Another matter of meditation is death, 8. Whereof sin is the cause. 15. Care of a good fame is necessary. 19. Let shamefastness be a bridle to avoid fornication, 22. iniquity, 24. thefts, and other sins.An other matter of meditation is death, 8. Wherof sinne is the cause. 15. Care of a good fame is necessarie. 19. Let shamfastnes be a bridle to auoide fornication, 22. iniquitie, 24. thefts, and other sinnes.✦
O DEATH how bitter is thy memory to a man that hath peace in his riches:O DEATH how bitter is thy memorie to a man that hath peace in his riches:O mors, quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantiis suis :
2to a man that is at rest, and whose ways are prosperous in all things, and that is yet able to take meat!to a man that is at rest, and whose wayes are prosperous in al thinges, and that is yet able to take meate!viro quieto, et cujus viæ directæ sunt in omnibus, et adhuc valenti accipere cibum !
3O death, thy judgement is good to a needy man, and him that is diminished in strength,O death, thy iudgement is good to a needy man, and him that is diminished in strength,O mors, bonum est judicium tuum homini indigenti, et qui minoratur viribus,
4and faileth in age, and that is careful of all things, and to the incredibili: skeptical, disbelieving; unbelieving, faithless, that loseth patience!and fayleth in age, and that is careful of al thinges, and to the incredulous, that loseth patience!defecto ætate, et cui de omnibus cura est, et incredibili, qui perdit patientiam !
5Fear not the judgement of death. Remember what things have been before thee, and what come after thee: this is the judgement from our Lord to all flesh:Feare not the iudgement of death. Remember what thinges haue bene before thee, and what come after thee: this is the iudgement from our Lord to al flesh:✦Noli metuere judicium mortis : memento quæ ante te fuerunt, et quæ superventura sunt tibi : hoc judicium a Domino omni carni.
6and what shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the Highest? whether it be ten, or an hundred, or a thousand years.and what shal come vpon thee by the good pleasure of the Highest? whether it be ten, or an hundred, or a thousand yeares.✦Et quid superveniet tibi in beneplacito Altissimi ? sive decem, sive centum, sive mille anni :
7For in hell there is no accusing of life.For in hel there is no accusing of life.✦non est enim in inferno accusatio vitæ.
8The children of sinners become children of abominations, and they that conversantur: talk with; dwell among, keep company near the houses of the impious.The children of sinners be come children of abominations, and they that conuerse neere the houses of the impious.✦Filii abominationum fiunt filii peccatorum, et qui conversantur secus domos impiorum.
9The inheritance of the children of sinners shall perish, and with their seed shall be continuance of reproach.The inheritance of the children of sinners shal perish, and with their seede shal be continuance of reproch.✦Filiorum peccatorum periet hæreditas, et cum semine illorum assiduitas opprobrii.
10The children complain of an impious father, because for him they are in reproach.The children complaine of an impious father, because for him they are in reproch.✦De patre impio queruntur filii, quoniam propter illum sunt in opprobrio.
11Woe to you ye impious men, which have forsaken the law of our Lord the Highest.Woe to you ye impious men, which haue forsaken the law of our Lord the Highest.Væ vobis, viri impii, qui dereliquistis legem Domini Altissimi !
12And if ye be born, ye shall be born in malediction: and if ye die, in malediction shall be your portion.And if ye be borne, ye shal be borne in malediction: and if ye die, in malediction shal be your portion.Et si nati fueritis, in maledictione nascemini : et si mortui fueritis, in maledictione erit pars vestra.
13All things that are of the earth, shall return into the earth: so the impious from malediction to perdition.Al thinges that are of the earth, shal returne into the earth: so the impious from malediction to perdition.✦Omnia quæ de terra sunt in terram convertentur : sic impii a maledicto in perditionem.
14The mourning of men is in their body, but the name of the impious shall be clean wiped out.The moorning of men is in their bodie, but the name of the impious shal be cleane wyped out.✦Luctus hominum in corpore ipsorum : nomen autem impiorum delebitur.
15Have care of a good name: for this shall be more permanent to thee, than a thousand treasures precious and great.Haue care of a good name: for this shal be more permanent to thee, then a thousand treasures precious and great.✦Curam habe de bono nomine : hoc enim magis permanebit tibi quam mille thesauri pretiosi et magni.
16There is a number of the days of a good life: but a good name shall continue for ever.There is a number of the daies of a good life: but a good name shal continew for euer.✦Bonæ vitæ numerus dierum : bonum autem nomen permanebit in ævum.
17Children, keep ye discipline in peace. For wisdom hid, and treasure not seen, what profit is there in them both?Children, keepe ye discipline in peace. For wisdom hid, and treasure not seene, what profite is there in them both?Disciplinam in pace conservate, filii : sapientia enim abscondita, et thesaurus invisus, quæ utilitas in utrisque ?
18Better is the man that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.Better is the man that hideth his follie, then the man that hideth his wisdom.Melior est homo qui abscondit stultitiam suam, quam homo qui abscondit sapientiam suam.
19But yet have reverence to these things, which proceed from my mouth.But yet haue reuerence to these thinges, which proceede from my mouth.Verumtamen reveremini in his quæ procedunt de ore meo :
20For it is not good to observe all reverentiam: undue bashfulness, over-scrupulous modesty that shrinks from acting: and all things do not please all men in opinion.For it is not good to obserue al shamfastnes: & al thinges do not please al men in opinion.non est enim bonum omnem reverentiam observare, et non omnia omnibus bene placent in fide.
21Be ashamed before father and before mother, of fornication: and before the praesidente: a head of state; one who presides, a ruler or governor, and before the mighty, of lying:Be ashamed before father & before mother, of fornication: and before the president and before the mightie, of lying:✦Erubescite a patre et a matre de fornicatione : et a præsidente et a potente de mendacio :
22before the prince, and before the judge, of offence: before the synagogue and the people, of iniquity:before the prince, and before the iudge, of offence: before the sinagogue and the people, of iniquitie:✦a principe et a judice de delicto : a synagoga et plebe de iniquitate :
23before companion and friend, of injustice: and before the place where thou dwellest,before companion and freind, of iniustice: and before the place where thou dwellest,✦a socio et amico de injustitia, et de loco in quo habitas :
24of theft, of the truth of God, and his testament: of leaning on the bread, and of reproof for the thing given and taken:of theft, of the truth of God, and his testament: of leaning on the bread, and of reproofe for the thing geuen and taken:✦de furto, de veritate Dei, et testamento : de discubitu in panibus, et ab obfuscatione dati et accepti :
25before them that salute thee, of silence: of beholding a woman that is an harlot: and of turning away thy countenance from thy kinsman.before them that salute thee, of silence: of beholding a woman that is an harlot: and of turning away thy countenance from thy kinsman.a salutantibus de silentio, a respectu mulieris fornicariæ, et ab aversione vultus cognati.
26Turn not away thy face from thy neighbour, and of taking away part and not restoring.Turne not away thy face from thy neighbour, & of taking away part and not restoring.Ne avertas faciem a proximo tuo, et ab auferendo partem et non restituendo.
27Behold not another man's wife, and search not his handmaid, neither stand by her bed.Behold not an other mans wife, and search not his handmayde, neither stand by her bed.✦Ne respicias mulierem alieni viri, et ne scruteris ancillam ejus, neque steteris ad lectum ejus.
28Before friends of improperii: reproachful, insulting, upbraiding words: and when thou hast given, upbraid not.Before freindes of opprobrious wordes: and when thou hast geuen, vpbrayde not.✦Ab amicis de sermonibus improperii : et cum dederis, ne improperes.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.