Lerne mortall men, stodyenge day and nyght To knowe me wysdome, chefe rote of chastyte My holy doctryne thy herte shall clere and lyght My tunge shall shewe the ryght and equyte Chase out thy foly, cause of aduersyte. And seke me wysdome whiche shall endewe thy mynde With helth and welth wherby thou lyfe shalt fynde Aryse I say agayne to the mankynde And seke me wysdome that am well of goodnes Let nat this worlde thy conscyence farther blynde Nor to synne subdue for loue of false rychesse Blynde nat thy herte with mondayne wretchednes I am worth golde and worth all good mundayne: And to mankynde counselloure souerayne No maner Jowell is to me lyke certayne Ne so profytable to mortall creature I passe all ryches and cause a man refrayne His mynde from synne, and of his ende be sure There is no treasoure nor precious stone so pure Carbuncle Ruby ne adamond in londe nor see Nor other lapydary comparable to me: And shortly to speke wysdome is more laudable Than all the worlde or other thynge mundayne There is no treasoure: to wysdome comparable But it alone is a vertue moste souerayne Hauynge nought lyke in valoure nor worth certayne No fole is so ryche, nor hye of dignyte But that a wyse man pore is more worthy than he Wysdome preserueth men in auctoryte Prynces promotynge by counseyll prouydent By it pore men somtyme, and of lowe degre Hath had the hole worlde to them obedyent It gydeth Cytees and countrees excellent And gouerneth the counseyll of prynce lorde and kynge Strengthynge the body the herte enlumynynge It gydyth lordes and from bondage doth brynge Them whome foly hath brought in to captyuyte Hir gyftys to mankynde frely offrynge Gydynge hir discyples from all aduersyte Wysdome stondynge vpon a stage on hye Cryeth to mankynde with lowde voyce in this wyse I trouth exalte: and vycious men dispyse Lerne of me wysdome cast out your couetyse For by my myght craft and wyse prouysicion Kynges vnto their dygnyte dothe ryse Theyr septers gydynge by my monycion I gaue them lawes to gyde eche regyon In welthe defendynge and in prosperyte Them and theyr royalmes whyle they gyde them by me All maner nacyons that doth to me inclyne I gyde and gouerne by lawe and equyte In me is right, godly wyt and doctryne What blynde foly, and howe great aduersyte Do they auoyde that gyde them selfe by me And he that me louyth with worshyp and honour Shall knowe my loue my grace and my fauour He that me folowyth shall auoyde all dolour I shall hym folowe promotynge in suche case That none shall be before hym in valour I godly ryches in my power inbrace Whiche man by me may esely purchase And he that wyll his way by me addresse I shall rewarde with heuenly ioy endles