The Ship of Fools, Volume 1-2 by Sebastian Brant (novels in english TXT) 📕

wyll nat say contrary

So it be ordred after holy lore

Whyle thy selfe leuest departe some to the pore

With thy owne hande trust nat thy executours

Gyue for god, and god shall sende at all houres

 

Rede Tullius warkes the worthy Oratour.

And writen shalt thou fynde in right fruteful sentence

That neuer wyseman loued ouer great honour.

Nor to haue great riches put ouer great diligence

But onely theyr mynde was set on Sapience

And quyetly to lyue in Just symplycite.

For in greatest honour is greatest ieoperdye.

 

He that is symple, and on the grounde doth lye

And that can be content with ynoughe or suffisaunce

Is surer by moche than he that lyeth on hye.

Nowe vp nowe downe vnsure as a Balaunce.

But sothly he that set wyll his plesance

Onely on wysdom and styl therfore labour.

Shal haue more goode than all erthly tresour.

 

Wysdom techeth to eschewe al offence.

Gydynge mankynde the ryght way to vertue.

But of couetyse Comys all Inconuenyence.

It cawseth man of worde to be vntrue.

Forswerynge and falshode doth it also ensue.

Brybery and Extorcion, murder and myschefe.

Shame is his ende: his lyuyinge is reprefe.

 

By couetyse Crassus brought was to his ende.

By it the worthy Romayns lost theyr name.

Of this one yl a thousand ylles doth descende.

Besyde enuy, Pryde, wretchydnes and Shame.

Crates the Philosopher dyd Couetyse so blame:

That to haue his mynde vnto his stody fre.

He threwe his Tresour all hole into the see.

 

But shortly to conclude. Both bodely bondage.

And gostly also: procedeth of this couetyse.

The soule is damned the body hath damage

As hunger, thyrst, and colde with other preiudice.

Bereft of the ioyes of heuenly Paradyse.

For golde was theyr god and that is left behynde

Theyr bodyes beryed the soule clene out of mynde

 

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY TRANSLATOUR.

 

Therefore thou couetouse thou wretch I speke to the.

Amende thy selfe ryse out of this blyndenes.

Content the wyth ynoughe for thy degre.

Dam nat thy soule by gatheringe frayle riches

Remembre this is a Uale of wretchednes.

Thou shalt no rest nor dwellynge place here fynde.

Depart thou shalt and leue it al behynde.

 

*

 

Of newe fassions and disgised Garmentes.

 

[Illustration: Who that newe garmentes loues or deuyses.

Or weryth by his symple wyt, and vanyte

Gyuyth by his foly and vnthryfty gyses

Moche yl example to yonge Comontye.

Suche one is a Fole and skant shal euer thee

And comonly it is sene that nowe a dayes

One Fole gladly folowes anothers wayes.]

 

Drawe nere ye Courters and Galants disgised

Ye counterfayt Caytifs, that ar nat content

As god hath you made: his warke is despysed

Ye thynke you more crafty than God onipotent.

Unstable is your mynde: that shewes by your garment.

A fole is knowen by his toyes and his Cote.

But by theyr clothinge nowe may we many note.

 

Aparayle is apayred. Al sadness is decayde

The garmentes ar gone that longed to honestye.

And in newe sortes newe Foles ar arayede

Despisynge the costom of good antiquyte.

Mannys fourme is disfigured with euery degre

As Knyght Squyer yeman Jentilman and knaue,

For al in theyr goynge vngoodely them behaue

 

The tyme hath ben, nat longe before our dayes

Whan men with honest ray coude holde them self content.

Without these disgised: and counterfayted wayes.

Wherby theyr goodes ar wasted, loste, and spent.

Socrates with many mo in wysdom excellent.

Bycause they wolde nought change that cam of nature

Let growe theyre here without cuttinge or scissure.

 

At that tyme was it reputed to lawde and great honour.

To haue longe here: the Beerde downe to the brest

For so they vsed that were of moste valour.

Stryuynge together who myht be godlyest

Saddest, moste clenely, discretest, and moste honest.

But nowe adayes together we contende and stryue.

Who may be gayest: and newest wayes contryue.

 

Fewe kepeth mesure, but excesse and great outrage

In theyr aparayle. And so therin they procede

That theyr goode is spent: theyr Londe layde to morgage.

Or solde out right: of Thryft they take no hede.

Hauinge no Peny them to socour at theyr nede.

So whan theyr goode by suche wastefulnes is loste.

They sel agayne theyr Clothes for half that they coste.

 

A fox furred Jentelman: of the fyrst yere or hede.

If he be made a Bailyf a Clerke or a Constable.

And can kepe a Parke or Court and rede a Dede

Than is Ueluet to his state mete and agreable.

Howbeit he were more mete to here a Babyl.

For his Foles Hode his iyen so sore doth blynde

That Pryde expelleth his lynage from his mynde.

 

Yet fynde I another sort almoste as bad as thay.

As yonge Jentylmen descended of worthy Auncetry.

Whiche go ful wantonly in dissolute aray.

Counterfayt, disgised, and moche vnmanerly

Blasinge and garded: to lowe or else to hye.

And wyde without mesure: theyr stuffe to wast thus gothe

But other some they suffer to dye for lacke of clothe.

 

Some theyr neckes charged with colers, and chaynes

As golden withtthes: theyr fyngers ful of rynges:

Theyr neckes naked: almoste vnto the raynes

Theyr sleues blasinge lyke to a Cranys wynges

Thus by this deuysinge suche counterfayted thinges

They dysfourme that figure that god hymselfe hath made

On pryde and abusion thus ar theyr myndes layde.

 

Than the Courters careles that on theyr mayster wayte

Seinge hym his Uesture in suche fourme abuse

Assayeth suche Fassion for them to counterfayte.

And so to sue Pryde contynually they muse.

Than stele they; or Rubbe they. Forsoth they can nat chuse.

For without Londe or Labour harde is it to mentayne.

But to thynke on the Galows that is a careful payne.

 

But be it payne or nat: there many suche ende.

At Newgate theyr garmentis ar offred to be solde.

Theyr bodyes to the Jebet solemly ascende.

Wauynge with the wether whyle theyr necke wyl holde.

But if I shulde wryte al the ylles manyfolde.

That procedeth of this counterfayt abusion

And mysshapen Fassions: I neuer shulde haue done.

 

For both States, comons, man, woman, and chylde

Ar vtterly inclyed to this inconuenyence.

But namely therwith these Courters are defyled.

Bytwen mayster and man I fynde no dyfference.

Therfore ye Courters knowledge your offence.

Do nat your errour mentayne, support nor excuse.

For Fowles ye ar your Rayment thus to abuse.

 

To Shyp Galauntes come nere I say agayne.

Wyth your set Busshes Curlynge as men of Inde.

Ye counterfayted Courters come with your fleinge brayne

Expressed by these variable Garmentes that ye fynde.

To tempt chast Damsels and turne them to your mynde

Your breste ye discouer and necke. Thus your abusion

Is the Fendes bate. And your soules confusion.

 

Come nere disgysed foles: receyue your Foles Hode.

And ye that in sondry colours ar arayde.

Ye garded galantes wastinge thus your goode

Come nere with your Shertes brodered and displayed.

In fourme of Surplys. Forsoth it may be sayde.

That of your Sort right fewe shal thryue this yere.

Or that your faders werith suche Habyte in the Quere.

 

And ye Jentyl wymen whome this lewde vice doth blynde

Lased on the backe: your peakes set a loft.

Come to my Shyp. forget ye nat behynde.

Your Sadel on the tayle: yf ye lyst to sit soft.

Do on your Decke Slut: if ye purpos to come oft.

I mean your Copyntanke: And if it wyl do no goode.

To kepe you from the rayne. ye shall haue a foles hode.

 

By the ale stake knowe we the ale hous

And euery Jnne is knowen by the sygne

So a lewde woman and a lechcrous

Is knowen by hir clothes, be they cours or fyne

Folowynge newe fassyons, not graunted by doctryne

The bocher sheweth his flesshe it to sell

So doth these women dampnyng theyr soule to hell

 

What shall I more wryte of our enormyte

Both man and woman as I before haue sayde

Ar rayde and clothyd nat after theyr degre

As nat content with the shape that god hath made

The clenlynes of Clergye is nere also decayed.

Our olde apparale (alas) is nowe layde downe

And many prestes asshamed of theyr Crowne.

 

Unto laymen we vs refourme agayne

As of chryste our mayster in maner halfe asshamed

My hert doth wepe: my tunge doth sore complayne

Seing howe our State is worthy to be blamed.

But if all the Foly of our Hole Royalme were named

Of mys apparayle of Olde, young, lowe, and hye,

The tyme shulde fayle: and space to me denye.

 

Alas thus al states of Chrysten men declynes.

And of wymen also disfourmynge theyr fygure.

Wors than the Turkes, Jewes, or Sarazyns.

A Englonde Englonde amende or be thou sure

Thy noble name and fame can nat endure

Amende lyst god do greuously chastyce.

Bothe the begynners and folowes of this vyce.

 

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY YE TRANSLATOUR.

 

Reduce courters clerly vnto your rembrance

From whens this disgysyng was brought wherein ye go

As I remember it was brought out of France.

This is to your plesour. But payne ye had also.

As French Pockes hote ylles with other paynes mo.

Take ye in good worth the swetnes with the Sour.

For often plesour endeth with sorowe and dolour.

 

But ye proude Galaundes that thus yourselfe disgise

Be ye asshamed. beholde vnto your Prynce.

Consyder his sadnes: His honestye deuyse

His clothynge expresseth his inwarde prudence

Ye se no Example of suche Inconuenyence

In his hyghnes: but godly wyt and grauyte.

Ensue hym: and sorowe for your enormyte.

 

Away with this pryde, this statelynes let be

Rede of the Prophetis clothynge or vesture

And of Adam firste of your ancestrye

Of Johnn the Prophete, theyr clothynge was obscure

Uyle and homly, but nowe what creature

Wyll then eusue, sothly fewe by theyr wyll

Therfore suche folys my nauy shall fulfyll

 

*

 

Of old folys that is to say the longer they lyue the more they ar gyuen to

foly.

 

[Illustration: Howe beit I stoup, and fast declyne

Dayly to my graue, and sepulture

And though my lyfe fast do enclyne

To pay the trybute of nature

Yet styll remayne I and endure

In my olde synnes, and them nat hate

Nought yonge, wors olde, suche is my state.]

 

The madnes of my youthe rotyd in my age

And the blynde foly of my iniquite

Wyll me nat suffer to leue myne old vsage

Nor my fore lyuynge full of enormyte

Lame ar his lymmys, and also I can nat se

I am a childe and yet lyuyd haue I

An hundreth wynter, encresynge my foly.

 

But though I myght lerne my wyll is nat therto

But besy I am and fully set my thought

To gyue example to children to mysdo

By my lewde doctryne bryngynge them to nought

And whan they ar onys into my daunce brought

I teche them my foly wysdome set asyde

My selfe example, begynner, and theyr gyde.

 

My lewde lyfe, my foly and my selfwyllyd mynde

Whiche I haue styll kept hytherto in this lyfe

In my testament I leue wryten behynde

Bequethyng parte both to man childe and wyfe

I am the actour of myschefe and of stryfe

The foly of my youth and the inconuenyence

In age I practyse, techynge by experyence

 

I am a fole and glad am of that name

Desyrynge lawde for eche vngracious dede

And of my foly to spred abrode the same

To showe my vyce and synne, as voyde of drede

Of heuen