5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 fol. 6v      51 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Lordyngys, and ye wyll here How a wyse man taught hys sone, Take god hede to this mater, And fynd to lerne it yf ye canne. This songe for younge men was begon To make them trew and stedfaste; For yerne that is evyll spon, Evyll it comes out at the laste. It was a wyse man had a chyld Was fully fiftene wynter of age, Of maneres he was meke and myld, Gentyll of body and of usage. Bycause he was his faderes ayer, His fader thus on this langage Taught his sone wele and feyre, Gentyll of kynd and of corage. And seyd, “Son, have this worde in herte, And thynke theron when I ame dede: Every dey thi fyrst werke — Loke it be don in every sted — Go se thi God in form of bred, And thanke thi God of his godnesse, And afterward, sone, be my rede, Go do thi werldys besynesse. “Bot fyrst worschype God on the dey, And thou wyll have to thi mede Skylfully what thou wyll praye. He wylle thee send withouten dred, And send thee all that thow hast nede, Als ferre as mesure wyll destreche. Luke mesurly thy lyfe thou lede, And of the remynant ther thee not reche. “And, son, thi tonge thou kepe also, And tell not all thyngys that thou maye, For thi tonge may be thy fo. Therfor, my son, thynke what I sey, Wher and when that thou schall praye, And be whom that thou seyst owht; For thou may sey a word todey, That seven yere after may be forthought. “With love and awe thi wyfe thou chastys, And late feyre wordys be thi yerd; For awe it is the best gyse For to make thi wyfe aferd. “Sone, thi wyfe thou schall not chyde, Ne caule her by no vylons name; For sche that schall ly by thy syde, To calle hyr wykyd, it is thy schame. When thou schall thy wyfe defame, Welle may another man do so; Bot sofer, and a man may tame Hert and hynd and the wyld ro. “Sone, be thou not gelos by no weye, For if thou fall in gelosye, Late not thi wyfe wyte be no weye; For thou mayst do no more folye. For if thi wyfe myght ons aspye That thou to her wold not tryste, In spyte of all thi fantysye, To wreke hyr werst, that is herre lyste. “Son, unto thi God pay welle thi tythe, And pore men of thy gode thou dele. Ageyn the devell be stronge and styfe, And helpe thi soule fro peyne of helle. Thys werld is bote fantesye fele, And dey by dey it wylle apare. Therfor beware the werldys wele: It farys as a chery feyre. “Many man here gederes gode All hys lyfe tyme for odour men, That he may not — be the rode — Not have tyme to ete a hene. When he is dolven in his den, Another schall come at the last ende, And have hys wyfe and catell than; That he has sparyd another wyll spende. “For all that ever a man doth here With bysenes and travell bothe, All this is, withouten were, Not bot for mete and drynke and clothe; More getys he not, withouten hothe. Kyng ne prince whether he be, Be he lefe or be he lothe, A pore man schall have als mych as he. “Therfor sone, be my counselle, More than inowghe thou never covete. Thou wotyst not when deth wylle thee asayll; This werld is bot deth and debate. Loke thou be not to hyghe of state. By ryches here sette thou no price; For this werld is full of deseyt; Therfor purchasse paradyce. “For deth, my chylde, is, as I trow, The most ryght serteyn it is; Nothing so unserteyn to unknow, As is the tyme of deth, iwys. And therfor sone, thinke onne thys, And all that I have seyd beforne, And Jhesu bryng us to his blysse, The chyld that was in Bedlem borne.” AMEN QUOD RATE

Gentlemen, if you will hear; (see note) good try to learn yarn that is badly spun; (see note) [Who] was; (see note) behavior father’s heir; (see note) in these words nature; disposition duty situation       in the form of the Host (the Eucharist); (see note) by my advice (t-note) reward Justly all that you have need [of] As far as moderation will allow See that you lead your life moderately And that you do not overreach can [speak of] to whom you say anything regretted fear (reverence); chastise stick; (see note) way afraid call her by no shameful name; (t-note) (see note) But be patient; (see note) roe (small) deer jealous in any way realize it in any way have faith in her delusion (longing); (t-note) To do her worst, that will be her desire (t-note) share your goods with poor men Against; resolute only a glorious illusion; (see note) diminish world’s riches; (t-note) goes past like a cherry festival; (see note) gathers goods by the cross hen; (see note); (t-note) buried in his grave goods then What; saved labor without doubt without doubt Whether he is either Whether he wishes or not enough know not struggle too proud set you no value (t-note) as I trust certain [thing] there is Nothing so unknowable and uncertain indeed Bethlehem; (t-note) (see note)