Study Desk

Thus begane I to be weery of my life, in so moch that I coude awaye with nothinge that is done vnder the Sonne, for all was but vanite & vexacion of mynde:

but heuynesse, sorowe & disquyetnes all ye dayes of his life? In so moch that his herte can not rest in the night. Is not this also a vayne thinge?

he geueth vnto ma, what it pleaseth him: whether it be wy?dome. vnderstondinge, or gladnesse. But vnto the synner he geueth weerynes and sorow, that he maye gather and heape together ye thinge, yt afterwarde shalbe geuen vnto him whom it pleaseth God. This is now a vayne thinge, yee a very disquietnesse and vexacio of mynde.

What hath a ma els (that doth eny thinge) but weerynesse and laboure?

for it happeneth vnto men as it doth vnto beastes, & as the one dyeth, so dyeth ye other: yee they haue both one maner of breth, so yt (in this) a man hath no preemynence aboue a beest, but all are subdued vnto vanite.

Wherfore I perceaue, yt there is nothyinge better for a man, then to be ioyfull in his laboure, for that is his porcion. But who wil brynge him to se the thinge, that shal come after him?

There is one man, no mo but himself alone, hauynge nether childe ner brother: yet is there no ende of his carefull trauayle, his eyes can not be satisfied with riches, (yet doth he not remembre himself, & saye:) For whom do I take soch trauayle? For whose pleasure do I thus consume awaye my lyfe? This is also a vayne and miserable thinge.

Yf one of them fall, his companyon helpeth him vp againe: But wo is him that is alone, for yf he fall, he hath not another to helpe him vp.

Agayne, when two slepe together, they are warme: but how can a body be warme alone?

One maye be ouercome, but two maye make resistauce: A thre folde cable is not lightly broken.

And why? where as are many dreames & many wordes, there are also dyuerse vanities: but loke yt thou feare God.

A labouringe man slepeth swetely, whether it be litle or moch that he eateth: but the abundaunce of the riche wil not suffre him to slepe.

when God geueth a man riches, goodes & honoure, so that he wanteth nothinge of all that his herte can desyre: and yet God geueth him not leue to enioye the same, but another man spedeth them. This is a vayne thinge & a miserable plage.

A vayne thinge is it to cast out many wordes, but what hath a man els?

For who knoweth what is good for man lyuynge, in ye dayes of his vayne life, which is but a shadowe? Or, who wil tell a man, what shal happen after him vnder the Sonne?

The herte of ye wyse is in the mournynge house, but the hert of the foolish is in the house of myrth.

For the laughinge of fooles is like ye crackynge of thornes vnder a pott. And yt is but a vayne thinge.

All these thinges haue I proued because of wy?dome: for I thought to be wyse, but she wente farther fro me

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.

Amonge a thousande men I haue founde one, but not one woman amonge all.