1   For myseiste manye trespaseden; and he that secheth to be maad riche, turneth awei his e&yogh;e. 2   As in the myddel of a ioynyng of stones a paele, `or a stake, ficchid is, so bitwen the myddel of biyng and silling he shall ben anguysht with synnes. 3   He shal ben to-treden with giltende gilte. 4   If not in the drede of the Lord thou shul holde thee bisili, anoon shal ben turned vpsodoun thin hous. 5   As in the smyting of a cyue shal abide stille pouder, so the porenesse of a man in the thenking of hym. 6   The vesselis of the krockere preueth the furneis; and ri&yogh;twis men temptacioun of tribulacioun. 7   As the erthe werching of a tree

shewith the frute of hym, so a wrd of thenking the herte of a man. 8   Biforn a wrd ne preise thou a man; that forsothe tempting is of men. 9   If thou folewe ri&yogh;twisnesse, thou shalt taken it; and thou shalt clothen it as an aube of wrshipe, and thou shalt dwelle with it, and it shal defende thee in to euer mor, and in the dai of knouleching thou shalt finde fastnyng. 10   Foules to the lic to them comen togidere; and treuthe to them that werchen it shal turne a&yogh;een. 11   A leoun to hunting waitith euermor; so synnes to men werchende wickidnesse. 12   An hoeli man in wisdam woneth, as the sunne; for the fool as the moone is chaungid. 13   In the myddel of mys felende men kep a wrd to tyme; in the myddel forsothe of men thenkende the lawe of God be thou besi. 14   The telling of synneres hatesum; and the la&yogh;hing of them in the giltis of synne. 15   The myche swering speche shal sette stonding of heer, for fer, to the hed; and the irreuerence of it is stopping of eres. 16   Sheding out of blod in iangling of proude men; and the cursing of them greuous heering. 17   Who nakeneth priuytes, leeseth the feith of a frend; and he findeth not a frend to his inwit. 18   Looue a ne&yogh;hebore, and be thou ioyned in feith with hym. 19   That if thou shul nakene the hidde thingus of hym, `thou schalt not pursue aftir hym. 20   As a man forsothe that leeseth his frend, so that leeseth the frenshipe of his ne&yogh;hebore. 21   And as he that leteth a brid out of his hond, so thou that hast forsake thi ne&yogh;hebore, and thou shalt not taken hym. 22   Thou shalt not folewe hym, for ferr he is awei; forsothe he fley&yogh; out as a capret fro the grene, for woundid is the soule of hym. 23   Thou shalt not moun mor ouer hym binde togidere; but of the cursid is acording togidere. 24   To nakenen forsothe the priuytes of a frend, is the dispeiring

of the vnfeithful soule. 25   The twynclere with the e&yogh;e forgeth wicke thingus; 26   and no man hym shal casten awei. In the si&yogh;te of thin e&yogh;en he shal defoule thi mouth, and vp on thi wrdus he shal wndre; at the laste he shal peruerte his mouth, and in thi wrdis he shal &yogh;yue sclaundre. 27   Manye thingus I haue herd, and I haue not euened to hym; and the Lord shal hate hym. 28   Who in to hei&yogh; sendeth a ston, vp his hed it shal falle; and the wounde of the treccherous shal deuyde woundis. 29   And that delueth a dich, shal falle in to it; and that setteth a ston to a ne&yogh;hebore, shal stumble in it; and that setteth a grene to another, shal pershe in it. 30   To the doynge most wicke counseil, vpon hym it shal be turned a&yogh;een; and he shal not knowe whennes it shal come to hym. 31   Illusioun, `or scorne, and repref of proude men and veniaunce as a leoun `schal aspie to hym. 32   In a grene thei shul pershen, that deliten the falling of ri&yogh;twis men; sorewe forsothe shal waste them, er thei dien. 33   Wrathe and wodnesse, either ben wariable; and the man synnere, withholdere shal be of them.

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