The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of the yll example of elders gyuyn vnto youth.

If that the fader and mother before theyr son
By anger or malyce brake, platter pot, or pan
The son in hande shall take some cauderon
And lerne to breke it if his small power can
Thus oft tyme chyldren haue cause to curse or ban
Theyr frendes for suche example of lewdnes
For soner that they lerne than vertue or goodes

Ye aged men rotyd in folysshnes

And folysshe parentis lewde of your langage

Vnto our shyp swyftly your selfe addres

Syns ye be worthy therin to haue a stage

Nowe cast I repreues agaynst your outrage

Whiche boldly bost you of your vnthryfty lyues

Before your maydes, your doughters and your wyues

Alas the folys of this mad company

By theyr example cause great inconuenyence

Before theyr children recountynge rybaudry

Of suche as they haue had experyence.

So gyue they to them example of offence

And in that synne wheron they bost and vant

They make them perfyte whiche erst were ignorant

Theyr wordes ar voyde of shame and honestye

Theyr lyfe is without mesure and reuerence

But yet they thynke that they moste worthy be

That moste can tell of this greuous offence

Thus all the youth that is in theyr presence

Or that doth here theyr vyce and rybawdry

Vnto the same with theyr full mynde aply

Thus theyr yonge children maners lernyth none

The wyfe hath occasyon to breke hir chastyte

So is the lyfe defyled of them echone

And to be playne, we often tymes se

That of what maners the folysshe husbondes be

Such ar theyr wyues, children and housholde

The yonge Cok lerneth to crowe hye of the olde

A folysshe Father, full hardly shall ensyne

His sone to good lyfe or to good gouernaunce

For if the father to foly doth enclyne

The sone wyll folowe his father in that daunce

And if the father vse hasarde or the chaunce

Or any prohybyt and vnlawfull game

Most comonly the sone wyll do the same

If that the husbonde be vycious of his lyfe

Wastfull or dronken, or vyle in his langage

His sonnes doughters, his seruauntes and his wyfe

Wyll lerne of hym to passe the same passage

And if the husbonde breke his maryage

If the wyfe knowe, in mynde she wyll be wroth

Without he haue a hode of the same cloth

An olde prouerbe hath longe agone be sayde

That oft the sone in maners lyke wyll be

Vnto the Father, and in lyke wyse the mayde

Or doughter, vnto the mother wyll agre

So if the elders vse enormyte

And before theyr children bost them of the same

The sone and doughter shall folowe syre and dame

The monkes thynke it lawfull for to play

Whan that the Abbot bryngeth them the dyce

Right so the Father, can nought or lytell say

Agaynst the sone, nor hym blame or chastyce

If he hym selfe be taken in that same vyce

Thus lyues the Father in synne withouten shame

And after his deth the sone shall do the same

O wretchyd maners o tyme full of furour

And full of foly without all hope to stent

Howe longe shall god our lorde and sauyour

This synne suffer without greuous punysshement

Alas it nowe apereth euydent

That the fathers foly synne and great outrage

Is left to the sonne as it were herytage

And no meruayle, for it hath neuer ben seen

That of a wolfe a shepe hath be forth brought

Or that a calfe or lambe gendred hath been

Of a fell tygre: right so if it were sought

Ouer all the worlde. a Father that is nought

Sholde scant be founde, whiche coude brynge vp his childe

With his synne in no maner poynt defylyd

The yonge crab bacwarde doth crepe or go

As doth the olde, none can hir cours redres

These yonge children for the moste part also

Foloweth theyr fathers synne and his lewdnes

But they that lyue in maners of mekenes

In honest lyfe, goodnes grace and chastyte

May brynge forth children of maners as they be

I rede howe the Phylosopher Diogenes

Sayde by a childe whiche dronken was with wyne

That his Father was in that case doutles

Whan he it gate, so his hye wyt dyuyne

Knewe that the childes maners dyd inclyne

Vnto his Fathers, and so was it founde trewe

By them whiche well that childes fader knewe

But though the Father and mother also be nought

Without dout this one thynge apereth playne

That the childe is suche as it is vp brought

And nat lyghtly chaungyd without great charge or payne

Therfore let euery man hym selfe refrayne

Within his hous from all thynge worthy blame

Than shall his children and seruautes do the same

The enuoy of Barklay.

Ye that haue children or other great housholde

Subdued to your seruyce, and your obedyence

Kepe vertuous lyfe, for that is worth great golde

And great example to youth to auoyde offence

But if ye boost you of synne and neglygence

In rybawde wordes, gyue credence to this clause

If the herers fall into incouenyence

Your lewde example is the chefe grounde and cause

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