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

or hell. therfore I take no hede

But as some stryue disputynge of theyr cunnynge

Right so do I in lewdnes and myslyuynge.

 

Somtyme I bost me of falshode and dysceyt

Somtyme of the sede that sawyn is by me

Of all myschefe, as murder flatery debate

Couetyse bacbytynge theft and lechery

My mynde is nat to mende my iniquyte

But rather I sorowe that my lyfe is wore

That I can nat do as I haue done before

 

But syns my lyfe so sodaynly dothe apeyre

That byde I can nat styll in this degre

I shall infourme and teche my sone and heyre

To folowe his fader, and lerne this way of me

The way is large, god wot glad shall he be

Lernynge my lore with affeccion and desyre

And folowe the steppys of his vnthryfty syre

 

I trust so crafty and wyse to make the lad

That me his father he shall pas and excell

O that my herte shall than be wonder glad

If I here of may knowe, se, or here tell

If he be false faynynge sotyll or cruell

And so styll endure I haue a speciall hope

To make hym scrybe to a Cardynall or Pope.

 

Or els if he can be a fals extorcyoner

Fasynge and bostynge to scratche and to kepe

He shall be made a comon costomer

As yche hope of Lyn Calays or of Depe

Than may he after to some great offyce crepe

So that if he can onys plede a case

He may be made Juge of the comon place.

 

Thus shall he lyue as I haue all his dayes

And in his age increas his folysshenes

His fader came to worshyp by suche ways

So shall the sone, if he hym selfe addres

To sue my steppes in falshode and lewdnes

And at leste if he can come to no degre

This shyp of folys shall he gouerne with me

 

BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

 

Awake age alas what thynkest thou be

Awake I say out of thy blynde derkenes

Remembrest thou nat that shortly thou shalt dye

Aryse from synne amende thy folysshenes

Though thy youth reted were in vyciousnes

Aryse in age is full tyme to leue it

Thy graue is open thy one fote in the pyt

 

Leue thy bostynge of that thou hast done amys

Bewayle thy synnes, sayeng with rufull mone

Delicta iuuentutis mee deus ne memineris

Amende the or thy youth be fully gone

That sore is harde to hele that bredes in the bone

He that is nought yonge, procedynge so in age

Shall skant euer his vyciousnes asswage

 

What thinge is more abhomynable in goddes syght.

Than vicious age: certaynly no thynge.

It is eke worldly shame, whan thy corage and mycht

Is nere dekayed, to kepe thy lewde lyuynge.

And by example of the, thy yonge children to brynge.

Into a vicious lyfe: and all goodnes to hate.

Alas age thus thou art the Fendes bate.

 

*

 

Of the erudicion of neglygent faders anenst theyr chyldren.

 

[Illustration: That fole that suffreth his Chylde for to offende

Wythout rebukynge, blame, and correccion.

And hym nat exhorteth, hymselfe to amende.

Of suche fawtes as by hym ar done.

Shal it sore repent: god wote howe sone

For oft the faders foly, fauour, and neglygence

Causeth the Chylde for to fall to great offence]

 

A myserable Fole euermore shal he be.

A wretche vnauysed, and a Catyf blynde.

Whiche his chyldren fawtes forseth nat to see

Hauynge no care for to induce theyr mynde

To godly vertue: and vyce to leue behynde.

For whyle they ar yonge fereful and tender of age

Theyre vyce and foly is easy to asswage.

 

Two dyuers sortes of these foles may we fynde.

By whome theyr chyldren ar brought to confusion.

The one is neglygent. the other is starke blynde.

Nat wyllynge to beholde his childes yl condicion.

Whyle he is in youthe: But for a conclusion

He is a Fole that wyl nat se theyr vyce.

And he that seyth: and wyl it nat chastyce.

 

Alas thou art a cursed counselloure

To wanton youth that tender is of age

To let them wander without gouernoure

Or wyse mayster, in youthes furious rage

Get them a mayster theyr foly to asswage

For as a herdles flocke strayth in Jepardy

So children without gyde wandreth in foly.

 

To moche lyberty pleasoure and lycence

Gyuen vnto youth, whether it be or age

Right often causyth great inconuenyence

As ryot mysrule with other sore damage

Theyr londe and goodes solde or layde to gage

But thou folysshe father art redy to excuse

Thy yonge children of theyr synne and abuse

 

Thou sayst they ar ouer tender to eschewe

Theyr folysshe maners and they haue no skyll

To knowe the wayes of goodnes or vertue

Nor to discerne what is gode, what is yll

Thou blynde dodart these wordes holde thou styll

Theyr youth can nat excuse thy folysshenes

He that can yll as well myght lerne goodnes

 

A yonge hert is as apt to take wysdome

As is an olde, and if it rotyd be

It sawyth sede of holy lyfe to come

Also in children we often tymes se

Great aptness outwarde and syne of grauyte

But fyll an erthen pot first with yll lycoure

And euer after it shall smell somwhat soure

 

So youth brought vp in lewdnes and in sin

Shall skant it shrape so clene out of his mynde

But that styll after some spot wyll byde within

A lytell twygge plyant is by kynde

A bygger braunche is harde to bowe or wynde

But suffer the braunche to a byg tre to growe

And rather it shall brake than outher wynde or bowe

 

Correct thy childe whyle he is lyke a twygge

Soupyll and plyant, apt to correccion

It wyll be harde forsoth whan he is bygge

To brynge his stubron herte to subieccion

What hurtyth punysshement with moderacion

Unto yonge children, certaynely no thynge

It voydeth vyce, gettynge vertue and cunnynge

 

Say folysshe fader haddest thou leuer se

Thy sonnes necke vnwrested wyth a rope.

Than with a rod his skyn shulde brokyn be.

And oft thou trustest: and hast a stedfast hope

To se thy son promoted nere as hye as is the Pope

But yet perchaunce mourne thou shalt ful sore.

For his shameful ende: fortuned for lacke of lore.

 

Some folowe theyr chyldrens wyl and lewde plesour

So grauntinge them theyr mynde: that after it doth fal

To theyr great shame: they sorowe and dolour

As dyd to Priamus a Kynge Imperial

Whiche suffred his men: his son chefe of them al

By force from Grece to robbe the fayre Helayne.

Wherby both Fader and son were after slayne.

 

With noble Hector and many thousandes mo.

The Cyte of Troy vnto the ground clene brent.

I rede in the Cronycles of the Romayns also

Howe Tarquyne the proude had shame and punysshment

For rauysshynge chaste Lucres agaynst hyr assent.

Wherfore hyrselfe she slewe hyr seynge thus defiled.

For the which dede this Tarquyn was exiled,

 

From Rome: wandrynge in the Costes of Italy.

Dyd nat the traytour Catelyne also conspyre

And many mo sworne to his cruel tyranny

Agaynst the Romans to oppresse theyr Impyre,

But he and all his were murdred for theyr hyre,

And nat vnworthely. Beholde wherto they come

Which ar nat enfourmed in youth to ensue wysdom.

 

The son oft foloweth the faders behauour

And if the fader be discrete and vertuous.

The son shal suche wayes practyse both day and hour.

But if that the fader be lewde and vicious

By falshode lyuynge: and by wayes cautelous.

The son also the same wayes wyl ensue

And that moche rather than goodnes or vertue

 

Therfore it nedeth that better prouysion.

Were founde for youthe by sad and wyse counsayle

Far from theyr faders of this condicion.

And other lewde gydes which myght theyr myndes assayle

Greuously wyth syn. So were it theyr auayle

From theyr faders frawde and falshode to declyne

And them submyt to some lawdable mannys doctryne.

 

Peleus, somtyme a noble and worthy kynge

Subdued Achylles vnto the doctryne

Of phenix whiche was both worthy and cunnynge

Wherfore Achyllys right gladly dyd enclyne

With his hert and mynde vnto his disciplyne

Wherby his name so noble was at the last

That all Asy in worthynes he past

 

Ryght so Philippus a kynge worthy of name

Ouer all Grece made great iniquicion

To fynde one wyse, sad and laudable of fame

To Alexander his sonne for to gyue Instruccion

Founde was great Aristotyl at the conclusion

Disciple of Plato. whiche in euery Science.

Infourmed this chylde with parfyte diligence.

 

Whiche Alexander afterward had so great dignyte.

What by his strength, his cunnynge, and boldenes.

That he was lorde both of Londe and See.

And none durst rebel aganst his worthynes.

Lo here the lawde, the honour, and nobles.

Which dothe procede of vertue and doctryne

But few ar the faders that nowe hereto inclyne

 

Fewe ar that forceth nowe adayes to se

Theyr chyldren taught: or to do any cost

On som sad man, wyse, and of auctorite:

Al that is theron bestowed thynke they loste.

The folyssh Fader oft tymes maketh great boste.

That he his son to habundant riches shal auance

But no thynge he speketh of vertuous gouernance.

 

The feder made but smal shyft or prouysion.

To induce his Son by vertuous doctryne.

But whan he is dede and past: moche les shal the son

To stody of grace his mynde or hert inclyne.

But abuse his reason: and from al good declyne.

Alas folysshe faders gyue your aduertence

To Crates complaynt comprysed in this sentence.

 

If it were graunted to me to shewe my thought

Ye follysshe faders Caytifes I myght you cal

Whiche gather riches to brynge your chylde to nought.

Gyuynge him occasion forto be prodigal.

But goode nor cunnynge shewe ye hym none at all.

But whan ye drawe to age, ye than moste comonly.

Sorowe for your suffrance. But without remedy.

 

An olde sore to hele is oft halfe incurable

Ryght so ar these Chyldren roted in myschefe

Some after euer lyueth a lyfe abhomynable

To all theyr Kyn great sorowe and reprefe.

The one is a murderer the other a fereles thefe,

The one of god nor goode man hath no fors ne care.

Another so out wasteth that his frendes ar ful bare.

 

Some theyr londe and lyuelode in riot out wasteth,

At cardes, and, tenys, and other vnlawful gamys.

And some wyth the Dyce theyr thryft away casteth.

Some theyr soule damnes, and theyr body shames.

With flesshly lust: which many one dyffamys.

Spendynge the floures of youth moche vnthryftely.

On dyuers Braunches that longe to Lechery.

 

Another delyteth hymselfe in Glotony.

Etynge and drynkynge without maner, or mesure:

The more that some drynke: the more they wax drye.

He is moste Galant whyche lengest can endure.

Thus without mesure ouercharge they theyr nature.

So that theyr Soule is loste theyr body and goode is spent.

For lacke of doctryne, Norture and punysshment.

 

Se here playne prose, example and euydence

Howe youthe which is nat norysshed in doctryne.

In age is gyuen vnto al Inconuenyence.

But nought shall make youthe soner forto inclyne.

To noble maners: nor Godly dysciplyne:

Than shal the doctryne of a mayster wyse and sad:

For the rote of vertue and wysdome therby is had.

 

Without dout Noblenes is moche excellent

Whiche oft causeth youth to be had in great honour.

To haue the name, and lawde they ar content.

Thoughe it be nat gotten by theyr owne labour.

But what auayleth them this lewde