| | When he hadde leyser and ony vacacion | |
| | Fro al other wordly occupacion | |
| | To redyn on this book of wickid wyuys | |
| | He knew of hem mo legendis and liuys | |
| 665 | Than be of gode wyuys in the bible | |
| | For trustith wel it is an impossible | |
| | That ony clerk wol speke good of wyuys | |
| | But yf it be of holy sayntis lyuys | |
| | Ne of non othir woman neuer the mo | |
| 670 | Who peyntyd the lyoun tel me who | |
| | Begod yf women hadde wrytyn storiys | |
| | As clerkis haue in her Oratorijs | |
| | They wolde haue writen of men more wickidnes | |
| | Than al the marke of Adam may redresse | |
| 675 | The childryn of Mercury and venus | |
| | Been in her workyng ful contrarious | |
| | Mercuri louith wisedom and science | |
| | And venus louith riot and dispence | |
| | And for her dyuers disposicion | |
| 680 | Eche fallyth in othris exaltacion | |
| | That thus god woot Mercury is dissolate | |
| | In pisces when venus is exaltate | |
| | And venus fallith ther Mercury is reysid | |
| | Therfore women of no clerk is preysid | |
| 685 | The clerk whan he is old and may nought do | |
| | Of venus workis not worth his old sho | |
| | Than sittith he doun and writith in his dotage | |
| | That women can not kepe her mariage | |
| | But now to purpos why I tolde the | |
