Title page of An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed, London, 1573

A06504:131

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowedAn exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed

Name: An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed
Author: Martin Luther

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed.An exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed.

Martin Luther 1483–1546London: printed by John Daye, 1573London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1573

181 [i.e. 187] leaves · 71k words · STC 16979 · ESTC S105591

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Chapter 2 › Then did I turn me, to consider wisdom, error, and foolishness.…: Then did I turn me, to consider wisdom, error, and foolishness. For what is he amon…Chapter 2 › Then dyd I turne me, to consider wisedome, errour, and foolishnes.…: Then dyd I turne me, to consider wisedome, errour, and foolishnes. For what is hee amon…

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:128–143 of 797

:128p. 38

BY an other experience he proveth all things are but vain,¹ I mean mans counsels and enterprises. Even (saith he) as it hath happened to me: so see I it happeneth to others also. My devises, & wisdom were frustrate & in vain, and could not attain to that success that I wished. The same I perceived in others likewise. I looked upon other mens wisdom and folly, and compared them together. I saw how some men dealt very wisely, & went about matters very prudently. I saw also foolish men and hare-brains working without counsel, and yet their folly and temerity was sometime fortunate and had good success. Where the counsels of the wise came to no effect, and the wise men were most infortunate, in so much that this fool hardiness became a Proverb, Fortune ⟨image 40⟩favoureth fools.

BY an other experience he prooueth all thinges are but vaine,¹ I meane mans counsels and enterprises. Euen (sayth hee) as it hath happened to me: so see I it happeneth to others also. My deuises, & wisedome were frustrate & in vayne, and could not attayne to that successe yt I wished. The same I perceaued in others likewise. I looked vpon other mens wisedome and folly, and compared them togither. I saw how some mē dealt very wisely, & went about matters very prudently. I saw also foolish men and hare-braynes working without counsell, and yet their folly and temeritie was sometime fortunate and had good successe. Where the counsels of the wise came to no effect, and the wise men were most infortunate, in so much that this foole hardynes became a Prouerbe, Fortune ⟨image 40⟩fauoreth fooles.

1Wise mens devises frustrated.Wise mens deuises frustrated.

:129img 40

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

The book

Title as printed

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed.An exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed.

Author

Martin Luther 1483–1546

Place

London

Printer

John DayeIohn Daye

Year

1573

Size

181 [i.e. 187] leaves

Words

71,187

Catalogue

STC 16979 · ESTC S105591

Text

EEBO-TCP A06504

Passages

797

Sections

334

Title page

An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowedAn exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed

And I saw that wisdom excelleth foolishness as far as light doth darkness.

And I saw that wisedome excelleth foolishnesse as farre as light doth darkenes.

A wise man hath his eyes in his head, but the fool. &c.

A wyse man hath his eyes in hys head, but the foole. &c.

A wise man hath his eyes in his head.

For what man is able to imitate the king that made him before. &c.

For what man is able to imitate the kyng that made him before. &c.

And made us before (to say) that we were.

And made vs before (to say) that we were.

And I saw that the success of both these men were alike.

And I saw that the successe of both these men were alike.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36