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

to enquyre

Whether that same flame were very fyre or nay

So with his deth the trouth he dyd assay

But who that wolde hym drawen out of that hyll

Had ben a fole, syns it was his owne wyll

 

For why his mynde was blyndyd so certayne

That thoughe a man had hym delyuered than

The same peryll wolde he haue proued agayne

As mad as he forsoth is euery man

That is at eas, and hym nat so holde can

And also he that putteth hymselfe in drede

Or fere and peryll, where as he hath no nede

 

So he that prayeth to god that he may get

The blysse of heuen, and scape infernall payne

He is a fole his herte or mynde to set

On frayle ryches, welth and ioy mundayne

On stedfast fortune, on lucre or on gayne

For certaynly these thynges of worldly welth

Oft man deuydeth away from heuenly helth

 

Thus he that prayeth for welth or for ryches

Or in this worlde hym selfe to magnyfy

Prayeth for his hurt and cause of viciousnes

For worldly welth doth vyce oft multyply

So seke men theyr owne peryll wyllyngly

But who that prayeth, and can nat as he ought

He bloweth in the wynde, and shall nat haue his thought

 

And who that to honour couetyse to ascende

Or to lyue in damnable voluptuosyte

He seketh his peryll for if that he descende

From welth and worshyp to payne and pouerte

It is but worthy, and let hym pacyent be

It to endure with mynde demure and meke

He is worthy sorowe that wyll it alway seke

 

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

 

Ye that fayne wolde escape all ieopardy

Auoyde suche thynges the whiche myght cause the same

To proue a peryll, is foly certaynly

Whether it be done in ernest or in game

They that so doth may theyr owne madnes blame

For he that is sure, and to a fray wyll ren

May fortune come home agayne, nosles or lame

And so were it better for to haue byd within

 

*

 

Of the way of felycyte and godnes, and of

the payne to come vnto synners.

 

[Illustration: Many in this lyfe the cart of syn doth drawe

By payne and labour, alway right dylygent

Norysshynge theyr syn agaynst all right and lawe

And alway lyuynge after one lyke assent

But whan they ar dede than shall theyr punysshement

In hell be dowblyd with cartis of whelys foure

Where as they thought, deth shuld ende theyr laboure]

 

God suffreth nat eche vicious fole to knowe

The wonders that he made hath on this grounde

And dayly worketh. wherfore theyr syn doth growe

So that theyr foly them selfe doth confounde

And here theyr bodyes to great labours ar bounde

Sparynge no peryll for pleasour and for gayne

Than after deth haue they euerlastynge payne

 

So he that here lyueth in vyce and synne

Shall extreme dolour after deth endure

Than what auantage is it for man to wyne

All orthly tresour, and of hell payne be sure

But without dowt that wretchyd creature

Whiche goddes lawes wyll nat here holde and kepe

Shall after deth haue cause to wayle and wepe

 

And suche as here wyll nat knowe theyr sauyour

Obseruynge his preceptis and commaundement

Whiche god hathe ordeyned to saue vs from erroure

And vs commaundyd to kepe with clene intent

Ouer all the worlde. as rule moste excellent

To lyue godly. and who so euer he be

That foloweth in this worlde voluptuosyte

 

Or carnall lust ryot or other offence

Wastynge his tyme in syn and viciousnes

All suche in this worlde, by theyr blynde negligence

Drawe styll the cart of greuous besynes.

With payne and charge and, whan this wretchydnes

Is past and gone, yet after this they shall

In hell endure great tourmentis eternall

 

There shalt (thou fole) the charet drawe alway

With dowble paynes both tedyous and cruell

Wherfore thou fole retourne the I the pray.

Seke nat the way whiche ledeth vnto hell

With his foule dennes, more darke than tunge can tell

And thoughe the way be esy streyght and playne

The ende is nought, I aduyse the tourne agayne

 

The way to hell is greatly occupyed

The path is playne, and easy to ouergo

The dore ay open no entre is denyed

To suche as purpose in mynde to come therto

But at the ende therof is care and wo

With syghtis odyous and abhomynable

Yet in the way ar folkes innumerable

 

Thus is no meruayle though this way be playne

And greatly worne syns it is hantyd so

By dyuers folys whiche haste them to that payne.

By way contynuall therto: but none therfro

The dredefull dore to them that wyll in go

Both day and nyght is open, it doth forsake

No folys that wyll theyr iourney thyther take

 

But that way that to hye heuen doth lye

Is way of grace plesour, and all felycyte

In it suche walke as here lyue vertuously

And blessyd men, but nat suche as vyciouse be

Yet is it narowe, and full of difficulte

There is many a harde flynt brere and thorne

And no meruayle for it is nat greatly worne

 

For why lewde people, whiche is the gretest sort

Forsake this way for the payne and hardnes

But godly men therin haue chefe consort

With all that lyue by grace in ryghtwysnes

Suche well consyder that heuyns blessydnes

Can nat be gotten by pleasour rest nor eas

Wherfore this way can nat suche synners pleas

 

God so hath ordeyned that who wyll haue vertue

Must it obtayne with payne and dilygence

And great labour, whiche many nowe eschewe

Without it be to seke synne and offence

Fewe seke the way to christis hye presence

Therby it hapneth that many a thousande

Fast rennyth leftwarde, but fewe on the right hande

 

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

 

Alas man remembre heuens blyssednes

And though the way be harde that lyeth therto

Forsoke it nat for all that great sharpnes

For at the ende is lyfe and rest also

Euerlastynge glory with other ioyes mo

But who that taketh the other way certayne

Shall fynde at the ende eternall payne and wo

Thoughe the way thether be easy streyght and playne

 

*

 

Of the yll example of elders gyuyn vnto

youth.

 

[Illustration: If that the fader and mother before theyr son

By anger or malyce brake, platter pot, or pan

The son in hande shall take some cauderon

And lerne to breke it if his small power can

Thus oft tyme chyldren haue cause to curse or ban

Theyr frendes for suche example of lewdnes

For soner that they lerne than vertue or goodes]

 

Ye aged men rotyd in folysshnes

And folysshe parentis lewde of your langage

Vnto our shyp swyftly your selfe addres

Syns ye be worthy therin to haue a stage

Nowe cast I repreues agaynst your outrage

Whiche boldly bost you of your vnthryfty lyues

Before your maydes, your doughters and your wyues

 

Alas the folys of this mad company

By theyr example cause great inconuenyence

Before theyr children recountynge rybaudry

Of suche as they haue had experyence.

So gyue they to them example of offence

And in that synne wheron they bost and vant

They make them perfyte whiche erst were ignorant

 

Theyr wordes ar voyde of shame and honestye

Theyr lyfe is without mesure and reuerence

But yet they thynke that they moste worthy be

That moste can tell of this greuous offence

Thus all the youth that is in theyr presence

Or that doth here theyr vyce and rybawdry

Vnto the same with theyr full mynde aply

 

Thus theyr yonge children maners lernyth none

The wyfe hath occasyon to breke hir chastyte

So is the lyfe defyled of them echone

And to be playne, we often tymes se

That of what maners the folysshe husbondes be

Such ar theyr wyues, children and housholde

The yonge Cok lerneth to crowe hye of the olde

 

A folysshe Father, full hardly shall ensyne

His sone to good lyfe or to good gouernaunce

For if the father to foly doth enclyne

The sone wyll folowe his father in that daunce

And if the father vse hasarde or the chaunce

Or any prohybyt and vnlawfull game

Most comonly the sone wyll do the same

 

If that the husbonde be vycious of his lyfe

Wastfull or dronken, or vyle in his langage

His sonnes doughters, his seruauntes and his wyfe

Wyll lerne of hym to passe the same passage

And if the husbonde breke his maryage

If the wyfe knowe, in mynde she wyll be wroth

Without he haue a hode of the same cloth

 

An olde prouerbe hath longe agone be sayde

That oft the sone in maners lyke wyll be

Vnto the Father, and in lyke wyse the mayde

Or doughter, vnto the mother wyll agre

So if the elders vse enormyte

And before theyr children bost them of the same

The sone and doughter shall folowe syre and dame

 

The monkes thynke it lawfull for to play

Whan that the Abbot bryngeth them the dyce

Right so the Father, can nought or lytell say

Agaynst the sone, nor hym blame or chastyce

If he hym selfe be taken in that same vyce

Thus lyues the Father in synne withouten shame

And after his deth the sone shall do the same

 

O wretchyd maners o tyme full of furour

And full of foly without all hope to stent

Howe longe shall god our lorde and sauyour

This synne suffer without greuous punysshement

Alas it nowe apereth euydent

That the fathers foly synne and great outrage

Is left to the sonne as it were herytage

 

And no meruayle, for it hath neuer ben seen

That of a wolfe a shepe hath be forth brought

Or that a calfe or lambe gendred hath been

Of a fell tygre: right so if it were sought

Ouer all the worlde. a Father that is nought

Sholde scant be founde, whiche coude brynge vp his childe

With his synne in no maner poynt defylyd

 

The yonge crab bacwarde doth crepe or go

As doth the olde, none can hir cours redres

These yonge children for the moste part also

Foloweth theyr fathers synne and his lewdnes

But they that lyue in maners of mekenes

In honest lyfe, goodnes grace and chastyte

May brynge forth children of maners as they be

 

I rede howe the Phylosopher Diogenes

Sayde by a childe whiche dronken was with wyne

That his Father was in that case doutles

Whan he it gate, so his hye wyt dyuyne

Knewe that the childes maners dyd inclyne

Vnto his Fathers, and so was it founde trewe

By them whiche well that childes fader knewe

 

But though the Father and mother also be nought

Without dout this one thynge apereth playne

That the childe is suche as it is vp brought

And nat lyghtly chaungyd without great charge or payne

Therfore let euery man hym selfe refrayne

Within his hous from all thynge worthy blame

Than shall his children and seruautes do the same

 

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY.

 

Ye that haue children or other great housholde

Subdued to your seruyce, and your obedyence

Kepe vertuous lyfe, for that is worth great golde

And great example to youth to auoyde offence

But if ye boost you of synne and neglygence

In rybawde wordes, gyue credence to this clause

If the herers fall into incouenyence

Your lewde example is the chefe grounde and cause

 

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Of bodely