A   My sonne, yf thou hast synned, do it nomore: ^note but praye for thy foresynnes, that they maye be forgeuen the. Fle from synne, euen as from a serpent: for yf thou c&obar;mest to nye her, she wyll byte the The tethe therof are as the teeth of a lyon to sley the soules of men. The wyckednes of man is as a sharpe two edged swerde, which maketh soch woundes that they cannot be healed.

Stryfe and wrongeous dealynge shall waste awaye a mans goodes, ∧ thorow pride a rych house shalbe brought to naught so the ryches of þe; proude shalbe roted out. ^noteThe prayer of the poore goeth oute of the mouth, and c&obar;meth vnto the eares, and hys v&ebar;geaunce (or defence) shall come, and that hastely. Whoso hateth to be refourmed, it is a token of a vngodly personne: but he þt; feareth God, wyll rem&ebar;bre him self. A myghtye man is knowne a farre of by hys tonge: but he that hath vnderst&abar;dynge, perceaueth that he shall haue a fall.

B   Who so buyldeth hys house wyth other mens cost, is lyke one that gathereth stones in wynter. ^noteThe c&obar;gregacyon of þe; vngodly is lyke stubble gathered together, theyr ende is a fl&abar;me of fyre. The waye of þe; vngodly is set with stones, but in theyr ende is hel, darcknes, ∧ paynes. He that kepeth the lawe, wyll holde fast the vnderst&abar;dyng therof, and the ende of the feare of God is wysdome ∧ vnderstandyng. He that is not wyse, wyll not be taught in good: but þe; vnwyse man aboundeth in wyckednesse: and where bytternes is, there is no vnderstandynge. The knowledge of þe; wyse shall flowe lyke water that renneth ouer, ∧ his co&ubar;cell is lyke a fountayne of lyfe.

C   The hert of a foole is lyke a broken vessel, he can kepe no wysdome. When a man of vnderst&abar;dynge heareth a wyse worde, he shal comm&ebar;de it, and make moch of it. But yf a voluptuous man heare it, he shall haue no pleasure therin, but cast it behynde hys back. The talckynge of a foole is lyke an heuy burthen by þe; waye: but to heare a wyse m&abar; speake, it is a pleasure. Where a doute is in the congregacyon, it is asked at the mouth of þe; wyse, and they shall pondre hys wordes in theyr hertes. Lyke as is a house that is destroyed, euen so is wysdome vnto a foole. As for the knowledge of þe; vnwyse, it is but darke wordes. Doctryne is vnto hym that hath no vnderstandynge, euen as fetters aboute hys fete, and lyke manycles vpon his ryght hand. ^noteA foole lyfteth vp his voyce with laughter, but a wyse man shall scarse laugh secretly.

D   Lernynge is vnto a wyse man a Iewel of golde, ∧ lyke an armelet vpon hys ryght arme. A foolyshe mans fote is soone in hys neyghbours house, but one that hath experience, shalbe ashamed at þe; personne of the myghty. A foole wyll pepe in at þe; wyndow into þe; house, but he that is wel nourtured,

wyll stande without. A foolysh man standeth herkenynge at the dore, but he that is wyse, wyll be ashamed.

The lyppes of the vnwyse wylbe telling foolysh thynges, but the wordes of soch as haue vnderst&abar;dyng, shalbe weyed in the bala&ubar;ce. The hert of fooles is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wyse is in their herte. When the vngodly curseth the blasphemer he curseth hys awne soule. ^noteA preuy accuser of other men shall defyle hys awne soule, and be hated of euery man: (but he that kepeth hys tonge ∧ is dyscrete, shall come to honoure.)

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