| | Or ony word cam from his wyse brest | |
| 2120 | His yen be cast there as hym list | |
| | And with a sad visage he sighed stille | |
| | And aftir that right thus he sayde his wille | |
| | The firste mouer of the cause aboue | |
| | Whan he first made the cheyne of loue | |
| 2125 | Greet was the effect & high was the entent | |
| | Wel wiste he why and what ther of he ment | |
| | For with that fair cheyne of loue he bond | |
| | The fyre the eyr the watir and the lond | |
| | In certeyn bondis that may not fle | |
| 2130 | The same prince & the same mouer quod he | |
| | Hath stablisshed in this wrecchid world a doun | |
| | Certayn dayes and duracion | |
| | To al that is engendrid in this place | |
| | Ouer the whiche day they mow not pace | |
| 2135 | Al mowe they the dayes abrigge | |
| | Ther nedith non auctorite to legge | |
| | For it is preued be experience | |
| | But that me list to declare my sentence | |
| | Than may wel men be this ordre discerne | |
| 2140 | That ilke mouer stabyl is and eterne | |
| | Wel may men knowe but it be a fool | |
| | That euery party darreynyd fro his hool | |
| | For nature hath not take his begynnyng | |
| | Of one part or of a cantel of a thing | |
| 2145 | But of a thing that parfyt is and stable | |
| | Descendyng so tyl it be corumpabyl | |
| | And therfore for his wyse purueaunce | |
