CAPI. VII.
MY sonne, kepe my wordes, and laye vp [ A] my commaundementes by the.
Kepe my commaundementes, and my lawe euen as the apple of thyne eye: and thou shalt lyue.
Bynde them vpon thy fyngers: and wryte them in the table of thyne herte.
Saye vnto wysdome, thou arte my syster, and call vnderstandynge thy kynswoman:* 1.1 that she maye kepe the frome the straunge woman, and frome the harlot whiche gyueth swete wordes.
For oute of the wyndowe of my house I lo∣ked [ B] thorowe the trealesse, and behelde the symple people: and amonge other yonge fol∣kes, I spyed one yonge foole goinge ouer the stretes: by the corner in the waye towarde the harlottes house in the twylyght of the eue∣nynge, when it began nowe to be nyghte and darcke.
And beholde,* 1.2 there met him a woman in an harlots apparel (a disceytful womā, wanton & an vnstedfast womā, whose fete could not abide in the house: now is she without, now in the stretes, and lurketh in euery corner) she caught the yonge man, kyssed him, and was not asha∣med, saying: I had a vow to paye, & this daye I performe it. [ C]
Therfore came I forthe to mete the, that I myght seke thy face: and so I haue founde the.
I haue deckte my bed with couerynges and clothes of Egypt.
My bed haue I made to smell of Myrre, A∣loes, and Cynamon.
Come let vs lye togyther, and take our plea¦sure tyll it be daye lyght.
For the goodmā is not at home: he is gone farre of.
He hathe taken the bagge of moneye with hym: who can tell when he commeth home?
Thus with many swete wordes she ouer∣came him: and with her flatteryng lyppes she [ D] wan him.
Immediatly be folowed her, as it were an oxe ledde to the slaughter (and lyke as it were to the stockes where fooles are punysshed) so long tyll she had wounded his lyuer with her darte: lyke as yf a byrde nested to the snare, not knowynge that the peryl of his lyfe lyeth thervpon.
Heare me now therfore, o my sonne, & marke the wordes of my mouth.
Let not thyne herte wan•••• in her wayes & be not thou discryu•••• in ••er pathes.
For many one hathe she wounded and caste downe: yea manye a stronge man hathe she slayne.