Þe Prologe in Þe boc of Eccleſiaſtes
This almoſt þe fifte ȝeer,ſiaſ whan ȝit I was at Rome, þat Ecleſiaſten I ſhulde reden to Seint Bleſill, þat hir I ſhulde ſtire to þe diſpiſing of þes world, and þat ſhe ſhulde ſett al þat in þe world ſhe beholdiþ, to ben for noȝt, I haue mynde, me preȝid of hir, þat in to maner of a ſhort expoſicioun alle þe hard þingus I ſhulde clerli expoune, þat, wiþoute me, ſhe myȝte vnderſtonde þat ſhe radde; and ſo for in þe firſte greiþing of oure werc, ſhe wiþdrawen wiþ ſodeyn deþ, and, O! Paule and Euſtoche, wee deſerueden not to ha ſuch a felawe of oure lif, and wiþ ſo myche wounde ſmyten, þanne I becam doumb. Now in Beþlem ſet, þat is, in a ſtreitere cite, I ȝeelde þat I owe and to þe mynde of hir and to ȝou; þis ſhortli doende to witen, þat þe autorite of no man I folewede, but tranſlatende fro Ebru moſt I confoormede me to þe cuſtum of þe Seuenti Remenoures, in þeſe þingus onli þat not myche fro Ebrues þey diſcordeden. Oþerwhile alſo I recordid of Aquile, alſo and of Simake, and of Theodocian, þat I ſhulde not feren þe ſtudi of þe redere wiþ to myche neweneſſe, ne, on þe oþer ſide, þe welle of treuþe left, aȝen my concience I ſhulde togidere folewen þe ſtremes of opinyouns.
Capitulum I. The wrdis of Eccleſiaſtes, ſone of Dauid, king of Jeruſalem. Vanite of vanites, ſeide Ecleſiaſtes; vanite of vanytes, and alle þingus vanyte. What haþ a man more ouer of al his trauaile, þat he trauaileþ vnder þe ſunne? Jeneracioun goþ, and ieneracioun comeþ; þe erþe forſoþe in to wiþ oute ende ſtant. Þe ſunne riſiþ vp, and goþ doun, and to his place turneþ aȝeen; and þere aȝeen riſende goþ aboute bi þe ſouþ, and turneþ aȝeen to þe norþ. Enuyrounende alle þingus þe ſpirit in cumpas paſſeþ, and in to his cercles turneþ aȝeen. Alle flodis entren in to þe ſe, and þe ſe redoundiþ not; to þe place whennes þe flodis wenten out, þei turnen aȝeen, þat eft þei flowen out. Alle þingus harde, and a man mai not þem tellen out pleynli wiþ wrd; þe eȝe is not fild wiþ ſiȝte, ne fulfild is þe ere wiþ heering. What is þat was, it þat is to come? What is þat is mad, it þat is to be maad? No þing vnder þe ſunne newe, ne any man mai ſeyn, Lo! þis is freſh newe; now forſoþe it wente beforn in worldis, þe whiche weren beforn vs. Þer is not mynde of þe raþere þingus, but and of þo þingis forſoþe, þat ben aftir to come, ſhal not ben recording anent hem þat be to come in þe laſte time. I Ecleſiaſtes was king of Irael in Jeruſalem; and I purpoſide in myn inwit to ſeche and enſerchen wiſli of alle þingus, þat ben mad vnder ſunne. Þis werſte ocupacioun ȝaff God to þe ſonus of men, þat þei ſhulden ben ocupied in it. I ſaȝ alle þingus þat ben mad vnder þe ſunne, and, lo! alle þingus vanite and tormenting of ſpirit. Peruertid men of hard ben amendid; and wiþoute ende is þe noumbre of foolis. I ſpac in myn herte, ſeiende, Lo! gret I am mad, and I wente beforn alle in wiſdam, þat weren beforn me in Jeruſalem; and my mynde beheeld manye þingus wiſli, and I lernede. And I ȝaf myn herte, þat I knewe prudence and doctrine, and errouris and folie. And I knewȝ þat in þeſe þingis alſo was trauaile and tormenting of ſpirit; for þi þat in myche wiſdam is myche indignacioun, and þat addiþ kunnyng, addeþ and trauaile.