More profit than wedding in frailty: (*Frailty clepe I, but if* that he and she *frailty I call it, Would lead their lives all in chastity), unless* I grant it well, I have of none envy Who maidenhead prefer to bigamy; It liketh them t’ be clean in body and ghost;* *soul Of mine estate* I will not make a boast. *condition For, well ye know, a lord in his household Hath not every vessel all of gold; <7> Some are of tree, and do their lord service. God calleth folk to him in sundry wise, And each one hath of God a proper gift, Some this, some that, as liketh him to shift.* *appoint, distribute Virginity is great perfection, And continence eke with devotion: But Christ, that of perfection is the well,* *fountain Bade not every wight he should go sell All that he had, and give it to the poor, And in such wise follow him and his lore:* *doctrine He spake to them that would live perfectly, — And, lordings, by your leave, that am not I; I will bestow the flower of mine age In th’ acts and in the fruits of marriage. Tell me also, to what conclusion* *end, purpose Were members made of generation, And of so perfect wise a wight* y-wrought? *being Trust me right well, they were not made for nought. Glose whoso will, and say both up and down, That they were made for the purgatioun Of urine, and of other thinges smale, And eke to know a female from a male: And for none other cause? say ye no? Experience wot well it is not so. So that the clerkes* be not with me wroth, *scholars I say this, that they were made for both, That is to say, *for office, and for ease* *for duty and Of engendrure, there we God not displease. for pleasure* Why should men elles in their bookes set, That man shall yield unto his wife her debt? Now wherewith should he make his payement, If he us’d not his silly instrument? Then were they made upon a creature To purge urine, and eke for engendrure. But I say not that every wight is hold,* *obliged That hath such harness* as I to you told, *equipment To go and use them in engendrure; Then should men take of chastity no cure.* *care Christ was a maid, and shapen* as a man, *fashioned And many a saint, since that this world began, Yet ever liv’d in perfect chastity. I will not vie* with no virginity. *contend Let them with bread of pured* wheat be fed, *purified And let us wives eat our barley bread. And yet with barley bread, Mark tell us can,<8> Our Lord Jesus refreshed many a man. In such estate as God hath *cleped us,* *called us to I’ll persevere, I am not precious,* *over-dainty In wifehood I will use mine instrument