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

CAP. XXVI.

[verse 1] Blissid is the man of a good womman; the noumbre forsothe of the ȝeres of hym double. [verse 2] A strong womman delytith hir man [husbonde AE sec. m. GH.] ; and the ȝeres of `the liyf of [Om. C pr. m.] hym she shal fulfille in pes. [verse 3] A good part [partie AEGH.] a good womman; in good part of men dredende God, she shal be ȝoue to a man for goode [his goode E pr. m.] deedis. [verse 4] Of riche forsothe and pore the goode herte; in alle tyme the chere of them gladsum. [verse 5] Of thre thingus dradde myn herte, and in the ferthe my face was aferd. [verse 6] The dyuyseoun [enuyouste E pr. m.] of the cite, and the gederyng togidere of the [verse 7] puple, and lesing chaleng; vp on deth alle thingus heuye. [verse 8] Sorewe of herte, and weiling, a ielous womman. [verse 9] In a ielous womman scourge of tunge, to alle co|munende. [verse 10] As a ȝok of oxen that is moued, so and [Om. A.] a [Om. H.] shreude womman; who holdith hir, as he caȝte a scorpioun. [verse 11] A drunkelew womman gret wrathe and strif; and the filtheed of hir shal not be couered. [verse 12] The fornycacioun of a womman in the hauncing out of eȝen; and in the eȝelidis of hir she shal be knowen. [verse 13] In a doȝtir not turnende awey hirself fastne warde; lest, ocasioun founde, she mysuse hirself. [verse 14] Fro [For A.] alle irreuerence of the eȝen of hir waar; and ne wndre thou, if she dispise thee. [verse 15] As a weie goere at a welle threstende the mouth shal opene, and of alle next water shal drinke; and aȝen eche pale [pole E pr. m.] shal sitte, and aȝen alle arewe shal opene quyuere [the quyuer A. quyuere, or arow caas C sec. m. marg. E sec. m. marg. GH.] , to the tyme that she [it G sec. m.] faile. [verse 16] The grace of a bisi womman shal deliten hir man [husbonde AE sec. m. GH.] ; and the boenes of hym she shal fatten [fastnen G. fasten H.] . [verse 17] The discipline of hir is the ȝifte of God. [verse 18] A wel felende womman and a stille is not the chaung|ing of the taȝt soule. [verse 19] Grace vpon grace

an hoeli womman, and a shamefast. [verse 20] Eche forsothe peising is not wrthi a contenent soule. [verse 21] As the sunne risende in the world in the heȝest thingus of God, so the fair|nesse of a good womman in to the en|ournyng of hir hous. [verse 22] A shynende lan|terne vpon an hoeli candilsticke, and the fairnesse of the face vpon the stable age. [verse 23] Goldene pileris vpon silueren feet, and fast feet upon the plauntes, `or soulis [Om. C et E pr. m.] , of a sta|ble womman. [verse 24] Euere lastende foundemens vp on a [Om. AEG pr. m. H.] sad ston, and the maundemens of God in the herte of an hoeli womman. [verse 25] In two thingus myn herte is maad so|rewful [to-broosid C pr. m. E pr. m.] , and in the thridde wrathing to me cam. [verse 26] A [To a E pr. m.] man fiȝtere failende bi myseise, and a man wel felende dispisid. [verse 27] And that ouergoth fro riȝtwisnesse to synne, God greithede hym to a two bitende swerd. [verse 28] Two spices harde and perilous to me semeden; hard is delyuer|ed the chaffarere [marchaund A. chaffarere, or marchaunde E sec. m. GH.] fro his necgligence, and the [the false C pr. m. E pr. m.] tauerner shal not be iustified fro synnes [the synnes AEGH.] of lippis.