No More Learning

? e kynde he cou? e of vche beest; & of vche quik ? ing,
And ? e vertu of vche herbe; ? at do? on er? e spr[i]nge; 4
And ? orou? queintise in book ywrite; ? e fende to ouer-come,
? at ? ise clerkes ? utt to ? is day; in priuete habbe? some.
A Book he made of wisdom; ? orou? his owen ? ou? th;
Sum ich wil ? erof telle; for al ne may I nou? th. 8
? e book bigan in ? is manere; euerich wyt & wisdom,
Euer with oure lord it is; & fro hym first it com.
Who schulde ? e rein-dropes telle; oi? er ? e grauel in ? e Cee,
Oi? er ? e dayes ? at euere were; bot ? if it were he? 12
To douten god almi? tty; of vche wisdom it is rote.
On er? e & at ? ine endyngday; of alle bales he is bote.
? if ? ou louest wisdom; look ? ou ri? th loue;
Vnbuxum ne be ? ou nou? th; to ? em ? at ben ? e aboue. 16
Helpe ? e man ? at nedeful is; be a? eins hym ? at is vnmylde.
Be ? ou merciable to widewe; & to faderles childe.
Ne hide nou? th ? i wisdom; ne wi? seie nou? th ? e ri? th.
A? ein stronge men & ireful; look ? at ? ou ne fi? th. 20
Answere ? e pouere myldelich; to longe abid ? ou nou? th
Forto turne a? ein to god; ? if ? ou be in synne brou? th.
// Ne bileue ? ou nou? th to trauaile; oi? er to de? [e] fi? th,
For Iesu cristes swete loue; to susteyne ? e ri? th. 24
Wi? ? e fole ne wone ? ou nou? th; ? if ? ou wilt good lerne.
? ou wisse hym ? at litel good can; ? e vnwise teche ? erne.
Ne wilne nou? th Iustise to be; bot ? if ? ou cunne & mowe.
? e vnbuxum, chastise wi? ri? th law? e; & make ? e proude abou? e.
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? ei? ? ou haue a . M. frendes; take on ? at be good & priuee,
? at ? ou mowe ? i conseil telle; lest ? e o? er failen ? e. 30
For summe ben at ? i borde ? i frende; ac at ? i nede bihynde.
Best tresore is ? ine elde frende; ? at men on er? e may fynde;
? i trewe frende emfor? ? i-self; ? ou mi? th telle ? i ? ou? th; 33
Michel solas he wil ? e don; ? if ? ou art in baret brou? th.
? To Newfangel ne be ? ou nou? th; lest ? ou finde vntrewe.
? ine olde frende ? at ? ou fonded haste; bileue ? ou for no newe.
Faire speche is [ful] good ? ing; it passe? many fon, 37
And make? many a good frend; & holde? hol many a bon.
Chese ? e a witty hyne; & loue hym with al ? i mi? th;
Of his Salerie wi? holde ? ou nou? th; ? at ? ou schalt hym with ri? th.
? erwhile ? i sones ? onge be? ; ? ou hem chastise & lere; 41
Wite ? i douttren with eye wel; ? at ? ai haue of ? e fere;
Selde ? ou make hem fair semblaunt; ? er while ? ai ben ? e mytte;
Whan ? ai schullen ywedded be; take hem a man of wytte. 44
// Honoure fader & moder; ? at ? e in-to ? is werlde brou? th;
? e pyne ? at ? i moder had; haue it mychel in ? ou? th.
Who so honoure? fader & moder; ? e lenger he wor? e alyue;
His hous & al his er? lich ? ing; ? e better schal y? riue. 48
To ?
e seke gladlich ? ou go; ? an doostou as ? e kynde.
In euerych dede ? at ? ou doost; ? ine endynge haue in mynde.
? Ne chide nou? th wi? no foule speker; with riche ne plede ? ou no? t;
For oft ? e ri? th, ? orou? gret mede; is in-to wrong y-brou? th. 52
Mid a fole, of ? i ? ing; ne make ? ou non In mone.
Wi? a Man ? at fool-hardy is; ne goo ? ou nou? th alone.
To fool ne to non vncou? man; ? i conseil [? ou] ne telle, [folio 69b:2]
For ? e fool, bot his foly; no? ing ne loue? wel. 56
Ne biholde no faire wymmen; ? at ? ai ne chaunge ? i ? ou? t;
Ne loue no womman with ? ine hert; ? at sche ne gile ? e nou? t;
Ne biholde nou? th in ? e strete; aboute fram ? ing to ? ing.
? if a li? er man do? ? e vnri? th; ne haue ? erof no likyng. 60
Dele ? i frendes & pouere men; ? i good by ? i daye;
Ne bileue it nou? th to o? er men; lest ? ai ? e bitraye.
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Ne delite ? e nou? th to gete children; many & vnmylde,
ffor ? ut ? e were better; to deye wi? outen childe. 64
? Amended is al a cuntre; wi? a Man ? at is wys.
And for a li? er man; mychel enpaired I-wis.
A riche werk of dronkelew man; selde is yfounde,
For Tauerne & leccherie; many man bringe? to grounde 68
Noi? er ? i frende ne ? i foo; ne telle ? ou ? i priuete;
For bot he be ? e better frend; ? if he wot any yuel by ? e
? at ? ou ne most ? e more hym bow? e; ? if ? ou misseist hym ou? t,
? at yuel ? at he wot by ? e; he nyll it hele nou? th. 72
Vndernyme ? i frend; ? if ? ou seest hym mysdo;
? if he is a fool or ? i foo; ne do ? ou nou? th so.
Riche ? iftes & present? ; maken ? ise Iuges blynde,
? at ? ai cunnen yse ? e ri? th; ? e wrong sone ? ai fynde. 76
// wisdom yheled, litel is wor? ; oi? er treu? ihyd;
Bot bo? e ? ai wexen swi? e; ? if ? ai ben y-kyd.
Good is, wisdom to schewe; & to hely folie;
For ? e fool ne can hele no? ing; bot he it out wrie; 80
His hert is as a vessel; ? at bo? ome ne ha? non;
Whan any ? ing ? erinne come? ; it go? out onon.
A fool, men mowen wel yknowe; for oft he go? aboute
With erandes to many hous; & oft he stant withoute, 84
And go? to a windowe stillelich; & soft loke? ? er-inne,
Oi? er herkne? ? erat what men; seien ? ere wi? inne.
Sone & lovde he wil li? e; whan he here? foly telle: 87
A wise man wolde aschamed be; ? if swich a cas hym bifelle.
Vche word ? at at his mou? e schal come, schal be by mesure;
Hym is lo? to telle myche; ac leue myche to here. 90
? ut ? re wisdoms lerne of me; ne ? enche nou? th to longe;
Be nou? th sory for no los; ne after no? ing longe, 92
Namelich ? at ? ou ne mi? th nou? th haue; ne nou? th ? erfore ne care.
Ne al ? at ? ou herest, ne leue ? ou nou? th; ? if ? ou wilt wel fare.
An vntau? t childe his fader schent more; ? an ? ei hem selue don;
? e man ? at teche? his children wel; sore sawe? his fon. 96
? re ? inges on er? e be? ; ? at men mowen nou? th y-knowe:
Whiche hij ben, I schal ? ou telle; bo? e to hei? e & lowe:
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? e fissches weie in ? e Cee; ? e snakes weie on er? e,
And ? e foules waie in ? e sky; ? e werst is ? e fier? e: 100
? at is, childes waie in his ? ou?