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

CAP. XXXVIII.

[verse 1] Onoure thou a leche, for nede; for whi the hiȝeste hath maad hym. [verse 2] For whi al medicyn is of God; and he schal take of the kyng a ȝifte. [verse 3] The kunnyng of a leche schal enhaunse his heed; and he schal be preisid in the siȝt of grete men. [verse 4] The hiȝeste hath maad of the erthe medi|cyn; and a prudent man schal not wlate it. [verse 5] Whether bittir watir was not maad swete of a tre? [verse 6] The vertu of tho thingis cam bi experience to the knowing of men; and the hiȝeste ȝaf kunnyng to men, for to be onourid in his merueils. [verse 7] A man heelynge in these thingis schal aswage sorewe, and an oynement makere schal make pymentis of swetnesse, and schal make anoyntyngis [oynementis I.] of heelthe; and hise werkis schulen not [werkis schu|len not, etc.; that is, schulen not haue effect purposid bi the leche and ipote|carie, for whi the doing of God, which is principal leeche, is nedeful herto. Lire here. C.] be endid. [verse 8] For whi the pees of God is on the face of erthe. [verse 9] Mi sone, dispise not thi silf in thi sike|nesse [dispise not thi silf in thi goostly syk|nesse; in dis|pisinge to seke remedy, as summen dis|pisen. preye thou the Lord; deuoutly. schal heele thee; with oynement of grace. dresse hondis; that is, thi werkis to God. clense thyn herte; bi veri and cleene contricioun. ȝyue thou place to a leche; in onouringe the prest preiynge for thee. the Lord made him; that is, auaun|side him to the office of prest|hood. departe he not fro thee; that is, fro thyn herte, for thou owist euere for to loue and worschipe him. hise werkis, etc.; that is, to offre sacrifices, and to preye for the synnes of the puple. thou schalt falle in to the hondis of hem; for whi present liyf is not passid with out synnes. Lire here. C.] ; but preie thou the Lord, and he schal heele thee. [verse 10] Turne thou awei fro synne, and dresse thin [Om. A pr. m.] hondis, and clense thin herte fro al synne. [verse 11] Ȝyue thou swet|nesse, and the mynde of cleene flour of wheete, and make thou fat offryng; and ȝyue thou place to a leche. [verse 12] For the Lord made hym, and departe he not fro thee; for hise werkis ben nedeful to thee. [verse 13] For whi tyme is, whanne thou schalt falle in to the hondis of hem. [verse 14] Forsothe thei schulen biseche the Lord, that he dresse the werk of hem, and helthe for her lyuyng. [verse 15] He that trespassith in the siȝt of hym, that made hym, schal falle in to the hondis of the leche. [verse 16] Sone, brynge thou forth teeris on a deed man, and thou as suffrynge hard thingis bigynne to wepe; and bi doom hile thou the bodi of hym, and dispise thou not his biriyng. [verse 17] But for bacbityng bere thou bittirli the morenyng of hym o dai; and be thou coumfortid for sorewe [be thou coumfortid for sorewe; that is, lest ouer greet sorewe anoye thee. hilith vertu; that is, stranglith the vertu of kynde. in leding awey; fro good. Sorewe anoyeth bodi and soule, and bringith sum|tyme to dispeir and othere yuels. no turn|yng is; that is, fro deth to present liyf. Lire here. C.] . [verse 18] And make thou morenyng aftir

his merit o dai, ether tweyne, for bacbit|yng. [verse 19] For whi deth hastith of sorewe, and hilith vertu; and [Om. C.] the sorewe of herte bowith the heed. [verse 20] Sorewe dwellith in ledyng awei; and the catel of a nedi man [the catel of a nedi man, etc.; for if he hath a ioyeful herte and manli, he is seid riche; and a riche man siyk, that is, sori, is seid pore. ȝyue thou not thyn herte in ouermyche sorewe; for a deed man. haue thou mynde on the laste thingis; that is, of thi deth, and of alle othere men, fro which no man turneth aȝen to present liyf. profite no thing to this deed man; that is, bi thi turment thou schalt not clepe aȝen that deed man. of my doom; that is, of my deeth. thyn schal be thus; as if he seide, haste thou to worche good, while thou lyuest, for thou schalt not more aftir deeth. Lire here. C.] is aftir his herte. [verse 21] Ȝyue thou not thin herte in sorewe, but put it awei fro thee; and haue thou mynde on the laste thingis, and nyle thou forȝete. [verse 22] For whi no turn|ing is [is fro deeth to this present lijf V.] , and thou schalt no thing profite to this deed man; and thou schalt harme [C super ras. trete EHPUVY.] worste thi silf. [verse 23] Be thou myndeful of mi dom; for also thin schal be thus, to me ȝistirdai, and to thee to dai. [verse 24] In the reste of a deed man make thou hys mynde to haue reste; and coumforte thou hym in the goyng out of his spirit. [verse 25] Write thou wisdom [Write thou wisdom; that is, bokis conteyn|ynge wisdom. of voidnesse; that is, in the tyme, in which thou art voide of othere werkis of nede; ether of voidnesse; that is, of po|uert, ether whanne thou art fastinge of mete and drynk. Lire here. C.] in the tyme of voidenesse; and he that is made lesse in dede, schal per|seyue wisdom; for he schal be fillid of wisdom. [verse 26] He that holdith the plow, and he that hath glorie in a gohode, dryueth oxis with a pricke, and he lyueth in the werkis of tho; and his tellyng is in the sones of bolis. [verse 27] He schal ȝyue his herte to turne forewis; and his wakyng schal be aboute the fatnesse of kien. [verse 28] So ech carpenter, and principal werk man, that passith the niȝt as the dai; that graueth ymagis grauun, and the bisynesse of hym dyuersith the peynture; he schal ȝyue his herte to the licnesse of peynture, and bi his wakyng he perfourmeth the werk. [verse 29] So a smyth sittynge bisidis the anefelt, and biholdynge the werk of yrun, the heete of fier brenneth hise fleischis; and he stryueth in the heete of the furneis. [verse 30] The vois of a hamer makith newe his eere; and his iȝe is aȝens the licnesse of a vessel. [verse 31] He schal ȝyue his herte in to the [Om. C.] perfourmyng of werkis; and bi his wakyng he schal ourne vnperfeccioun [ourne vnper|feccioun; that is, mater which he bringith to perfeccioun of forme. Lire here. C.] . [verse 32] So a potter sittynge at his werk, turnynge a wheel with hise feet, which is put euere in bisynesse for his werk; and al his

worchyng is vnnoumbrable. [verse 33] In his arm he schal fourme clei; and bifore hise feet he schal bowe his vertu [bowe his ver|tu; that is, bowe him silf strongly to stire the wheel. hopiden in her hondis; that is, to gete liyflode and clothing, bi the werkis of her hondis. Lire here. C.] . [verse 34] He schal ȝyue his herte to ende perfitli sum [Om. V.] thing; and bi his wakyng he schal clense the furneis. [verse 35] Alle these men hopiden in her hondis; and ech man is wijs in his craft. [verse 36] A citee is not bildid with outen alle these men. [verse 37] And thei schulen not dwelle, ne|ther go [they schulen not dwelle, ne|ther go; that is, the forseid crafti men schulen not dwelle among princes and councelours of the citee, ne|ther schulen go to her councels among hem. and thei schu|len not skippe ouer in to the chirche; that is, the cleping togidere of wise men; for thei ben not able therto. Lire here. C.] ; and thei schulen not skippe ouer in to the chirche. [verse 38] Thei schulen not sitte on the seete of a iuge; and thei schulen not vndirstonde the testament of [of a C.] doom [testament of doom; that is, diffynytif sen|tence. Lire here. C.] , nether thei schulen make opyn techyng and doom; and thei schulen not be foundun in parablis. [verse 39] But thei schulen conferme the creature of the world [thei schulen conferme the creature of the world; that is, the age of man, which is kept bi the werkis of the forseid craftis, that ben nedeful to the keping of mannus liyf. they ȝyuen her soule; to the cure of prestis. axen togidere, etc.; for thei axen of hem of the maner of her helthe, wherof it is opyn, that prestis owen to be onourid of alle the forseid men. Lire here. C.] , and her preyer is in the worching of craft; and thei ȝyuen her soule, and thei axen togidere in the lawe of the hiȝeste.