| | Then were they maad vpon a creature | |
| | To purge hym and eke to engendrure | |
| 135 | But I say not this as y you tolde | |
| | That euery wight that hath suche harneis is holde | |
| | To go and vse hem in engendrure | |
| | Than sholde men of chastite take no cure | |
| | Crist was a mayde and shapyn as a man | |
| 140 | And many an holy saynt sith the worlde began | |
| | Yet liuyd they euer in parfit chastite | |
| | But I nyl enuye non virginite | |
| | Leet hem with bred of pured whete befed | |
| | And lete vs vsen hoot barly bred | |
| 145 | And yet with barly bred men telle can | |
| | Our lord Ihesus refresshid many a man | |
| | In swhich astat as god hath clepid vs | |
| | I wyl perseuere I am not precious | |
| | In wyf hood wyl I vse myn instrument | |
| 150 | As frely as my maker hath it sent | |
| | If I be daungerous god yeue me sorow | |
| | Whether he wyl at eue or a morow | |
| | Whan that hym list com forth and pay his dette | |
| | An husbond wol y haue y wol not lette | |
| 155 | That shal be bothe my dettour and my thral | |
| | And I his tribulacion with al | |
| | Duringe the whyle that I am his wyf | |
| | The power wol I haue during al my lif | |
| | Both of his propir body and nat he | |
| 160 | Right thus the apostel tolde it me | |
| | And bad our husbondis forto loue vs weel | |