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