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

[Here bigynneth the Parablis of Sa|lomon [From A. Incipit liber Proverbiorum. G. No initial rubric in the other Mss.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] THE parablis of Salamon, sone of Da|uid, [verse 2] king of Irael; to ben koud wisdam, [verse 3] and discipline; to ben vnderstonden the woordis of prudence; and to ben vndir|take enformyng of doctrine, riȝtwysnesse, [verse 4] and dom, and equite; that felnesse be ȝeue to litle childer, and to the ȝunge ful waxen, kunnyng and vnderstonding. [verse 5] Herende the wise wisere shal ben; and vnderstondende gouernaile he shal welde. [verse 6] Take he heede the parable, and the re|menyng; the woordis of wise men, and the derke spechis of hem. [verse 7] The drede of the Lord the [is the A.] begynnyng of wisdam; wisdam and lore foolis dispisen. [verse 8] Here, my sone, the discipline of thi fader, and [verse 9] ne leue thou the lawe of thi modir; that ther be added grace to thin hed, and a beȝe [wrethe E pr. m.] to thi necke. [verse 10] My sone, if thee [thee souken E pr. m.] synneres fulfille with mylc, ne assente thou [thou not E pr. m.] to them. [verse 11] If thei sey, Cum thou with vs, waite wee to the blod, hide wee grenes aȝen the innocent in veyn; [verse 12] swolewe wee hym, as helle the liuende; and hol as the descendende in to the [verse 13] lake; alle precious substaunce we shul

finde, wee shul fulfillen oure housis with [verse 14] spoilis; lot ley with vs, o bagge of [verse 15] monee be of vs alle; mi sone, ne go thou with hem; forfende thi foot fro the sties of hem. [verse 16] Forsothe the feet of hem to euel rennen; and heeȝen that thei sheden out blod. [verse 17] In vein forsothe is throwen a net befor the eȝen of the fethered. [verse 18] Thei also aȝen ther blod awaiten; and casten gilys aȝen ther soulis. [verse 19] So the pathis of the auerous man raueshen the liues of the welderes. Wis|dam [verse 20] withouteforth precheth; in stretis it ȝyueth his vois. [verse 21] In the hed of cum|panyes it ofte crieth; in the doris of the ȝatis of the cite he bringeth forth [verse 22] his woordis, seiende, Hou longe, ȝee litle childer, loouen childhed, and foolis tho thingus that ben noȝesum to them shul coueiten, and vnprudent [vnkunnynge A.] men shuln haten kunnyng? [verse 23] Be ȝee conuertid at my correccioun; lo! I shal bringe forth to ȝou my spirit, and shewen my woordis. [verse 24] For I clepede, and ȝee forsoken; I straȝte out myn hond, and ther was not that wolde beholden. [verse 25] Ȝee despiseden al my counseil; and my blamyngis [blamynge A.] ȝee roȝten not of. [verse 26] I forsothe in ȝoure deth shal lawȝhe; and vndermouwe ȝou, whan to ȝou that, that ȝee dredden, shal come. [verse 27] Whan shal falle feerli wrecchidnesse, and deth as tempest shal aȝen come; whan shal come vp on ȝou tribulacioun and an|guysh. [verse 28] Thanne thei shul inwardli clepe me, and I shal not ful out heren; erly they shuln rise togidere, and not finde me. [verse 29] For thi that hatesum thei hadden disciplyne, and the drede of the Lord [verse 30] thei vndertoken not, ne assentiden to my counseil, and bacbitiden to al my correc|cioun. [verse 31] Thei shuln ete therfore the frutis of ther weie; and with ther counseilis thei shul be fulfild. [verse 32] The turning awei

of litle childer shal slen hem; and the prosperite of foolis shal leesen hem. [verse 33] Who forsothe me shal heren, withoute ferd shal resten; and abundaunce he shal parfitli vsen, the ferd of euelis taken awey.