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¹ Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.² A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.³ If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.⁴ For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.⁵ He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;⁶ also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?

⁷ Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.⁸ What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?⁹ It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.¹⁰ The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.

¹¹ Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.¹² What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?