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¹ As snow in somer, and reyn in heruest; so glorie is vnsemeli to a fool.

² For whi as a brid fliynge ouer to hiy thingis, and a sparowe goynge in to vncerteyn; so cursing brouyt forth with out resonable cause schal come aboue in to sum man.

³ Beting to an hors, and a bernacle to an asse; and a yerde in the bak of vnprudent men.

⁴ Answere thou not to a fool bi his foli, lest thou be maad lijk hym.⁵ Answere thou a fool bi his fooli, lest he seme to him silf to be wijs.

⁶ An haltinge man in feet, and drinkinge wickidnesse, he that sendith wordis by a fonned messanger.⁷ As an haltinge man hath faire leggis in veyn; so a parable is vnsemeli in the mouth of foolis.⁸ As he that casteth a stoon in to an heep of mercurie; so he that yyueth onour to an vnwijs man.⁹ As if a thorn growith in the hond of a drunkun man; so a parable in the mouth of foolis.

¹⁰ Doom determyneth causis; and he that settith silence to a fool, swagith iris.

¹¹ As a dogge that turneth ayen to his spuyng; so is an vnprudent man, that rehersith his fooli.

¹² Thou hast seyn a man seme wijs to hym silf; an vnkunnyng man schal haue hope more than he.

¹³ A slow man seith, A lioun is in the weie, a liounnesse is in the foot pathis.

¹⁴ As a dore is turned in his hengis; so a slow man in his bed.

¹⁵ A slow man hidith hise hondis vndur his armpit; and he trauelith, if he turneth tho to his mouth.

¹⁶ A slow man semeth wysere to hym silf, than seuene men spekynge sentensis.

¹⁷ As he that takith a dogge bi the eeris; so he that passith, and is vnpacient, and is meddlid with the chiding of anothir man.

¹⁸ As he is gilti, that sendith speris and arowis in to deth;¹⁹ so a man that anoieth gilefuli his frend, and whanne he is takun, he schal seie, Y dide pleiynge.

²⁰ Whanne trees failen, the fier schal be quenchid; and whanne a priuy bacbitere is withdrawun, stryues resten.²¹ As deed coolis at quic coolis, and trees at the fier; so a wrathful man reisith chidyngis.²² The wordis of a pryuei bacbitere ben as symple; and tho comen til to the ynneste thingis of the herte.

²³ As if thou wolt ourne a vessel of erthe with foul siluer; so ben bolnynge lippis felouschipid with `the werste herte.

²⁴ An enemy is vndirstondun bi hise lippis, whanne he tretith giles in the herte.²⁵ Whanne he `makith low his vois, bileue thou not to hym; for seuene wickidnessis ben in his herte.²⁶ The malice of hym that hilith hatrede gilefuli, schal be schewid in a counsel.

²⁷ He that delueth a diche, schal falle in to it; and if a man walewith a stoon, it schal turne ayen to hym.

²⁸ A fals tunge loueth not treuth; and a slidir mouth worchith fallyngis.