The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of inprofytable and vayne prayers vowes and peticyons.

That man whose herte vnhappy synne doth blynde
And prayth gasynge into the fyrmament
Or he that setteth nat his herte and mynde
Upon his wordes, theyr sentence or intent
And he that desyreth thynge nat conuenyent
Suche folys shall nat theyr peticion obtayne
For without the herte the tonge laboureth in vayne

Here we repreue (reperue) ye and reuyle.

A sorte of folys lewde of condicions

Whose herte and tunge theyr soules doth defyle

By theyr blynde prayers and yll peticions

Suche folowe no techynge nor gode monysyons

For often many of them with tunge doth pray

Theyr mynde, abstract nat knowynge what they say

Man oft desyreth with great affeccion

That thynge of god, whiche thynge if god wolde graunt.

Sholde be at last vnto thyer destruccyon

Examples hereof thou canst nat lacke nor want

The great Medas somtyme kynge tryumphant.

Of Phrygye By his owne folysshe desyre

With paynfull hunger, his lyfe breth dyd expyre

This kynge Mydas of whom I haue you tolde

Of god desyred with prayer dylygent.

That all that he touchyd tourne myght vnto golde

His prayer was harde, he obteynyd his intent

But nat to his welth, but mortall punysshement

For whan he brede or drynke tast or touche sholde

Incontynent was it tourned in to golde

Thus was his prayer to his owne damage

For at the laste he dyed in wo and payne

For no golde coude his sore hunger asswage

Nor his desyre coude he nat call agayne.

Thus his peticion desyred was in vayne:

And where he wenyd great welth to get therby

He dyed in shame hunger and mysery.

Some dayly pray with marueylous besynes

Cryeng and syghynge to god omnypotent

For to haue plenty of welth ioy and ryches

And to be made ryche myghty and excellent.

O cursyd lyuers, o blynde men of intent

On suche desyres they set theyr mynde and thought

Whiche thousandes vnto shamefull ende hath brought

What profyted the myghty edefyces:

Of Lycynus, or lyuelode of excesse:

What profyteth the money gotten in vyces

Of riche Crassus, or cresus, great ryches

They all ar dede by theyr vnhappynes

And that lewdely, nat by deth naturall

Theyr blynde desyres chefe rote and cause of all

Another whiche is in youthes prosperyte

For strength and myght often to god doth pray

Some of theyr lyfe to haue prolyxyte

Desyreth god, and here to byde alway

In riches welth, ioy and solempne aray

But yet they in glotony take suche custome

That they slea them selfe longe or theyr day be come

Alas mad fole why prayest thou for age

Syns it so greuous is and ymportable

Unstable and full of dolour and damage

Odyous to youth and intollerable

Say folysshe man whiche art of mynde vnstable

Is it nat great foly to any creature

To pray for that thynge, whiche he can nat endure

Peleus, and Nestor and many other mo

As Itackes and laertes, sore haue complayned

For to longe age, euer full of payne and wo

Wherwith theyr bodyes sore haue ben constrayned

And with great sorowes and dyuers often payned:

And to conclude brefly in one sentence

Oft to age falleth moche inconuenyence

Yet ar mo folys whiche ought repreued be

And they ar suche whiche styll on god doth call

For great rowmes, offyces and great dignyte

No thynge intendynge to theyr greuous fall

For this is dayly sene, and euer shall

That he that coueytys hye to clym aloft

If he hap to fall, his fall can nat be soft

Some other pray for bewty and fayrnes

And that to a cursyd purpose and intent

Wherby they lese the heuenly blyssydnes:

Theyr soule subduynge to infernall turment

O ye mad folys of myndes ympotent

Pray your Pater noster with deuoute herte and mynde

For therin is all that is nedefull to mankynde

Our sauyour criste whyle he was on this grounde

Amonge vs synners in this vale of mysery

Taught his disciples this prayer whiche doth sounde

Nere to this sentence, nor greatly doth nat vary

(Our father wiche art in heuen) eternally

Thy name be halowyd (graunt that to thy kyngdome)

All we thy seruauntis worthely may come

In heuen and erth thy wyll be done alway

And of thy great grace and thy benygnyte

Our dayly brede graunt vnto vs this day

Forgyuynge our synnes and our iniquyte:

As we forgyue them that to vs detters be

And to auoyde temptacion thy grace vnto vs len

And vs delyuer from euery yll amen.

Whan thou hast clensyd thy mynde from syn before

And sayd this prayer to thy maker deuoutly

Thou nedyst nat of hym to desyre more

Yet mayst thou pray and desyre rightwysly

For helthe of soule within thy hole body

For stedfast fayth and yll name to eschewe.

And chastely to lyue (by his help) in vertue

Thus sholde thou pray thou wretche both day and nyght

With herte and mynde vnto thy creatoure:

And nought by foly to asshe agaynst right

To hurte or losse to thy frende or neyghboure

Nor to thy fo by yll wyll or rygoure

But if god to thy prayers alway sholde enclyne

Oft sholde come great sorowe to the and to all thyne

The enuoy of Barklay to the Folys.

Man clere thy mynde or thou begyn to pray

Els though thy prayer be iust it is but vayne

And kepe togyther thy hurte and tonge alway

Or els doutles thou lesest all thy payne

From lewde peticions thy mynde thou ought refrayne

If thou desyre yll to thy fo by malyce

At thy peticion god shall haue dysdayne

For though thou be wrothe god is nat in lyke wyse

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