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¹ A good name is more worth then a precious oyntment, and the daye of death is better the ye daye of byrth.² It is better to go in to an house of mournynge, then in to a bancket house. For there is the ende of all men, and he that is lyuinge, taketh it to herte.³ It is better to be sory then to laugh, for whe the countenaunce is heuy, the herte is ioyfull.⁴ The herte of ye wyse is in the mournynge house, but the hert of the foolish is in the house of myrth.⁵ It is better to geue eare to the chastenynge of a wyse man, then to heare the songe of fooles.⁶ For the laughinge of fooles is like ye crackynge of thornes vnder a pott. And yt is but a vayne thinge.

⁷ Who so doeth wronge, maketh a wyse man to go out of his witt, and destroyeth a gentle hert.⁸ The ende of a thinge is better then the begynnynge. The pacient of sprete is better then the hie mynded.⁹ Be not haistely angrie in yi mynde, for wrath resteth in the bosome of a foole.¹⁰ Saye not thou: What is the cause that ye dayes of ye olde tyme were better, then they yt be now? for that were no wyse question.

¹¹ Wy?dome is better then riches, yee moch more worth then the eye sight.¹² For wy?dome defendeth as well as moneye, and the excellent knowlege and wy?dome geueth life vnto him that hath it in possession.¹³ Considre the worke of God, how that no man can make the thinge straight, which he maketh croked.¹⁴ Vse well the tyme of prosperite, and remembre the tyme of mysfortune: for God maketh the one by the other, so that a man can fynde nothinge els.¹⁵ These ij. thiges also haue I cosidred in ye tyme of vanite: yt the iust man perisheth for his rightuousnes sake, & the vngodly liueth in his wickednesse.¹⁶ Therfore be thou nether to rightuous ner ouer wyse, yt thou perish not:¹⁷ be nether to vnrightuous also ner to foolish, lest thou die before thy tyme.¹⁸ It is good for the to take holde of this, & not to let yt go out of thy hande. For he yt feareth God shal escape them all.¹⁹ Wy?dome geueth more corage vnto the wyse, then ten mightie men of the citie:²⁰ for there is not one iust vpo earth, yt doth good, & sinneth not.²¹ Take not hede vnto euery worde yt is spoken, lest thou heare thy seruaunt curse the:²² for thine owne hert knoweth, that thou thy self also hast oft tymes spoke euell by other men.

²³ All these thinges haue I proued because of wy?dome: for I thought to be wyse, but she wente farther fro me²⁴ then she was before, yee & so depe that I might not reach vnto her.²⁵ I applied my mynde also vnto knowlege, and to seke out sciece, wisdome and vnderstondinge: to knowe the foolishnesse of the vngodly, and the erroure of dotinge fooles.²⁶ And I founde, that a woman is bytterer then death: for she is a very angle, hir hert is a nett, and hir handes are cheynes. Who so pleaseth God shal escape from her, but the synner will be taken wt her.²⁷ Beholde (sayeth ye preacher) this haue I diligently searched out & proued, yt I might come by knowlege: which as yet I seke, and fynde it not.²⁸ Amonge a thousande men I haue founde one, but not one woman amonge all.²⁹ Lo, this onely haue I founde, that God made man iust & right, but they seke dyuerse sotylties,