A   Thre thinges there are, that my sprete fauoureth, which be also alowed before God and men. ^noteThe vnyte of brethren, ^note þe; loue of neyghbours, ^note a man and wyfe that agree wel together.

Thre thynges there be which my soule hateth, and I vtterly abhorre the lyfe of them. A poore man that is proude. A rych man that is a lyar, ^note and an olde body that doteth, and is vnchaste.

If thou hast gathered nothynge in thy youth, what wilt þu; fynde then in thyne age. O how pleasaunt a thinge is it, when gray headed men are discrete, ∧ when þe; elders can geue good councell: O how comely a thyng is wysdome vnto aged men: yee vnderstandyng ∧ councell is a gloryous thyng. The crowne of olde men is to haue moch experi&ebar;ce: ∧ the feare of God is theyr worshyppe.

B   There be nyne thynges, whych I haue iudged in my herte to be happye, ∧ the t&ebar;th wyll I tell forth vnto men with my tonge. A man þt; whyle he lyueth, hath ioye of his chyldren, and seyth þe; fall of hys enemyes. Well is hym that dwelleth with an houswyfe of vnderst&abar;dyng, ^note and that hath not fallen with his tonge, ∧ that hath not bene fayne to serue soch as are vnmete for hym. Well is hym, þt; fyndeth a faythfull frende: and well is him, which talketh of wysdome to an eare that heareth him. O how great is he, þt; fyndeth wysdome and knowledge? Yet is he not aboue hym, þt; feareth þe; Lorde.

The feare of God hath set it selfe aboue all thynges. Blessed is the man, vnto whom it is graunted to haue the feare of God. Unto wh&obar; shal he be lyckened, that kepeth it fast? The feare of God is the begynnynge of his loue, and the begynnynge of fayth is to cleue fast vnto it. The heuines of the hert is al the punyshment, ∧ the wyckednes of a woman goeth aboue al. All punishment ∧ plage is not nothyng in comparison of the plage of the hert, euen so all wyckednes is nothynge to the wyckednesse of a woman.

C   Whatsoeuer happeneth vnto a m&abar; is nothynge in c&obar;parison of it, that his euell willers do vnto hym: and all vengeaunce is nothynge to the vengeaunce of the enemye.

There is not a more wycked heade then the heade of the serpent, ∧ there is no wrath aboue the wrath of a wom&abar;. ^noteI wyl rather dwell with a lyon and dragon, then to kepe house wyth a wycked wyfe. The wyckednesse of a wom&abar; chaungeth her face, she shal moffel her countena&ubar;ce as it were a Beare, ∧ as a sack shal she shewe it amonge þe; neghbours. Her husb&abar;de is brought to shame amonge his neghbours, and wh&ebar; he heareth it, it maketh him to syghe. Al wyckednes is but lytle to the wyckednes of a woman, the porcyon of the vngodly shall fall vpon her.

D   Lyke as to clymme vp a sandy waye is to the fete of the aged, euen so is a wyfe full of wordes to a styll quyete man. ^noteLoke not to narowly vp&obar; the bewtye of a wom&abar;, lest thou be prouoked in desire toward her. The wrath of a woman is dishonoure and great confusion. Yf a woman get the mastrye, th&ebar; is she contrary to her husbande. A wycked wyfe maketh a sory herte, an heuy countenaunce and a deed wo&ubar;de. ^note(Weake h&abar;des and feble knees is a wom&abar; that hyr husb&abar;d is not the better for.) Of the woman came the begynnynge of synne, ∧ thorowe her we all are deed. Geue thy water no passage, no not a lytle, nether geue a wycked wom&abar; her wyll. Yf she walcke not after thy hande, she shall confounde the in the syght of thy enemyes. Cut her of then fr&obar; thy flesh, that she do not alwaye abuse the.

Previous section

Next section