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| CARE 1 for thy soul as thing of greatest price, | |
| Made to the end to taste of power divine, | |
| Devoid of guilt, abhorring sin and vice, | |
| Apt by God’s grace to virtue to incline: | |
| Care for it so that by thy reckless train | 5 |
| It be not brought to taste eternal pain. | |
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| Care for thy corps, but chiefly for soul’s sake; | |
| Cut off excess, sustaining food is best; | |
| To vanquish pride, but comely clothing take; | |
| Seek after skill, deep ignorance detest: | 10 |
| Care so (I say) the flesh to feed and clothe, | |
| That thou harm not thy soul and body both. | |
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| Care for the world, to do thy body right; | |
| Rack not thy wit to win by wicked ways; | |
| Seek not to oppress the weak by wrongful might; | 15 |
| To pay thy due do banish all delays: | |
| Care to dispend according to thy store, | |
| And in like sort be mindful of the poor. | |
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| Care for thy soul as for thy chiefest stay; | |
| Care for thy body for the soul’s avail; | 20 |
| Care for the world for body’s help alway; | |
| Care yet but so as virtue may prevail: | |
| Care in such sort as thou beware of this— | |
| Care keep thee not from heaven and heavenly bliss. | |
