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

CAP. XXV.

[verse 1] In thre thingus plesid is to my spirit, that ben proued bifor God and man; [verse 2] the acord [cord AEGH.] of brethern, and the looue of neȝhebores, and man and womman wel to themself consentende. [verse 3] Thre spices hatede my soule, and I am greued gretli [verse 4] to the soule of them; a pore man proud, and a riche man a [Om. A.] liere, and an old man a [Om. C.] fool and dotid. [verse 5] What thingis [Om. C pr. m.] in thi ȝouthe thou hast not gedered, hou shalt thou finde in thin eelde? [verse 6] How fair the dom in [of C pr. m.] hoornesse, and to prestis to knowe kounseil. [verse 7] How fair to olde men wisdam, and glorious vnderstonding, and counseil. [verse 8] The coroun of olde men myche wisdam; and the glorie of them dred of God. [verse 9] Nyne vnouertrowable [ouertrowable A.] thingus of the herte I magnefiede; and the tenthe I shal telle in tunge to men. [verse 10] A man that is ioȝid in sones lyuende, and seende the turnyng vpsodoun of his enemys. [verse 11] Blisful that dwellith with a womman weel felende, and that in his tunge is not slyden, and that seruede not to the vnwrthi hymself. [verse 12] Blisful that findith a verre frend, and that telleth out riȝtwis|nesse to the herende ere. [verse 13] Hou gret that findith wisdam and kunnyng; but not ouer the dredende God. [verse 14] The drede of God ouer alle thingus hymself sett aboue. [verse 15] Blisful the man to whom it is ȝoue to han the drede of God; who holdith it, to whom shal he be licned? [verse 16] The dred of God the bigynnyng of his looue; the by|gynnyng forsothe of feith is to be ioyned to hym. [verse 17] Alle veniaunce is the drery slowthe of herte; and eche malice the

wickidnesse [wickenesse E.] of a womman. [verse 18] And eche wounde, and not wounde she shal seen [verse 19] of herte; and al shreudenesse, and not [verse 20] shreudenesse of a womman; and al hid thing, and not hid thing of hatende men; [verse 21] and al veniaunce, and not veniaunce of enemys. [verse 22] There is not an hed wickidere [verse 23] ouer the hed of a shadewe eddere; and there is not wrathe ouer the wrathe of a womman. To dwelle with a leoun and a dragoun more shal [it shal A.] plesen, than to wone with a shreude womman. [verse 24] The shreudenesses of a womman chaungeth [whan she chaungeth E pr. m.] hir face; and she [she hath al E pr. m.] aȝeen blendide [blyndith AGH.] hir cheere as a bere, and as a sac she shal shewen in the myddel of neȝhebores. [verse 25] The housebond [man C pr. m. E pr. m.] of hir gretli weilede; and herende, siȝhede a litil. [verse 26] Short alle malice ouer the malice of a womman; the lot of synnes falle vpon hir. [verse 27] As a graueli steeȝing vp in the feet of an old man, so a tungy womman to a quyete man. [verse 28] Ne beholde thou the fairnesse of a womman, and coueite thou not a wom|man in fairnesse. [verse 29] The wrathe of a wom|man and the mysreuerence, gret shen|shipe. [verse 30] A womman if she haue maistrie, she is contrarie to hir housebond [man CE pr. m.] . [verse 31] A loeȝ herte, and a dreri face, and a wounde of deth, a shreude womman. [verse 32] Feble hondis and vnloosid knees, a womman that mak|eth not blisful hir housebond [man CE pr. m.] . [verse 33] Of a wom|man is mad the bigynnyng of synne; and bi hir alle wee die. [verse 34] Ȝyue thou not to thi watir issue, ne [Om. C pr. m.] a litil; ne to a shreude womman forȝyuenesse, `or leeue, or fredam [Om. C pr. m. E pr. m.] , of goyng out. [verse 35] If she `schal not go [go not C pr. m. E pr. m.] to [in to A.] thin hond, she shal con|founde thee in the siȝte of enemys. [verse 36] Fro thi flesh kut hir awei, lest [Om. E pr. m.] euermore sche mysvse [vse not E pr. m.] thee.