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THe feare of the Lorde is the rote of wisedome, & hir braū∣ches are longe life.
LIke as golde and siluer are tried in the sire, euē ••o are acceptable men in the furnace of aduersitie.
Better it is for vs to fall into the handes of the lorde,
them into the handes of men: for his merceye is it great as hymselfe.
HOuoure thy father in dede, in woorde, and in all pacience, that thou mayest haue god•• biessyng and his blessyng shall abyde with thece•• the last.
The greater thou art, the more humble thy selfe in all thyngee: and thou shalt fynde fauoure in the sighte of god.
Seeke not oute the thinges that are about thy capacitie, and searche not the grounde of such thynges as are to mightie for thee, but loke what god hath commaunded thee, thynke vpon that al waye, and be not curious in manye of his workes For it is not nedefull for thee to see with thine eyes the thynges that are secrete. Make not thou to muche searche in superfluous thyngee, and be not curious in many of his woorkes, for manye thynges are shewed vnto thee alreadye, which be aboue the capacitie of men. The medlyng with suche hath begyled many a man, and tāgled their wittes in vanitie. Nowe, he that loueth petell shall perishe therein.
God hath respecte vnto hym that is thankful, he thynketh vpon hym, ageynst the tyme to come so that when he falleth, he shall fynde a stronge holde.
CAst not thyne eyes asyde from the poore for any euell wyll, that thou geue hym none oc∣casion to speape euel by thee. For yf he complaint of thee, in the bytternesse of his soule, his prayer shalbe hearde, euen he that made hym shall heart hym.
My sonne, make muche of tyme, eschewe the thyng that is euell, and for thy lyfe shame not to
dye the trueth. For there is a shame that bryn∣geth synne, and there is a shame that bryngethe worshippe and fauoure.
Be not hastye in thy tounge, neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes.
Let not thyne hande be stretched out to re∣cepue, and shutte whan thou shuldeit geue.
BEcause thy sonne is geuen the, be not ther∣fore without feare neyther heape one synne vpon another: And saye not: tushe, the mercye of the lorde is great, he shall forgeue me my synnes, be they neuer so many For like as he is mercyful, so goeth wrath from hym also, and his indignaciō commeth downe vpon synners.
Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lorde, and put not of from daye to daye, for sodenty shal his wrathe come, and in the tyme of vengeaunce he shall destroye thee.
Be swyfte to heare, but slowe and paciente in geuyng answere.
HOlde frend shippe with many, neuerthelesse haue but one counceller of a thousande.
Yf thou gettest a frende proue hym fyrste, & be not hasty to geue hym credence. For some man is a frende but for a tyme, and wyll not abyde in the daye of trouble. And there is some frende that turneth to enemitte, and taketh part agaynst the, and yf he knowe any hurte by thee, he tellethe it out. Agayne some frende is but a companyon at the table, and in the daye of nede he continueth not. But a sure frende wyll be vnto thee, euen as thy dooneselte, and deale faythfullye with thy householde folke. Yf thou suffer trouble and aduersitie he is with the, and hydeth not hym∣selfe from the. A faythfull frende is a stronge de∣fence
who so findeth suche a one, findeth a trea∣sure. A faieth full frende hath no peare, the wey∣ghte of golde and seiuer is not to be compared to the goodnes of his faieth. A faieth full frende is a medicine of life, and they that feare the Lord shal synde him.
BInd not .ii. sinnes togither, for in one sinne shalt thou not be vnpunished.
Vse not to make anie manner of lye, for the cu∣stomes therof are not good.
Geue not ouer thy frende for any good, nor thy faithful brother for the best golde.
Loue a discrete seruaunte as thine olde soule, defraude him not of his libertie, nether leaue him a poore man.
If thou haue daughters, kepe their bodies, and shewe not thy face cherfull towarde them. Mary thy daughter, and so shalt thou performe a weigh¦ty matter, but gyue hir to a manne of vnderstan∣dynge.
Feare the Lorde with all thy Soule, and ho∣noure his priestes, giue them their porcion of the firste fruites, and encrease of the earth, like as it is commaunded the. &c
Be liberall vnto al men liuinge, yet let not, but do good, euen vnto them that are dead.
Golde and siluer hath vndone many a man, euē the hertes of kinges hath it made to fal.
Lende not vnto him that is mightier then thy selfe, if thou lendest him, count it but lost.
Be not surety aboue thy power, if thou be, then thinke surely to pay it.
Turne away thy face from a beutiful womā, and loke not vpon the fatrenes of hir. Ma∣ope a manne hathe perished thorowe the beautre
of women. For thorowe it the desire is kindeled as it were a fire.
For sake not an olde frende, for the newe shall not be like him. A newe frende is newe wine, lette him be olde, and thou shalte drincke him with pleasure.
Let all thy talkinge be in the commaundemē∣tes of the hiest.
AS the judge of the people is him selfe, euen so are his officers: and loke what manner of manne the ruler of the citie is, such are they that dwell within also.
Remembre no wronge of thy neighhoure?
Why art thou proude, o thou earth and ashes?
There is nothinge worsse then a couetous man there is not a more wicked thinge thē to loue mo∣ney, and whye? suche one hath his soule to sel, yet is he but filthy dounge while he liueth.
The beginninge of mans pride, is to fal awaye from God: and whye? his herte is gone frome his maket: for pride is the originail of al sinne.
GEue no sentence, before thou hast heard the cause, but fieste let men tell oute theyr tales.
When thou arte in welfare, forget not aduersi∣tie, and when it goeth not well with the, haue a good hope that it shall be better.
IN prosperitie a frende shall not be knowen, and in aduer sitie an enemie shall not be hid, for when a man is in wealthe, it greueth his ene∣mie, but in heuines and trouble, a man shal know his frende.
He taketh a burthen vpō him, that accōpanieth a more honorable man than hym selfe, therfore kepe no familiarite wt one that as richer then thy selfe.
If thou be called of a mighty man, absent thy selfe, so shal he cal the to him the more oft. Please not thou vnto him, that thou be not shutte outs, but go not thou to farre of, leaste he forgette the: withdrawe not thy selfe from his speach, but be∣leue not his many wordes, for with muche cōmu∣nication shall he tempte the, & with apriuy mocke shall he question with the of thy secretes.
If a riche man fall, his frendes sette him vp a∣gains: but whē the pore falleth, his acquaintan̄ce forsake him. If a riche man fall into an erroure, he hath manye helpers, he speaketh proude wor∣des, and yet men iustifie him. But if a posre man go wronge: he is punished ryea, thoughe he speake wisely, yet can it haue no place, when the rich mā speaketh, euerye man holdeth their tonges, & loke what he saith, they praise it vnto the cloudes, but if the pore man speake: they saye, what fellowe is this? and if he do amisse, they shal destroy hym.
ALl fleshe shall fade awaye like grasse, & lyke a flourishing leafe in a grene tre, some grow, some are caste downe, euen so is the generation of al fleshe and bloude, one commeth to an ende, another is borne.
GOd made man from the beginning, and left him in the hande of his counsell.
God hath set water and fire before the, teache out thine hande vnto whiche thou wilte. Before man is life and deathe, good and euell, loke what him liketh, shalbe geuen him.
BEtter it is for a mā to dye without childrē, then to leaue behinde him suche children as are vngodrye.
God iudgeth a man accordinge to his werches.
LEarne before thou speake, and go to phisike or euer thou belicke, examine and iudge thy selfe before the iudgemente come, and so shalte thou fynde grace in the sight of god.
Before thou prayest, prepare thy soule, and be not as one that tempteth god.
Folow not thy lustes, but turne the from thyne own wyl: for yf thou ge••est thy soule her desyres, it shall make thyne enemyes to laughe ye to scorne.
HE that maketh not mucke of small thinges, shall fall by lytle and lytle.
Wyne and women make wyse men rennagates, and put men of vnderslandyng to reprofe.
He that is hastye to geue credence, is light e∣mynded and doeth agaynst hym selfe.
A man maye be knowen by hys face, and one that hath vnderstandyng, maye be perceyued by the loke of his countenaunce.
A mans garment, laughter, and goyng decla∣teth what he is.
AWyse man wyll holde his tongue, tyll he se oportunitie, but a wanton and vndiscrete bodye shall regarde no tyme.
I these is better, then a man that is accusto∣med to lye.
He that pleaseth great men, shall escape much tryll.
Rewardes and gyftes blynde the eyes of the wyse, and make hym dumme, that he cannot tell men theyr fautes.
Wysedome that is hide, and treasure that is hoorded vp, what profite is in them both?
The talkyng of a foole is lyke an heauy burthen
by the waye, but to heare a wyse man speake, it is a pleasure.
I foole lyfteth vp his voyce with laughter, but a wyse man shall scarse laughte secretly.
The hearte of fooles is in theyr mouthe, but the mouthe of the wise is in theyr herte.
MAke but a lytle wepynge because of the brad, for he is come to rest.
Who shall set a watche before my mouth, and a sute seale vpon my lyppes, that I fall not with them, and that my tongue destroye me not.
LEt not thy mouth be accustomed with foo••∣tyng, for in it there are many fallen.
I man that vseth muche sweatyng, shal be fil∣led with wickednes, and the plage shall neuer go from his house.
There thynges there are, that my sprete fauo∣reth, whych be also alowed before god and men. The vnitie of brethren, the loue of neyghe∣boures, a manne & wise that agree wel together.
Thre thynges there be whiche my soule ha∣tethe, and I vtterly abhorte the lyfe of them. A poore man that is proude. A ryche man that is a lyer, and an olde bodye that doteth, and is vnchaste.
All wichednesse is nothyng to the wycked¦nesse of a womanne.
There is no wrathe aboue the wrathe of a woman.
Of the woman came the beggynning of sinne, and thorowe her we all are deade.
THere be thre thinges that my herte feareth, and my face is a frayde of the fourth: trea∣son
in a citie, a sedicious people, and noysome ton∣gues, all these are heuyer then death. But when one is gelous ouer his wyfe, it bryngeth payne and sorowe vnto the harte.
The whoredome of a woman maye be know∣en the pride of her eyes, and eyeliddes.
There be two thynges that graue my herte, and the thyrde is a displeasure come vpon me. When an experte man of warre suffereth scarce∣nesse and pouertye. When menne of vnder∣standynge and wysedome are not sette by and when one departeth from ryghteousenesse vnto synne.
There be two manner of thynges, whiche me thinke to be harde and parlous. A marchaūte cannot lyghtly kepe bym from wronge, neyther a tauerner hymselfe from sinne.
LYke as a nayle in the wall stieketh faste be∣twyxte two stones, euen so doth synne sticke betwixte the byer and the seller.
The tre of the field is knowen by his fruite, so is the thoughte of mans herte knowen by his wordes.
THe more wood there is, the more vehemēte is this fyre, and the mightier that men be, the greater is the wrathe, and the longer that the stryle endureth, the more it burneth.
Thou hedgest thy goodes with thornes, why doest thou not rather make doores and barres for thy mouthe? Thou weyest thy golde and syluer why doest thou not weye thy wordes vpon the balaunce?
Helpe the poore for the cōmaundementes sake, &
let hym not go emptye from thee, because of his necessitie.
Laye vp thy almesse in the hande of the poore and it shall kepe the from all euell.
Surety shyppe hathe destroyed many a riche man.
Better it is to haue a poore lyuyng in a mans owne house, thē delicate fare amōg the straunge.
THere is no rychesse aboue a sound body, and no ioye aboue the ioye of the hearte. Heaui∣nesse hathe slayne many a man, and brynge the no profyte, zele, and anger shorten the dayes of the lyfe, carefulnesse and sorowe, brynge age before the tyme. Vnto a mery herte euery thyng hath a good taste that he eateth.
TRauayle and carefulnes for richesse taketh awaye the slepe, and maketh the fleshe to consume.
He that loueth rychesse, shall not be iustityed.
Yf thou syt at a great mans table, open not thy mouthe wyde vpon it, and make not manye wordes.
Yf thou fealest that thou hast eaten to much aryse, go thy waye, caste it out of thy stomacke & take thy rest, and it shall ease thee, so that thou shalte bryng no sickenesse vnto thy body.
Wyne soberly dronken quickeneth the lyfe of man. Yf thou drynkest it measurably, thou shalte be temperate. What lyfe is it, that maye continue without wyne? Wyne was made from the begin∣nyng to make men glad, and not for dronkennes. wy••e measurably dronken is a reioy syng of the so••le and body. I measurable drynkyng is helthe to sou••e and bodye. But yf it be dronken with ex∣cesse it maketh bytternesse and sorowe vnto the
mynde. Dronkennes fylseth the mynde of the fo∣lyshe with shame and ruine, minisheth the strēgth and maketh woundes.
IF thou be made a ruler, pryde not thy selfe therin, but be thou as one of the people.
Lyke as the Carbuncle stone shyneth that is set in golde, so dothe a songe garnishe the wyne feaste: and as the smaragde that is set in golde, so is the swetenesse of musyke by the myrth of wyne.
BE sure of the matter, then talke therof. Be fyrse well instruct, then mayest thou geue aunswere.
Why doth one daye excell another seyng all the dayes of the yeare come of the sunne? the wysedome of God hath so parted them a sondre, and so hathe he ordeyned the tymes and solempne feastes. Some of them hath he chosen and halow∣ed before other dayes. And al mē are made of the grounde, and out of the earth of Adam. In the multitude of science hath the lorde sondred them, and made theyr wayes of diuerse fashione: Some of them hath he blessed, made muche of them, ha∣lowed them, and claymed them to hymselfe. But some of them hath he cursed, brought them lowe and put them out of theyr estate.
Geue not thy sonne and wyfe, thy brother & frende, powre ouer the whyle thou lyuesle and geue not awaye thy substaunce and good to ano∣ther, lest it repent the, and thou be fayne to begge therfore thy selfe. As long as thou lyuest, and hast brethe, let no man chaunge thee. For better it is that thy chyldren do praye the, then that thou shouldest be fayne to loke in theyr handes.
The fodder, the whyppe, and the burthen be∣longeth vnto the Asse: Meate, correction & worke
vnto thy seruaunt.
If thou haue a faythfull seruaunt, let hym be vnto the, as thyne owne soule, intreate hym as a brother, for in bloude haste thou gotten hym. Yt thou haue a seruaunt, holde hym as thy selfe, for thou hast nede of hym as of thy lyfe.
WHoso regardeth dreames, is lyke hym that wyll take holde of a shadowe, and folowe after the wynde.
Southsaying, witchecrafte, sorcery, and drea∣myng is but vanitie. For dreames haue disceyued manye a man and fayled them that put theyr trust in them.
Whoso bringeth an offring out of the goodes of the poore, dothe euen as one that kylleth the sonne, before the fathers eyes.
The breade of the nedeful is the lyfe of the poore, he that defraudeth hym thereof, is a man of bloude.
Whoso robbeth his neighboure of his lyuyng doeth as greate synne, as though he slewe hym to death.
He that defraudeth the labourer of his heyre is a bloud shedder.
He that washeth hym selfe because of a dead bodye, and toucheth the dead againe, what doeth his washing? So it is with with a mā that fasteth for his synnes, and doeth them agayne: who wyll heare his prayer? or what doeth his fastyng helpe hym.
THe offeringe of the righteous maketh the aulter fat and a swete smell is it before the hyghest.
Halowe thy tithes vnto god with gladnesse.
Geue vnto god accordyng as he hathe enriched
and prospered the, and looke what thy hande is a∣ble, geue with a chearfull eye: for the Lorde recō∣penseth, and geueth thee seuen tymes as muche agayne.
AFeyre wyfe reioyseth her husbande, and a mā loueth nothyng better. Yf she be louing and vertuous withall, then is not her husbande lyke other men. He that hath gotten a vertuous woman, hath a goodlye possession, she is vnto him a helpe, and pyller where vpon he resteth.
HOld thy rounsayle fast in thy hert, for there is no man more faythfull to kepe it, then thou thy selfe.
Before al thy workes aske counsayle fyrst, and or euer thou doest any thyng, be well aduysed.
Be not gredy in euery eatyng, and be not to hasty vpon all meates: for excesse of meates bryn∣geth syckenes, and glotony commeth at the laste to an vnmeasurable heate. Thorowe surfet haue manye one perished, but he that dyeteth hymselfe temperately, prolongeth his lyfe.
HOnour the Phisicion, honour hym because of necessitie. God hath created hym, for of the hyest commeth medicine, and he shall receyue gyftes of the kynge.
The wisedome of the phisicion bringeth him to great worship, and in the sight of the great mē of this worlde, he shalbe honorably taken.
My sonne, brynge fourth thy teares ouer the dead, and begynne to mourne, as yf thou had∣dest suffred great harme thy selfe: and then couer his body after a conuenient maner, & despise not his buriall. Enforce thy selfe to wepe, and pro∣uoke thy selfe to mourne, and make lamentacion
expediently, and that a daye or two, leaste thou be euell spoken of, and then comfort thy selfe because of thy heauinesse. For of heuines commeth death.
TO labour and to be content with that a mā hath is a swete pleasant lyfe, and that is to fynde a treasure aboue all treasures.
O Death how bytter is the remembraunce of thee, to a man that seketh rest and comfort in his substaunce and riches, vnto the man that hath nothyng to vexe hym, and that hathe prosperitie in all thynges, yea vnto hym yt yet is able to re∣ceyue meate.
O Death how acceptable & good is thy iudge¦ment vnto the nedeful, & vnto hym whose strēgth fayleth, and that is nowe in the laste age, and that all thynges is full of care and fearefulnesse, vnto hym also that is in despayre, and hath no hope, nor patience?
Labour to get the a good name; for that shal continue surer by thee, then a thousande greate treasures of golde.
Be ashamed to looke vpon another mannes wyfe, and to make any tryflyng wordes wyth her mayden, or to stande by her bedsyde.
LYke as ye worme and mothe, commeth oute of the clothyng, so doth wyckednesse come of women.
LYke as the fat is taken awaye from the offe∣ryng, so was Dauid chosen out of the chyl∣dren of Israell.
ALl Kynges, excepte Dauid, Hezechias, and Iosiah, committed wickednesse.
But vpon the earthe is there noman created lyke Enoch, for he was taken vp from the earthe.
WOrke the Lordes worke by tymes, and he shall geue you youre rewarde in due seasō.