'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges. In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady, 40 first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of 45 hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that +wol don your lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes to cese.' 'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye 50 myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough, me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde, 55 thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent. Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible. But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest 60 thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"? I not what thou therof menest.' 'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man 65 rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce. Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe, for al his gret sothnesse. 70 'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence 75 ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.' 'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos by the leest point that any wight coude pricke. 80