The Ship of Fools, Volume 1-2 by Sebastian Brant (love story books to read .txt) 📖
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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
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