“ I turnede me to an oþer þing, þat I saȝ vnder sunne neiþer cours to ben of swifte men, ne bataile of stronge men, ne bred of wise men, ne richesses of taȝt men, ne grace off craftis men; but time and chauns in alle þingus. A man wot not his ende; but as fisshis ben take wiþ þe hoc, and as briddes ben caȝt wiþ þe grene, so ben taken men in euel time, whan to þem sodeynli it comeþ ouer. ”

“ If any man haue þe ouere hond aȝen oon, two wiþstonden to hym; a þre fold corde hard is to-broken. Betere is a child pore and wis þan a king old and fool, þat cannot seen beforn in to aftir. Þat and fro prisoun and cheynes oþerwhile sum man goþ out to a reume; and an oþer born into a reume wiþ myseise is wastid. I saȝ alle liuende men þat gon vnder þe sunne, wiþ þe ȝunge ful waxynge þe secunde, þat shal rise for hym. Wiþ oute ende is þe noumbre of puple, of alle þat weren beforn hym, and þat aftir ben to comen, shul not gladen in hym; but and þis vanyte and tormenting of spirit. ”

“ If any man geete an hundred free childer, and liue many ȝeris, and many daȝes of his age hadde, and þe soule of hym vse nott þe goodis of his substaunce, and lacke sepulture; of þat I pronounce, þat betere þan he be maad a dead born. In veyn forsoþe he cam, and wente to dercnesses; and bi forȝeting shal be don awei þe name of hym. He saȝ not þe sunne, ne kneȝ þe distaunce of good and euel; also if two þousend ȝeer he shulde liue, and hadde not ful vsid þe goodis; wheþer not to o place gon alle? Al þe trauaile of man in þe mouþ of hym, but þe soule of hym shal not be fulfild wiþ goodis. ”

“ To alle nede time is and couenablenesse; and myche tormentyng of a man, þat vnknowiþ þe passide þingus, and þe to comen bi no messager he may wite. It is not in a mannys power to defende þe spirit, ne he haþ power in þe dai of deþ, ne it is suffrid to resten, bataile aȝencomende; ne vnpitousnesse shal saue þe vnpitouse. Alle þese þingus I beheeld, and ȝaf myn herte in alle werkis, þat ben mad vnder sunne. Oþerwhile a man lordshipeþ to a man, in to his euel. I saȝ vnpitous men biried, þat alsoo, whan ȝit þei liueden, in holi place weren ”

“ Þe auerouse shall not ben fulfild wiþ monee; and þat looueþ richesses, frut shal not take of þem; and þis þanne vanyte. Wher ben many richesses, and manye þat eten hem; and what profiteþ to þe weldere, but þat he seeþ þe richesses wiþ his eȝen? Swete is slep to þe werchere, wheþer litil or myche he ete; fulnesse forsoþe of þe riche man suffriþ hym not to slepen. Þer is and an oþer infirmyte werst, þat I saȝ vndir þe sunne; richesses kept in to euel of his lord. Forsoþe þei pershen in þe werste tormenting; he gat a sone, þat in heȝest nedynesse shal be. ”

“ But alle þingus in to time to come ben kept vncerteyn; for þi þat alle þingus euenli comen to þe riȝtwis and to þe vnpitous, to þe goode and to þe euele, to þe clene and to þe vnclene, to þe offrende ostis and victorie sacrifises, and to þe despisende sacrifises; as a good man, so and a synnere; as a forsworn, so and he þat soþ swerþ. Þis is þe werste among alle þingis, þat vnder þe sunne ben don, for þe same þingus to alle men fallen; wherfore and þe hertes of þe sonus of men ben fulfild wiþ malice and wiþ dispising in þer lif; and aftir þese to helle þei shul ben broȝt doun. ”

“ Parfitli vse lif wiþ þe wif þat þou loouest, alle þe daȝes of þi lif of þin vnstablenesse, þat ben ȝyue to þee vnder sunne, al þe time of þi vanyte; þis is forsoþe part in lif, and in þi trauaile, þat þou trauailist vnder sunne. ”