Þe prologe in Þe booc of Eccleſiaſtici
Off manye and ſiaſgrete bi þe lawe, and profetes, and oþere, þat foleweden hem, wiſdam to vs is ſhewed. In þe whiche it behoueþ to preiſen Irael, bi cauſe of doctrine and of wiſdam; for not onli hem ſpekende, nedful it is to be wis, but alſo ſtraungeres to moun, and ſeiende and writende, to be mad moſt wis. Myn elde-fader Jheſus, aftir þat hymſelf he ȝaf more to beſyneſſe of leſſoun of lawe, and of profetes, and of oþere bokis, þat to vs of oure fadris ben taken, and he wolde write ſum what of þeſe, þat to wiſdam and doctrine pertenen, þat men deſirende to lernen, and to be mad wiſe men, of hem more and more þei taken heed in inwit, and ben confermed to þe lawful lif. Alſo I moneſte ȝou to comen wiþ wel willingneſſe, and wiþ mor biſy ſtudi to do leſſoun, and to han forȝyueneſſe in þo þingus, in whiche wee ben ſeen folewende þe ymage of wiſdam, and to defauten in þe making togidere of wrdys. For Ebru wrdis failen, whan þei weren tranſlatid to an oþer tunge. Forſoþe not oneli þis, but and þat lawe, and profetes, and oþire þingis of bokes, han not a litil difference, whan betwen hemſelf þei ben ſeid. For in þe eiȝte and þrettiþe ȝer, in þe tymes of king Pþolome Euergeet, aftir þat I cam in to Egipt, and whan myche of tyme I hadde ben þere, I fond þere bokes laft, not of litil doctrine, ne to ben diſpiſid. And ſoo good and neceſſarie trowede and I myſelf to adden ſum diligence and trauaile of remenyng þis bok, and wiþ myche waking I leide to beſyneſſe of doctrine, in ſpace of tyme to ȝyue þis boc to þo þingus þat leden to an ende, and to þem þat wiln þe inwit biſiyn, and lernen, hou it behoueþ to enformen maneres, þat after þe lawe of þe Lord purpoſen lif to leden.