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[1]I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
[2]And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
[3]and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
[4]Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
[5]A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
[6]and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
[7]I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
[8]oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
[9]Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
[10]If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
[11]And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
[12]And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
[13]A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
[14]For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
[15]I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
[16]The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
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