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¹ Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.

² Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.

³ A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.⁴ Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?

⁵ Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.⁶ Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.

⁷ A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.

⁸ As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.

⁹ The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.¹⁰ Forsake thou not thi frend, and the frend of thi fadir; and entre thou not in to the hous of thi brothir, in the dai of thi turment. Betere is a neiybore nyy, than a brothir afer.

¹¹ Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.

¹² A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.

¹³ Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.

¹⁴ He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.

¹⁵ Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.¹⁶ He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.

¹⁷ Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.

¹⁸ He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.

¹⁹ As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.

²⁰ Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid.

²¹ As siluer is preuyd in a wellyng place, and gold `is preued in a furneys; so a man is preued bi the mouth of preyseris. The herte of a wickid man sekith out yuels; but a riytful herte sekith out kunnyng.

²² Thouy thou beetist a fool in a morter, as with a pestel smytynge aboue dried barli; his foli schal not be don awei fro him.

²³ Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.²⁴ For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.²⁵ Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.²⁶ Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.²⁷ The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.