CAP. LI.

[verse 1] Lord kyng, Y schal knouleche to thee; and Y schal togidere herie thee, my sa|uyour. [verse 2] Y schal knouleche to thi name, for thou art maad an helpere and de|fendere [verse 3] to me; and thou hast delyuered my bodi fro perdicioun, fro the snare of a wickid tunge, and fro the lippis of hem that worchen a leesyng; and in the siȝt of hem that stonden nyȝ thou art maad an helpere to me. [verse 4] And thou hast dely|uered me, bi*. [aftir I.] the multitude of merci of thi name, fro roreris maad redi to mete; [verse 5] fro the hondis of hem that souȝten my soule, and fro many tribulaciouns that [verse 6] cumpassiden me; fro ouerleiyng of flawme*. [ouerleiynge of flawme; that is, of stiringe of lecherie. in the myddis of fier; that is, of lecherouse heete. not brent; bi con|seyt of dedly synne. Lire here. C.] that cumpasside me, and in the myddis of [verse 7] fier Y was not brent; fro the depthe of the wombe of helle, and fro a tunge de|foulyd, and fro a word of leesyng; fro a wickid kyng, and fro a tunge vniust. [verse 8] `Til to*. [Vnto I.] the deth my soule schal preise [verse 9] thee, Lord; and my lijf was neiȝynge in helle bynethe. [verse 10] Thei cumpassiden me on ech side, and noon was that helpide; Y was biholdynge to the help of men, and noon was. [verse 11] Lord, Y hadde mynde on thi merci, and on thi worchyng togidere, that [verse 12] ben fro the world; for thou delyuerst hem that abiden thee, and thou delyuerst hem fro the hond of hethene men. [verse 13] Thou en|haunsidist my dwellyng on erthe; and Page  222 Y bisouȝte for deth fletynge doun. [verse 14] Y clepyde to help the Lord, fadir of my Lord, that he forsake not me in the dai of my tribulacioun, and forsake not me with outen help, in the tyme of hem that ben proude. [verse 15] Y schal preise thi name con|tynueli, and Y schal herie it togidere in knoulechyng; and my preier is herd*. [my preyer is herd; in stede|fast hope. per|dicioun; of helle. wickid tyme; that is, of pre|sent liyf, wher|ynne wickid|nesse regneth. Lire here. C.]. [verse 16] And thou hast delyuered me fro perdi|cioun, and thou hast delyuered me fro the wickid tyme. [verse 17] Therfor Y schal knouleche, and Y schal seie heriyng to thee; and Y schal blesse the name of the Lord. [verse 18] Whanne ȝit Y was ȝongere, bifore that Y erride, Y souȝte wisdom opynli in my preier. [verse 19] Bifore the tyme of eelde Y axide for it, and `til in to*. [vnto I.] the laste thingis Y schal enquere it; and it schal flour as a grape ripe bifore othere. [verse 20] Myn herte was glad ther ynne, my foot ȝede a riȝtful weye; fro my ȝongthe Y souȝte it. [verse 21] Y bowide doun a litil myn eere, and Y took it. [verse 22] Y foonde myche wisdom in my silf, and Y profitide myche ther ynne. [verse 23] Y schal ȝyue glorie to hym, that ȝyueth wisdom to me. [verse 24] For whi Y took councel to do it; Y loued feruentli good, and Y schal not be schent. [verse 25] My soule wrastlide togidere ther ynne; and Y was confermyd in do|ynge it. [verse 26] Y stretchide forth myn hondis*. [myn hondis; that is, Y dress|ide my werkis bi riȝtfulnesse of entent in to God. Lire here. C.] an hiȝ; and my soule schynede in the wisdom of hym, and he liȝtnyde myn vnkunnyngis. [verse 27] Y dresside my soule to it; and Y*. [Om. Y.] foond it in knowyng. [verse 28] Y hadde pesibli fro the bigynnyng an herte with tho*. [an herte with tho; that is, werkis ether liȝtnyngis of wisdom. a tunge; to bringe forth wordis disposing to wisdom; this that is addid in summe bokis, lerned, is not of the text, for it is a glos enter|lynarie set in the text bi writeres. Lire here. C.]; for this thing Y schal not be for|sakun. [verse 29] My soule was disturblid in sek|ynge it; therfor Y schal haue pesibli a good possessioun. [verse 30] For whi the Lord ȝaf to me a tunge my meede*. [my mede; that is, bi which Y may gete euerlastinge meede, in tech|inge othere men feithfuly, and in preiynge deuoutly. Y openyde my mouth, etc.; as if he seide, Y am redi to teche ȝou frely for God. Y trauelide a litil; in comparisoun of the greet|nesse of good getun. myche reste; that is, myrthe of wis|dom. welde ȝe plenteouse gold therynne; that is, sette ȝe kun|nyng bifor many rich|essis, and the possessioun therof schal be betere than myche gold to ȝou. Lire here. C.]; and in it Y schal preise hym. [verse 31] Ȝe vntauȝt men, neiȝe to me; and gadere ȝe ȝou in to the hous of techyng. [verse 32] What tarien ȝe ȝit? and what seien ȝe in these thingis? ȝoure soules thristen greetli. [verse 33] Y openyde my mouth, Page  223 and Y spak, Bie ȝe wisdom to ȝou with [verse 34] out siluer, and make ȝoure necke suget to the ȝok therof, and ȝoure soule res|seyue techyng; for whi it is in the nexte to fynde it. [verse 35] Se ȝe with ȝoure iȝen, that Y trauelide a litil, and Y foond myche reste to me. [verse 36] Take ȝe techyng in myche noumbre of siluere, and welde ȝe plen|teuouse gold ther ynne. [verse 37] Ȝoure soule be glad in the merci of hym*. [in the merci of him; that is, of God, which is wisdom vn|maad. bifor the tyme; of deth. meede; that is, euerlastyng liyf, in tyme ordeyned of God. Lire here. C.]; and ȝe schu|len not be schent in the preysing of hym. [verse 38] Worche ȝe ȝoure werk bifore the tyme; and he schal ȝyue to ȝou ȝoure meede in his tyme.