The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of the folisshe begynnynge of great bildynges without sufficient prouision.

Come nere folys and rede your ignorance
And great losse procedynge of your owne foly
Whiche without gode and discrete purueaunce
Any great werke wyll bylde or edefye.
All suche ar folys what man wyll it deny
For he that wyll bylde before he count his cost
Shall seldome well ende, so that is made is lost.

Who euer begynneth any worke or dede

Of byldynge or of other thynge chargeable

And to his costes before taketh no hede

Nor tyme nat countyth to his worke agreable

Suche is a fole and well worthy a babyll

For he that is wyse wyll no thynge assay

Without he knowe howe he well ende it may.

The wyse man counteth his cost before alway

Or he begyn, and nought wyll take in honde

Wherto his myght or power myght denay

His costes confourmynge to the stynt of his londe

Where as the fole that nought doth vnderstonde

Begynneth a byldynge without aduysement

But or halfe be done his money clene is spent.

Many haue begon with purpose dilygent

To bylde great houses and pleasaunt mansyons

Them thynkynge to finysshe after theyr intent

But nede disceyuyd hath theyr opynyons

Their purpose nat worth a cowpyll of onyons

But whan they se that they it ende nat can

They curse the tyme that euer they it began

Of Nabugodosor that worthy man.

What shall I wryte or the story to the tell

Syth that the Bybyll to the expresse it can

In the fourth chapter of the prophete Danyell

Was he nat punysshed in paynes cruell

For his great pryde and his presumpcion

Whiche he toke it in the byldynge of Babylon

His golde and treasoure he spendyd hole theron

Enioynge hym in his Cyte excellent

Right so Nemroth by his inuencion

The towre of Babylon began for this intent

To saue hym, if the worlde agayne were drent

But the hye god consyderynge his blynde rage

His purpose let by confusyon of langage

His towre vnperfyte to his losse and domage

His people punysshed, hymselfe specyally

Thus it apereth what great disauauntage

On theyr hede falleth that byldeth in foly

Thus he is folysshe that wolde edefy

Any great worke without ryches in excesse

For great byldynges requyreth great rychesse

But many folys ar in suche a blyndnesse

That hereon nought they set their mynde ne thought

Wherfore to them oft commyth great distresse

And to great pouerty often ar they brought

Laughed to scorne, their purpose cometh to nought

And truely I fynde in bokes wryten playne

That our olde faders haue neuer set theyr brayne

On great byldynge, ne yet of them ben fayne:

It longeth to a lorde a Prynce or a Kynge

That lacke no treasoure theyr werkes to mayntayne

To set theyr myndes on excellent buyldynge

Therfore who so euer wyll meddle with this thynge

Or any other, before let hym be wyse

That his myght and ryches therto may suffyse.

Lyst all men do mocke and scorne his interpryse

For if he ought begyn without prouysyon

And haue nat wherby his byldynge may up ryse

All that is lost that is made and begon

And better it is sothly in myn intencion

Nought to begyn, and spare laboure and payne

Than to begyn and than, leue of agayne

Who euer he be that so doth certayne

He shall haue mockis mengled with his damage

Therfore let suche folys sharpe theyr brayne

And better intende to theyr owne auauntage

Consyderynge that processe of tyme and age

Theyr curyous byldynges shall at the lest confounde

And Roufe and wallys make egall with the grounde.

Barklay to the Folys.

Ye folys blyndyd with curyosyte

Whiche on great byldynge set so sore your mynde

Remember ye nat that doutles ye shall dye

And your gay byldynges and howses leue behynde

Thynke ye your conforte alway in them to fynde

Or whan ye dye, them hens with you to haue

Nay nay the laste hous gyuen to mankynde

Is the course grounde and walles of his graue.

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