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

or he haue gyrt his horse

For downe he comys with an euyll thee

But as great a fole forsoth is he

And to be lawghed to derysyon.

That ought begynneth without prouysyon]

 

Of other folys yet is a moche nomber

Whom I wolde gladly brynge to intellygence

To auoyde their blyndnes which sore doth incomber

Theyr mynde and herte for lackynge of science

Suche ar vnware and gyuen to neglygence

Mad and mysmyndyd pryuate of wysdome

Makynge no prouysyon for the tyme to come.

 

If any mysfortune aduersyte or wo

As often hapnyth, to suche a fole doth fall

Than sayth he I thought it wolde nat haue be so

But than ouer late is it agayne to call

It is nat ynough thou fole to say I shall

For this one daye prouyde me by wysdome

A wyse man seyth peryll longe before it come

 

He is vnwyse and of prouysyon pore

That nought can se before he haue damage

Whan the stede is stolyn to shyt the stable dore

Comys small pleasoure profyte or vauntage

But he that can suche folysshenes asswage

Begynnynge by counsayll, and fore prouydence

Is sure to escape all inconuenyence

 

Whan Adam tastyd the appyll in Paradyse.

To hym prohybyte by dyuyne commaundement

If he had noted the ende of his interpryse

To Eue he wolde nat haue ben obedyent

Thus he endured right bytter punysshement

For his blynde erroure and improuydence

That all his lynage rue sore for his offence.

 

Hymselfe dryuyn out from Paradyce all bare

With Eue, into this vale of wretchydnes

To get theyr lyuynge with laboure payne and care

And also if Jonathas by errour and blyndnes

Had nat receyued the gyftis of falsnes

Unto hym gyuen of Tryphon by abusyon

He sholde haue escapyd great confusyon

 

If that he before had notyd craftely

His ennemyes gyftis of frawde full and of treason

He myght haue sauyd hymselfe from ieoperdy

And all his people by prouydence and reason

Where as he blynde was as at that season

And to a cyte broughte in by a trayne

Where he was murdred and all his people slayne

 

Julius Cesar the chefe of conquerours

Was euer warre and prudent of counsayle

But whan he had obteyned great honours

And drewe to rest as wery of Batayle

Than his vnwarnes causyd hym to wayle

For if he had red with good aduysement

The letter whiche to the counselhous was sent

 

He had nat gyuen his owne iugement

As he dyd by his foly and neglygence

For whiche he murdred was incontynent

Without respect had vnto his excellence

Alas se here what inconuenyence

Came to this Emperour hye and excellent

For nat beyng wyse dyscrete and prouydent

 

If Nichanor before had noted well

The ende of his dedes he had nat be slayne

By Judas and the children of Israell

His hande and tunge cut of to his great payne

And than his hede, as the bybyll sheweth playne

Thus may all knowe that wyll therto entende

Wherto they come that caryth nat the ende

 

But he that begynneth by counsayll and wysdome

Alway procedynge with good prouysyon

Notynge what is past and what is for to come

Suche folowys godly scripture and monycion

In happy wayes without transgressyon

Of goddes lawes, and his commaundement

And often tymes comys to his intent.

 

Thus it appereth playne and euydent

That wyse prouysyon, prose and good counsayle

Are moche laudable, and also excellent

And to mankynde great profyte and auayle.

Where as those folys haue often cause to wayle

For theyr mysfortune, in sorowe vexed sore

Whiche ought begyn nat prouydyd before

 

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY.

 

O man remember thou canste nat abyde

Styll in this lyfe therfore moste specially

For thy last ende thou oughtest to prouyde.

For that prouysion forsoth is most godly

And than next after thy mynde thou ought aply

To fle offence, and bewayle thyne olde synne

And in all workes and besynes worldly

What may be the ende marke well or thou begynne

 

*

 

Of disordred loue and veneryous.

 

[Illustration: Here drawe we folys mad togyther bounde

Whom Uenus caught hath in hyr net a snare

Whose blynde hertes this forour doth confounde

Theyr lyfe consumynge in sorowe shame and care

Many one she blyndeth alas fewe can beware

Of hyr dartes hedyd with shame and vylany

But he that is wondyd can skant ynde remedy]

 

O cruel Uenus forsoth who doth insue

Thy flaterynge gylys and proude commaundement

And hastyth nat the dartis to eschewe

Of blynde Cupido but folowys his intent

Suche folys endure moche sorowe and turment

Wastynge theyr goodes dishonestynge their name

As past fere of god and sekynge after shame

 

Howe many yllys, what inconuenyence

Howe great vengeaunce, and howe bytter punysshement

Hath god oft takyn for this synne and offence

Howe many Cytees hye and excellent

Hath Uenus lost, destroyed, and alto brent

What lordes and howe many a great estate

Hath loue lost, murdred, or els brought in debate

 

The noble Troyans murdred ar and slayne

Theyr cyte brent, decayde is theyr kyngdome

Theyr kynge pryant by pyrrus dede and slayne

And all this by Parys vnhappy loue is come

Whiche voyde of grace and blynde without wysdome

To fyll his lust, from Grece rubbyd Helayne,

But this one pleasour was grounde of moche payne

 

Also Marcus a Prynce of the Romayns

Called Antonius by another name

After that he had ouercome the persyans

To Rome retournyd with tryumphe lawde and fame

And there (whiche after was to his great shame)

With cleopatra in loue was take so in blyndnes

That he promysyd to make hir empresse

 

So this blynde louer to fyll his interpryse

Caused his men two hondred shyppes ordayne

And toke the see wenynge in suche fourme and wyse

His lewde desyre: to perfourme and obteyne

But shortly after was he ouercome and slayne

Of Cesar: and whan he this purpose vnderstode

He bathed his Corse within his lemmans blode

 

For two serpentis that venemus were and fell

Were set to the brestis of fayre Cleopatray

So this cruell purpose had punysshement cruell

For theyr intendynge theyr countrey to betray

And worthy they were, what man can it denay

Thus it apereth playne by euydence

That of false loue cometh great inconuenyence

 

For he that loueth is voyde of all reason

Wandrynge in the worlde without lawe or mesure

In thought and fere sore vexed eche season

And greuous dolours in loue he must endure

No creature hym selfe may well assure

From loues soft dartis: I say none on the grounde

But mad and folysshe bydes he whiche hath the wounde

 

Aye rennynge as franatyke no reason in his mynde

He hath no constaunce nor ease within his herte

His iyen ar blynde, his wyll alwaye inclyned

To louys preceptes yet can nat he departe

The Net is stronge, the fole caught can nat starte

The darte is sharpe, who euer is in the chayne

Can nat his sorowe in vysage hyde nor fayne

 

Rede howe Phedra hir loue fixed so feruent

On ypolitus in prohybyte auowtry.

That whan he wolde nat vnto hir consent

To hir husbonde she accused hym falsly

As if he wolde hir tane by force to vylany

Ipolitus was murdred for this accusement

But Phedra for wo hanged hyrself incontynent

 

The lewde loue of Phasyphe abhomynable

As poetis sayth) brought hir to hir confusyon

Nero the cruell Tyrant detestable.

His naturall mother knewe by abusyon

Uenus and Cupido with their collusyon.

Enflamyd Messalina in suche wyse

That euery nyght hir selfe she wolde disgyse

 

And secretly go to the brothelhous

For to fulfyll hir hote concupyssence

What shall I wryte the dedes vicious

Of Julia or, hir cruell offence.

What shall I wryte the inconuenyence

Whiche came by Danythys cursed auowtry

Syth that the bybyll it shewyth openly

 

What shall I wryte the greuous forfayture

Of Sodom and Gomor syns the Bybyll doth tell

Of their synnes agaynst god and nature

For whiche they sanke alyue downe into hell.

Thus it aperith what punysshement cruell.

Our lorde hath taken both in the olde lawe and newe

For this synne: whiche sholde vs moue it to eschewe

 

ALEXANDER BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

 

Ye folys inflamyd with loue inordynate.

Note these examples, drawe from this vyce your mynde

Remember that there is none so great estate

But that false loue hym causeth to be blynde

Our folysshe wymen may nat be left behynde

For many of them so folowys in this way

That they sell theyr soules and bodyes to go gay

 

The graceles galantes, and the aprentyce pore

Though they nought haue, themselfe they set nought by

Without they be acquaynted with some hore

Of westmynster or some other place of rybawdry

Than fall they to murder theft and robery.

For were nat proude clothynge, and also flesshely lust

All the feters and gyues of Englonde shulde rust.

 

Therfore folys awake, and be no longer blynde

Consyder that shame, seknes, and pouertye

Of loue procedeth: and drawe from it your mynde

Suffre not your soules damned and lost to be

By vayne lust and carnall sensualyte

For thoughe the small pleasure do make the fayne

The ende oft is worldly wo and myserye

Or amonge the fendes eternall payne

 

*

 

Of them y^t synne trustynge vpon the

mercy of god.

 

[Illustration: Who that styll synneth without contricion

Trustynge goddes mercy and benygnyte

Bycause he sparyth our transgressyon

And he that thynketh iustice and equyte

Is nat in god as well as is petye

Suche is forsoth without discressyon

Syns he thus synneth upon presumpcion]

 

The wynde is up our Nauy is aflote

A bande of Folys a borde is come yet more

Theyr cursed maners and mad I shall nowe note

Whose herte for synne is neyther contryte ne sore

Nat mornynge (as they ought to do) therfore

Without fere styll lyuynge in theyr vyciousnes

No thynge inclyned to godly holynes

 

They thynke no thynge on goddes rightwysnes

But grounde them all, on his mercy and pyte

For that he redyer is vnto forgeuenesse

Unto all people, than them punysshed to se

Trouth it is that the great enormyte

Of the worlde hathe nat aye worthy punysshement

Nor he nat damnyd that doth his synne repent

 

Put case he gyuyth nat aye lyke iugement

On mannys mysdede, nor yet mundayne offence

And though he be gode meke and pacyent

Nor shortly punyssheth our inconuenyence

Put case also he gyue nat aduertence

To all mundayne fawtes synne and fragylyte

Yet none sholde synne in hope of his mercy

 

But these folys assembled in a companye

Sayth eche to other that oft it is laufull

To perseuerant synners lyuynge in iniquyte

Yo trust in god syns he is mercyfull

What nedeth vs our wyttis for to dull

Labourynge our synne and foly to refrayne

Syns synne is a thynge naturall and humayne

 

Than sayth another forsoth thou sayst playne

And also our fore Faders and progenitours

Before our dayes offendyd haue certayne.

As well as we, in many blynde errours

But syns they haue escapyd all paynes and dolours

Of hell; and nowe in heuyn ar certayne

What nede haue we to fere infernall payne.

 

Than comys in an other with his dotysshe brayne

By god sayth he I knowe it without fable

That heuyn was made neyther for gose nor crane

Nor yet for other bestes vnresonable

Than of the Scripture doth he Chat and bable

Alleggynge our forefaders whiche haue mysdone

Saynge that no synne is newe in our season

 

A myserable men destytute of reason.

That thus on