“ And as sixe hundrid þousend of footmen, þat ben gadered in þe hardnesse of þer herte; and if oon were rered vp þe nol, wnder if he hadde ben harmles. Mercy forsoþe and wraþe is wiþ hym; myȝty is þe ful out orisoun, and heeldende out wraþe. After his mercy, so þe chastising of hym; he demeþ a man aftir his werkes. Þe synnere shal not scapen out in to raueyn; and þe suffryng of þe doynge mercy schal not tary by hynde. Eche mercy shal make place to echon, aftir þe desert of his werkis, and after þe vnderstonding of þe pilgrimaging of hym. Sey þou not, Fro God I shal ben hid ”

“ Men foolis shul not seen it; ferr forsoþe it is, ferre awei fro pride, and fro treccherie. Men lieres shul not be myndeful of it, and soþfast men ben founden in it; and welsum aftir comyng þei shul han vnto þe looking in of God. Feir preising is not in þe mouþ of þe synnere, for he is not sent of þe Lord. For gon forþ is wisdam of God; forsoþe to þe wisdam of God preising shal stonden at, and in þe feiþful mouþ shal abounde, and þe lordshipere shal ȝyuen it to hym. Þou shalt not seyn, Bi God it is awey; þo þingis forsoþe þat it hateþ, þou shalt not do. ”

“ Chastise a frend, ofte forsoþe is don trespas; and not to eche wrd leeue þou. Þer is þat slideþ in his tunge, but not of inwit. Who is forsoþe, þat gilteþ not in his tunge? Chastise a neȝhebore, er þat þou þrete; and ȝif place to þe drede of þe heiȝest. For eche wisdam þe drede of God, and in it to dreden God; and in alle wisdam þe disposing of þe lawe. And wisdam is not þe disciplyne of shreudenesse; and good þenking is not þe prudence of synnes. Þer is shreudenesse of prudence, and in it cursing; and þer is an vnwis man, þat is lassid in wisdam. ”

“ Forȝete þou not of þi frend in þin inwit, and be þou not vnmyndeful of hym in þi werkis. Wile þou nott counselen wiþ þi wyues fader; and fro men enuyende to þee hyd counseil. Eche counseiler discouereþ counseil, but þer is a counseiler in hymself. Fro an euel counseiler kep þi soule; first wite þou, what be þe nede of hym, and what he in his inwit shal þenken; lest par auenture he poote a pol, or a stake, in to þe erþe, and sey to þee, Good is þi wey, and stonde aȝeenward, to seen what falle to þee. ”

“ Synne þou not in þe multitude of þe cite, ne poote þee in to þe puple; ne bynde þou to double synnes, ne forsoþe þou shalt be in oon gilteles. Wile þou not ben a couward in þi soule, to preȝen; and to don almesse deede, ne dispise þou. Ne sei þou, In þe multitude of my ȝiftus God shal beholde; and me offrende to þe heȝest God, my ȝiftis he shal take. Scorne þou not a man in þe bitternesse of soule; God forsoþe þe lokere aboute is, þat enhaunceþ and mekeþ. Wile þou not looue lesing aȝen þi broþer; and in to a frend lic maner do þou not. Wile þou not wilne to lien eche lesing ”

“ Þere is, þat manye þingis aȝeen bie for litil pris, and restorende þem in to seuen fold. A wys man in wrdis makeþ hym self loouable; þe graces forsoþe of foolis shul ben held out. Þe ȝifte of þe vnwise shall not be profitable to þee; þe eȝen forsoþe of hym ben seuennfold. Fewe þingus he shal ȝyue, and many þingus he shal vpbreiden; and þe openyng of þe mouþ of hym is enflaumyng. To day leeneþ a man, and to moru he askeþ it bi ple; and hateful is such a maner man. To a fool shal not ben a frend, and þer shal not be grace to þe goodis of hym. Who forsoþe eten þe bred of hym, ben of fals tunge ”

“ Fro þe world ben men lordschipende in þer poweres, grete men in vertue, and bi þer prudence biforn oþere mad riche; tellende in profetes þe dignete of profetes, and comaundende in þe present puple, and bi vertue of prudence of þe puple, most hoely wrdis. In þer wisdam sechende þe musyk manerys, and tellende þe dytes of scriptures. Riche men in vertue, hauende þe study of fairnesse, pes makende in þer houses. Alle þese in þe ieneraciouns of þeir folc han taken glorie; and in þer daȝes ben had in preisyngus. Who of hem ben born, laften þe name of telling þe preisingus of hem. ”

“ A weel felende man leeueþ to þe lawe of God, and þe lawe feiþful to hym. Who þe asking makeþ open, shal greiþe a wrd; and so louli preȝende he shal be ful out herd, and he shal kepe disciplyne, and þanne he shal answern. Þe entrailes of a fool as þe whel of a carre, and as a turnende ful axtre þe þenkingus of hym. An hors courser, so and a frend priue scornere, vnder eche man vpon sittende neȝeþ. Whi dai þe dai ouercomeþ, and eft liȝt þe liȝt, and ȝer þe ȝer, sunne þe sunne? Of þe kunnyng of þe Lord þei ben seuered, þe sunne mad, and kepende þe heste; bi þe wisdam of God þei ben deuydid. ”

“ What is a man, and what is þe glorie of hym? and what is good, or what þe wicke þing of hym? Þe noumbre of þe daȝes of men, as myche an hundrid ȝer, as dropis to þe watir of þe se þei ben ordeyned; and as a litil ston of grauel, so fewe ȝeres in þe dai of þe spirituel world. For þat pacient is God in þem, and he schal heelde out vpon hem his mercy. He saȝ þe presumpcioun, or pride, of þe herte of hem, for it ys euel; and he kneȝ þe turnyng vp so doun of hem, for it is shreude. Þerfore he fulfilde hys mercy in hem, and shewede to þem þe weie of equyte. Þe mercy doyng of man aboute his neȝhebore ”

“ Sone, if þou hast, wel do wiþ þee, and offre to God wrþi offringis. Be þou myndeful for deþ shal not tarien, and þe testament of helle, þat is shewid to þee; þe testament forsoþe of þis world bi deþ shal dien. Biforn deþ wel do to þi frend, and aftir þi strengþis puttende out ȝif to þe pore. Be þou not bigilid fro þe good day, and þe parcel of þe goode day passe þee not. Wheþer not to oþere þou shalt lefe þi sorewis, and þi trauailes? In departing of lot ȝif, and tac; and iustefie þi soule. Bifor þi deþ werch riȝtwisnesse; for to finde mete is not anent helle. ”

“ For þe fairnesse of a womman manye men persheden; and of it lust as fyr brenneþ out. Eche womman þat is leccherous, as a þost in þe weie shal ben to-treden. Þe fairnesse of an alien womman many men wndrid ben mad repreuable; forsoþe þe togidere speche of hir as fyr brenneþ out. Wiþ an alien womman outerli sitte þou not, ne ly þou wiþ hir vp on þe arm; and striue þou not wiþ hir in wyn, lest par auenture she bowe doun þin herte in to hir, and bi þi blod þou slyde in to perdicioun. Forsake þou not an old frend; forsoþe þe newe shal not be lic to hym. ”

“ In ledyng awei dwelliþ stille sorewy slouþe; and þe substaunce of þe helpeles aftir þe herte of hym. Ne ȝyue þou þin herte in sorewy slouþe, but putte it awei fro þee; and haue mynde of þe laste þingus, and wile þou not forȝeten. Ne forsoþe þer is conuersacioun, and to þis þou schalt no þing profiten; and þi self þou shalt werst treten. Myndeful be þou of my dom; so forsoþe it shal ben and þin, to me ȝisterdai, and to þee to day. In þe reste of þe deade mac to resten þe mynde of hym; and coumforte hym in þe goyng out of his spirit. Wisdom wrijt in tyme of voydenesse ”

“ In þe hond of God þe power of þe erþe, and abhominable alle wickidnesses of þe Jentiles; and a profitable gouernour in tyme he shal reren vp on it. In þe hond of God is þe power of man; and vp on þe face of þe scribe, or man of lawe, he shal putte vp on his wrshipe. Of alle þe wrong of þi neȝhebore haue þou not mynde; and no þing do þou in þe werkes of wrong. Hateful biforn God and men is pride; and cursful alle wickidnessis of Jentiles. Rewme fro folc in to folc is born ouer, for vnriȝtwisnesses, and wrongus, and striues, and dyuers treccheries. ”

“ Þe bred of nedy men is þe liff of þe pore; who bigiliþ hym, is a man of blod. Who doþ awei in swot bred, as he þat sleþ his neȝhebore. Þat shedeþ blod, and þat doþ gile to þe hirid man, ben breþern. Oon bildende, and oon distroȝende; what profiteþ to þem, no but trauaile? Oon preȝende, and oon cursende; whos vois shal þe Lord ful out heren? Þat is baptisid fro þe deade, and eft towcheþ þe deade, what profitiþ his washing? So a man þat fasteþ in his synnes, and eft þe same þingus doende, what profitiþ he mekende hymself? þe orisoun of hym who shal ful out heren? ”

“ Good is substaunce, to whom is not synne in concience; and most wicke is porenes in þe mouþ of þe vnpitous. Þe herte of a man chaungeþ þe face of hym, or in good or in euel. Þe step of a good herte, and a good face, hard þou shalt fynde, and wiþ trauaile.
Capitulum XIIII. Blisful þe man, þat is not sliden in wrd fro his mouþ, and is not prickid in sorewi slouþe of gilte. Sely, or blessid, þat hadde not sorewi slouþe of his inwit, and falleþ not awei fro his hope. To þe coueitous man, and hard, wiþoute resoun is substaunce ”

“ Wrshepe þou God of al þi soule; and wrshipe prestus, and purge þee forþ wiþ armes. Ȝif to þem part, as and maundement is to þee, of first frutes, and of purging; and of þi necgligence purge þee wiþ fewe. Þe ȝifte of þin armes, and þe sacrifise of halewing, þou shalt offre to þe Lord, þe bigynyngus of hoeli þingus. ”

“ A man aȝeen bihoteþ of his neȝhebore; and whan he haþ lost reuerence, he shal be forsaken of hym. Most shreude aȝeen bihoting spilde manye loouende men, and togidere sterede þem as þe flodis of þe se. Cumpasende it made myȝti men to gon out; and wandreden in aliene folkis. Þe synnere ouer passende þe maundement of þe Lord shal fallen into shreude biheste; and he þat forseþ manye þingus to do, shall fallen in to dom. Recouere þi neȝhebore after þi vertue; and tac heed to þee, þat þou infalle not. Þe bigynnyng of þe lif of man watir, and bred, and cloþing, and hous defendende filþehed. ”

“ And in alle þese þingus louliche preȝe þe heȝest, þat he riȝt reule in treuþe þi wey. Biforn alle werkes a verre wrd go bifor þee; and biforn alle deede stable counseil. A shreude wrd schal chaunge þe herte, of þe whiche foure partis springen; good and euel, lif and deþ; and þe lordshipere of þese is a bysy tunge. A wys man many men taȝte, and to his soule is sweete. Who sofistically spekeþ, is hateful; in alle þing he shal ben bigilid. Forsoþe þer is not ȝyuen to hym of þe Lord grace, forsoþe he is bigilid of alle wisdom. ”

“ So he þat is dryuen awei fro þe Lord, and berende meedis of shreudenesse, seende wiþ eȝen and weilende, so a geldyng clippende a maiden, and siȝhende. Sorewi idilnesse ȝyue þou not to þi soule, ne tormente þou þiself in þi counseil. Myrþe of herte, þat is þe lif of man, and tresor wiþoute failing of hoelynesse; and ful out ioȝing of a man ys long lyuyng. Haue mercy to þi soule, plesende to God; and wiþhold and gedere togidere þin herte in þe holynesse of hym, and sorewi idilnesse fer put awei fro þee. Manye forsoþe sorewy idilnesse sleþ ”

“ Close almes deede in þe bosum of þe pore; and þat for þee shal ful out preȝen fro alle euel. Þe almes deede of a man as a litil sac wiþ hym; and þe grace of a man as þe eȝe appil it shal kepen. And afterward it shal aȝeen risen, and ȝelde to þem ȝelding, to eche in to þe hed of hem. Ouer þe sheld of þe myȝti, and ouer spere aȝen þin enemy it shal fiȝte. A good man makeþ feiþ to his neȝhebore; and he þat haþ lost, confusioun shal leue to hym. Þe grace of þe borȝ ne forgete þou; forsoþe he ȝaf for þee his soule. Þe synnere and þe vnclene þe aȝeen bihotere fleeþ. ”

“ Ȝyue þou not to þi watir issue, ne a litil; ne to a shreude womman forȝyuenesse, or leeue, or fredam, of goyng out. If she schal not go to þin hond, she shal confounde þee in þe siȝte of enemys. Fro þi flesh kut hir awei, lest euermore sche mysuse þee.
Capitulum XXVI. Blissid is þe man of a good womman; þe noumbre forsoþe of þe ȝeres of hym double. A strong womman delytiþ hir man; and þe ȝeres of þe liyf of hym she shal fulfille in pes. A good part a good womman; in good part of men dredende God, she shal be ȝoue to a man for goode deedis. Of riche forsoþe and pore þe goode herte ”

“ And eche wounde, and not wounde she shal seen of herte; and al shreudenesse, and not shreudenesse of a womman; and al hid þing, and not hid þing of hatende men; and al veniaunce, and not veniaunce of enemys. Þere is not an hed wickidere ouer þe hed of a shadewe eddere; and þere is not wraþe ouer þe wraþe of a womman. To dwelle wiþ a leoun and a dragoun more shal plesen, þan to wone wiþ a shreude womman. Þe shreudenesses of a womman chaungeþ hir face; and she aȝeen blendide hir cheere as a bere, and as a sac she shal shewen in þe myddel of neȝhebores. Þe housebond of hir gretli weilede ”

“ Þer is not monee ouer þe monee of þe helþe of body; and þer is not liking ouer þe ioȝe of herte. Betere is deþ þan bittere lyf, and euere lastende reste þan durende sicknesse. Goodis hid in a mouþ closid, as leiyngis to of plenteuous metes, set aboute wiþ a sepulcre. What shal profiten sacrifise to þe maumet? and forsoþe he shal not eten, ne sauouren. ”

“ Ne enhaunce þou þee in þe þenking of þi soule, as a boole; lest perauenture be hurtlid awei þi strengþe bi folie, and þi lefes it ete, and þi frutes it leese, and þou be laft as a drie tree in wildernesse. A shreude forsoþe soule shal destroȝen hym þat haþ it, and in to ioȝe of his enemy it ȝyueþ hym, and shal bringe doun in to þe lot of vnpitous men. A sweete wrd multeplieþ frendis, and swagiþ enemys; and a gracious tunge in a good man shal abounde. Manye pesible ben to þee, and counseilour be to þee oon of a þousend. ”

“ Goldene pileris vpon silueren feet, and fast feet upon þe plauntes, or soulis, of a stable womman. Euere lastende foundemens vp on a sad ston, and þe maundemens of God in þe herte of an hoeli womman. In two þingus myn herte is maad sorewful, and in þe þridde wraþing to me cam. A man fiȝtere failende bi myseise, and a man wel felende dispisid. And þat ouergoþ fro riȝtwisnesse to synne, God greiþede hym to a two bitende swerd. Two spices harde and perilous to me semeden; hard is delyuered þe chaffarere fro his necgligence, and þe tauerner shal not be iustified fro synnes of lippis. ”

“ Who dreden God, shul finde riȝtwis dom; and riȝtwisnesses as liȝt þei shul teende. A man synnere shal schone correccioun; and after his wil he shal finde comparisoun. A man of counseil shal not distroȝe vnderstonding; and an alien and a proud shal not ful dreden drede. Also aftir þat he dide wiþ hym wiþoute counseil, and in his infolewingis he shal ben vndernome. Sone, wiþoute counseil no þing do þou; and aftir þi deede þou shalt not oþynke. In þe weie of falling go þou not, and þou shalt not offende aȝen stones. Ne betake þou þee to a trauailous wey, ne poote þou to þi soule sclaunder ”