The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of folys that can nat beware by the mysfortune and example of others damage.

Here we expresse, the errour and blyndnes
Of them that se others aduersyte
Theyr wofull fall the ruyne and dystres.
Yet sue they the same, and ware they wyll nat be
Though they by example the payne of other se
Yet leue they nat: thus may they clayme a place
Within my Nauy, as folys voyde of grace

We dayly se the mysfortune and damage

And often fallys, to pouerte and payne

Whiche folys suffer for theyr synne and outrage

Some drowned, some maymed, some other wyse slayne

Yet this example can nat cause vs refrayne

Our wretchyd lyfe, and seke for remedy

We marke no thynge anothers ieopardy.

We se the mockynge scorne and derysyon

That folys hath ofte tyme whan they offende

We se theyr losse, theyr shame and theyr confusion

Howe be it all this can cause vs to amende

We can no thynge and to nought we intende

So many folys I fynde that playne I thynke

Theyr weyghty charge shall cause my shyp to synke

Suche ar despysyd of men discrete and wyse

Ye and more ouer these folys ar so blynde

That echone of them the other doth despyse

With sharp rebukes, wordes lewde and vnkynde

Yet in theyr lyfe no difference may we fynde

And though they haue sene a thousande brough to shame

For one sore vyce: yet lyue they in the same

The example of other can nat theyr myndes moue

Theyr wyttis ar blynde theyr foly is the cause

Alas mad folys why do ye vyce thus loue

Rennynge ay to deth without all rest or pause

Alas, at the last retourne to christis lawes

Be ware, whan ye other se taken in the snare

Let anothers peryll cause you to be ware

Ye do nat so, alas it is great shame

Your synne hath quenchyd your grace and gostly lyght

One blynde man another doth chyde and blame

And yet both stomble, nat goynge euyn or right

A blynde man hym ledyth that also hath no syght

So both in the dyche fallyth in suche a wyse

That one can nat helpe, the other agayne to ryse

One crab blamys another for hir bacwarde pace

And yet the blamer sothly can none other do

But both two ar in theyr goynge in lyke case

The one goeth bocwarde, the other doth also

Many of these folys after that maner go

But who that of his moders doctryne hath disdayne:

Shall by his stepdame endure wo care and payne

And perchaunce after abyde the correccyon

Of the sayde stepdame, in place of punysshement.

For his synne, sufferynge hir vniust subieccien

And who that nat foloweth the commaundement

Of his fader beynge to hym obedyent

May fortune after in hunger thyrst ond colde

Obey that stranger, whom he nat gladly wolde

We fynde Hystories wryten longe and ample

In dyuers bokes of great auctoryte

The hole Bybyll sheweth to vs example

Howe they were punysshed that lyuyd in cruelte

I fynde also wryten in bokes of Poetrye

Howe that Pheton was brent with the lyghtnynge

For his presumpcion, agaynst a myghty kynge

We haue example also by Icarus

Whiche contrary vnto the commaundement

Of his crafty father named Dedalus

By fleynge to hye his wynges and fethers brent

And so descendyd and in the se was drent

Thus these two endynge by theyr lewdnes in care

By theyr example sholde cause vs to beware

We dayly se before our syght and our presence

What mysauenture to many one doth fall

And that worthely for theyr synne and offence

Yet ar we blynde, and ar nat ware at all

But in our synnes lyue vnto them egall

And where by synne we se one come to shame

We wyllyngly (alas) ensue the same

Therfore who sethe a mad fole come to wo

Or fall in peryll for lacke of a good gyde

By another way ought craftely to go

And (by anothers yll) for his helthe to prouyde

The fox was ware, and peryll set asyde

And wolde nat enter into the caue, for playne

Of bestis that entred sawe he none come agayne

The enuoy of Barklay

Lerne man, lerne of bestes to be ware

Of others peryll, by theyr enormyte

For if one byrde be onys tane in a snare

The other auoyde as fast as they may flee

A fysshe byrde or beste that hath in peryll be

Of net hoke or snare, if that they may escape.

Wyll after euer beware, but blynde man wyll nat se

His owne destruccion, but after it doth gape

---