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PROVERBS.
[From MS. Harl. 3362, of the end of the fifteenth century.]
Ȝoung seynt, old devyl.
Here ȝe and sey nawt.
Ofte me kessyt the chil for . . .
A scallyd mannys hed ys good to be broke.
Ewyl weed ys sone y-growe.
He ys an happy man that ys war be anothyr mannys dedys.
Tunge brekyth bon,
thow hyrself have non.
Labbe hyt whyste,
and owt yt muste.
Schorte hosin behowythe longe . . .
The mows lordchypythe ther a cat ys nawt.
Whan thou gest by the weyȝe, be war where thou drowe.
Zelde y-seyȝe sone forȝete.
Whan the scho harmt the fot, war . . .
Onys y-brend ever dret feer.
For my slefe y-broke . . .
Newe thyng lykyth, old thyng lothyth.
The mo cuntremen the wers.
A man purposyt, God dysposyt.
Whan the vox ys ful, he pullyth gees.
A envyows man wexit lene.
Whan me byddyth the, yt ys no synne to drynke,
Nede makyth an old wyf . . .
Krakenel hornys havyth non.
Of a lytyl sperk ys mad gret feer.
Betyr plesyth a ful wombe than a newe cote.
Feld hath eye, wode hath ere.
Betyr ys a byrd in the hond, than tweye in the wode.
Sum man bet the buschys, another hath the bryddys.
Wel wot the cat whas berd he . . .
Of other mennys lethyr men makyt large laynerys.
Whyl the dogge gnawyth, the cat wolde ete.
W.