The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of the ouer great and chargeable curyosyte of men.

Unto mo folys here ordayne I a barge
Whiche medlyth with euery mannys besynes
And nat intendeth to their owne losse and charge
Great payne and wo suche folys oft oppresse
And let them lerne with pacyent mekenes
To suffer sorowe for why they shall none lacke
Syns they alone, the hole worlde take on theyr backe

He that wyll coueyt to bere more than he may

And take on his sholders more than he can sustayne

Suche is a fole, his dedys wyll not deny

And with his owne wyll gooth to peryll and payne.

He is vnwyse whiche is ioyous and fayne

To offer his necke to bere that without fere

Whiche were ynoughe for dyuers men to bere

That man that taketh vpon his backe alone

The heuy weght of the large fyrmament

Or any burdeyne whiche maketh hym to grone

Whiche to sustayne his strength is ympotent

No meruayle is if he fall incontynent

And than whan he lowe on the grounde doth lye

He oft repentyth his purpose and foly

We haue in storyes many examples great

Shewynge the lewde ende of this curyosyte.

I rede of Alexander that dyd often sweate

In great peryls to augment his dignyte

He was nat content with europe and asye

Nor all the grounde under the fyrmament

At the last ende, cowde nat his mynde content

As if all the erth were nat suffycyent

For his small body by curyouse couetyse

But at the last he must holde hym content

With a small cheste, and graue nat of great pryce.

Thus deth vs shewyth what thynge sholde vs suffyce

And what is the ende of our curyosyte.

For dethe is lyke to hye and lowde degre

What shall a kynge at his last endynge haue

Of all his realme and infynyte treasoure

Saue onely his towmbe, and the grounde of his graue

But thoughe it be of great pryce and voloure

As is conuenyent to his hye honoure.

Yet lytell conforte to his soule shall it gyue

But cause of bostynge to them that after lyue

Thus whan man vnto his last ende is come

He nought with hym bereth of his dignytees

Wherfore cynicus a man of great wysdome

Lorde grettest of Grece in londes and Cytees

Hathe lefte great example vnto all degrees

For his great ryches his herte dyd neuer blynde

But worldly pompe set clene out of his mynde

He forced of no castels nor excellent byldynge

Dispysynge charges and besynes worldly

But gaue his mynde to vertue and cunnynge

And namely to the scyence of astronomy

Consyderynge that great rest of mynde and of body

With hym abydeth whiche with bolde herte is fayne

To folowe vertue, and leue charges mundayne

He that so doth no weght doth vndertake

Vpon his backe of so great a grauyte

That his small strength must it agayne forsake.

Where he that attempteth grettest thynges, and hye:

Great weyght of charges and moche dignite

Must lerne to suffer payne thought and vexacion

By his great charges of perturbacion.

What auayle is it the worlde to obtayne

In one mannys power, and all other to excell

To suffer trouble, and vayne charges sustayne

And at the last his pore soule gooth to hell

There toren and tourmented in paynes cruell

It were moche better to kepe a quyet mynde

And after our deth eternall rest to fynde

He that taketh thought for euery besynes:

And caryth for that whiche doth nat apertayne

Nor longe to his charge, he is full of blyndnes

And no houre shall rest, but styll in thought and payne

Care for thy owne charges, theron set thy brayne

For he a fole is that caryth or doth intende

For another mannys charge whiche he can nat amende

Therfore lyue in rest after thy degre.

Nor on suche thynges do nat thy mynde aply

Whiche ar no thynge apertaynynge vnto the

If thou so do thou shalt fynde rest therby

Auoyde thou the charge of worldly mysery

For godes take no thought great care ne trauayle.

Whiche after deth shall do the none auayle

Barklay to the Folys.

Fole clere thy iyen and of thy selfe beware

Care moste for thy owne besynes and charge

For other mennes take no great thought nor care

If thou thy conscience mayst therof discharge

A curyous man that of his tunge is large

Talkynge or carynge of other, his place is best

Hye in the fore top of our folysshe barge

For in that place is small quyet or rest

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