Operarius ebriosus non locupletabitur: et qui spernit modica paulatim decidet.

A WORKMAN that is a drunkard shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.

Let him toil as he will, the sot’s purse is empty; little things despise, and little by little thou shalt come to ruin.

Vinum et mulieres apostatare faciunt sapientes, et arguent sensatos.

Wine and women make wise men fall off, and shall rebuke the prudent:

Wine and women, what a trap for the loyalty of the wise, how hard a test of good sense!

Et qui se jungit fornicariis erit nequam: putredo et vermes hæreditabunt illum: et extolletur in exemplum majus, et tolletur de numero anima ejus.

And he that joineth himself to harlots, will be wicked. Rottenness and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater example, and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.

He will go from bad to worse, that clings to a harlot’s love; waste and worm shall have him for their prize; one gibbet the more, one living soul the less.

Qui credit cito levis corde est, et minorabitur: et qui delinquit in animam suam, insuper habebitur.

He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart, and shall be lessened: and he that sinneth against his own soul, shall be despised.

Rash heart that lightly trusts shall lose all; forfeit thy own right to live, and none will pity thee.

Qui gaudet iniquitate, denotabitur: et qui odit correptionem, minuetur vita: et qui odit loquacitatem, extinguit malitiam.

He that rejoiceth in iniquity, shall be censured, and he that hateth chastisement, shall have less life: and he that hateth babbling, extinguisheth evil.

A foul blot it is, to take pride in wrong-doing; a courting of death, to despise reproof; a riddance of much mischief, to forswear chattering.

Qui peccat in animam suam, pœnitebit: et qui jucundatur in malitia, denotabitur.

He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned.

Who forfeits his own right to live, will live to rue it; who loves cruelty, blots his own name.

Ne iteres verbum nequam et durum, et non minoraberis.

Rehearse not again a wicked and harsh word, and thou shalt not fare the worse.

Malicious word if thou hear, or harsh, do not repeat it; never wilt thou be the loser.

Amico et inimico noli narrare sensum tuum: et si est tibi delictum, noli denudare:

Tell not thy mind to friend or foe: and if there be a sin with thee, disclose it not.

Speak not out thy own thought for friend and foe to hear alike, nor ever, if thou hast done wrong, discover the secret.

audiet enim te, et custodiet te, et quasi defendens peccatum, odiet te, et sic aderit tibi semper.

For he will hearken to thee, and will watch thee, and as it were defending thy sin he will hate thee, and so will he be with thee always.

He that hears it will be on his guard, and eye thee askance, as if to avert fresh fault of thine; such will be all his demeanour to thee thenceforward.

Audisti verbum adversus proximum tuum? commoriatur in te, fidens quoniam non te dirumpet.

Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee.

Hast thou heard a tale to thy neighbour’s disadvantage? Take it to the grave with thee. Courage, man! it will not burst thee.

A facie verbi parturit fatuus, tamquam gemitus partus infantis.

At the hearing of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman groaning in the bringing forth a child.

A fool with a secret labours as with child, and groans till he is delivered of it;

Sagitta infixa femori carnis, sic verbum in corde stulti.

As an arrow that sticketh in a man’s thigh: so is a word in the heart of a fool.

out it must come, like an arrow stuck in a man’s thigh, from that reckless heart.

Corripe amicum, ne forte non intellexerit, et dicat: Non feci: aut, si fecerit, ne iterum addat facere.

Reprove a friend, lest he may not have understood, and say: I did it not: or if he did it, that he may do it no more.

Confront thy friend with his fault; it may be he knows nothing of the matter, and can clear himself; if not, there is hope he will amend.

Corripe proximum, ne forte non dixerit: et si dixerit, ne forte iteret.

Reprove thy neighbour, for it may be he hath not said it: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

Confront him with the word spoken amiss; it may be, he never said it, or if say it he did, never again will he repeat it.

Corripe amicum, sæpe enim fit commissio:

Admonish thy friend: for there is often a fault committed.

Be open with thy friend; tongues will still be clattering,

et non omni verbo credas. Est qui labitur lingua, sed non ex animo:

And believe not every word. There is one, that slippeth with the tongue, but not from his heart.

and thou dost well to believe less than is told thee. Slips there are of the tongue when mind is innocent;

quis est enim qui non deliquerit in lingua sua? Corripe proximum antequam commineris,

For who is there that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him.

what tongue was ever perfectly guarded? Confront thy neighbour with his fault ere thou quarrellest with him,

et da locum timori Altissimi: quia omnis sapientia timor Dei, et in illa timere Deum, et in omni sapientia dispositio legis.

And give place to the fear of the most High: for the fear of God is all wisdom, and therein is to fear God, and the disposition of the law is in all wisdom.

and let the fear of the most High God do its work.What is true wisdom? Nothing but the fear of God. And since the fear of God is contained in all true wisdom, it must be directed by his law;

Et non est sapientia nequitiæ disciplina, et non est cogitatus peccatorum prudentia.

But the learning of wickedness is not wisdom: and the device of sinners is not prudence.

wisdom is none in following the maxims of impiety, prudence is none in scheming as the wicked scheme.

Est nequitia, et in ipsa execratio, et est insipiens qui minuitur sapientia.

There is a subtle wickedness, and the same is detestable: and there is a man that is foolish, wanting in wisdom.

Cunning rogues they may be, yet altogether abominable; a fool he must ever be called, that lacks the true wisdom.

Melior est homo qui minuitur sapientia, et deficiens sensu, in timore, quam qui abundat sensu, et transgreditur legem Altissimi.

Better is a man that hath less wisdom, and wanteth understanding, with the fear of God, than he that aboundeth in understanding, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

Better a simpleton that wit has none, yet knows fear, than a man of great address, that breaks the law of the most High.

Est solertia certa, et ipsa iniqua:

There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust.

Exact and adroit even a rogue may be;

et est qui emittit verbum certum enarrans veritatem. Est qui nequiter humiliat se, et interiora ejus plena sunt dolo:

And there is one that uttereth an exact word telling the truth. There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit:

it is another thing to utter the plain word that tells the whole truth. Here is one that wears the garb of penance for wicked ends, his heart full of guile;

et est qui se nimium submittit a multa humilitate: et est qui inclinat faciem suam, et fingit se non videre quod ignoratum est:

And there is one that submitteth himself exceedingly with a great lowliness: and there is one that casteth down his countenance, and maketh as if he did not see that which is unknown:

here is one that bows and scrapes, and walks with bent head, feigning not to see what is best left unnoticed,

et si ab imbecillitate virium vetetur peccare, si invenerit tempus malefaciendi, malefaciet.

And if he be hindered from sinning for want of power, if he shall find opportunity to do evil, he will do it.

and all because he is powerless to do thee a harm; if the chance of villainy comes, he will take it.

Ex visu cognoscitur vir, et ab occursu faciei cognoscitur sensatus.

A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when thou meetest him, is known by his countenance.

Yet a man’s looks betray him; a man of good sense will make himself known to thee at first meeting;

Amictus corporis, et risus dentium, et ingressus hominis, enuntiant de illo.

The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, shew what he is.

the clothes he wears, the smile on his lips, his gait, will all make thee acquainted with a man’s character.

Est correptio mendax in ira contumeliosi, et est judicium quod non probatur esse bonum: et est tacens, et ipse est prudens.

There is a lying rebuke in the anger of an injurious man: and there is a judgment that is not allowed to be good: and there is one that holdeth his peace, he is wise.

Reproof there is that no good brings, as the event shews; the mistaken reproof that anger prompts in a quarrel. And a man may shew prudence by holding his tongue.