The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ These also are the parables of Salomon, whi∣che the men of Ezekiah Kynge of Iu∣da copyed out.

CAPI. XXV.

IT IS y^• honour of god to kepe a thinge [unspec A] secrete, but the kynges honoure is to searche out a thynge.

The heauen is hye / the earth is depe / and the kynges herte is vnsearcheable. Take the drosse frō the syluer, and there shalbe a cleane vessell therof. Take awaye vngod∣godlynesse frō the kynges syght, & his seate shalbe stablished in ryghteousnes. Put nat for the thy selfe in the presence of y^• kynge, & preace nat īto y^• place of great mē. ‡ 1.1 For bet¦ter is it y^t it be saide vnto y^•: come vp hither / then thou to be set downe in the presēce of y^• prynce whō thou seyst with thine eyes. ‡ 1.2 Be not hasty to go to y^e law, lest happly y^• ordre thy selfe so at y^• last, that thy neighbour put the to shame. Handle thy matter with thy [unspec B] neyghbour hīselfe, & discouer not another mās secrete: lest whē mē heare therof, it tur∣ne to thy dishonour, & lest thyne euyll name do nat ceasse. {fleur-de-lys} (Grace & frendshyppe do the deliuer: whiche se that thou kepe for thy selfe

lest thou be reproued.) a worde spoken in due season, is lyke apples of golde in a syluer dishe. The correccyon of the wyse is to an obedient eare, a golden cheyne and a Iewel of golde. Lyke as the colde of snowe in the haruest, so is a faythfull messenger to them that sende him: for he refressheth his may∣sters mynde. Who so maketh great bostes [unspec C] and geueth nothynge, is lyke cloudes and wynde without rayne. With pacience is a Prince pacified, and * 1.3 with a softe tonge is rygorousnes broken. If thou fyndest hony, eate so muche as is sufficiente for the: leaste thou be ouerful, and perbrake it out againe Withdrawe thy fote from thy neyghboures house, lest he be wery of the, and so abhorre the. Who so beareth false wytnesse againste his neyghbour, he is a very speare, a swerde and a sharpe arrowe. The hope of the vn¦godly in tyme of nede, is lyke a rotten to the and a slyppery fote. Who so taketh awaye a mans garmente in the colde wether, is lyke vyneger vpon chalke, or lyke him that syn∣geth songes to an heuy harte. {fleur-de-lys} (Lyke as the moth hurteth a garment, and a worme the tre so doth the heuynesse of a man hurte the hert) * 1.4 If thine enemye honger, feade hym: yf he thryste, geue hym drynke: for so shalte thou heape coles of fyre vpon his heade, and the [unspec D] Lorde shall rewarde the. The North winde dryueth awaye the rayne, euen so dothe an earenest sobre countenaunce a backebyters tonge. * 1.5 It is better to syt in a corner vn∣der the ro••e, then with a brawlynge woman in a wyde house: A good reporte out of a far coūtre, is lyke colde water to a thrysty soule Aryghtuous man ☞ fallynge downe be∣fore the vngodly is lyke a troubled well & a sprynge that is destroied. Lyke as it is nat* 1.6 good to eate to muche honye, euen so he that wyll searche out hye thynges, it shall be to heuy for him. He that can not rule hym self is lyke a cyte whiche is broken downe, and hathe no walles.

Notes

• ‡ 1.1

  Luke. 14. ••
• ‡ 1.2

  Eccle. 8. ••. Math. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.3

  Pron xv. a Gene. 32. a Reg. 25. ••
• * 1.4

  Roma. 1••. c 1. Reg. 30. b
• * 1.5

  Prou. xxi. a
• * 1.6

  ••ccle. 3. c