| | Leet noman bisy hym this art forto seche | |
| | But he the entencion and the speche | |
| 725 | Of philosophris vnderstonde can | |
| | And yf he do he is a lewd man | |
| | For this science and this kunnyng sayd he | |
| | Is of the secret of secretis parde | |
| | Also ther was a discipil of plato | |
| 730 | That on a tyme sayde his maistir to | |
| | As his book homer wol bere witnes | |
| | And this was his demaunde in sothfastnes | |
| | Tel me the Name of that priuy stoon | |
| | And plato answerd to hym anon | |
| 735 | Take the stoon that Thitanes men name | |
| | Whiche is that quod he magnacia is the same | |
| | Sayde Plato ye sir is it thus | |
| | This is ignotum per ignocius | |
| | What is magnacia gode sire I you prey | |
| 740 | It is a watir that is maad I sey | |
| | Of elementis foure quod plato | |
| | Tel me the rote gode sir quod he tho | |
| | Of that watir yf it be your wille | |
| | Nay nay quod plato certeyn that I nylle | |
| 745 | The philosophris were sworn euerichone | |
| | That they sholde discure it to noon | |
| | Ne in no book it writyn in no manere | |
| | For vnto god it is leef and dere | |
| | For he wol nat that it discurid be | |
| 750 | But where it likith to his deyte | |
| | Man to enspire and eek vnto defende | |
