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

obscure errour

Of suche hye byrthe them self to magnyfy.

Sythe they defyle it with vice and Uilany.

 

Why art thou proude thou foul of that nobles

Whyche is nat gotten by thyne owne vertue.

By thy goode maners, wyt nor worthynes:

But this forsothe oft tymes fynde I true

That of a goode beste, yl whelpes may weshewe.

In lyke wyse of a Moder that is bothe chast and goode.

Often is brought forth a ful vngracious Brode.

 

But though the childe be of lewde condicion

And of his nature frowarde and varyable

If the fader be slacke in the correccion

Of his childe, he onely is culpable

Whiche wyll nat teche hym maners commendable

Thus is the fader a fole for his suffraunce

And the sone also for his mysgouernaunce

 

THE ENUOY.

 

Auoyd faders your fauour and suffraunce

Anenst your children in theyr faute and offence

Reduce ye clerely vnto your remembraunce

That many a thousande inconuenyence

Haue children done by theyr faders negligence

But to say trouth brefely in one clause

The fader’s fauour onely is the cause

 

*

 

Of tale berers, fals reporters, and prometers of stryfes.

 

[Illustration: Of folys yet fynde I another maner sorte

Whiche ar cause of brawlynge stryfe and deuysion

Suche ar dowble tongyd that lesyngys reporte

Therby trustynge to come to great promosion

But suche lewde caytyfes at the conclusion

Bytwene two mylstons theyr legges puttes to grynde

And for rewarde, theyr confusion shall they fynde.]

 

Some ar that thynke the pleasoure and ioy of theyr lyfe

To brynge men in brawlynge to discorde and debate

Enioynge to moue them to chydynge and to stryfe

And where loue before was to cause mortall hate

With the comonty, and many great estate

Suche is moche wors than outher murderer or thefe

For ofte of his talys procedeth grete myschefe

 

Within his mouth is venym Jeperdous and vyle

His tonge styll laboryth lesynges to contryue

His mynde styll museth of falshode and on gyle

Therwith to trobyll suche as gladly wolde nat stryue

Somtyme his wordes as dartis he doth dryue

Agaynst good men: for onely his delyte.

Is set to sclaunder to diffame and bacbyte.

 

And namely them that fautles ar and innocent.

Of conscience clene, and maners commendable

These dryuyls sclaunder, beynge full dilygent.

To deuyde, louers that ar moste agreable

His tonge Infect his mynde abhomynable

Infectyth loue and ouertourneth charyte

Of them that longe tyme haue lyuyd in amyte

 

But he that accused is thus without all faute

And so sclaundred of this caytyf vnthryfty

Knowyth nought of this ieoperdous assaute

For he nought dowteth that is no thynge fauty

Thus whyle he nought feryth comyth sodaynly

This venemous doloure distaynynge his gode name

And so gyltles put to rebuke, and to shame.

 

Thus if one serche and seke the worlde ouerall

Than a backbyter nought is more peryllous

His mynde myscheuous, his wordys ar mortall

His damnable byt is foule and venemous

A thousande lyes of gyles odyous

He castyth out where he wolde haue debate

Engendrynge murder whan he his tyme can wayt

 

Where as any frendes lyueth in accorde

Faythfull and true: this cowarde and caytyf

With his fals talys them bryngeth to dyscorde

And with his venym kepeth them in stryfe

But howe beit that he thus pas forth his lyfe

Sawynge his sede of debate and myschefe

His darte oft retourneth to his own reprefe

 

But nat withstandynge, suche boldely wyl excuse

His fals dyffamynge: as fautles and innocent.

If any hym for his dedes worthely accuse

He couereth his venym: as symple of intent.

Other ar whiche flater: and to euery thynge assent.

Before face folowynge the way of adulacion,

Whiche afterwarde sore hurteth by detraccion.

 

The worlde is nowe alle set on dyffamacion.

Suche ar moste cherisshed that best can forge a tale.

Whych shulde be moste had in abhomynacion.

And so they ar of wyse men without fayle.

But suche as ar voyde of wysdom and counsayle

Inclyneth theyr erys to sclander and detraccion,

Moche rather than they wolde to a noble sermon.

 

But euery Sclanderer, and begynner of stryfe.

Lousers of loue, and infecters of Charite.

Unworthy ar to lyue here at large in this lyfe.

But in derke Dongeon they worthy ar to be.

And there to remayne in pryson tyl they dye.

For with there yl tunges they labour to destroy

Concorde: whiche cause is of loue and of ioy.

 

An olde quean that hath ben nought al hyr dayes.

Whiche oft hath for money hyr body let to hyre

Thynketh that al other doth folowe hyr olde wayes.

So she and hyr boul felawes syttinge by the fyre.

The Boule about walkynge with theyr tunges they conspyre

Agaynst goode peple, to sclander them wyth shame.

Than shal the noughty doughter lerne of the bawdy dame.

 

By his warkes knowen is euery creature

For if one good, louynge, meke and charitable be.

He labours no debates amonge men to procure.

But coueyteth to norysshe true loue and charite.

Where as the other ful of falshode and iniquyte

Theyr synguler plesour put to ingender variaunce.

But oft theyr folysshe stody retournes to theyr myschaunce

 

Therfore ye bacbyters that folke thus dyffame

Leue of your lewdnes and note wel this sentence.

Which Cryist hymself sayd: to great rebuke and shame

Unto them that sclandreth a man of Innocence.

Wo be to them whych by malyuolence

Slandreth or dyffameth any creature.

But wel is hym that wyth pacience can indure.

 

*

 

Of hym that wyll nat folowe nor ensue good counsell, and necessary.

 

[Illustration: Of folys yet another sorte doth come

Vnto our shyp rowynge with great trauayle

Whiche nought perceyue of doctryne nor wysdome

And yet dysdayne they to aske wyse counseyll

Nor it to folowe for theyr owne auayle

Let suche folys therat haue no dysdayne

If they alone endure theyr losse and payne]

 

He is a fole that dothe coueyt and desyre

To haue the name of wysdome and prudence

And yet of one sought thorugh a cyte or a shyre

None coude be founde of lesse wysdome nor science

But whyle he thynketh hym full of sapience

Crafty and wyse, doutles he is more blynde

Than is that fole whiche is out of his mynde

 

But though he be wyse, and of myght meruaylous

Endued with retoryke and with eloquence

And of hym selfe both ware and cautelous

If he be tachyd with this inconuenyence

To dysdayne others counseyll and sentence

He is vnwyse, for oft a folys counsayle

Tourneth a wyse man to consort and auayle

 

But specially the read and auysement

Of wyse men, discrete, and full of grauyte

Helpeth thyne owne, be thou never so prudent

To thy purpose gyuynge strength and audacyte.

One man alone knowys nat all polycye

Thoughe thou haue wysdome cunnynge and scyence

Yet hath another moche more experience

 

Some cast out wordes in paynted eloquence

Thynkynge therby to be reputed wyse

Thoughe they haue neyther wysdome nor science

Suche maner folys them self do exercyse

A plughe and teame craftely to deuyse

To ere the path that folys erst hath made

The trouth vnder glose of suche is hyd and layde

 

For why, they trust alway to theyr owne mynde

And furour begon whether it be good or yll

As if any other, no wyser read coude fynde

Thus they ensue theyr pryuate folysshe wyll

Oft in suche maters wherin they haue no skyll

As did Pyrrus whiche began cruell Batayle

Agaynst Orestes refusynge wyse counsayle

 

But folowyd his owne rasshe mynde without auayle

As blynde and obstynat of his intencion

Wherfore he was disconfyted in Batayle

Hymselfe slayne, his men put to confusyon

If that the Troyans in theyr abusyon

With false Parys, had confourmed theyr intent

To Helenns counsayle Troy had nat ben brent.

 

For that Priamus his mynde wolde nat aply

To the counseyll of Cassandra Prophetes

The grekys distroyed a great parte of Asy

Hector also by his selfwyllydnes

Was slayne with Peyn for all his doughtynes

Of Achylles in open and playne Batayle

For nat folowynge of his faders counsayle

 

If Hector that day had byddyn within Troy

And vnto his fader bene obedient

Perchaunce he sholde haue lyuyd in welth and ioy

Longe tyme after and come to his intent

Whereas his body was with a spere through rent

Of the sayd Achyllys cruell and vnkynde

Alas for suynge his owne selfwyllyd mynde

 

I rede of Nero moche cursed and cruell

Whiche to wyse counsayle hymself wolde nat agre

But in all myschef all other dyd excell

Delytynge hym in synne and crueltye

But howe dyde he ende forsoth in myserye

And at the last as wery of his lyfe

Hymselfe he murdred with his owne hand and knyfe

 

The Bybyll wytnessyth howe the prophete Thoby

Gaue his dere sone in chefe commaundement

That if he wolde lyue sure without ieoperdy

He sholde sue the counsayle of men wyse and prudent

The story of Roboam is also euydent

Whiche for nat suynge of counseyll and wysdome

Lost his Empyre, his scepter and kyngdome

 

If that it were nat for cawse of breuyte

I coude shewe many of our predecessours

Whiche nat folowynge counceyll of men of grauyte

Soone haue decayed from theyr olde honours

I rede of Dukes, Kynges, and Emperours

Whiche dispysynge the counsayle of men of age

Haue after had great sorowe and damage.

 

For he suerly whiche is so obstynate

That onely he trusteth to his owne blyndnes

Thynkynge all wysdome within his dotynge pate

He often endyth in sorowe and dystres

Wherfore let suche theyr cours swyftly addres

To drawe our Plough, and depe to ere the ground

That by theyr laboure all folys may be founde.

 

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY THE TRANSLATOUR.

 

O man vnauysed, thy blyndnes set asyde

Knowledge thy owne foly thy statelynes expel

Let nat for thy eleuate mynde nor folysshe pryde,

To order thy dedes by goode and wyse counsel

Howbeit thou thynke thy reason doth excel

Al other mennys wyt. yet oft it doth befall.

Anothers is moche surer: and thyn the worst of all.

 

*

 

Of disordred and vngoodly maners.

 

[Illustration: Drawe nere ye folys of lewde condicion

Of yll behauoure gest and countenaunce

Your proude lokys, disdayne and derysyon

Expresseth your inwarde folysshe ignoraunce

Nowe wyll I touche your mad mysgoueraunce

Whiche hast to foly, And folysshe company

Treylynge your Baybll in sygne of your foly]

 

In this our tyme small is the company

That haue good maners worthy of reuerence

But many thousandes folowe vylany

Prone to all synne and inconuenyence

Stryuynge who sonest may come to all offence

Of lewde condicions and vnlefulnesse

Blyndnes of yll, and defylyd folysshenesse

 

All myserable men alas haue set theyr mynde

On lothsome maners clene destytute of grace

Theyr iyen dymmyd, theyr hertes are so blynde

That heuenly ioy none forceth to purchace

Both yonge and olde procedeth in one trace

With ryche and pore without all dyfference

As bonde men subdued to foly and offence

 

Some ar busshed theyr bonetes, set on syde.

Some waue theyr armys and hede to and fro

Some in no place can stedfastly abyde

More wylde and wanton than outher buk or do

Some ar so proude that on fote they can nat go

But get they must with countenaunce vnstable

Shewynge them folys, frayle and varyable

 

Some chyde that all men do them hate

Some gygyll and lawgh without grauyte

Some thynkes, hymselfe a gentylman or state

Though he a knaue caytyf and bonde churle be

These folys ar so blynde them self they