| | Witnes of hym that ony clerk is | |
| | That in scole is gret altercacion | |
| | In this mater and gret disputacion | |
| | And hath ben of an hundrid thousand men | |
| 420 | But I ne can not bulte out the brenne | |
| | As can the holy doctour Austyn | |
| | Or boece or the bisshop Bradwardyn | |
| | Whethir that goddis wil afore wetynge | |
| | Streynyth me needles to do a thing | |
| 425 | Nedly clepe I simpyl necessite | |
| | Or yf the fre choys be grauntyd me | |
| | To do that same thing or do it nought | |
| | Though god forwoot it or it was wrought | |
| | Or yf his witynge streyneth neuyr a deel | |
| 430 | But by necessite condicionel | |
| | I wol not haue to doon of suche matere | |
| | My tale is of a cok as ye shul here | |
| | That took his counceyl of his wif with sorow | |
| | To walke in the yerde vp on the morow | |
| 435 | That he hadde met the dreme as I you tolde | |
| | Womennys counceyllis be ful ofte colde | |
| | Womannys counceyl broughte vs first to woo | |
| | And made adam fro paradis to go | |
| | There as he was ful mery and wel at ese | |
| 440 | But for I not whom I mighte displese | |
| | Yf I counceyl of wommen wolde blame | |
| | Passe ouer I sayde it in my game | |
| | Redith auctours where they trete of suche matere | |
| | And what they say of wommen ye mowe here | |
