The gold[n] book of christen matrimony most necessary [and] profitable for all the[m], that…The golde[n] boke of christen matrimonye moost necessary [and] profitable for all the[m], that…

Behold, in this prayer doth Abraham's servant knowledge the ordinance of god, and that god only provideth the marriage, and yet never theles he falleth to prayer, and useth that mean. For it followeth in the story, And it came to •as that ere he had left speaking, Rebecca came forth, & carried a pitcher upon her shoulder, & she ¹was a very fair damsel & unblemished virgin, & came down to the well to draw water. Then ran the servant unto her, and asked her drink, & she said: Drink sir. And with that toke she down her pitcher, and gave him ⟨p. xliiii⟩drink. And when he had drunken, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, that they may drink. And so she made haste, and poured water out of her pitcher into the trough and gave the camels drink: But the man marvelled at her, and marked her well, and held his tonge et cete. No doubt, he had respect to the ²riches of the mind and of the body, and perceived that she was gentle, serviceable, lowly, given to labour, quick in her busyness, loving toward strangers, that she was not my taught or nicely brought up, nor a high minded or deyn tie veast, but honest and handsome. How she was conditioned, could he not know better, then by such token. She was yet an untouched virgin, and therefore also well nurtured and no nice thing.

Beholde, in thys prayer doth Abrahams seruaunt knowlege the ordinaunce of god, and that god onely prouydeth the mariage, and yet neuer theles he falleth to prayer, and vseth that meane. For it foloweth in the story, And it came to •as that yer he hadde left speakynge, Rebecca came forth, & caryed a pitcher vpon her shulder, & she ¹was a verye fayre damesell & vnblemisshed virgyn, & came downe to the well to drawe water. Then ranne the seruaunt vnto her, and asked hir drynke, & she sayde: Drincke syr. And wyth that toke she downe her pitcher, and gaue hym ⟨p. xliiii⟩drincke. And whan he had droncken, she sayde: I wyll drawe water for thy camelles also, that they maye dryne. And so she made haste, and poured water out of her pitcher into the trough and gaue the camels drynke: But the mā maruayled at her, and marked her well, and hyld his tonge et cete. No doute, he hadde respecte to the