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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 2] I louede this wisdom maad, and Y souȝte it out fro my ȝongthe; and Y souȝte to take it a spousesse [spousse C.] [a spousse; that is, to cleue in the thouȝtis therof, with out de|parting. Lire here. C.] to me, and Y am maad a louyere of the fairnesse therof. [verse 3] He that hath the felouschip [felouschip; bi charite. glorifieth; that is, knoulech|ith and preisith it gloriouse. Lire here. C.] of God, glo|rifieth the gentilnesse therof; but also the Lord of alle thingis louede it. [verse 4] For it is the techeresse of the lernyng of God, and cheseresse [chesister I. techeresse S sup. ras. chesere V.] of hise werkis. [verse 5] And if richessis ben coueitid in lijf, what is richere than wisdom, that worchith alle thingis? [verse 6] Sotheli if wit worchith, who is a crafti maker more than wisdom, of these thingis that ben? [verse 7] And if a man loueth riȝtfulnesse, the trauels of this wisdom han grete vertues; for it techith sobre|nesse [sobrenesse; that is, tem|peraunce. vertu; that is, goostly strengthe. Lire here. C.] , and prudence, and riȝtfulnesse, and vertu; and no thing is profitablere than these in lijf to men. And if a man de|sirith multitude [the multitude I.] of kunnyng, wisdom knowith thingis passid, and gessith of [alle A pr. m.] thingis to comynge; it kan the felnessis [felnesse CKRç. falsnessis HEPUY. falsnesse MV.] of wordis, and asoilyngis of argumentis; it kan signes and schewyngis of thingis to comynge, bifore that tho [thei N.] ben maad; and the bifallyngis of tymes and [Om. Cç.] of worldus. [verse 9] Therfor Y purposide to brynge to me this wisdom, to lyue togidere; witynge that it schal comyne with me of goodis, and spekyng [spekinge, etc.; for siche thouȝtis ben the wordis of soule.] togidere of my thouȝt, and of

myn anoi schal be. [verse 10] For this wisdom Y [anoie; to be excludid, for siche thouȝtis excluden al anoye. Lire here. C.] schal haue clerenesse at cumpenyes, and [verse 11] onour at eldre men; Y schal be foundun ȝong and scharp in doom, and in the siȝt of myȝti men Y schal be wondurful, and the faces of princes schulen worschipe me. [verse 12] Thei schulen abide me, beynge stille, and thei schulen biholde me, spekynge; and the while I speke many thingis, thei schu|len sette hondis [sette hondis, etc.; that is, hou myche euer Y drawe along a sermoun, thei schulen herkne with reuerence. Lire here. C.] on her mouth. [verse 13] Ferther|more bi this wisdom Y schal haue vnded|lynesse; and Y schal leeue euerlastynge mynde to hem, that schulen come aftir me. [verse 14] I schal dispose puplis; and naciouns schulen be suget to me. [verse 15] Hidouse kyngis herynge me schulen drede; and in mul|titude Y schal be seyn good, and strong in batel. [verse 16] Y schal entre in to myn hous [myn hous; that is, con|sience. Lire here. C.] , and Y schal reste with wisdom; for the conuersacioun [conuersa|cioun; that is, thouȝt, that cometh forth of vndurstond|ing, and cus|tom of wisdom. werkis of hondis; that is, in werkis comynge forth of wisdom. Y gat a good soule; bi clen|nesse of loue. more good; that is, encress|inge in vertues. a bodi vnde|foulid; that is, kept bi con|tynence of ma|trimonye. Lire here. C.] therof hath no bitternesse, and the dwellynge togidere therof hath noon anoye, but gladnesse and ioye. [verse 17] Y thouȝte these thingis at me, and Y re|membride in myn herte; forwhi wisdom [verse 18] is vndeedli in thouȝt, and good delityng is in the frendschipe therof; and onestee without defaute is in the werkis of hondis therof; and wisdom is in the strijf of speche therof; and greet clerenesse is in the comyning [comynge ç.] of wordis therof; Y ȝede aboute, sekinge to take wisdom to me. [verse 19] Forsothe Y was a witti child, and Y [Om. C.] gat [took I.] a good soule. [verse 20] And whanne Y was more good, Y cam to a bodi vndefoulid. [verse 21] And as Y knew, that ellis Y mai not be chaste [contynent, ether chast C et ceteri.] , no but [but if I.] God ȝyue [ȝyue it I.] , and this same thing was wisdom, to wite whos this ȝifte was; Y ȝede to the Lord, and Y bisouȝte hym, and Y seide, of alle myn entralis [myn en|trailis; that is, of al myn vndirstonding and loue. Lire here. C.] .