Whatever man shall thee wed before God with a ring Honour him and worship him, and bow over all things Meekly answer him, and not too sharply And so thou shalt slake his anger, and be his darling. Fair words slaketh wrath my dear child. Sweet of speech shalt thou be, glad, of mild mood True in word and in deed, in life and soul good Keep thee from sin, from indecency, and shame And look that thou bear thee so well, that men say to thee no blame A good name far winneth my dear child. Be thou of appearance sad, and ever of fair cheer That thy cheer change not, for naught that thou mayest hear Fare not as a flighty person, for naught that may betide Laugh thou not too loud, nor yawn thou not too wide Laughing thou mayest and fair mouth make my dear child. When thou goest by the way go thou not too fast Go thou not to town, as it were to gaze Go thou not to market, thy cloth for to sell Nor go thou not to tavern, thy worship to sell He that tavern haunteth his thrift forsaketh, my dear child. Zif you be in any stede / þer good drynke is a lofte Mesurely take per offe / pt pe falle no blame Zif you be ofte dronken / it fallithe the to grete schame pat mesure louethe e skille ofte hathe his wille my leue childe. Goe þou noght to wrastelynge / ne schetynge at þe cokke As it were a strumpet / or a gegelotte Wone at home doughter / † kepe þin owen wike And so þou schalt my leue child / sone ware riche Mery is owne pinge to kepe my dere childe Awheynte pe noght withe il ke man/ pt pou metest in Þe strete And þei he speke foule to pe / faire pou him grete . Þou forthe in þe weie / longe by none þou stande .. þou þorow no vyleyny þin hert no þinges chaunge For alle ben nought trewe pi faire spekyn my leue childe For none wronge couetise / zifte pou ne take But you wete wele whi / sone þou it forsake Goode wise men withe ziftis / men may ouergone Thow þei were also trewe / as euer was þe stone Bounden he is Fat zifte takithe my dere chüde In othir mannys house / make þou none maistrye Ne blame pou no þinge / þí þou seiste withe þi eye I pray þe my dere childe / loke þou bere þe so wele þat alle men may seyen / Þou art so trewe as stele Gode name is golde worthe my leue childe If thou be in any place, where good drink is aloft Whether thou serve, or sit softly Measurely take thereof, that to thee there fall no blame If thou be oft drunken, it falleth thee to great shame He that loveth measure and skill oft hath his will my dear child. Go thou not to wrestling, nor shooting at the cock As it were a strumpet, or a giglot [silly, flighty wanton] Dwell at home daughter, and keep thy own wike [house] And so thou shalt my dear child, soon be rich. Merry it is one's own things to keep my dear child. Acquaint thee not with each man that thou meetest in the street And though he speak foul to thee, fair thou him greet In other man's house, make thou no mastery Be you no chider /ne of wordis bolde To mysseyn þi neyboure / neither zonge ne olde For noght þ1 may be tyde / in othir mannys house And zif þi neyboures wif / haue riche atyire Housewifly schalt þou goen / on þe werke day þat bryngyn her lordis in mischef / for here mekille pride Be wele wise doughtere / † kepe þin owen gode For aftir þe wrenne hathe veynes / men schalle late hir blode is thrifte warithe thonne pt spendithe more pan wynne mp tere childe wwwww Be thou no chider, nor of words bold To speak ill of thy neighbour, neither young nor old. Be thou not too moody, nor too envious, For nought that may betide, in other man's house, Envious heart fretteth himself, my dear child. Overdone pride maketh naked side, my dear child. Much shame are women worthy of, and so shall betide them, That bringing their lords in mischief, for their much pride Be well wise, daughter, and keep thy own goods, For after the wren hath veins, men shall let her blood, His thrift waxeth thin that spendeth more than he winneth, my dear child. |