The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VII.

[verse 2] A good name [A good name; that cometh of onest liyf. is betere than pre|ciouse oyne|mentis; here Salomon tech ith of veri blis, that stond|ith in God aloone, and in his cleer siȝt, and knowing, and loue; and the disposicioun of blis stondith in meedeful werk, for whi hope is certeyn abiding of blis to comynge, that risith of grace and good werkis, and sich vertuouse liyf is a maner of bigynnyng of parfit blis. day of deth; of iust men; for in the day of deth they by|gynen to lyue verily, and therfor the day of deth of hooly men is clepid the birthe of hem. Lire here. C.] is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe. [verse 3] It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng [hows of mornyng; where moren|yng is maad for deed men. to the hows of feeste; wher|ynne the synne of gloteny is ofte doon, and the synne of leccherie sueth ofte. Ire is betere; the fadir, that loueth the sone, is wrooth, whanne he seeth him do folily; but a straunger, that reckith not of him, leiȝith of his foly. Lire here. C.] , than to the hous of a [o C.] feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng [Om. I.] the ende of alle men is mo|nestid [warned I.] , and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge. [verse 4] Yre is betere than leiȝyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid [corectid I.] bi the [Om. I.] heuynesse of cheer. [verse 5] The herte of wise men is where [where that I.] sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse [foly gladnesse I.] is. [verse 6] It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to [Om. U.] be disseyued bi the [Om. CIX.] flateryng of [verse 7] foolis; for as the sown of thornes bren|nynge vndur a pot, so is the leiȝyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte. [verse 8] Fals cha|lenge [Fals caleng; that is, greuouse wrong. disturblith, etc.; netheles it castith not him doun anoon fro the vertu of stidefastnesse. Lire here. C.] disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese [fordo I.] the strengthe [it schal leese the strengthe, etc.; that is, the vertu of stidefastnesse, if the trobling wexith strong; therfor a wiys man owith to arme him silf bi preyer. Lire here. C.] of his herte. [verse 9] For|sothe the ende of preyer is betere [the ende of preyer is betere, etc.; for it bigynneth of sorewe for wrong doon, and it is endid in coumfort ȝouun of God, bi which a man is maad pacient in aduersites. Lire here. C.] than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man. [verse 10] Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire [wraththe I.] restith in the bosum [herte I text. or bosum I marg.] [in the bosum; that is, in his herte. Lire here. C.] of a fool. [verse 11] Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of [the C sec. m. EFGHIKMPQ RSUXYaç.] cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned. [verse 12] Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable [wisdom with richessis is more profitable; therfor Ambrose on Luk seith, As richessis ben lettingis to yuele men, so to goode men tho ben helpis. Lire here. C.] , and profitith more to men seynge [and profitith more to men seynge, etc.; that is, wisdom is betere with richessis, than with out richessis; and this is soth, whanne othere vertues ben euene in a riche man and a pore man; for a wise man hauynge richessis may do werkis of pitee and of liberalte, whiche he that hath no richessis, may not do. Lire here. C.] the sunne. [verse 13] For as wisdom defendith, so money de|fendith [so money defendith; that is, mynystrith spensis aȝenus visible enemyes, and it defendith aȝenus vnuysible enemyes, by meedeful werkis of pitee and of liberalte. Lire here C.] ; but lernyng and wisdom [but lernyng and wisdom, etc.; that is, liyf of grace, and of glorie to a wiys man, and without richessis, but richessis without wisdom moun not ȝyue this. C.] hath [han I.] this more, that [ouer that I.] tho ȝyuen lijf to `her weldere [hem that han hem I.] . [verse 14] Biholde thou the werkis of God, that [and se that I.] no man may amende hym, whom

God hath dispisid [whom God hath dispisid; that is, hath forsake him fynaly; and a signe of this forsaking is, the hardnesse in yuel; bro|theris repreu|yng ether priuy blamyng ow|ith to ceesse, whanne a man seeth his bro|ther obstynat in synne, but the iuge owith not to ceesse herfor of pu|nysching, but more to pu|nysche so, ȝhe, by deth, if his trespas axith this, that the comyn good and pees be not disturblid bi him. Lire here. C.] . [verse 15] In a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis aȝens hym. [verse 16] Also Y siȝ [sawȝ I passim.] these thingis in the daies [in the daies, etc.; that is, of present liyf, that passith sone awey, so it is not no but vanyte. Lire here. C.] of my natyuyte [birthe I.] ; a iust man perischith in his riȝtfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice. [verse 17] Nyle thou be iust myche [ouer myche I.] [Nyle thou be iust myche; that is, in pu|nysching ouer scharply. nether vndurstonden, etc.; of thi riȝtfulnesse. astonyed; in ȝyuynge a cruel sentence, and not iust. Lire here. C.] , nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed. [verse 18] Do thou not wickidli myche [Do thou not wickidly myche; for cruelte is a greet wickid|nesse, and for it makith a man to erre, and to gete to him silf dedly enemytes, it sueth, nyle thou be a fool, etc. not thyn; in hastinge thi deeth bi ene|mytes. a iust man; in de|fendinge him in his riȝtful|nesse. Lire here. C.] , and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin. [verse 19] It is good, that thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necli|gent of ony thing. [verse 20] Wisdom hath coum|fortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis [ouer ten prynces; that is, more than eny power of man. Lire here. C.] of a citee. [verse 21] Forsothe no iust man is [ther is I.] in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not. [verse 22] But also ȝyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis [the wordis I.] , that ben seid; lest perauenture [verse 23] thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee; for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men. [verse 24] I asayede alle thingis in wisdom [in wisdom; that is, for wisdom to be getun. it ȝede; in my reputacioun. Lire here. C.] ; Y [and Y I.] seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it ȝede awei ferthere fro [verse 25] me, myche more than it was; and the depthe is hiȝ [lowe I.] [the depthe is hiȝ; that is, the kynde of God, as to the knowing of persoones is an hiȝ depthe. who schal fynde it; as if he seye, no man bi mannus seking. Lire here. C.] , who schal fynde it? [verse 26] I cumpasside alle thingis in [with I.] my soule, to kunne, and biholde [to beholde I.] , and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the [Om. C.] errour of vnprudent men. [verse 27] And Y foond a womman bitterere [a womman biterere, etc.; for a womman departith the soule fro his Creatour, but deth departith oneli fro the body. of hunteris; that is, of fendis. Lire here. C.] than deth, which [the which I.] is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir. [verse 28] Lo! Y foond [Lo! Y foond; that is, enqueride deligentli. oon and other; that is, in appliynge my wit to ech thing. Lire here. C.] this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde [verse 29] fynde resoun, which [that I.] my soule sekith ȝit;

and Y foond [foond it I.] not [and Y fond not; that is, til to perfec|cioun. o man, vertuouse of a thousinde; that is, ful fewe men ben foundun ver|tuouse in com|parisoun of men failing fro vertu, for the noumbre of foolis is greet with out noum|bre. Y foond not a womman of alle; that is, not oon ver|tuouse; not that no wom|man is vertu|ouse, but for fewe in com|parisoun of men ben ver|tuouse, as it is seid comynly, that no man is in the chirche, whanne ful fewe men ben there, in com|parisoun of the multitude that is wont to come to gidere thi|dur. with ques|tiouns; that is, hardnessis aboute the get|ing of siences and vertues. Who is sich; that is, so wor|thi to be preisid among men, as a wiys man; that is, a ver|tuouse man bi vertues and vn|durstonding; he that atteyneth to vertuouse liyf and trewe vndurstonding, is ful excelent among men. Lire here. C.] . I foond o man of a thousynde; Y [and Y C.] foond not a [oo Y.] womman of alle. [verse 30] I foond this oonli, that God made a man riȝtful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng [soilyng, ether [the IS] expownyng C et ceteri.] of a word [ether ex|pownyng of a word; that is, of a priuy word, as if he seye, noon, no but a wiys man in vndurstond|ing and ver|tuouse liyf. chaunge his face; that is, in the rising aȝen, whanne he schal ȝyue to him a gloriouse face. Lire here. C.] ? [verse 1] The wisdom of a man schyneth in his cheer; and the myȝtieste schal chaunge his face.