A   Happie is the man that hath a vertuous wyfe, for the n&obar;bre of his yeares shalbe dubble. An honest woman maketh hir hu&esset;bande a ioyfull man, ∧ she shall fyll þe; yeares of his life in peace. A vertuous woman is a noble gift, which shalbe geuen for a good porcion vnto soch as feare God. Whether a man be rich or poore, he maye haue euer a mery hert, ∧ a chearful countena&ubar;ce. There be thre thinges þt; my hert feareth, and my face is afrayed of the fourth. Treason in a cite, a sedicious people, and noysome tonges, all these are heuyer then the death. But whan one is gelous ouer his wife, it bryngeth payne and sorowe vnto the hert: and a woman that telleth out all thinges, is a scourge of the tonge. Whan one hath an euell wife, it is euen as whan an vnlike pare of oxen must drawe together: he that getteth her, getteth a scorpion. ^noteA dronken woman is a greate plage, for she can not couer hir owne shame.

B   The whordome of a woman maye be knowne in the pryde of hir eyes and eyelydlyddes. ^noteYf thy daughter be not shamefast, holde her straitly, lest she abuse hirself thorow ouermoch liberte. Bewarre of all the dishonesty of hir eyes, and maruell not yf she do agaynst the. Lik as one that goeth by the waye and is thyrstie, so shall she open hir mouth, and drynke of euery nexte water that she maye gett.

By euery hedge shal she syt her downe, ∧ op&ebar; hir quyuer against euery arowe. A louynge. wyfe reioyseth hir hu&esset;bande, and fedeth

his bones with hir wy&esset;dome. A woman of few wordes is a gift of God, and to a well nurtured mynde maye nothinge be compared.

C   An honest and manerly woman is a gyft aboue other giftes, and there is no waight to be compared, vnto a mynde that can rule it self. Like as the Sonne whan it aryseth, is an ornament in the hye heauen of þe; LORDE, so is a vertuous wife þe; bewtye of all hir house. Like as the cleare light is vpon þe; holy c&abar;delstick, so is the bewtye of the face vp&obar; an honest body. ^noteLike as the gold&ebar; pilers are vpon the sockettes of syluer, so are the fayre legges vpon a woman that hath a c&obar;stant mynde. (Perpetuall are the fo&ubar;dacions that be laied vpon a whole stonye rocke, so are þe; commaundementes of God vpon an holy woman.)

D   There be two thinges þt; greue my hert, and in the thirde is a displeasure come vpon me. When an experte man of warre suffreth scarsenes and pouerte, Whan men of vnderstondinge and wy&esset;dome are not set by: And whan one departeth from righteousnes vnto synne. Who so doth soch, the LORDE hath prepared him vnto the swerde. There be two maner of thinges, which me thynke to be herde and perylous. A marchaunt can not lightly kepe him from wronge, nether a tauerner himself from synne.

Previous section

Next section