A   I myself also am a mortall man, like as all other, ∧ am come of þe; earthy generaci&obar; of him þt; was first made, ^note ∧ in my mothers w&obar;be was I fashioned to be

flesh: In the tyme of ten monethes was I brought together in bloude thorow the sede of man, ∧ the c&obar;modious appetite of slepe. Whan I was borne, I receaued like ayre as other men, ∧ fell vpon the earth (which is my nature) crienge ∧ wepinge at the first, as all other do. I was wrapped in swadlinge clothes, ∧ brought vp &wt; greate cares. For there is no kinge þt; hath had eny other begynnynge of byrth. ^noteAll men then haue one intraunce vnto life, ∧ one goinge out in like maner.

B   Wherfore I desyred, and vnderstandinge was geu&ebar; me: I called, ∧ the sprete of wy&esset;dome came in to me. I set more by her th&ebar; by kingdomes ∧ royall seates, ∧ counted riches nothinge in c&obar;parison of her. ^noteAs for precious stone I compared it not vnto her: for all golde is but grauell vnto her, ∧ syluer shalbe counted but claye before hir sight. I loued her aboue welfare ∧ beutie, ∧ purposed to take her for my light, for hir shyne can not be quenched. ^noteAll good thinges came to me &wt; her, ∧ innumerable riches thorow hir h&abar;des. I was glad in th&ebar; all, for this wy&esset;dome w&ebar;te before me, ∧ I knew not þt; she is the mother of all good thinges. Now as I myself lerned vnfaynedly, so do I make other men partakers of her, ∧ hyde her riches from no man: for she is an infinite treasure vnto men, which who so vse, become partakers of the loue ∧ frendshipe of God, and are accepted vnto him for the giftes of wy&esset;dome.

C   God hath graunted me to talke wysely, ∧ conueni&ebar;tly to h&abar;dle the thinges þt; he hath graciously lent me. For it is he, þt; ledeth vnto wy&esset;dome, ∧ teacheth to vse wy&esset;dome a right. ^noteIn his h&abar;de are we ∧ o&highr; wordes: yee all o&highr; wy&esset;dome, o&highr; vnderstandinge ∧ knowlege of all o&highr; workes. For he hath geu&ebar; me þe; true sci&ebar;ce of these thinges: so that I knowe how þe; worlde was made, ∧ the powers of þe; elem&ebar;tes: þe; begynnynge, endinge ∧ myddest of þe; tymes: how the tymes alter, how one goeth after another, and how they are fulfilled: þe; course of the yeare: the ordinaunces of the starres: the natures ∧ kindes of beastes: the furiousnesse of beastes: the power of þe; wyndes: the ymaginacions of m&ebar;: the deuersities of yonge plantes: the vertues of rootes, ∧ all soch thinges as are secrete ∧ not loked for, haue I lerned. For the worckmaster of all thinges hath taught me wy&esset;dome. D   In hir is þe; sprete of vnderst&abar;dinge, which is holy, manifolde, one onely, sotyll, curteous, discrete, quyck, vndefyled, playne, swete, louynge the thinge þt; is good, sharpe, which forbyddeth not to do well, g&ebar;tle, kynde, stedfast, sure, fre: hauynge all vertues, circ&ubar;specte in all thinges: receauinge all spretes of vnderst&abar;dinge be&ibar;ge cleane ∧ sharpe. For wi&esset;dome is neembler th&ebar; all ne&ebar;ble th&ibar;ges: she goeth thorow ∧ attayneth to all th&ibar;ges, because of hir clennes. For she is þe; breth of þe; power of God, ∧ a pure cleane expressinge of þe; clearnes of Allmightie God. Therfore can no vndefyled thinge come in to her: ^note for she is þe; bryghtnes of þe; euerlast&ibar;ge light, þe; vndefiled myrro&highr; of þe; maiesty of God, ∧ þe; ymage of his goodnesse. E   And for so moch as she is one, she maie do all thinges: ∧ beinge stedfast herself she renueth all, ∧ am&obar;ge þe; people c&obar;veyeth she herself in to þe; holy soules. She maketh Gods frendes ∧ prophetes: for God loueth no m&abar;, but him in wh&obar; wy&esset;dome dwelleth. For she is more beutyfull then the Sonne, and geueth more light then the starres, and the daye is not to be c&obar;pared vnto her: for vp&obar; þe; daye c&obar;meth night. But wickednesse can not ouer come wy&esset;dome, and foolishnes maye not be &wt; her.

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