HOW NO WOMAN OUGHT TO CHYDEN OR BRAWLE WITH FOLK WHICHE BEN BRAYNLES.
SHALLE reherce and telle vnto yow another ensample of a lady whiche was named Sarra, of the whiche ye haue wel herd to fore, how she had seuen husbondes, the whiche al seuen the deuylle slewe by cause they wold haue vsed her in vntrewe maryage. And also how her godsep repreued her of that none of her husbondes myght abyde with her. But the good lady that sawe that this foole wold chyde with her, sayd moche humbly and as sage and wyse, "Fayre frend, to the, neyther to me, apperteyneth not to speke of the jugementes of god," and nothynge more she sayd to her. She resembled not to the doughter of a Senatour of Rome, whiche was so felon & so hyghe of herte that she dyd chyde in playn strete with one of her neyghbours. And so moche grewe & went vp her wordes that the other sayd to her that she was not hole ne clene of body, wherof befelle that this word wente so fer, were it trouthe or lesynge, that she therby lost her maryage. Therfor it is grete folye to euery woman to chyde ne ansuere folkes that ben fooles and cruels of theyr tongue, wherof I shalle telle yow an ensample that I sawe of a gentyll womā that brawled with a man that had an euylle heed. I sayd vnto her, "My lady, I praye yow that ye answere not this foole, for he is well shapen to saye more euylle than good." She wold not byleue me, but chyd more than she dyd to fore, sayenge to hym that he was nought. And he ansuerd to her that he was as good for a man as she was for a woman. And so ferforth wente theyr wordes that he sayd for certayne he wyste and knewe wel a man that dyd kysse her bothe daye and nyght whanne that he wold. And thenne I called her a syde and told her that it was but folye to take hede to the wordes of a foole and to answere and speke with hym. The wordes were foule and dishonest, and herd of many one, wherfore
