“WhatprofithathamanofallhislabourwhichhetakethundertheSun？Ilookedonalltheworksthatmyhandshadwrought，andbehold，allwasvanityandvexationofspirit。Forthatwhichbefalleththesonsofmenbefallethbeasts；astheonedieth，sodieththeother，allareofthedust，andallturntodustagain……Thedeadknownotanything，neitherhavetheyanymoreareward；forthememoryofthemisforgotten。Alsotheirloveandtheirhatredandtheirenvyisnowperished；
neitherhavetheyanymoreaportionforeverinanythingthatisdoneundertheSun……Trulythelightissweet，andapleasantthingitisfortheeyestobeholdtheSun：butifamanlivemanyyearsandrejoiceinthemall，yetlethimrememberthedaysofdarkness；fortheyshallbemany。”
Inshort，lifeanditsnegationarebeatenupinextricablytogether。Butifthelifebegood，thenegationofitmustbebad。Yetthetwoareequallyessentialfactsofexistence；andallnaturalhappinessthusseemsinfectedwithacontradiction。
Thebreathofthesepulchresurroundsit。
Toamindattentivetothisstateofthingsandrightlysubjecttothejoy-destroyingchillwhichsuchacontemplationengenders，theonlyreliefthathealthy-mindednesscangiveisbysaying：