The Ship of Fools, Volume 1-2, Sebastian Brant [good books to read TXT] 📗

the second part of a volume having the following

general title page: The Conspiracie of Catiline, written by Constancius

Felicius Durantinus, and translated bi Thomas Paynell: with the

historye of Jugurth, writen by the famous Romaine Salust, and

translated into Englyshe by Alexander Barcklaye.

 

*

 

VII. ALEX. BARCLAY HIS FIGURE OF OUR MOTHER HOLY CHURCH OPPRESSED BY THE

FRENCHE KING. Pynson. Quarto.

 

This is given by Herbert on the authority of Maunsell’s Catalogue, p.

7.

 

*

 

VIII. THE LYFE OF THE GLORIOUS MARTYR SAYNT GEORGE. Translated by Alexander

Barclay, while he was a monk of Ely, and dedicated to N. West, Bp. of Ely.

Pinson [Circa 1530.] Quarto. [Herbert, 289].

 

*

 

IX. THE LYFE OF SAYNTE THOMAS. Pynson. No date. Quarto. Black letter.

 

“¶ Here begynneth the lyfe of the blessed martyr saynte Thomas.” This

title is the headline of this little treatise; at the beginning of

which is indented a small woodcut of a man in armour, striking at the

bishop, with his cross-bearer before him. It begins “The martir saynte

Thomas was son to Gylberde Bequet a burgeys of the Cite of London. And

was borne in y^e place, whereas now standeth the churche called saynte

Thomas of Akers.” It concludes, “¶ Thus endeth the lyfe of the blessed

martyr saynt Thomas of Caunturbury. Jmprynted by me Rycharde Pynson,

prynter vnto the kynges noble grace.” Contains eight leaves. There is a

copy in the British Museum. Assigned to Barclay on tne authority of

Wood.

 

*

 

X. HAYTHON’S CRONYCLE. Pynson. No date. Folio. Black letter.

 

“Here begynneth a lytell Cronycle, translated & imprinted at the cost &

charge of Rycharde Pynson, by the comaundement of the ryght high and

mighty prince, Edwarde duke of Buckingham, yerle of Gloucestre,

Staffarde, and of Northamton,” over a large woodcut. Colophon: “Here

endeth, [_&c_.] Imprinted by the sayd Richarde Pynson, printer unto

the Kinges noble grace.” Date conjectured to be between 1520 and 1530.

Pynson’s device, No. 5, at the end. Collation: A—E, and H, in sixes; F

and G, and I, in fours; forty-eight leaves.

 

On the verso of fol. 35, “Here endeth y^e boke of thistoris of thoriet

partes copyled by a relygious man frere Hayton frere of Premostre

order, sotyme lorde of court & cosyn german to the kyng of Armeny vpon

y^e passage of the holy lande. By the comaudement of y^e holy fader y^e

apostle of Rome Clemet the V. in y^e cite of Potiers which boke I

Nicholas Falcon, writ first in French … I haue traslated it in Latyn

for our holy father y^e pope. In the yere of our lorde god M.CCC.VII.

in y^e moneth of August. Deo gras.”

 

“The travels of Hayton into the Holy Land and Armenia, and his history

of Asia, is one of the most valuable of the early accounts of the east.

The present is the only translation into English, and from the

circumstances of its being printed by Pynson and having been (when in

Mr Heber’s collection) bound with two other works (Mirrour of good

Maners and Sallust) both translated by Barclay, was probably also

translated by him. It is a book of extraordinaiy rarity, no perfect

copy that can be traced having previously occured for sale.”

(Bibliotheca Grenvilliana, vol. I.)

 

Heber’s copy (the one above mentioned), £40. 9s. 6d.

 

*

 

THE SHIP OF FOOLS.

 

[Illustration]

 

_Venerandissimo in Christo Patri ac Domino: domino Thome Cornisshe

Tenenensis pontifici ac diocesis Badonensis Suffraganio vigilantissimo, sue

paternitatis Capellanus humilimus Alexander Barclay suiipsius

recommendacionem cum omni summissione, et reuerentia._

 

_Tametsi crebris negocijs: varioque impedimentorum genere fatigatus paulo

diutiùs quàm volueram a studio reuulsus eram. Attamen obseruandissime

presul: Stultiferam classem (vt sum tue paternati pollicitus) iam tandem

absolui et impressam ad te destinaui. Neque tamen certum laborem pro

incerto premio (humano. s.) meis impossuissem humeris: nisi Seruianum illud

dictum (longe anteaqam inceperam) admonuisset. Satius esse non incipere

quàm inceptum minus perfectum relinquere. Completo tamen opere: nec

quemquam magis dignum quàm tua sit paternitas existimaui cui id dedicarem:

tum quia saluberrima tua prudentia, morum grauitas, vite sanctitas

doctrineque assiduitas: errantes fatuos mumdanis ab illecebris ad virtutis

tramites: difficiles licet: possint reducere: tum vero: quia sacros ad

ordines per te sublimatus et promotus, multisque aliis tuis beneficiis

ditatus non potui tibi meum obsequium non coartare. Opus igitur tue

paternitati dedicaui: meorum primicias laborum qui in lucem eruperunt Atque

vt tua consuluerit paternatis: autoris carmina cum meis vulgaribus

rithmicis vná alternatim coniunixi: et quantum a vero carminum sensu

errauerim, tue autoritatis iudicium erit. Fateor equidem multo plura

adiecisse quam ademisse: partim ad vicia que hac nostra in regione

abundantius pullulant mordacius carpenda: partimque ob Rithmi

difficultatem. Adieci etiam quasdam Biblie aliorumque autorum concordancias

in margine notatas quo singula magis lectoribus illucescant: Simul ad

inuidorum caninos latratus pacandos: et rabida ora obstruenda: qui vbi quid

facinorum: quo ipsi scatent: reprehensum audierint. continuo patulo gutture

liuida euomunt dicta, scripta dilacerant. digna scombris ac thus carmina

recensent: sed hi si pergant maledicere: vt stultiuagi comites classem

insiliant. At tu venerande Presul Discipuli tui exiguum munusculum: hilari

fronte accipito, Classemque nostram (si quid vagum, si quid erronium: si

quid denique superfluum emineat: optimam in partem interpretando: ab

inuidorum faucibus: tue autoritatis clipeo tucaris. Vale. Ex Impressoria

officina Richardi Pynson. iij. Idus Decembris._

 

¶ THIS PRESENT BOKE NAMED THE SHYP OF FOLYS OF THE WORLDE WAS TRANSLATED IN

THE COLLEGE OF SAYNT MARY OTERY IN THE COUNTE OF DEUONSHYRE: OUT OF LATEN,

FRENCH, AND DOCHE INTO ENGLYSSHE TONGE BY ALEXANDER BARCLAY PRESTE: AND AT

THAT TYME CHAPLEN IN THE SAYDE COLLEGE. TRANSLATED THE YERE OF OUR LORDE

GOD. M.CCCCC.VIII. IMPRENTYD IN THE CYTE OF LONDON IN FLETESTRE AT THE

SIGNE OF SAYNT GEORGE. BY RYCHARDE PYNSON TO HYS COSTE AND CHARGE: ENDED

THE YERE OF OUR SAUIOUR. M. D. IX. THE. XIIII. DAY OF DECEMBER.

 

TABULA.

 

¶ THE REGYSTER OR TABLE OF THIS PRESENT BOKE IN ENGLYSSHE.

 

[VOLUME I.]

 

¶ Alexander Barclay excusynge the rudenes of his translacion, y^e first

lefe Barclay y^e translatour to y^e folys.

 

A prologe in prose shewynge to what intent this Boke was firste made, & who

were the first Auctours of it.

 

Another Prologe: in Balade concernyng the same.

 

In what place this Boke was translate and to what purpose it was

translatyd.

 

¶ Here begynneth the Folys and firste of inprofytable bokys.

 

¶ Of euyll Counsellours Juges & men of lawe.

 

Of couetyse and prodigalyte.

 

Of newe disgysynges in apparayle.

 

¶ A lawde of the nobles and grauyte of Kynge Henry the eyght.

 

Of olde Folys encresynge foly with age.

 

Of negligent Fathers ayenst their Children.

 

Of taleberers: & mouers of debate.

 

Of nat folowers of good counsel.

 

Of vngoodly maners, and dysordred.

 

Of the hurtynge of frendshyp.

 

Of dispysers of holy scripture.

 

Of folys inprouydent.

 

Of disordred & venerious loue.

 

Of them that synne trustynge vpon the mercy of almyghty god.

 

Of folys y^t begyn great byldynge without sufficient prouysion.

 

Of glotons, and droncardes.

 

Of ryches vnprofytable.

 

Of folys that wyl serue two lordes both togyther.

 

Of superflue speche.

 

Of them that correct other, them self culpable in the same faut.

 

Of folys that fynde others good, nat restorynge the same to the owner.

 

¶ The sermon or doctryne of wysdom.

 

Of Folys bostyng them in fortune.

 

Of the superflue curyosyte of men.

 

Of great borowers, & slacke payers.

 

Of vnprofitable vowers & peticions.

 

Of negligent stodyers.

 

Of them that folvsshly speke ayenst the workes of god.

 

Of lewde Juges of others dedes.

 

Of pluralytees of benefyces.

 

Of synners that prolonge from daye to day to amende theyr myslyuyng.

 

Of men that ar Jelous.

 

Of auoutry, and specially of suche as ar bawdes to theyr wyues.

 

Of suche as nedys wyll contynue in theyr foly nat withstandynge holsom

erudicion.

 

An addicion of the secundaries of Otery saynt Mary, in Deuynshyre.

 

Of wrathfull folys.

 

Of the mutabylyte of fortune.

 

Of seke men inobedient.

 

Of to open councellers.

 

Of folys that can nat be ware by y^e mysfortune nor take example of others

damage.

 

Of folys that force or care for the bacbytynge of lewde people.

 

Of mockers and fals accusers.

 

Of them that despyse euerlastynge blys for worldly thynges & transitory.

 

Of talkers and makers of noyse in the Chirche of god.

 

Of folys that put them self in wylful ieopardy and peryll.

 

Of the way of felycyte, and godnes and the payne to come to synners.

 

Of olde folys y^t gyue example of vyce to youth negligent & vnexpert.

 

Of bodely lust or corporall voluptuosyte.

 

Of folys that can nat kepe secrete theyr owne counsell.

 

Of yonge folys that take olde wymen to theyr wyues nat for loue but for

ryches.

 

Of enuyous Folys.

 

Of impacient folys disdaynynge to abyde and suffer correccion, for theyr

profyte.

 

Of folysshe Fesicians vsynge theyr practyke without speculacyon.

 

Of the ende of worldly honour & power and of folys y^t trust in them.

 

An addicion of Alexander barclay.

 

Of predestinacyon.

 

Of folys that aply other mennys besynes leuynge theyr owne vndone.

 

Of the vyce of ingratytude or vnkyndnes and folys that vse it.

 

Of Folys that stande to moche in theyr owne conceyte.

 

Of folys that delyte them in daunsynge.

 

Of nyght watchers.

 

Of the vanyte of beggers.

 

[Illustration]

 

Alexander Barclay excusynge the rudenes of his translacion.

 

Go Boke: abasshe the thy rudenes to present.

To men auaunced to worshyp, and honour.

By byrthe or fortune: or to men eloquent.

By thy submyssion excuse thy Translatour.

But whan I remember the comon behauour

Of men: I thynke thou ought to quake for fere

Of tunges enuyous whose venym may the dere

 

Tremble, fere, and quake, thou ought I say agayne.

For to the Redar thou shewest by euydence

Thy selfe of Rethoryke pryuate and barayne

In speche superflue: and fruteles of sentence.

Thou playnly blamest without al difference

Bothe hye and lowe sparinge eche mannes name.

Therfore no maruayle thoughe many do the blame.

 

But if thou fortune to lye before a State

As Kynge or Prince or Lordes great or smal.

Or doctour diuyne or other Graduate

Be this thy Excuse to content theyr mynde withal

My speche is rude my termes comon and rural

And I for rude peple moche more conuenient.

Than for Estates, lerned men, or eloquent.

 

But of this one poynt thou nedest not to fere

That any goode man: vertuous and Just.

Wyth his yl speche shal the hurt or dere.

But the defende. As I suppose and trust.

But suche Unthriftes as sue theyr carnal lust

Whome thou for vyce dost sharply rebuke and blame

Shal the dysprayse: emperisshinge thy name.

 

An exhortacion of Alexander Barclay.

 

But ye that shal rede this boke: I you exhorte.

And you that ar herars therof also I pray

Where as ye knowe that ye be of this sorte:

Amende your lyfe and expelle that vyce away.

Slomber nat in syn. Amende you whyle ye may.

And yf ye so do and ensue Vertue and grace.

Wythin my Shyp ye get no rowme ne place.

 

Barclay the translatour tho the Foles.

 

To Shyp galantes the se is at the ful.

The wynde vs calleth our sayles ar displayed.

Where may we best aryue? at Lyn or els at Hulle?

To vs may no hauen