“ Whan forsoþe þei herden, bi þer tormentis wel wiþ þem to ben do, þei membreden þe Lord, merueilende in to þe ende of þe going out. Whom forsoþe in a shreude putting out þei scorneden cast aferr, in to þe ende of þat þat fel, merueileden; not lic maner to riȝtwis men doende. For vnwis þoȝtis forsoþe þe wickidnessis of hem, þat summe errende herieden doumbe edderes, and ouer veyne bestes, þou sentist in to þem a multitude of doumbe bestes, in to veniaunce; þat þei shulden witen, for bi þo þingus þat a man synneþ, bi þo þingus also he shal be tormentid. ”

“ Forsoþe alle þe vnwise men and vnsely ouer maner of þer soule ben proude, enemys of þi puple, and mysseiende to it; for alle þe maumetis of naciouns godis þei eymeden, to þe whiche nouþer siȝte of eȝen is to seen, ne nose þerlis to parceyue spirit, ne eres to heren, ne fingris of hondis to gropen, but and þe feet of hem slowe to gon. A man forsoþe made þem, and þat þe spirit borewide, he feynede þem; no man forsoþe mai maken a god lic to hym. Whan forsoþe he be deadli, þe deade he makiþ wiþ wicke hondis; betere forsoþe is he þan þese, þat he herieþ ”

“ Þei shul deme naciouns, and lordshipen to puples; and þe Lord of hem shal regne in to wiþoute ende. Who trosten in hym, shuln vnderstonde treuþe; and feiþful in looue þei shul assente to hym; for free ȝifte and pes is to þe chosen men of hym. Vnpitous men forsoþe, aftir þat þei þoȝten, vndernymynges shuln han; þat dispiseden þe riȝtwis, and fro þe Lord wenten awei. Wisdam forsoþe and discipline who casteþ awei, is vnseli; and voide is þe hope of hem, and trauailes wiþoute frut, and vnprofitable þe werkis of þem, and vnable to dwelle in. ”

“ If forsoþe so myche þei myȝten kunne, þat þe world þei myȝten eymen, hou þe lord of þis liȝtliere þei founden not? Vnseli forsoþe þei ben, and among þe deade þe hope of þem is, þat clepeden goddis þe werkis of þe hondis of men, gold, and siluer, þe finding of craft, and þe licnesses of bestes, or vnprofitable ston, þe werc of þe olde hond. Or if any crafti man, forgere, hewe of þe wode an euene tree, and of þis taȝtli pare awei al þe rinde, and, vsid his craft diligentli, forge a vessel vnprofitable in to conuersacioun of lif ”

“ Þe wei forsoþe of þe Lord wee knewen not; what profitede to vs pride, or bost of richesses what ȝaf it to vs? Alle þo þingus passeden as shadewe, and as a messager rennende biforn. And as a ship, þat passeþ þurȝ þe flowende water, of þe whiche whan it is passid, a step is not to finde, ne a paþ of his botme in þe flodis. Or as a brid, þat ouerfleþ in þe eir, of þe whiche noon euydence is founden of his weie, but onli þe soun of weengis betende þe liȝt wind, and kuttende bi fors þe eir of þe weie, and togidere stirid þe weenges ouerfleþ, and aftir þat no signe is founden of his weie. ”

“ Capitulum VI. Betere is wisdam þan strengþis, and a man prudent more þan a strong man. Hereþ þanne, ȝee kingis, and vndirstondiþ; lerneþ, ȝee domes men of þe coestes of þe erþe. Ȝiueþ eres, ȝee þat holden togidere multitudis, and plesen to ȝou in cumpanyes of naciouns; for þer is ȝouen of þe Lord power to ȝou, and vertue of þe heiȝeste, þat shal aske ȝoure werkis, and þoȝtis serchen. For whan ȝee weren mynestres of his reume, not riȝtli ȝee demeden, ne kepten þe lawe of riȝtwisnesse, ne aftir þe wil of God ȝee wenten. ”

“ Forsoþe þe manyfold goten multitude of vnpitouse men shal not ben profitable; and auoutrie plauntingis shul not ȝiue heeȝe rootis, ne stable stedefastnesse setten. And if in þe braunchis in þe tyme buriounen, vnstabli set of þe wind þei shul ben al to-stirid, and of þe mychilnesse of windis pullid vp bi þe rootis. Forsoþe braunchis vnendid shul be tobroken; and þe frutis of þem vnprofitable, and soure to ete, and to no þing able. Forsoþe alle þe sonus, þat shul ben born of wicke men, witnesses ben of shreudenesses aȝen fader and moder, in þer asking. ”

“ Wherfore and to þem, þat in þer lif vnwisly and vnriȝtfulli lyueden, bi þo þingus, þat þei herieden, þou ȝeue grettest tormentis. Forsoþe in þe weie of errour lengere þei erreden, eymende goddis þo þingis þat in bestes ben ouer veyne, liuende bi maner of vnwise ȝunge childer. For þat as to vnwise childer þou ȝeue dom, in to scorn; who forsoþe wiþ repreues and blamyngus ben not mendid, þe wrþi dom of God ben expert or feliden. In þese þingus forsoþe þat þei suffreden, heuyli þei beeren, in þe whiche suffring þei endeyneden ”

“ Forsoþe to þe litle is grauntid mercy; myȝty men forsoþe myȝtili tormentis shul suffre. Forsoþe he shal not wiþdrawe þe persone of any man, þe Lord, þat is lordshipere of alle þingus, and he shal not drede þe mykilnesse of any man; for litil and gret he made, and euenli cure is to hym of alle. To þe strengere forsoþe strengere stant in tormenting. To ȝou þanne, kingus, ben þese my wrdis, þat ȝee lerne wisdam, and þat ȝee falle not of. Who forsoþe shul kepe riȝtwisnesse, riȝtly shul be demed; and þat shul lerne riȝt þingus, shul finde, what þei answere. Coueiteþ þanne my wrdys, and looueþ hem ”

“ Capitulum II. Forsoþe vnpitouse men seiden, þenkende anent hemselue not riȝt, Litil and wiþ noȝe is þe time of oure lif; þer is not refreshing in þe ende of a man, and þer is not, þat be knowen turned aȝeen fro helle. For of noȝt wee ben born, and aftir þese þingus wee shul be, as þoȝ wee hadden not ben; for smoke and blast is in oure nose þerles, and sermoun of a sparcle to stirn togidere oure herte. ”

“ Capitulum I. Looue ȝee riȝtwisnesse, þat demen þe erþe; feeleþ of þe Lord in goodnesse, and in simplenesse of herte secheþ hym. For he is founden of hem, þat tempten hym not; he apereþ forsoþe to þem, þat feiþ han in to hym. Shreude forsoþe þoȝtis seueren fro God; preued forsoþe vertu chastiseþ vnwise men. For in to an euell willi soule shal not gon in wisdam; ne shal dwelle in a bodi soget to synnes. An holi spirit forsoþe shal flee þe feynere of discipline, and shal taken hymself awei fro þoȝtis, þat ben wiþout vnderstonding ”