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: 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 marriáge.
Tell me also, to what conclusión Were members made of generatión, And of so perfect wise a wight y-wrought? 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 purgatioún Of urine, and of other thingës smale, And eke to know a female from a male: And for none other causë? say ye no? Experience wot well it is not so. So that the clerkës be not with me wroth, I say this, that they werë made for both, That is to say, for office, and for ease Of engendrure, there we God not displease. Why should men ellës in their bookës set, That man shall yield unto his wife her debt? Now wherewith should he make his payëment, 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, That hath such harness as I to you told, To go and usë them in engendrure; Then should men take of chastity no cure. Christ was a maid, and shapen as a man, And many a saint, since that this world began, Yet ever liv’d in perfect chastity. I will not vie with no virginity. Let them with bread of pured wheat be fed, And let us wivës eat our barley bread. And yet with barley bread, Mark tell us can, Our Lord Jesus refreshed many a man. In such estate as God hath cleped us, I’ll persevere, I am not precious, In wifehood I will use mine instrument As freely as my Maker hath it sent. If I be dangerous God give me sorrow; Mine husband shall it have, both eve and morrow, When that him list come forth and pay his debt. A husband will I have, I will no let, Which shall be both my debtor and my thrall, And have his tribulatión withal Upon his flesh, while that I am his wife. I have the power during all my life Upon his proper body, and not he; Right thus th’ apostle told it unto me, And bade our husbands for to love us well; All this senténce me liketh every deal.—