certein, that fortunous welefulnesse endeth by the deeth of the

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body; it may nat ben douted that, yif that deeth may take awey

blisfulnesse, that alle the kinde of mortal thinges ne descendeth

in-to wrecchednesse by the ende of the deeth. And sin we knowen

wel, that many a man hath sought the fruit of blisfulnesse nat

only with suffringe of deeth, but eek with suffringe of peynes and

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tormentes; how mighte than this present lyf maken men blisful,

sin that, whan thilke selve lyf is ended, it ne [maketh] folk no