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

CAP. XXV.

[verse 1] In thre thingis it is plesid to my spirit, which ben appreued bifore God and men; [verse 2] acordyng of britheren, and loue of neiȝ|boris, a [and a I.] man and womman wel consent|ynge to hem silf. [verse 3] My soule hatide thre spicis, and Y am greued greetli to the [verse 4] soule of hem [to the soule of hem; that is, malice of hem. eld man; that is, vnkunnynge, not for defaute of kynde, but for he dispiside to lerne. Lire here. C.] ; a pore man proud, and a riche man liere, and an eld man a fool and vnwitti. [verse 5] Hou schalt thou fynde in thin eelde tho thingis, whiche thou gaderist not in thi ȝongthe? [verse 6] Doom is ful fair [Doom is ful fair; that is, doom of discre|cioun is ful fair in an hoor heed, ether eld man. and to prestis; that owen kunne the lawe of God. to knowe councel; that is, to haue good councel and certeyn. vnsus|pect of herte; that is, of goodnesse, of which thingis noon owith for to doute. vn|worthi; that is, to synneris in consentinge to hem in yuel. tellith out; as a techere. to an eere her|inge; that is, to a man holdinge in herte, and fillinge in werk. Lire here. C.] in hoornesse, and to preestis to knowe coun|cel. [verse 7] Wisdom is ful fair to eelde men, and gloriouse vndirstondyng, and councel. [verse 8] The coroun of eelde men is in myche kunnyng; and the glorie of hem is the drede of God. [verse 9] I magnefiede nyne thingis vnsuspect of the herte; and Y schal seie the tenthe thing bi tunge to men. [verse 10] A man which lyuynge is myrie in sones, and seynge the distriyng of hise enemyes. [verse 11] He is blessid that dwellith with a witty womman, and he that felle not bi his tunge, and he that seruyde not to men vnworthi to hym silf. [verse 12] He is blessid that fyndith a very frend, and he that tellith out riȝtfulnesse to an eere heringe. [verse 13] He is ful greet that fyndith wisdom and kunnyng; but he is not aboue him that dredith God [that dredith God; the drede of God is the more good, and pass|ith alle goodis biforseid. therto; that is, to Goddis drede, for whi drede makith a man suget to God, and so doith feith. Lire here. C.] . [verse 14] The drede of God hath set it [hym I.] silf aboue alle thingis. [verse 15] Blessid is the man to whom it is ȝouun to have the drede of God; to whom schal he be licned, that holdith that drede? [verse 16] The drede of God is the bigynnyng of his loue; forsothe the bigynnyng of feith is to be faste ioyned therto. [verse 17] The sorewe of herte is ech wounde [The sorewe of herte is ech wounde; that is, as the so|rewe of herte passith ech wounde of bodi, so the malice of a womman pass|ith al the ma|lice of a man. A leche schal se ech wounde; of bodi. and not the wounde; that is, heuy|nesse of herte. and al wickid|nesse, etc.; as if he seie, outir|ly a man may perseyue al ma|lice outakun the malice of a womman, for she colourith it more bi ap|peringe fren|schipe to hir hosebonde. and ech hiling; that is, colouring of malice, ech a man may per|seyue, outakun the traiterouse colouring of hateris and enemyes, so it is of a wickid womman, that hidith bi signes of frenschipe the hatrede which she hath to hir hose|bonde. Lire here. C.] ; and the wickidnesse of a wom|man

is al malice. [verse 18] A leche shal se ech wounde, and not the wounde of herte; [verse 19] and al wickidnesse, and not the wickid|nesse [verse 20] of a womman; and ech hilyng [hilyng, that is, colouringe of malice, V.] , and [verse 21] not hilyng [the hiling Y.] of hateris; and ech veniaunce, and not the veniaunce of enemyes. [verse 22] Noon heed is worse than the heed of an eddre [verse 23] dwellynge in schadewe; and noon ire is aboue the ire of a womman. It schal plese more to dwelle with a lioun and a dragoun, than to dwelle with a wickid womman. [verse 24] The wickidnesse of a womman chaungith hir face; and sche blyndide her cheer as a beer doith [Om. I.] , and sche schal schewe as a sak in the myddis of neiȝboris. [verse 25] Hir hosebonde weilide; and his wickid wijf herde, and siȝȝide a litil. [verse 26] Al malice is schort on the malice of a womman; the parte of synneris [the part of synne; that is, the peyne of helle, which is the part of syn|neris, as the liyf of glorie is part of iust men. Lire here. C.] falle on hir. [verse 27] As a stiynge ful of grauel in the feet of an elde man, so is a womman a greet ian|glere to a pesible man. [verse 28] Biholde thou not the fairnesse of a womman, and coueyte thou not a womman for fairnesse. [verse 29] The ire and vnreuerence of a womman [of a wom|man; to hir hosebonde. Lire here. C.] is [to hir hosebond is V.] grete [a grete C.] schenschipe. [verse 30] If a womman hath the firste dignyte, ethir cheef gouernail, sche is contrarie to hir hosebonde. [verse 31] A low herte, and soreuful face, and wounde of deeth, is a wickid womman. [verse 32] Feble hondis [Feble hondis; to worche wel. knees vnbound|un; that is, redi to do auoutrie. bless|ith not; that is, dispisith. at thyn hond; that is, bi thi ruling. kitte hir awey; bi departing fro bed; and this is seid of a womman vn|corrigible, ether that wole ne|uere be amend|id, for whi to holde hir, is to consente to hir synne. Lire here. C.] and knees vnboundun, a womman that blessith not hir hosebonde. [verse 33] The bygyn|nyng of synne was maad of a womman; and alle we dien bi hir. [verse 34] Ȝyue thou not issu to thi watir [water; that is, to a river, for he will ouerflowe that place, be his yssu neuer so lyttill. C sec. m.] , ȝhe, not a litil issu; ne|ther to a wickid womman fredom of goyng forth. [verse 35] If sche goith not at thin hond, sche schal schende thee in the siȝt of ene|myes. [verse 36] Kitte hir a wei fro thi fleischis, lest euere sche mysvse thee.