The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of folysshe beggers and of theyr vanytees.

Syns I haue taken the charge one me
Mo botis and Barges for Folys to aparayle
And so agayne of newe to take the se
I feryd lyst company shulde me fayle
Within my folysshe shyppis to trauayle
But nowe doth beggers them selfe to me present
For fewe of them I fynde of good intent

A great company of folys may we fynde

Amonge beggers, whiche haue theyr hole delyte

In theyr lewde craft: wherfore I set my mynde

In this Barge theyr maners, brefely for to write

For thoughe that nede them greuously do byte.

Yet is theyr mynde for all theyr pouerte

To kepe with them of children great plente

And though that they myght otherwyse well lyue

And get theyr lyuynge by labour and besynes

Yet fully they theyr myndes set and gyue

To lede this lyfe alway in wretchydnes

The clerke, frere, or monke, whiche hath store of ryches

For all his lyfe. if he it gyde wysely.

Wyll yet the beggers offyce occupy

Suche oft complayne the charge of pouerte

In garmentis goynge raggyd and to rent

But yet haue they of ryches great plente

Whiche in gode vse can neuer of them be spent

Almys is ordeyned by god omnypotent

And holy churche: for to be gyuyn in dede

Vnto good vse, and suche as haue moste nede

Almes is ordeyned by god our creatour

For men that lyue in nede and wretchydnes

Therwith their paynfull lyues to socour

And nat for ryche that lyues in viciousnes

But yet suche caytyfs boldly in dare pres

For their lewde lyfe without all maner drede

This almes takynge from them that haue most nede

The abbot, the Pryour, and also theyr couent

Ar so blyndyd with vnhappy couetyse

That with theyr owne can they nat be content

But to haue more, they alway mean deuyse

Ye: in so moche that some haue founde a gyse

To fayne theyr bretherne tan in captyuyte

That they may begge so by auctoryte

They fayne myracles where none were euer done

And all for lucre: some other range about

To gather and begge with some fayned pardon

And at the alehows at nyght all drynkyth out

So ren these beggers in company rowt

By stretis tauernes townes and vyllagys

No place can well be fre of theyr outragys

Some begge for byldynges, some for relyques newe

Of holy sayntis of countreys farre and strange

And with theyr wordes faynyd and vntrewe

For cause of Lucre, about they ren and range

But in a sympyll vyllage, ferme or grange

Where as these beggers moste sympyll men may fynde

With theyr fals bonys as relykes they them blynde

Other beynge stronge and full of lustynes

And yonge ynoughe to labour for theyr fode

Gyuyth theyr bodyes fully to slewthfulnes

The beggers craft thynkynge to them moost good

Some ray theyr legges and armys ouer with blood

With leuys and plasters though they be hole and sounde

Some halt as crypyls, theyr legge falsely vp bounde

Some other beggers falsly for the nonys

Disfygure theyr children god wot vnhappely

Manglynge theyr facys, and brekynge theyr bonys

To stere the people to pety that passe by

There stande they beggynge with tedyous shout and cry

There owne bodyes tournynge to a strange fassion

To moue suche as passe to pyte and compassyon

Suche yonge laddys as lusty ar of age

Myghty and stronge, and wymen in lyke wyse

Wanton and yonge and lusty of cowrage

Gyueth them selfe vtterly to this gyse

The cause is that they labour do despyse

For theyr mynde is in ydylnes to be styll

Or els in vyce to wander at theyr wyll

They paciently theyr prouertye abyde

Nat for deuocion of herte or of mynde

But to the intent that at euery tyde

Other mennys godes sholde them fede and fynde.

But if they a whyle haue ron in the wynde

And in theyr hande the staf some hete hath caught

They neuer after shall leue the beggers craft

Amonge these beggers also is comonly

Braulynge debate hatered and chydynge

Great othes, mockes falshode and enuy

And one with other euer more fyghtynge

As for theyr dronkennes and vnsure abydynge

Theyr rebaudry both in dede and communycacion

These ar chefe poyntis of theyr occupation

If the begger haue his staf and his hode

One bagge behynde and another before

Than thynkes he hym in the myddes of his goode

Thoughe that his clothes be raggyd and to tore

His body nere bare he hath no thought therfore

And if some man cloth them well to day

To morowe it shall agayne be solde away

And if these caytyfes fortune to begge or cry

For mete or money, on woman or on man

If one to them that, that they aske deny

And so depart: anone these beggers than

Whan he is gone, doth wary curse and ban

And if another gyue them ought of pyte

At the next alestake dronken shall it be

But if that I sholde gather in my barge

All folysshe beggers, and labour or intende

To note all theyr vyces, to sore sholde be the charge

And as I suppose I neuer sholde make an ende.

Wherfore I counsell them shortly to amende

Or els theyr lewdnes, synne, and enormyte

Shall cause men withdrawe theyr almes of charyte

Thenuoy of Barclay the translatour.

O people vnthrifty gyuen to ydlenes

Spendynge your youth this wyse in vanyte

What ioy haue ye to lyue in wretchydnes

Where ye myght come to better rowme and degre

By worke, and labour: and so auaunsyd be

Yet begge ye styll hauynge your ioy therin

Amende your foly, and lerne ye this of me

That goddes good sholde nat be spent in syn