?????????????????ous warm·
f. 325vb
Þai sing ous mani a song for nouõt
& swetely lolous in her harm· ["h" in "harm" subpuncted]
Wel oft¶
Wele auõt we þan to loue wiman·
Þ At kepen ous so soft·
LEuedi þat ert flour of al þing·
Þat al godenes haþ in wold·
For þe loue of þat tiding·
Þat gabriel wiþ mouþe þe told·
Þat ihesu þat is heuen king·
In þi bodi liõten he wold·
Õif hem al gode ending·
Þat honour wiman õing & old·
In word & dede¶
Þe child þat our leuedi bare·
Graunt hem heuen to mede·
amen·
Explicit·
[remaining 26 lines of column blank]
lord ihesu crist of glorie
(version: MFV, 14 September 1998]