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¹ Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.² The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.³ But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.

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 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 and riche men sitte bynethe.⁷ I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.⁸ He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.⁹ He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.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 If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.

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 bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.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 trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.

¹⁶ Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.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 The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.¹⁹ In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.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.