The Ship of Fools, Volume 1-2 by Sebastian Brant (love story books to read .txt) 📖
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- Author: Sebastian Brant
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Wherfore it is foly theyr babblynge to set by.]
Who that within this worlde wolde rest and lyue
In eas of mynde, peas and tranquyllyte
Must nat his mynde set, nor his erys gyue
To the vayne talys, of the rude comonte
And though some people of suche condicion be
Oft to dyffame good people true and Just
Let them nought care, for byde it nede they must
Let no man care for the lewde hyssynges
And yll soundynges of this vnhappy rage
It is great foly to set by the lesynges
Of cursyde tunges syns none can them asswage
For who in this worlde wyll come to auautage
Hym selfe exaltynge to worshyp and honoure
Shall fynde the swetnes mengled with the sowre
And he that wyll of his dygnyte be sure
Or sympyll lyuynge what so euer it be
Right greuous chargis somtymes must endure
And with his iyen often beholde and se
Suche thynges wherwith his mynde can not agre
And he that wyll with the worlde haue to do
Must suffer suche trouble as belongeth therto
Yet some haue pytched theyr tentis stedfastly
Upon sure grounde, auoyde of all this payne
Despysynge the worldes wantonnes and foly
For in the same is nought sure nor certayne
Nought se we tranquyll in these wawes mundayne
We se no loue, lawe, fydelyte, nor trust
But nowe up hye, and nowe lowe in the dust
To auoyde the worlde with his foly and stryfe
Many hath left londes townes and ryches
And yll company lyuynge solytary lyfe
Alone in desert and in wyldernes
Ye and that: men of moste wyt and worthynes
Whiche by that meane dyd best of all eschewe
All worldly sclaunder and lyuyd in vertue
He that intendeth to lyue a rightwyse lyfe
And so procedeth in maners and good dede
Of worldly sclaunder, complaynt, hatered, and stryfe
And all yll wyll, he ought nat to take hede
For he that is iuste ought no thynge for to drede
A sclaundrynge tonge, ye, be it neuer so wode
For suche lewde tonges can none hurte that ar gode.
Lyue well and wysely, than let men chat theyr fyll
Wordes ar but wynde, and though it oft so fall
That of lewde wordes comyth great hurte and yll
Yet byde the ende, that onely prouyth all
If thou canst suffer truste well that thou shall
Ouercome thyne ennemyes better by pacience
Than by hye wordes rygour or vyolence
If poetis that somtyme vyce blamyd and discommendyd
And holy Prophetis whiche also dyd the same
To suche vayne and mortall wordes had intendyd
They sholde nat haue durst the peoples vyce to blame
So sholde they haue lost their honour and good name
Theyr fame and meryt, but nowe they haue nat so
But spred theyr fame, whiche neuer away shall go
Forsoth none lyueth within the worlde wyde
Suche meke so holy, so wyse or pacyent
Whiche can hym selfe at euery tyme so gyde
To please eche fole, for none can some content
Forsoth he myght be named excellent
Happy and blessyd and lyue in welth and eas
Whiche euery man cowde serue content and pleas
But suche is none, and he that wyll assay
For to content eche folysshe mannes mynde
Must brake his slepe and stody nyght and day
And yet alway some fole shall be behynde
Ye if one lyue well, yet wyll they somwhat fynde
Behynde his backe hym to sclaunder and diffame
For beggers and bawdes therin haue all theyr game
For whether thou dwell in Est west north or south
Of suche dryuels euer shalt thou fynde plente
One must haue moche mele, to stoppe eche mannys mouth
Sclander is the cunnynge of all the comonte
And in the same suche ay moste besy be
Whiche lyue them selfe in shame and vylany
Euen nowe they speke repentynge by and by
Thus all the cunnynge and stody dilygent.
Of people vnthryfty is alway to despyse
And diffame other whiche ar but innocent
Wherfore let suche as ar discrete and wyse
Nought set by them that lesyngys doth deuyse
Nor theyr vayne foly: for he that doth certayne
Is but, a fole. and euer shall lyue in payne.
THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Trouble nat thy selfe (thou man) where is no nede
And arme thou thy selfe with goodly pacyence
Be sure it is great foly to take hede
Unto backbytynge syns that no resystence
May be founde to withstande his violence
And take thou this one thynge for thy comfort
That none wyse, or good, wyll commyt this offence
But all ar caytyffes, that ar of this lewde sort.
*
Of mockers, and scorners, and
false accusers.
[Illustration: Yet ar mo Folys whiche mocke and scorneth fast
Suche as them shewyth wysdome and doctryne
And at theyr hedes (vngoodly) stonys cast
In mynde disdaynynge to wysdome to enclyne
But gladly they ensue the discyplyne
Of folysshe mockers, let wyse men them eschewe
For no correccion can brynge them to vertue]
O Hertles folys, haste here to our doctryne
Leue of the wayes of your enormyte
Enforce you to my preceptis to enclyne
For here shall I shewe you good and veryte
Enclyne, and ye fynde shall great prosperyte
Ensuynge the doctryne of our faders olde
And godly lawes in valour worth great golde
Who that wyll folowe the graces manyfolde
Whiche ar in vertue, shall fynde auauncement
Wherfore ye folys that in your syn ar bolde
Ensue ye wysedome and leue your lewde intent
Wysdome is the way of men most excellent
Therfore haue done, and shortly spede your pace
To quaynt your selfe and company with grace.
Lerne what is vertue, therin is great solace
Lerne what is trouth sadnes and prudence
Let grutche be gone, and grauyte purchace
Forsake your foly and inconuenyence
Cesse to be folys, and ay to sue offence
Folowe ye vertue, chefe rote of godlynes
For it and wysdome is grounde of clenlynes
Wysedome and vertue two thynges ar doutles
Whiche man endueth with honour specyall
But suche hertis as slepe in folysshnes
Knoweth no thynge, and wyll nought knowe at all
But in this lytell barge in pryncypall
All folysshe mockers I purpos to repreue
Clawe he his backe that felyth ytche or greue
Mockers and scorners that ar harde of byleue
With a rugh combe here wyll I clawe and grate
To proue if they wyll from theyr vyce remeue
And leue theyr foly whiche causeth great debate
Suche caytyfs spare neyther pore man nor estate
And where theyr selfe ar moste worthy of dyrysion
Other men to scorne is all theyr moste condicion
Yet ar mo folys of this abusion
Whiche of wyse men despyseth the doctryne
With mowes, mockes, scorne, and collusyon
Rewardynge rebukes, for theyr good disciplyne
Shewe to suche wysdome, yet shall they nat enclyne
Unto the same, but set no thynge therby
But mocke thy doctryne, styll or openly
So in the worlde it apereth comonly
That who that wyll a Fole rebuke or blame
A mocke or mowe shall he haue by and by
Thus in derysyon, haue folys theyr speciall game
Correct a wyse man, that wolde eschewe yll name
And fayne wolde lerne, and his lewde lyfe amende
And to thy wordes he gladly shall intende
If by mysfortune a rightwyse man offende
He gladly suffreth a iuste correccion
And hym that hym techyth taketh for his frende
Hym selfe puttynge mekely vnto subieccion
Folowynge his preceptis and good dyreccion
But if that one a Fole rebuke or blame
He shall his techer, hate, sclaunder, and dyffame
Howbeit his wordes, oft turne to his owne shame
And his owne dartis retourne to hym agayne
And so is he sore woundyd with the same
And in wo endyth, great mysery and payne
It also prouyd full often is certayne
That they that on mockes alway theyr myndes cast
Shall of all other be mocked at the last
He that goeth right, stedfast sure and fast
May hym well mocke that goth haltynge and lame
And he that is whyte may well his scornes cast
Agaynst a man of ynde, but no man ought to blame
Anothers vyce whyle he vsyth the same
But who that of synne is clene in dede and thought
May hym well scorne whose lyuynge is starke nought
The scornes of Naball full dere sholde haue ben bought
If Abigayll his wyfe discrete and sage
Had nat by kyndnes right crafty meanes sought
The wrath of Dauyd to temper and asswage
Hath nat two berys in theyr fury and rage
Two and fourty Children rent and torne
For they the Prophete Helyseus dyd scorne
So myght they curse the tyme that they were borne
For theyr mockynge of this Prophete dyuyne
So many other of this sorte often mowrne
For theyr lewde mockes, and fall in to ruyne
Thus is it foly for wyse men to enclyne
To this lewde flocke of Folys for se thou shall
Them moste scornynge that ar most bad of all
THENUOY OF BARCLY TO THE FOLYS.
Ye mockynge Folys that in scorne set your ioy
Proudly dyspysynge goddes punycion
Take ye example by Cham the son of Noy
Whiche laughyd his Father vnto derysyon
Whiche hym, after, cursyd for his transgressyon
And made hym seruaunt to all his lyne and stocke
So shall ye Caytyfs at the conclusyon
Syns ye ar nought, and other scorne and mocke
*
Of them that dyspyse euerlastynge ioye,
and settyth thynges transytory before
thynges eternall and euerlastynge.
[Illustration: He is a foule that weyeth in one balaunce
The heuen and erth to knowe the heuyest
And by his foly and cursed ignoraunce
He thynketh that this wretchyd erth is best
And thoughe that here be neyther ioy nor rest
Yet had some leuer here styll to remayne
Than to depart to heuen voyde of al payne]
My hande is wery: fayne wolde I rest a space
But folys comyth to my shyp so besely
That to haue rest: they wyll graunt me no grace
That nede I must theyr lewdnes notefy
But to recorde this folysshe company
They ar suche that this worlde so greatly loue
That they despyse the heuenly Royalme aboue
They often thynke in theyr mynde preuely
And by them selfe in this wyse oft they say
O glorious lorde raynynge eternally
Graunt me thy grace that I may lyue alway
To se of this worlde the extreme ende and day
This is my wyll and synguler askynge
As for thy royalme, forsoth I set no thynge
But yet this fole doth nat desyre this tyme
Of so longe lyfe, and yeres alway newe
To clens his mynde from all synfull cryme
Nor for the loue of goodnes or vertue
But rather that he his pleasour may ensue
And with his maters and felawes suche as he
To folowe ryot, delytys and enormyte.
To lyue in wantonnes and blyndnes lascyuyte
In pryde in Lechery andin couetyse
Suche sytteth theyr myndes and theyr felycyte
Not ferynge hell whiche is rewarde of vyce.
Those dredefull dennys, in a right ferefull wyse
With fyres flamynge, and manyfolde tourment
Can nat suche folys, theyr synnes cause to stent
O sleuthfull fole say why doste nat thou call
Unto thy mynde that this worldes wretchydnes
Is full of sorowe moche more bytter than gall
Uoyde of all ioy, all pleasour and swetnes
Why settest thou so moche by frayle delyciousnes
On vayne pleasours, whiche shall sothly decay
Lyke as the sone meltyth the snowe away
Man note my wordes and gyue to
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