Friends every man has that will say, I love him well; yet friends they may be in name only. Death itself cannot match it for sadness,

Every friend will say: I also am his friend: but there is a friend, that is only a friend in name. Is not this a grief even to death?

Omnis amicus dicet: Et ego amicitiam copulavi: sed est amicus solo nomine amicus. Nonne tristitia inest usque ad mortem?

when friend and companion becomes thy enemy.

But a companion and a friend shall be turned to an enemy.

sodalis autem et amicus ad inimicitiam convertentur.

Cruel pretence, what mind first conceived thee, to turn solid earth into a morass of foul treachery?

O wicked presumption, whence camest thou to cover the earth with thy malice, and deceitfulness?

O præsumptio nequissima, unde creata es cooperire aridam malitia et dolositate illius?

A companion, how he will enjoy the delights of his friend’s prosperity, and turn against him in the hour of need!

There is a companion who rejoiceth with his friend in his joys, but in the time of trouble, he will be against him.

Sodalis amico conjucundatur in oblectationibus, et in tempore tribulationis adversarius erit.

A companion, how he will share a friend’s grief if he may share his bake-meats; use him as a shield against some enemy!

There is a companion who condoleth with his friend for his belly’s sake, and he will take up a shield against the enemy.

Sodalis amico condolet causa ventris, et contra hostem accipiet scutum.

Never let friend of thine be far from thy thoughts; in thy prosperity never forget him.

Forget not thy friend in thy mind, and be not unmindful of him in thy riches.

Non obliviscaris amici tui in animo tuo, et non immemor sis illius in opibus tuis.

Never take counsel with one who may be laying a trap for thee; from his envy hide thy purpose;

Consult not with him that layeth a snare for thee, and hide thy counsel from them that envy thee.

Noli consiliari cum eo qui tibi insidiatur, et a zelantibus te absconde consilium.

advice every counsellor will give thee, but some will counsel thee for their own ends.

Every counsellor giveth out counsel, but there is one that is a counsellor for himself.

Omnis consiliarius prodit consilium, sed est consiliarius in semetipso.

Be on thy guard, then, against him who advises thee; how is his own turn best served? What is his secret mind?

Beware of a counsellor. And know before what need he hath: for he will devise to his own mind:

A consiliario serva animam tuam: prius scito quæ sit illius necessitas: et ipse enim animo suo cogitabit:

It may be, he will hide stake in pit for thee, crying,

Lest he thrust a stake into the ground, and say to thee:

ne forte mittat sudem in terram, et dicat tibi:

Thy course lies clear; then stand at a distance to see what becomes of thee.

Thy way is good; and then stand on the other side to see what shall befall thee.

Bona est via tua: et stet e contrario videre quid tibi eveniat.

Consult, if thou wilt, unbeliever about holiness, knave about justice, woman about her rival, dastard about war, merchant about value, buyer about price, cynic about gratitude,

Treat not with a man without religion concerning holiness, nor with an unjust man concerning justice, nor with a woman touching her of whom she is jealous, nor with a coward concerning war, nor with a merchant about traffic, nor with a buyer of selling, nor with an envious man of giving thanks,

Cum viro irreligioso tracta de sanctitate, et cum injusto de justitia, et cum muliere de ea quæ æmulatur, cum timido de bello, cum negotiatore de trajectione, cum emptore de venditione, cum viro livido de gratiis agendis,

scoffer about piety, rogue about honesty, farm labourer about work to be done,

Nor with the ungodly of piety, nor with the dishonest of honesty, nor with the field laborer of every work,

cum impio de pietate, cum inhonesto de honestate, cum operario agrario de omni opere,

yearman about year’s end, idle servant about great undertakings; but all the advice they give thee heed thou never.

Nor with him that worketh by the year of the finishing of the year, nor with an idle servant of much business: give no heed to these in any matter of counsel.

cum operario annuali de consummatione anni, cum servo pigro de multa operatione. Non attendas his in omni consilio:

Closet thyself rather with some man of holy life, known to thee as God’s worshipper,

But be continually with a holy man, whomsoever thou shalt know to observe the fear of God,

sed cum viro sancto assiduus esto, quemcumque cognoveris observantem timorem Dei:

some soul well matched with thine, such as would grieve to see thee stumbling in darkness.

Whose soul is according to thy own soul: and who, when thou shalt stumble in the dark, will be sorry for thee.

cujus anima est secundum animam tuam, et qui, cum titubaveris in tenebris, condolebit tibi.

And thy own heart enthrone as thy best counsellor; nothing may compare with that;

And establish within thyself a heart of good counsel: for there is no other thing of more worth to thee than it.

Cor boni consilii statue tecum: non est enim tibi aliud pluris illo.

there are times when a man of piety sees truth clearer than seven sentinels high in a watch-tower.

The soul of a holy man discovereth sometimes true things, more than seven watchmen that sit in a high place to watch.

Anima viri sancti enuntiat aliquando vera, quam septem circumspectores sedentes in excelso ad speculandum.

With all this, entreat the most High to guide thy steps in the right path.

But above all these things pray to the most High, that he may direct thy way in truth.

Et in his omnibus deprecare Altissimum, ut dirigat in veritate viam tuam.

For every undertaking, every act of thine let just consideration prepare thee, and trustworthy counsel.

In all thy works let the true word go before thee, and steady counsel before every action.

Ante omnia opera verbum verax præcedat te, et ante omnem actum consilium stabile.

Ill counsel may make the heart veer round; four points its compass has, good and evil, life and death; and it is ever the tongue that sways it. Shrewdness there is that can much impart, yet is its own enemy.

A wicked word shall change the heart: out of which four manner of things arise, good and evil, life and death: and the tongue is continually the ruler of them. There is a man that is subtle and a teacher of many, and yet is unprofitable to his own soul.

Verbum nequam immutabit cor: ex quo partes quatuor oriuntur: bonum et malum, vita et mors: et dominatrix illorum est assidua lingua. Est vir astutus multorum eruditor, et animæ suæ inutilis est.

And there is experience that imparts much to others, and is its own friend besides.

A skilful man hath taught many, and is sweet to his own soul.

Vir peritus multos erudivit, et animæ suæ suavis est.

There is quibbling talk that will earn thee enemies, and an empty belly;

He that speaketh sophistically, is hateful: he shall be destitute of every thing.

Qui sophistice loquitur odibilis est: in omni re defraudabitur.

no power to win men the Lord has given it, so empty is it of all wisdom.

Grace is not given him from the Lord: for he is deprived of all wisdom.

Non est illi data a Domino gratia, omni enim sapientia defraudatus est.

But there is wisdom that befriends the owner of it, earning high meed of praise;

There is a wise man that is wise to his own soul: and the fruit of his understanding is commendable.

Est sapiens animæ suæ sapiens, et fructus sensus illius laudabilis.

if thus thou art wise, wisdom thou shalt impart to thy fellows, and shalt not miss thy own reward;

A wise man instructeth his own people, and the fruits of his understanding are faithful.

Vir sapiens plebem suam erudit, et fructus sensus illius fideles sunt.

blessings the wise man reaps from all around, to see him is to praise him.

A wise man shall be filled with blessings, and they that see shall praise him.

Vir sapiens implebitur benedictionibus, et videntes illum laudabunt.

Man’s days are numbered, Israel’s none can number,

The life of a man is in the number of his days: but the days of Israel are innumerable.

Vita viri in numero dierum: dies autem Israël innumerabiles sunt.

and among our people the wise man wins an inheritance of honour, a deathless renown.

A wise man shall inherit honour among his people, and his name shall live for ever.

Sapiens in populo hæreditabit honorem, et nomen illius erit vivens in æternum.

Son, as thy life goes on, make trial of thy appetites, and if harmful they be, give them no liberty;

My son, prove thy soul in thy life: and if it be wicked, give it no power:

Fili, in vita tua tenta animam tuam, et si fuerit nequam non des illi potestatem:

not all things all men suit, nor please.

For all things are not expedient for all, and every kind pleaseth not every soul.

non enim omnia omnibus expediunt, et non omni animæ omne genus placet.

When there is feasting, thy greed restrain; do not fall upon all the meats thou seest;

Be not greedy in any feasting, and pour not out thyself upon any meat:

Noli avidus esse in omni epulatione, et non te effundas super omnem escam:

much feasting breeds infirmity, gluttony the bile,

For in many meats there will be sickness, and greediness will turn to choler.

in multis enim escis erit infirmitas, et aviditas appropinquabit usque ad choleram.

and many have died of surfeiting; the temperate live long.

By surfeiting many have perished: but he that is temperate, shall prolong life.

Propter crapulam multi obierunt: qui autem abstinens est adjiciet vitam.