Certayn chapters take[n] out of the Proverbs of Salomo[n] wyth other chapters of the holy Scripture; & certayne Psalmes of David, translated into English metre, by Iohn Hall. Whych Proverbes of late were set forth, Imprinted and untruely entituled, to be thee doynges of Mayster Thomas Sternhold ... as by thys Copye it may be perceaved |
 |
|
| i. |
| ii. |
| iii. |
| iiii. |
| v. |
| vi. |
| vii. | [In this he doeth all men exhort] |
| ix. |
| x. |
| xi. |
 |
 | Certayn chapters take[n] out of the Proverbs of Salomo[n] |  |
[In this he doeth all men exhort]
Argumen, Chap. vii.
In this he doeth all men exhortto wysdom for to cleaue
He sheweth eke the harlots trickes
wherwyth she doeth deceyue.
My
son marke well my coūsels all
& laye thē vp in store
Obserue wel my cōmaundementes
by the for euermore
And honour thou the lyuing Lorde
so shalte thou be ryghte sure
To raygne in ioyes celestiall,
whych euer shall endure
And other goddes feare not at all,
in men haue thou no truste
And thys doynge thou shalt be sure
to lyue amonge the iuste
Thē kepe thou my cōmaūdementes,
lo, once agayne I saye
Euen as the apple of thyne eye,
by whyche thou seest the daye
And eke about thy fyngers tenne,
se that thou do them bynde
And wryte thē in thine hert wt spede
and printe them wel in mynde
And se that thou to wysdom saye
thou arte my syster deare
And vnderstandinge call lykewyse
thy kynswoman full neare
For wysdom shal the safely kepe
from women that bryll
So that on harlots fyled wordes
thou shalt not set thy wyl
As I by chaunce sate downe to see
the folye of yonge men
And kepte me close wtin myne house
and pepte out nowe and then
Behold I saw a yonge fole passe
the corner of the strete
And hyed as fast as he myght goo,
an harlotte for to mete
And so towarde the harlotes house
he toke hys waye full ryght
Thynkyng to scape and not be sene,
when it was almost nyght
And sodaynly ther mette wyth him,
an harlot proude and bolde
Whych alwaye set her whole delite
to mocke both yonge and olde
For in her herte deceyte was hydde,
and wantonnes also
Whych she declared by her attyre,
and tokens other mo
Whose fete could not abyde wythin
the house, but ranne about
Now here, now ther, in eche blind lane
within and eke wythoute
She caught the yōg mā kissing him
and shamed not to saye
I made a vowe which to performe,
I purposed thys daye
Wherfore came I to mete the now,
and to beholde thy face
And thus I haue by happe the foūd
my waye as I dyd trace
My house is dect wt painted clothes
of Egypt the to please
My bedde doth smel of Sinamon,
of myrre and Aloes
Come on therfore and let vs lye
together al thys nyght
And let vs twaine our plesure take,
tyll it be broade day lyght
Mine husband is not now at home
he is gone farre away
With him he toke the money bagge
and comes not home to day
And thus wt man flatterīg wordes,
she dyd hym ouercome
And also through her lying lippes,
anon she had him wonne
Immediatly he folowed her,
much lyke vnto an oxe
Which led is to a slaughter house,
where he is kylde wythe knockes
Or lyke vnto the folysh lambe,
that skyppeth in the leese
Whē that the boucher fetcheth him
mens appetite to please
He thynketh not how shamefullye,
to pryson he is brought
My wysdom learne to vnderstāde,
and kepe it faythfully
Oh herkē wel, and geue good eare,
of wayghty thynges & wyse
My lippes shal speke, mine hart shal styll,
much godlynes deuyse
My talk shalbe on vertuous thīges
wherin I moste delyght
My lippes abhorre the wycked mā
for al his power and myght
My counsels all, and my preceptes,
be ryghtuous and strayght
There is in them no wyckednes,
nor any maner sleyght
To suche as do them vnderstande,
they be but very playne
And not to harde for them to kepe,
yf therof they be fayne
Before greate heapes of worldlye goodes
chose yu my dysciplyne
My doctryne is of greater pryce,
then is the golde so fyne
As lyghtsome dayes wt his bryghte beames
excelleth the dark night
Whē that the skies ar ful of sterres
or mone doth geue her lyght
Euen so truly doth wysdome passe,
and farre aboue excell
Al worldely wealth: to it nothynge,
maye be compared well
I which am the eternal worde,
and equall in al myght
To god, which al thinges hath made
and created aryght
Assystaunte am, from time to time,
in counsels that are iust
And likewise am of al good thoughtes
the geuer when I luste
And he which hath the feare of god
sure prynted in hys breaste
Doth hate al vyce, al pryde of hart,
and vtterly deteste
The wicked pathes in which to walke
yll mē haue their delight
The double tōgue his neyghbours hurte
which worketh wt despite
I onely geue vnto mans harte,
good counsell to deuyse
To deale vp right in equitye,
and iustice exercyse
Al wysdom doeth procede from me
as from the very springe
Al worldly strengthe and fortitude
to man alone I bryng
By me ye kīges theyr power do take
and rule the earth thereby
And holsome lawes are stablyshed,
and kept accordyngly
By me also all Magystrates
the people kepe in awe
And iudges geue theyr sentences
accordyng to the lawe
And suche as do vnfaynedly
loue me, I loue agayne
And whē thei cal great hast I make
to rydde them out of payne
Al worldly goodes be geuen to me
to do wyth them my wyll
And I haue power whō that I lyst
with ioye on earth to fyl
And I likewise of heauenly gyftes
haue plentye and great store
Wyth me doeth grace celestyall,
remayne for euermore
No treasure in the world so voyde,
comparde may iustely be
Unto the fruite and perfecte welth,
whych do procede from me
The tried golde and syluer fyne,
whych doeth on earth remayne
And stones of pryce vnto the same,
may well be compted vayne
And in the wayes of righteousnes,
to walke is my delyght
And in the place where iudges do,
accordyng vnto ryght
I do also the godly men,
throughe mercy to me call
And plentuouslye do them enryche,
wyth grace celestyall
With God I haue bene hetherto
and was eternally
Before the earth was created,
my father stode I by
I was begotte longe tyme before
the waters dyd surrounde
The earth, or that the mighti hilles
were setled on the grounde
I was likewise before the flouddes
had made them selues awaye
Or that thee earth or lyttle hylles,
were brought vnto theyr stay
And whē that god ye heauēs did make,
I was euē then at hand
And whē the depes he dyd cōmaūd
not to surrounde the land
And when also the firmament,
he made as we nowe see
And rūning springes of water pure
commaunded for to be
And when that he vnto the seas,
assygned a certayne place
And willed ye flouddes not to excede
theyr bondes in any case
And whē likewise the earth he made
immoueable to stande
I was with him, and to eche thing,
dyd put myne helpyng hand
I dyd reioyce, and day by day,
I dyd delyght in men
Great pleasure eke I had to be
in company of them
Wherfore my sonnes enclyne youre hertes
and herken vnto me
Most blessed he is that in my wayes
delyteth for to be
And doth the same kepe faythfully,
as I to hym haue taught
And spedely maketh haste to voyde,
the thinge whych semeth naughte
Geue eare, geue eare I say my sōnes
and learne for to be wyse
He is a foole and a wycked mā,
that doeth the same dispyse
And happy is the man that doeth,
heare me wyth good intent
And he also whose watchful eyes,
on me are al wayes bente
For he that hath obtayned me,
of perfyte blysse is sure,
And God to hym the lyfe wyll geue,
that euer shall endure
And who that doth against me sinne
doth bringe hys soule to care
Mine enemies shal of dredeful death
be wrapped in the snare.
& laye thē vp in store
Obserue wel my cōmaundementes
by the for euermore
And honour thou the lyuing Lorde
so shalte thou be ryghte sure
To raygne in ioyes celestiall,
whych euer shall endure
And other goddes feare not at all,
in men haue thou no truste
And thys doynge thou shalt be sure
to lyue amonge the iuste
Thē kepe thou my cōmaūdementes,
lo, once agayne I saye
by whyche thou seest the daye
And eke about thy fyngers tenne,
se that thou do them bynde
And wryte thē in thine hert wt spede
and printe them wel in mynde
And se that thou to wysdom saye
thou arte my syster deare
And vnderstandinge call lykewyse
thy kynswoman full neare
For wysdom shal the safely kepe
from women that bryll
So that on harlots fyled wordes
thou shalt not set thy wyl
As I by chaunce sate downe to see
the folye of yonge men
And kepte me close wtin myne house
and pepte out nowe and then
Behold I saw a yonge fole passe
the corner of the strete
And hyed as fast as he myght goo,
an harlotte for to mete
And so towarde the harlotes house
he toke hys waye full ryght
when it was almost nyght
And sodaynly ther mette wyth him,
an harlot proude and bolde
Whych alwaye set her whole delite
to mocke both yonge and olde
For in her herte deceyte was hydde,
and wantonnes also
Whych she declared by her attyre,
and tokens other mo
Whose fete could not abyde wythin
the house, but ranne about
Now here, now ther, in eche blind lane
within and eke wythoute
She caught the yōg mā kissing him
and shamed not to saye
I made a vowe which to performe,
I purposed thys daye
Wherfore came I to mete the now,
and to beholde thy face
And thus I haue by happe the foūd
my waye as I dyd trace
My house is dect wt painted clothes
of Egypt the to please
of myrre and Aloes
Come on therfore and let vs lye
together al thys nyght
And let vs twaine our plesure take,
tyll it be broade day lyght
Mine husband is not now at home
he is gone farre away
With him he toke the money bagge
and comes not home to day
And thus wt man flatterīg wordes,
she dyd hym ouercome
And also through her lying lippes,
anon she had him wonne
Immediatly he folowed her,
much lyke vnto an oxe
Which led is to a slaughter house,
where he is kylde wythe knockes
Or lyke vnto the folysh lambe,
that skyppeth in the leese
Whē that the boucher fetcheth him
mens appetite to please
He thynketh not how shamefullye,
to pryson he is brought
and kepe it faythfully
Oh herkē wel, and geue good eare,
of wayghty thynges & wyse
My lippes shal speke, mine hart shal styll,
much godlynes deuyse
My talk shalbe on vertuous thīges
wherin I moste delyght
My lippes abhorre the wycked mā
for al his power and myght
My counsels all, and my preceptes,
be ryghtuous and strayght
There is in them no wyckednes,
nor any maner sleyght
To suche as do them vnderstande,
they be but very playne
And not to harde for them to kepe,
yf therof they be fayne
Before greate heapes of worldlye goodes
chose yu my dysciplyne
My doctryne is of greater pryce,
then is the golde so fyne
As lyghtsome dayes wt his bryghte beames
excelleth the dark night
or mone doth geue her lyght
Euen so truly doth wysdome passe,
and farre aboue excell
Al worldely wealth: to it nothynge,
maye be compared well
I which am the eternal worde,
and equall in al myght
To god, which al thinges hath made
and created aryght
Assystaunte am, from time to time,
in counsels that are iust
And likewise am of al good thoughtes
the geuer when I luste
And he which hath the feare of god
sure prynted in hys breaste
Doth hate al vyce, al pryde of hart,
and vtterly deteste
The wicked pathes in which to walke
yll mē haue their delight
The double tōgue his neyghbours hurte
which worketh wt despite
I onely geue vnto mans harte,
good counsell to deuyse
and iustice exercyse
Al wysdom doeth procede from me
as from the very springe
Al worldly strengthe and fortitude
to man alone I bryng
By me ye kīges theyr power do take
and rule the earth thereby
And holsome lawes are stablyshed,
and kept accordyngly
By me also all Magystrates
the people kepe in awe
And iudges geue theyr sentences
accordyng to the lawe
And suche as do vnfaynedly
loue me, I loue agayne
And whē thei cal great hast I make
to rydde them out of payne
Al worldly goodes be geuen to me
to do wyth them my wyll
And I haue power whō that I lyst
with ioye on earth to fyl
And I likewise of heauenly gyftes
haue plentye and great store
remayne for euermore
No treasure in the world so voyde,
comparde may iustely be
Unto the fruite and perfecte welth,
whych do procede from me
The tried golde and syluer fyne,
whych doeth on earth remayne
And stones of pryce vnto the same,
may well be compted vayne
And in the wayes of righteousnes,
to walke is my delyght
And in the place where iudges do,
accordyng vnto ryght
I do also the godly men,
throughe mercy to me call
And plentuouslye do them enryche,
wyth grace celestyall
With God I haue bene hetherto
and was eternally
Before the earth was created,
my father stode I by
I was begotte longe tyme before
the waters dyd surrounde
were setled on the grounde
I was likewise before the flouddes
had made them selues awaye
Or that thee earth or lyttle hylles,
were brought vnto theyr stay
And whē that god ye heauēs did make,
I was euē then at hand
And whē the depes he dyd cōmaūd
not to surrounde the land
And when also the firmament,
he made as we nowe see
And rūning springes of water pure
commaunded for to be
And when that he vnto the seas,
assygned a certayne place
And willed ye flouddes not to excede
theyr bondes in any case
And whē likewise the earth he made
immoueable to stande
I was with him, and to eche thing,
dyd put myne helpyng hand
I dyd reioyce, and day by day,
I dyd delyght in men
in company of them
Wherfore my sonnes enclyne youre hertes
and herken vnto me
Most blessed he is that in my wayes
delyteth for to be
And doth the same kepe faythfully,
as I to hym haue taught
And spedely maketh haste to voyde,
the thinge whych semeth naughte
Geue eare, geue eare I say my sōnes
and learne for to be wyse
He is a foole and a wycked mā,
that doeth the same dispyse
And happy is the man that doeth,
heare me wyth good intent
And he also whose watchful eyes,
on me are al wayes bente
For he that hath obtayned me,
of perfyte blysse is sure,
And God to hym the lyfe wyll geue,
that euer shall endure
And who that doth against me sinne
doth bringe hys soule to care
be wrapped in the snare.
| Certayn chapters take[n] out of the Proverbs of Salomo[n] | |