The Ship of Fools, Volume 1

by Sebastian Brant

Of them that ar alway borowynge.

A man that is besy both euyn and morowe
With rauysshynge clawys and insaciable
Of his frendes and neyghbours to begge and to borow
To the deuourynge wolfe is most lyke or semblable
Suche in our shyp shall nat want a babyll
For he that styll borowes shall skant hym quyte or redde
And as a wretche the asse shall hym ouer tredde

That fole that hym selfe a dettour doth make

To dyuerse men, and is borowynge alway

Right ponderous charges on hym doth take

Borowynge of one another therwith to pay

Thoughe he be glad to haue longe terme and day

To hym assygned to make his payment

It nought auayleth, for soone the tyme is spent

But in the meane tyme deuourynge vsurye

Spoylyth makynge pore many a borewer

Where they two borewed they promys to pay thre

Their day of payment lenger to defarre.

Thus doth oft borowynge many thousandes marre

Yet some get malyce for that gode that they len

And where they lent twenty gladly taketh ten.

I wyll nat say but that it is mede certayne

To lene frely to one that is in nede

And wyll be glade it to content agayne.

But he that lenyth to haue rewarde or mede

Or more than he lent, may of hell payne haue drede

And he that so boroweth gayne can haue none

Therby in this lyfe, but hell whan he is gone

Therfore in this satyre suche wyll I repreue

And none that borowe nor lene on amyte

The vsurers: fals cristen men in theyr byleue

Folowe the waren way of theyr iniquyte

Prohybyte by lawe iustyce and equyte

Theyr vnclene hertes, and mynde, vnhappely

On lucre settynge, comynge by vsury

They hepe theyr synne in quantyte horryble

Labowrynge that lewde burthen gretter to make

And that sore weght tedyose and terryble

With a great rope vpon theyr shulders take

The weyght vp taken all theyr hole ioyntes quake

Thus these caytyfs with this rope and burthyn heuy

Them selfe hange damnynge theyr soule eternally

A wretchyd man, alas make clere thy reason

Remember thoughe god the suffer thus longe tyme

He graunteth that space to amende the in season.

And nat dayly to encreas thy synne and cryme

Somtyme he punyssheth with infernall abhyme

Shortly for synne, somtyme thoughe one mysdo

He suffreth longe: but yet truste nat therto

The longer vnpunysshed, the sorer is the payne

And if thou wylt nat gyue to me credence

Of sodome and Gomor the Bybyll sheweth playne

Howe God rightwysely ponysshed theyr offence

And also Solym, towne of great excellence

For vyciousnes god ponysshed bytterly

Whiche sholde vs cause for to lyue rightwysely.

The rightwyse god also dyd sore chastyce

Tthe Nilicolyans and them vtterly destroy

For theyr contynuynge in theyr syn and vyce

And theyr lynage longe kepte from welth and ioy

In great trouble whiche dyd theyr hertis noy:

Howe be it that they were good and innocent

For theyr fathers faute they suffred punysshement

But to our purpose to retourne agayne.

He that ought boroweth whiche he can nat pay

Of a wolfe rauysshynge foloweth the trayne

But though he all swolowe yet can he by no way

Deuoure the tyme nor the prefyxed day

Wherfore if he than disceyue his credytour

He oft hym chastyth with iustyce and rygour

Ryght in lyke wyse our lorde omnipotent

In this worlde to lyue grauntyth vs tyme and space

Nat styll to synne, but vnto this intent

To leue our vyce, and folowe the way of grace

But if we styll contynue in one case

And haue done no good to pay hym at our day

In hell pryson he iustly shall vs lay

Barklay to the Folys.

Thou fole mysmyndyd to large of sconscyence

To the I speke that art a lewde dettour

Borowe thou no thynge, noble grote ne pens.

More than thou mayst agayne pay thy credytour

Right so endeuer the to pay thy sauyour

His right and dewty, with a glad wyll and fayne

That is true seruyce, with glory and honour

Than shalt thou surely escape infernall payne.

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