A   Be not þi; neghbours enemye for þi; fr&ebar;des sake: for who so is euel shal be þe; heyre of rebuke ∧ dishono&highr;, ∧ who so euer beareth envye and a dubble t&obar;ge, offendeth. ^noteBe not proude in the deuyce of thyne owne vnderstandinge, lest þi; leaues wyther, and þi; frute be destroyed, ∧ so thou be left as a drye tre. For a wicked soule destroyeth him that hath it, maketh him to be laughed to scorne of his enemies, (and bringeth him

to the porcion of the vngodly.) ^noteA swete worde multiplieth frendes, and pacifieth th&ebar; þt; be at variaunce, and a thankfull tonge will be plenteous in a good man. Holde frendshipe &wt; many, neuertheles haue but one counceler of a thousande.

B    ^noteYf thou gettest a frende, proue him first, and be not haistie to geue him credence. For some man is a frende but for a tyme, and wyl not abyde in the daye of trouble. And there is some frende that turneth to enemyte, and taketh parte agaynst the: and yf he knowe eny hurte by the, he telleth it out. ^noteAgayne, some frende is but a companyon at the table, and in the daye of nede he contynueth not. But a sure frende wil be vnto þe; euen as thyne owne self, and deale faithfully with thy housholde folke. Yf thou suffre trouble and aduersite, he is with the, and hydeth not him self from the. Departe fr&obar; thine enemies, yee and bewarre of thy frendes.

C   A faithful frende is a stronge defence: who so findeth soch one, findeth a noble treasure. A faithfull frende hath no peare, the weight of golde and syluer is not to be compared to the goodnesse of his faith. A faithfull frende is a medicyne of life, ∧ they þt; feare the LORDE, shal fynde him. Who so feareth the LORDE, shal prospere with frendes: and as he is himself, so shal his frende be also My sonne, receaue doctryne fr&obar; thy youth vp, so shalt thou fynde wy&esset;dome tyll thou be olde. Go to her as one that ploweth, and soweth, and wayte paci&ebar;tly for hir good frutes. ^noteFor thou shalt haue but litle laboure in hir worke, but thou shalt eate of hir frutes right soone. O how excead&ibar;ge sharpe is wi&esset;dome to vnlerned men? an vnstedfast body wyl not remayne in her. Vnto soch she is as it were a twichstone, ∧ he casteth her from him in all the haist: for wy&esset;dome is &wt; him but in name, there be but few þt; haue knowlege of her. (But with them that knowe her, she abydeth eu&ebar; vnto þe; appearinge of God.)

D   Geue eare (my sonne) receaue my doctryne, and refuse not my councell. Put thy fote in to hir lynckes, ^note and take hir yock vpon thy neck: bowe downe thy shulder vnder her, beare hir paciently, and be not weery of hir bandes. Come vnto her with þi; whole hert, and kepe hir wayes with all thy power. Seke after her, and she shalbe shewed the: and wh&abar; thou hast her, forsake her not. For at the last thou shalt fynde rest in her, and that shal be turned to thy greate ioye. Then shal hir fetters be a stronge defence for the, ∧ hir yock a glorious rayment. For the bewtye of life is in her, and hir bandes are the couplinge together of saluacion. Yee a glorious rayment is it, thou shalt put it on, and the same crowne of ioye shalt thou weere.

E   My sonne, yf thou wilt take hede, thou shalt haue vnderst&abar;dinge: and yf thou wilt applye þi; mynde, thou shalt be wyse. Yf thou wilt bowe downe thine eare, thou shalt receaue doctryne: and yf thou delyte in hearinge, thou shalt be wyse. Stonde with þe; multitude of soch elders as haue vnderstandinge, and consente vnto their wy&esset;dome with thine hert: ^note that thou mayest heare all godly sermons, and that the worthy sentences escape the not. And yf thou seist a man of discrete vnderstandinge, gett the soone vnto him, and let thy fote treade vpon the steppes of his dores. ^noteLet thy mynde be vpon the commaundementes of God, ∧ be earnestly occupied in his lawes: so shal he stablish þi; hert, and geue þe; wy&esset;dome at thine owne desyre.

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