| | Woo was this knyght and sorowful he sighith | |
| | But he may not do al as hym likith | |
| | And atte laste he chaas hym forto wende | |
| | And come ayeen right at the yeris ende | |
| 890 | With suche answer as god wolde hym purueye | |
| | And takith his leue & wendith forth his weye | |
| | He sekith euery hous and euery place | |
| | Where as he hopith forto fynde grace | |
| | To wite what thing women loued most | |
| 895 | But he coude arryue in no cost | |
| | There as he myght fynde in this matere | |
| | Two creaturis accordinge in fere | |
| | Some sayde women loued best richesse | |
| | Some sayde honour som sayde Iolinesse | |
| | And ofte tymes to be widow and to be wed | |
| 900 | Some sayde riche aray som sayde lust a bed | |
| | Some sayde that we be in herte most esid | |
| | Whan we be flaterid and plesid | |
| | He goth ful nygh the soth I wol not lye | |
| 905 | A man shal best wynne vs with flaterye | |
| | And with attendaunce and with besines | |
| | Ben we y limyd bothe more and les | |
| | And som sayde that we loue best | |
| | Forto be fre and do right as vs list | |
| 910 | And that noman repreue vs of our vice | |
| | But sey that we be wyse and no thing nyce | |
| | For truly ther is non of vs alle | |
| | Yf ony wight wol clawe vs on the galle | |
| | That we nel kyke for he saith vs soth | |
