A   These are the wordes of Kynge Lamuel, ∧ þe; lesson þt; his mother taught him. My sonne, thou sonne of my body: O my deare beloued sonne, geue not ouer thy substaunce ∧ mynde vnto women, which are the destrucci&obar; eu&ebar; of kynges. O Lamuel, geue kinges no wyne, geue kynges ∧ prynces no stronge drynke: lest they beinge dronken forget the lawe, ∧ regarde not þe; cause of the poore, ∧ of all soch as be in aduersite. Geue stronge drynke vnto soch as are condempned to death, ∧ wyne vnto those þt; mourne: that they maye drynke it, ∧ forget their misery ∧ aduersite. Be thou an aduocate ∧ stonde in iudgment thyself, to speake for all soch as be d&obar;me ∧ sucourles. With þi; mouth defende þe; thinge þt; is laufull and right, and þe; cause of þe; poore and helplesse.

B   Who so fyndeth an honest faithful wom&abar;, she is moch more worth th&ebar; perles. The herte of hir husbande maye safely trust in her, so that he shal haue no nede of spoyles.

She wil do him good ∧ not euel all þe; dayes of hir life. She occupieth woll ∧ flax, ∧ laboureth gladly &wt; hir handes. C   She is lik&ebar; a marchauntes shippe, that bryngeth hir vytayles from farre. She is vp in þe; night season, to prouyde meate for hir housholde, ∧ foode for hir maydens. She considreth l&obar;de, ∧ byeth it, and &wt; the frute of hir handes she planteth a vynyarde. She gyrdeth hir loynes with strength, and courageth hir armes. And yf she perceaue that hir houswifrie doth good, hir candle goeth not out by night. She layeth hir fyngers to the spyndle, ∧ hir hande taketh holde of þe; rocke.

She openeth hir hande to þe; poore, yee she stretcheth forth hir h&abar;des to soch as haue nede. She feareth not þt; the colde of wynter shal hurte hir house, for all hir housholde folkes are duble clothed. She maketh hir self fayre ornam&ebar;tes, hir cloth&ibar;ge is whyte sylke ∧ purple. D   Hir hu&esset;b&abar;de is moch set by in þe; gates, wh&ebar; he sytteth amonge þe; rulers of þe; londe. She maketh cloth of sylke ∧ selleth it, and delyuereth a gyrdle vnto þe; marcha&ubar;t.

Str&ebar;gth and honoure is hir clothinge, ∧ in the latter daye she shal reioyse. She openeth hir mouth with wy&esset;dome, ∧ in hir t&obar;ge is the lawe of grace. She loketh wel to the wayes of hir housholde, ∧ eateth not hir bred with ydilnes. Hir children arise ∧ call hir blessed, ∧ hir hu&esset;bande maketh moch of her. Many daughters there be þt; gather riches together, but thou goest aboue th&ebar; all.

As for fauo&highr;, it is disceatfull, and beutie is a vayne thinge: but a woman that feareth the LORDE, she is worthy to be praysed. Geue her of the frute of hir handes, and let hir owne workes prayse her in the gates. The ende of the prouerbes of Salomon.

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