"Whan ye han wyved, beth war And wercheth in tyme; Noght as Adam and Eve, Whan Caym was engendred. 5550 {171} For in un-tyme, trewely, Bitwene man and womman, Ne sholde no bourde or bedde be; But if thei bothe were clene Bothe of lif and of soule, And in perfit charité, That ilke derne dede do No man ne sholde. And if thei leden thus hir lif, It liketh God almyghty; 5560 For he made wedlok first, And hymself it seide: _Bonum est ut unusquisque uxorem suam habeat, propter fornicationem._ "And thei that other gates ben geten For gedelynges arn holden, As fals folk fondlynges, Faitours and lieres, Ungracious to gete good 5570 Or love of the peple, Wandren and wasten What thei cacche mowe, Ayeins Do-wel thei doon yvel, And the devel serve; And after hir deeth day Shul dwelle with the same, But God gyve hem grace here Hemself to amende. "Do-wel my frend is, 5580 To doon as lawe techeth; To love thi frend and thi foo, Leve me, that is Do-bet; To gyven and to yemen {172} Bothe yonge and olde, To helen and to helpen, Is Do-best of alle. "And Do-wel is to drede God, And Do-bet to suffre, And so cometh Do-best of bothe, 5590 And bryngeth adoun the mody, And that is wikked wille That many a werk shendeth, And dryveth awey Do-wel Thorugh dedliche synnes." 5595 * * * * * {173} _Passus Decimus de Visione, et Secundus de Do-wel._ Thanne hadde Wit a wif, 5596 Was hote dame Studie, That lene was of lere, And of liche bothe; She was wonderly wroth 5600 That Wit me thus taughte; And al starynge dame Studie Sterneliche loked. "Wel artow wis," quod she to Wit, "Any wisdomes to telle To flatereres or to fooles, That frenetike ben of wittes." And blamed hym and banned hym, And bad hym be stille, With swiche wise wordes 5610 To wissen any sottes. And seide, "_Noli mittere_, man, Margery perles Among hogges, that han Hawes at wille; Thei doon but dryvele theron, Draf were hem levere Than al the precious perree That in paradis wexeth. {174} I seye it by swiche," quod she, 5620 "That sheweth by hir werkes, That hem were levere lond And lordshipe on erthe, Or richesse, or rentes, And reste at hir wille, Than alle the sooth sawes That Salomon seide evere.