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.

¶ It is the propertye of a synner to be euell longed. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and good councell of the wyse is to be embraced. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shulde be searched for. The profet therof.

CAPI. VI.

BE not thy neyghbours enemye for thy [unspec A] frende sake: for who so is euel shall be the heyre of rebuke and dishonoure / & who∣soeuer beareth enuye and a double tonge offendeth. Be not proude in the deuyce of thyne owne vnderstandyng (left thy strēgth be hurte by foolyshnes / and) left thy leaues wither / and thy frute be destroyed / and so thou be left as a drye tree (in the wyldernes.) For a wycked soule destroyeth hym y^• hathe it / maketh hym to be laughed to scorne of his enemyes, (and bryngeth hym to the por∣cyon of the vngodly.) A swete worde mul¦tiplieth frendes / and pacifie••h them that be at varyaunce / and a thankfull tonge wyll be plenteous in a good man. Holde frend∣shyppe with many / neuertheles haue but one counceler of a thousande. [unspec B]

Yf thou gettest a frende, proue him fyrst, and be not hastye to geue hym credens. For some man is a frende / but for a tyme / & wyl not abyde in the daye of trouble. And there is some frende that turneth to enemyt•• / and taketh parte agaynste the: and yf he knowe any hurt by the / he telleth it out. Agayne, some frēde is but a companyon at the table, ••nd in the daye of nede he continueth not. But a sure frende wyll be vnto the euen as thyne owne selfe, and deale faythfully with thy housholde folke. If thou suffre trouble and aduersyte, he is with the, & hydeth not hymselfe from the. Departe from thyne enemyes, yee and beware of thy frendes.

A faythfull frende is a stronge defence: [unspec C] who so fyndeth suche one, fyndeth a tresure, A faythfull frēde hathe no peace, y^• weyght of golde and syluer is nat to be compared to the goodnesse of his fayth. A faythfull frende is a medycyne of lyfe / and they that teare the Lorde / shall fynde hym. Who so feareth the Lorde / shall prospere with fren∣des: & as he is hym selfe / so shall hys frende be also. My sonne / receaue doctryne from thy youth vp / so shalt thou fynde wysdome tyll thou be olde. Go to her as one that pl••weth / and soweth / and wayte pacyently for hir good frutes. For thou shalt haue but lytle laboure in her worcke / but thou shalte eate of her frutes ryght soone. O howe ex∣ceadynge sharpe is wysdome to vnlerned men? an vnstedstast body wyll nat remayne in her. Unto suche / she is as it were a touch stone / and he casteth her from hym in al the hast: for wysdome is with hym but in name, there be but fewe that haue knowledge of her (•• But with them that knowe her / she abydeth euen vnto the apperynge of God.)

Geue eare (my sōne) receaue my doctrine, and refuse not my councell. Put thy fote into her lynckes, and take her yocke vpō

thy necke: bowe downe thy shoulder vnto her, beare her paciently, and be not wery of her bandes. Come vnto her with thy whole herte / & kepe her wayes with all thy power. Seke after her, and she shalbe shewed the: and when thou haste her / forsake her not. For at the last thou shalt fynde rest in her, & that shall be turned to thy great toye. Then shal her fetters be a stronge defence for the, [unspec D] and her yocke a gloryous rayment. For the bewtye of lyfe is in her, & her bandes are the couplinge together of saluacyō. Yee a glori∣ous raymēt is it, thou shalt put it on, and the same crowne of toye shalt thou weare.

My sonne, yf thou wylt take hede, thou shalt haue vnderstandynge, and yf thou wylt applye thy mynde / thou shalt be wyse. If thou wylt bowe downe thyne eare / thou shalt receaue doctryne / and yf thou delyte in hearynge, thou shalt be wyse. Stande with the multytude of suche elders as haue vnderstandynge, and consente vnto theyr wysdome wich thyne herte: that y^• mayest heare all godly sermons / & that the worthy sentences eskape the nat. And yf thou seyst a man of descrete vnderstandynge, get the soone vnto hym, and let thy fote treade vpō the steppes of his dores. Let thy mynde be vpon the cōmaundementes of God / and be earnestly occupyed in his lawes: so shall he stablysh thy herte, and geue the wysdome at thyne owne desyre.

Notes

• Rom. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ P•••••• ••••
• Eccle. ••.
• Deu. 1••. ••. and. 33. ••. M••••••••. ••▪ Math. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
• Eccl. 37••
• Math ••••••••
• Eccle. 8. a.
• Psal. ••. ••.