Never shew thyself a jealous husband to the wife thou lovest; it may prove thou hast taught her, to thy cost, a ruinous lesson.

Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.

Non zeles mulierem sinus tui, ne ostendat super te malitiam doctrinæ nequam.

Never give thy soul into a woman’s power, and let her command the fortress of it, to thy shame.

Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.

Non des mulieri potestatem animæ tuæ, ne ingrediatur in virtutem tuam, et confundaris.

Never turn to look at the wanton, that would catch thee in her snare,

Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.

Ne respicias mulierem multivolam, ne forte incidas in laqueos illius.

nor spend thy attentions upon some dancing woman, that has power to be thy undoing;

Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.

Cum saltatrice ne assiduus sis, nec audias illam, ne forte pereas in efficacia illius.

nor let thy eyes linger on a maid unwed, whose very beauty may take thee unawares.

Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.

Virginem ne conspicias, ne forte scandalizeris in decore illius.

And for harlots, let nothing tempt thee to give way to them, as life and patrimony thou holdest dear;

Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.

Ne des fornicariis animam tuam in ullo, ne perdas te et hæreditatem tuam.

look not round thee in the city streets, nor haunt the alley-ways.

Look not round about thee in the ways of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.

Noli circumspicere in vicis civitatis, nec oberraveris in plateis illius.

From a woman bravely decked out turn away; have no eyes for her beauty that is none of thine.

Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another’s beauty.

Averte faciem tuam a muliere compta, et ne circumspicias speciem alienam.

Woman’s beauty has been the ruin of many ere now, a spark to light the flame of lust.

For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.

Propter speciem mulieris multi perierunt: et ex hoc concupiscentia quasi ignis exardescit.

A harlot? Then trample her down like mire in thy path.

Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.

Omnis mulier quæ est fornicaria, quasi stercus in via conculcabitur.

The love of stolen sweets has been the undoing of many; a word with her, and the spark is lit.

Many by admiring the beauty of another man’s wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.

Speciem mulieris alienæ multi admirati, reprobi facti sunt: colloquium enim illius quasi ignis exardescit.

Sit down never with a wedded wife, nor lean thy elbow upon table of hers,

Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:

Cum aliena muliere ne sedeas omnino, nec accumbas cum ea super cubitum:

nor bandy words with her over the wine; steal she thy heart away, thy life is forfeit.

And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.

et non alterceris cum illa in vino, ne forte declinet cor tuum in illam, et sanguine tuo labaris in perditionem.

An old friend leave not; the new is not his like.

Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.

Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum: novus enim non erit similis illi.

New friendship, new wine; it must ripen ere thou canst love the taste of it.

A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

Vinum novum amicus novus: veterascet, et cum suavitate bibes illud.

Envy not the wrong-doer his wealth and state; beyond all expectation of thine it shall come to ruin.

Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.

Non zeles gloriam et opes peccatoris: non enim scis quæ futura sit illius subversio.

Of his ill-gotten gains have neither love nor liking; be sure he will not die unpunished.

Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.

Non placeat tibi injuria injustorum, sciens quoniam usque ad inferos non placebit impius.

From one that has the power of life and death keep thy distance; so thou shalt be free from mortal alarms.

Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.

Longe abesto ab homine potestatem habente occidendi, et non suspicaberis timorem mortis.

If dealings thou hast with him, keep clear of all offence, or thou shalt pay for it with thy life.

And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.

Et si accesseris ad illum, noli aliquid committere, ne forte auferat vitam tuam.

Death has become thy familiar; pit-falls encompass thy path; thou art making the rounds of a beleaguered city.

Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved.

Communionem mortis scito, quoniam in medio laqueorum ingredieris, et super dolentium arma ambulabis.

Consider, as best thou mayest, thy company; be wise and prudent men thy counsellors;

According to thy power beware of thy neighbour, and treat with the wise and prudent.

Secundum virtutem tuam cave te a proximo tuo, et cum sapientibus et prudentibus tracta.

honest men thy guests. Be the fear of God all thy boast,

Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.

Viri justi sint tibi convivæ, et in timore Dei sit tibi gloriatio:

the thought of God all thy thinking, the commandments of the most High all the matter of thy discourse.

And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.

et in sensu sit tibi cogitatus Dei, et omnis enarratio tua in præceptis Altissimi.

By skilful handiwork the artist is known, the ruler of a people by the prudence of his counsel, the good sense of the aged by their word spoken.

Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients for the sense.

In manu artificum opera laudabuntur, et princeps populi in sapientia sermonis sui, in sensu vero seniorum verbum.

No such peril to a city as a great talker; for his rash utterance, no man so well hated as he.

A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.

Terribilis est in civitate sua homo linguosus: et temerarius in verbo suo odibilis erit.