A    ^noteMy sonne, defraude not the poore of his almes, and turne not awaye thine eyes from him that hath nede. Despise not an hongrie soule, and defye not the poore in his necessite: greue not the hert of him that is helplesse, and withdrawe not the gift from þe; nedefull. Refuse not the prayer of one that is in trouble, and turne not awaye thy face from the nedy. Cast not thine eyes asyde fr&obar; þe; poore, þt; thou geue him not occasion to speake euell of the. For yf he complayne of þe; in the bytternes of his soule, his prayer shal be herde: eu&ebar; he þt; made him, shal heare him. Be curteous vnto þe; company of the poore, humble thy soule vnto the elder, ∧ bowe downe þi; heade to a man of worshipe. Let it not greue the to bowe downe thine eare vnto the poore, but paye thy dett, and geue him a frendly answere, and þt; &wt; mekenesse.

B    ^noteDelyuer him þt; suffreth wr&obar;ge fr&obar; þe; h&abar;de of þe; oppresso&highr;, ∧ be not faint harted wh&abar; thou sittest in iudgm&ebar;t. Be merciful vnto þe; fatherles as a father, ∧ be in steade of an hu&esset;b&abar;de

vnto their mother: so shalt thou be as an obedi&ebar;t sonne of þe; Hyest, and he shal loue the more th&ebar; þi; mother doth. Wi&esset;dome bretheth life in to hir children, receaueth th&ebar; þt; seke her, ∧ wyll go before th&ebar; in þe; waye of righteousnes. He þt; loueth her, loueth life: ∧ they þt; seke her dilig&ebar;tly, shal haue greate ioye. They þt; kepe her, shal haue the heretage of life: for where she entreth in, there is the blessinge of God. They that honoure her, shal be þe; seruauntes of the holy one: and they that loue her, are beloued of God. Who so geueth eare vnto her, shal iudge the Heith&ebar;: and he that hath respecte vnto her, shall dwell safely.

C   He that beleueth her, shal haue her in possession, and his generacion shal endure: for whan he falleth, she shal go with him before all. Feare, drede and tentacion shal she bringe vpon him, and trye him in hir doctrine: tyll she haue so proued him in his thoughtes, that he committe his soule vnto her. Th&ebar; shal she stablish him, bringe the right waye vnto him, make h&ibar; a glad m&abar;, shewe him hir secretes, and heape vpon him the treasures of knowlege, vnderstondinge and righteousnes. But yf he go wronge, she shall forsake him, and geue him ouer in to the handes of his enemie.

D    ^noteMy sonne, make moch of the tyme, eschue the thinge þt; is euell, and for þi; life shame not to saye þe; trueth. ^noteFor there is a shame þt; bringeth synne, and there is a shame that bringeth worshipe and fauo&highr;. ^noteAccepte no person after thine owne will, that thou be not confounded to thine owne decaye. Be not ashamed of þi; neghbo&highr; in his aduersite, ∧ kepe not back þi; councell wh&abar; it maye do good, nether hyde þi; wy&esset;dome in hir beuty. For in the t&obar;ge is wy&esset;dome knowne, so is vnderstandinge, knowlege and lernynge in the talkinge of the wyse, ∧ stedfastnesse in þe; workes of righteousnes. In no wise speake agaynst the worde of treuth, but be ashamed of the lyes of thine owne ignoraunce. Shame not to confesse thine erroure, and submitte not thyself vnto euery man because of synne. Withstande not þe; face of the mightie, and stryue not agaynst the streame. But for the trueth stryue thou vnto death, and God shal fight for the agaynst thine enemies. Be not haystie in thy tonge, nether slack and negligent in thy workes. Be not as a lyon in thine owne house, destroyinge thy housholde folkes, and oppressinge them þt; are vnder the. ^noteLet not thine hande be stretched out to receaue, and shutt whan thou shuldest geue.

Previous section

Next section