The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of folys that forget them selfe and do another mannys besynes leuynge theyr owne vndone.

Who that wyll suffer his owne hous to bren
Tyll nought of it saue the bare wallys stonde
And with his water hastely doth ren
To quenche the fyre of anothers hous or londe
He is a fole and haue shall in his hande
A folysshe Pype or horne therwith to blowe
For other folys that in my Shyp wyll rowe.

Within my Shyp of rowme he shall be sure

Whiche for anothers auantage and profyte

Takyth great thought and doth moche payne endure

Vnto his owne charge takynge no respyte

But settyth it asyde and hath all his delyte

With all his stody hym to enforce and dres:

To care for euery mannys besynes.

Suche hertles folys to them self neglygent

In theyr owne charge slepe contynually

But with open iyen they ar full dylygent

The worke of other with all theyr myght to aply

And for others profyte prouyde they besely.

But whyle these Folys ar glad to take in hande

Anothers charge, theyr owne styll let they stande

Wherfore I am so bolde within my boke

Somwhat to touch these folys mad vsage

That if it fortune them on the same to loke

They may therby perceyue in theyr corage

That labour they ought for their owne auauntage

Most specyally. for that is the degre

And the true order of perfyte charite

For perfyte loue and also charite

Begynneth with hym selfe for to be charitable

And than to other after his degre

Thy owne auauntage is ay moost profytable

The great Phylosophers of maners ferme and stable

And also of wysdome godly and dyuyne

Hath left to vs suche techynge and doctryne

We haue by Therence the same commaundement

The same is wryten also as I fynde

In the holy lawe of the olde testament

And therfore he that oft wyll set his mynde

For others maters with care his thought to blynde

Let hym first se vnto his owne profyte

Lyst some mysfortune hym after sharply byte

Let hym turne his labour to his owne auauntage

And than do for other where as he seeth moste nede

For who that playeth for mony outher gage

And on his felawes cast takyth onely hede

And nat to his owne, suche one shall seldom spede

And is a Fole. So is he that doth ren

To quenche another hous, suffrynge his owne to bren

Suche one of his owne damage hath no fere

And worthy is his losse and hurte to byde

So is he that wyll anothers burthen bere

Or takyth anothers charge at any tyde

Despysynge his owne werke and settynge it asyde

If suche haue losse and after it forthynke

No man shall moche force whether he flete or synke

He is well worthy to haue a folys pype

That goth vnbyddyn to rype anothers corne

And suffreth his owne to stande though it be rype.

And generally all Folys ar worthy scorne

Of what maner byrth so euer they be borne

If they them self put, to losse or damage

Therby to do some other auauntage

Say curyous Fole: say what pleasour thou hast

In others maters thy self to intermyt

Or theyr great charges thus in thy mynde to cast

Thy selfe to socour set thou thy mynde and wyt

Let others maters therfore in quyete syt

On thy owne profyte of all firste set thy mynde

And than (if thou mayst) do somwhat for thy frende

For vtterly that man is moche vnwyse

That thus takyth thought for anothers charge

And doth his owne by neglygence despyse

For suche Folys I forgyd haue this barge

But of the same suche men I clene discharge

That first of his pryuate profyte can take hede

And than helpe a frende and felowe at a nede

Thenuoy of Barklay.

Ye that take charge, thought and besy cure

For others mysfortune, losse or aduersyte

First of your self I aduyse you to be sure

For this is the order of parfyte charyte

Eche to hym selfe moste louynge ay to be

And next to his frende, but who that doth dispyse.

His owne besynes whiche is in ieopardye

Seynge to anothers forsoth he is vnwyse

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