The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of nyght watchers and beters of the stretes playnge by nyght on instrumentes and vsynge lyke Folyes whan tyme is to rest.

He is a Fole that wandreth by nyght
In felde or towne, in company or alone
Playnge at his lemmans dore withouten lyght
Tyll all his body be colde as lede or stone
These folys knockynge tyll the nyght be gone
At that season thoughe that they fele no colde
Shall it repent and fele whan they be olde.

Nowe wolde I of my boke haue made an ende

And with my shyp drawen to some hauen or porte

Stryken my sayle, and all my folys sende

Vnto the londe, a whyle them selfe to sporte

But this my purpose is lettyd by a sorte

Of frantyke folys, wandrynge about by nyght

For often all yll doers hatyth the day lyght

Whyle (man) beste and euery lyuely creature

Refresshe theyr myndes and bodyes with rest

And slepe: without the whiche none can endure

And whyle all byrdes drawe them to theyr nest

These dronken bandes of Folys than doth Jest

About the stretis, with rumour noyse and cry

Syngynge theyr folysshe songes of rybawdry

The furyes ferefull spronge of the flodes of hell

Vexith these vagabundes in theyr myndes so

That by no mean can they abyde ne dwell

Within theyr howsys, but out they nede must go

More wyldly wandrynge than outher bucke or doo

Some with theyr harpis another with his lute

Another with his bagpype or a folysshe flute

Than mesure they theyr songes of melody

Before the dores of theyr lemman dere

Yowlynge with theyr folysshe songe and cry

So that theyr lemman may theyr great foly here

And tyll the yordan make them stande arere

Cast on theyr hede, or tyll the stonys fle

They nat depart, but couet there styll to be

But yet more ouer these Folys ar so vnwyse

That in colde wynter they vse the same madnes

Whan all the howsys ar lade with snowe and yse

O mad men amasyd vnstabyll and wytles

What pleasour take ye in this your folysshenes

What ioy haue ye to wander thus by nyght

Saue that yll doers alway hate the lyght

But folysshe youth doth nat alone this vse

Come of lowe byrth and sympyll of degre

But also statis them selfe therein abuse

With some yonge folys of the spiritualte

The folysshe pype without all grauyte

Doth eche degre call to this frantyke game

The darkenes of nyght expellyth fere of shame

One barkyth another bletyth lyke a shepe

Some rore, some countre, some theyr balades fayne

Another from syngynge gyueth hym to wepe

Whan his souerayne lady hath of hym dysdayne

Or shyttyth hym out, and to be short and playne

Who that of this sort best can play the knaue

Lokyth of the other the maystery to haue

The folysshe husbonde oft of this sort is one

With wanton youth wandrynge by nyght also

Leuynge his wyfe at home in bed alone

And gyueth hyr occasyon often to mysdo

So that whyle he after the owle doth go

Fedynge the Couko, his wyfe hir tyme doth watche

Receyuynge another whose egges she doth hatche.

Therfore ye folys that knowe you of this sort

To gyue occasyon of synne vnto your wyues

And all other: I you pray and exort

Of this your foly to amende your lyues

For longe nyght watches seldome tymes thryues

But if it be in labour: good to wyn

Therfore kepe your dorys: els abyde within

Thoughe I have touchyd of this enormyte

In englysshe tunge: yet is it nat so vsed

In this Royalme as it is beyonde the se

Yet moche we vse whiche ought to be refusyd

Of great nyght watchynge we may nat be excusyd

But our watchynge is in drunken glotony

More than in syngynge or other meledy

Whan it is nyght and eche shulde drawe to rest

Many of our folys great payne and watchynge take

To proue maystryes and se who may drynke best

Outher at the Tauerne of wyne, or the ale stake

Other all nyght watchyth for theyr lemmans sake

Standynge in corners lyke as it were a spye

Whether that the weder be, hote, colde, wete, or dry

Some other Folys range about by nyght

Prowdely Jettynge as men myndeles or wode

To seke occasyon with pacyent men to fyght

Delytynge them in shedynge mennys blode

Outher els in spoylynge of other mennys gode

Let these folys with suche lyke and semblable

Drawe to this barge, here shall they here a bable

Thenuoy of Barclay.

Ye folys that put your bodyes vnto payne

By nyghtly watchynge, voyde of auauntage

Leue of your foly or els ye shall complayne

And mourne it sore if ye lyue vnto age

For though ye thynke that this your blynde outrage

Is vnto you no hurte nor preiudyce

It doth your body and goodes great dammage

And great cause both to you and yours of vyce.

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