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.

¶ The p••ap se of good a womā. Of the feare of thre thyn∣ges and of the fourth. Of the Ielouze and droncken womā. Of two thynges that cause sorow, and of the thyrde which moueth wrath.

CAPI. XXVI.

Happye is the man that hathe a verte∣ous [unspec A] wyfe, for the nombre of his yeares shalbe dubble. An honest woman maketh her husbande a ioyfull man / and she shall fyll y^• yeares of his lyfe in peace. A verteous womā is a noble gyft, whiche shalbe geuen for a good porcion vnto such as feare God: Whether a man be rych or poore, he may ha¦ue euer a mery hert, and a chearful counte∣naunce. There be thre thinges that my hert feareth, and my face is afrayed of y^• fourth. Treason in a cytie / a sedicious people / and noisome tonges, all these are heuyer thē the

death. But when one is gelous ouer hys wyfe / it bryngeth payne and sorowe vnto the herte: and a woman that telleth out all thynges / is a scourge of the tonge. When one hathe an euell wyfe / it is euen as when an vnylke payre of oxen muste drawe toge∣ther, he that getteth her / he getteth a scor∣pyon. A droncken woman is a great plage, for she cannot couer her owne shame.

The whordome of a woman maye be [unspec B] knowen in the pryde of her eyes and eye led∣des. If thy daughter be not shamefast, holde her straytly, lest she abuse herselfe thorowe ouermoche lyberte. Beware of all the dishonestye of her eyes, and maruell not yf she do agaynste the. Lyke as one y^t goeth by the waye and is thirstie, so shall she open her mouth and dryncke of euery next water that she maye get. By euery hedge shal she set her downe / and open her quyuer against euery arowe. A louynge wyre reioyseth her husbande, and fedeth his bones with her wis¦dome. A woman of fewe wordes is a gyfte of God / and to all well nurtured myndes maye nothynge be compared.

An honest and manerly woman is a gyft aboue other gyftes / and there is no weyght [unspec C] to be compared / vnto a mynde that can rule itselfe. Lyke as the Sunne when it aryseth is an ornament in the hye heuen of the lorde so is a vertuous wyfe the bewtye of all her house. Lyke as the clere lyght is vpon y^• ho∣ly candelsticke, so is the bewre of y^• face vpō an honest body. Lyke as the golden puers are vpon the sockettes of syluer / so are the fayre legges vnto a woman that hath a co∣stant mynde. Perpetual are the foundaciōs that be layde vpon a whole stonye rocke / so are the commaundementes of God vpon the her••e of an holy woman.

There be two thinges that grene my hert and in the thyrde is a displeasure come vpō [unspec D] me When an expert man of warre suffreth scarsenes a••d pouerte. When men of vn∣derstandynge and wysdome are not sert by. And when one departeth from ryghteous∣nes vnto synne. Who so doth suche / the Lorde hathe prepared him vnto the swerde. There be two maner of thynges, whiche me thynke to be herde & perylous. A marchaūt can not lyghtly kepe hym from wronge, ne∣ther a taueruer him selfe from synne.

Notes

• ••••. 16. a
• ••••. 42. b
• 〈…〉〈…〉. v. d.