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| [1]A dead flye doth corrupt sweete oyntment, and maketh it to stinke: Euen so oft tymes he that hath ben had in estimation for wysdome and honour, is abhorred because of a litle foolishnesse |
[1]Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie. |
| [2]A wyse mans heart is vpon his right hande, but a fooles heart vpon his left |
[2]The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side. |
| [3]A foole wyll shewe him selfe when he goeth by the way, yet thinketh he that euery man doth as foolishly as him self |
[3]But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis. |
| [4]If a principall spirite be geuen thee to beare rule, be not negligent then in thine office: for he that can take cure of him selfe, auoydeth great offences |
[4]If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse. |
| [5]Another plague is there whiche I haue seene vnder the sunne, namely, the ignoraunce that is commonly among princes: in that a foole sitteth in great dignitie, and the riche are set downe beneath |
[5]An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte, |
| [6]in that a foole sitteth in great dignitie, and the riche are set downe beneath |
[6]and riche men sitte bynethe. |
| [7]I haue seene seruauntes ride vpon horses, and princes goyng vpon their feete as it were seruauntes |
[7]I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe. |
| [8]But he that diggeth vp a pitte, shall fall therin hym selfe: and who so breaketh downe the hedge, a serpent shall byte hym |
[8]He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge. |
| [9]Who so remoueth stones, shall haue trauayle withall: and he that heweth wood, shalbe hurt therwith |
[9]He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho. |
| [10]When an iron is blunt and the poynt not sharpened, it must be whet agayne, and that with might: Euen so doth wisdome folowe diligence |
[10]If yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse. |
| [11]A backbiter is no better then a serpent that stingeth without hissing |
[11]If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it. |
| [12]The wordes out of a wyse mans mouth are gratious: but the lippes of a foole wyll destroy him selfe |
[12]The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun. |
| [13]The beginning of his talking is foolishnesse: & the last worde of his mouth is starke madnesse |
[13]The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour. |
| [14]A foole is full of wordes, and a man can not tell what shall come to passe: who wyll then warne hym of it that shall folowe after hym |
[14]A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym? |
| [15]The labour of the foolishe is greeuous vnto them, whyle they know not howe to go into the citie |
[15]The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee. |
| [16]Wo be vnto thee O thou lande, whose kyng is but a chylde, and whose princes are early at their bankettes |
[16]Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli. |
| [17]But well is thee O thou lande, whose kyng is come of nobles, and whose princes eate in due season for necessitie, and not for lust |
[17]Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste. |
| [18]Thorowe slouthfulnesse the balkes fall downe, and thorowe idle handes it rayneth in at the house |
[18]Betere is wisdom than armuris of batel; and he that synneth in o thing, schal leese many goodis. |
| [19]Meate maketh men to laugh, and wine maketh them merie: but vnto money are all thinges obedient |
[19]In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei. |
| [20]Wishe the king no euil in thy thought, and speake no hurt of the riche in thy priuie chaumber: for a byrde of the ayre shall betray thy voyce, and with her fethers shall she bewray thy wordes |
[20]In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence. |