A   For all these thinges purposed I in my mynde to seke out. The righteus and wyse yee and their workes also are in the hande of God: and there is no man that knoweth ether the loue or hate of the thinge that he hath before him. It happeneth vnto one as vnto another: ^note It goeth with the rightuous as with the vngodly: with the good ∧ cleane as with the vncleane: with him that offereth as with him that offereth not: like as it goeth with the vertuous, so goeth it also with the synner: As it happeneth vnto the periured, so happeneth it also vnto him that is afrayed to be man sworne. Amonge all thinges þt; come to passe vnder the Sonne, this is a misery, that it happeneth vnto all alyke. This is the cause also that the hertes of men are full of wickednesse, ∧ madd foolishnesse is in their hertes as longe as they lyue, vntill they dye.

B   And why? As longe as a man lyueth, he is careles: for a quyck dogg (saye they) is better th&ebar; a deed lion: for they that be lyuynge, knowe þt; they shall dye: but they þt; be deed, knowe nothinge, nether deserue they eny more. For their memoriall is forgott&ebar;, so þt; they be nether loued, hated ner envyed: nether haue they eny more parte in þe; worlde, in all þt; is done vnder the Sonne. Go thou þi; waye then, eate thy bred with ioye, ∧ drynke þi; wyne &wt; gladnesse, for thy workes please God. Let thy garm&ebar;tes be all waye whyte, ∧ let þi; heade want no oyntm&ebar;t. ^noteVse thy self to lyue ioyfully &wt; thy wife whom thou louest, ^note all þe; daies of thy life (which is but vayne) þt; God hath geu&ebar; the vnder the Sonne, all þe; dayes of thy vanite: C   for þt; is thy porcion in this life, of all thy labo&highr; ∧ trauayle þt; thou takest vnder the Sonne. What so euer thou takest in hande to do, that do with all thy power: for am&obar;ge the deed (where as thou goest vnto) there is nether worke, councell, knowlege ner wy&esset;dome.

So I turned me vnto other thinges vnder þe; Sonne, and I sawe, that in runnynge, it helpeth not to be swift: in batayll, it helpeth not to be stronge: to fedynge, it helpeth not to be wyse: to riches, it helpeth not to be sutyll: to be had in fauoure, it helpeth not to be connynge: but that all lyeth in tyme ∧ fortune. ^noteFor a man knoweth not his tyme, but like as the fyshe are tak&ebar; with the angle, and as the byrdes are catched &wt; the snare: Eu&ebar; so are men taken in the perilous tyme, when it commeth sodenly vpon them.

D   This wi&esset;dome haue I sene also vnder þe; S&obar;ne, ∧ me thought it a greate thinge. There was a litle cite, ∧ a few m&ebar; within it: so there came a greate kynge ∧ beseged it, ∧ made greate bulworkes agaynst it. And in the cite there was founde a poore man (but he was wyse) which &wt; his wy&esset;dome delyuered the cite: yet was there no body, þt; had eny respecte vnto soch a symple man. Then sayde I: wy&esset;dome is better then strength. ^noteNeuertheles, a symple mans wy&esset;dome is despysed, ∧ his wordes are not herde. A wise mans councell that is folowed in sylence, is farre aboue the crienge of a captaine am&obar;ge fooles. For wy&esset;dome is better then harnesse: but one vnthrift alone destroyeth moch good. ^note

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