Advance not the vicious. Patience in false slander. Chastisement. Answer a fool wisely: detecting his folly. Place fit men in office: Wise men in authority: Virtuous in honour: and learned to teach. Make fools to keep silence. Return not to former sins. Humble opinion of thyself. Fortitude. Profitable labours. At least some good work. Love not idleness. Intermeddle not in brawls. Unfeigned friendship, especially in familiar acquaintance. Punish bate-makers. Pacify the wrathful. Hear not whisperers of evil reports. Flee from hypocrites. Whose flattery and soft speech are suspicious, they will fall at last into their own traps, truth prevailing.[No italic chapter argument is printed — per the Chap. X second-part preamble these Parables chapters set a brief virtue-summary in the margin of each sentence in place of a running argument. The marginal summaries, in order, are:] Aduance not the vicious. Patience in false sclander. Chastisment. Answer a foole wisely: detecting his follie. Place fitte men in office: VVise men in authoritie: Vertuous in honour: and lerned to teach. Make fooles to kepe silence. Returne not to former sinnes. Humble opinion of thy self. Fortitude. Profitable laboures. At least some good worke. Loue not idlenes. Intermedle not in brawles. Vnfained frendship, especially in familiar acquaintance. Punish batemakers. Pacifie the wrathful. Heare not whisperers of euil reportes. Flee from hypocrites. VVhose flaterie and soft speach are suspicious, they wil fal at last into their owne trappes, truth preuailing.✦
As snow in the summer, and rain in the harvest: so is glory indecens: unseemly, unfitting for a fool.AS snow in the summer, and rayne in the haruest: so is glorie vndecent for a foole.✦Quomodo nix in æstate, et pluviæ in messe, sic indecens est stulto gloria.
2As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going whither he quolibet: it pleases him, wherever he chooses: so a curse uttered in vain shall light upon some man.As a birde flying to other places, & a sparow going whither he list: so a curse vttered in vaine shal light vpon some man.✦Sicut avis ad alia transvolans, et passer quolibet vadens, sic maledictum frustra prolatum in quempiam superveniet.
3A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod on the back of the unwise.A whippe for a horse, and a snaffle for an asse, and a rod on the back of the vnwise.✦Flagellum equo, et camus asino, et virga in dorso imprudentium.
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like to him.Answer not a foole according to his follie, lest thou be made like to him.✦Ne respondeas stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis.
5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he seem to himself to be wise.Answer a foole according to his follie, lest he seme to himself to be wise.✦Responde stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne sibi sapiens esse videatur.
6Lame of feet, and drinking iniquity, he that sendeth words by a foolish messenger.Lame of feete, and drinking iniquitie, he that sendeth wordes by a foolish messenger.✦Claudus pedibus, et iniquitatem bibens, qui mittit verba per nuntium stultum.
7As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is undecent in the mouth of fools.As a lame man hath fayre legges in vaine: so a parable is vndecent in the mouth of fooles.✦Quomodo pulchras frustra habet claudus tibias, sic indecens est in ore stultorum parabola.
8As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so he that giveth honour to the unwise.As he that casteth a stone into the heape of Mercurie: so he that geueth honour to the vnwise.✦Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum Mercurii, ita qui tribuit insipienti honorem.
9As if a thorn should grow in the hand of the drunkard: so a parable in the mouth of fools.As if a thorne should grow in the hand of the drunkard: so a parable in the mouth of fooles.✦Quomodo si spina nascatur in manu temulenti, sic parabola in ore stultorum.
10Judgement determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth angers.Iudgement determineth causes: and he that putteth a foole to silence, apeaseth angers.✦Judicium determinat causas, et qui imponit stulto silentium iras mitigat.
11As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so the unwise that reiterateth his folly.As a dog that returneth to his vomite, so the vnwise that reiterateth his follie.✦Sicut canis qui revertitur ad vomitum suum, sic imprudens qui iterat stultitiam suam.
12Hast thou seen a man seem to himself wise? the fool shall have hope rather than he.Hast thou sene a man seeme to himselfe wise? the foole shal haue hope rather then he.✦Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri ? magis illo spem habebit insipiens.
13The slothful saith: A lion is in the way, and a lioness in the journeys:The slothful sayth: A lyon is in the way, and a lyonesse in the iourneis:✦Dicit piger : Leo est in via, et leæna in itineribus.
14as a door turneth on his hinge so the slothful in his bed.as a doore turneth on his hinge so the slothful in his bed.✦Sicut ostium vertitur in cardine suo, ita piger in lectulo suo.
15The slothful hideth his hand under the ascella: the armpit, and is grieved if he turneth it to his mouth.The slothful hideth his hand vnder the armehole, and is greeued if he turneth it to his mouth.✦Abscondit piger manum sub ascella sua, et laborat si ad os suum eam converterit.
16The slothful seemeth wiser to himself, than seven men speaking sentences.The slothful seemeth wiser to himselfe, then seuen men speaking sentences.✦Sapientior sibi piger videtur septem viris loquentibus sententias.
17As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so he that passeth by impatient, and meddleth with another man's brawl.As he that taketh a dog by the eares, so he that passeth by impatient, and medleth with an other mans brawle.✦Sicut qui apprehendit auribus canem, sic qui transit impatiens et commiscetur rixæ alterius.
18As he is hurtful that shooteth arrows, and spears unto death:As he is hurtful that shooteth arrowes, and speares vnto death:Sicut noxius est qui mittit sagittas et lanceas in mortem,
19so a man, that hurteth his friend fraudulently: and when he is taken withal saith: I did it in jest.so a man, that hurteth his frende fraudulently: and when he is taken with al sayth: I did it in iest.ita vir fraudulenter nocet amico suo, et cum fuerit deprehensus dicit : Ludens feci.
20When wood faileth, the fire shall be extinguished: and the susurro: the talebearer, secret slanderer taken away, brawls cease.When wood fayleth, the fire shal be extinguished: and the whisperer taken away, brawles cease.✦Cum defecerint ligna extinguetur ignis, et susurrone subtracto, jurgia conquiescent.
21As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man raiseth brawls.As coles to burning coles, and wood to fire, so an angrie man rayseth brawles.✦Sicut carbones ad prunas, et ligna ad ignem, sic homo iracundus suscitat rixas.
22The words of the whisperer as it were simple, and the same come to the inmost parts of the belly.The wordes of the whisperer as it were simple, and the same come to the inmost partes of the bellie.✦Verba susurronis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt ad intima ventris.
23As if thou wouldest adorn an earthen vessel with sordido: dross-fouled, impure silver, so swelling lips joined with a most wicked heart.As if thou wouldest adorne an earthen vessel with drossie siluer, so swelling lippes ioyned with a most wicked hart.✦Quomodo si argento sordido ornare velis vas fictile, sic labia tumentia cum pessimo corde sociata.
24An enemy is perceived by his lips, when he shall handle deceits in his heart.An enemie is perceiued by his lippes, when he shal handle deceites in his hart.✦Labiis suis intelligitur inimicus, cum in corde tractaverit dolos.
25When he shall submiserit vocem: lower, soften his voice, believe him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.When he shal submit his voyce, beleue him not: because there are seuen mischiefes in his hart.✦Quando submiserit vocem suam, ne credideris ei, quoniam septem nequitiæ sunt in corde illius.
26He that covereth hatred fraudulently, his malice shall be revealed in the council.He that couereth hatred fraudulently, his malice shal be reuealed in the councel.✦Qui operit odium fraudulenter, revelabitur malitia ejus in consilio.
27He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.He that diggeth a pit, shal fal into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shal returne to him.✦Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui volvit lapidem revertetur ad eum.
28A deceitful tongue loveth not truth, and a lubricum: slippery, smooth mouth worketh ruins.A deceitful tongue loueth not truth, and a slipper mouth worketh ruines.✦Lingua fallax non amat veritatem, et os lubricum operatur ruinas.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.