The Ship of Fools, Volume 1-2 - Sebastian Brant (thriller books to read TXT) 📗
- Author: Sebastian Brant
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What knowe these folys whether god omnypotent
Wyll graunt them to lyue vntyll another day.
Wherfore we ought to mende vs whyle we may.]
If vnto any almyghty god doth sende
From heuen aboue by inspyracion dyuyne
Wyll and gode mynde his synnes to amende
And with his grace his thoughtes enlumyne
If that synner wyll nat therto enclyne
But doth dyffer and dryue frome day to day
A fole he is, no wyse man wyll denay
Yet many folowe this inconuenience
And knowynge theyr owne vyce, and lyfe full of ordure
The payne therof, and howe euery offence
And synne is punysshed of eche creature
Also they knowe that theyr deth is vnsure
And dye they must knowynge no houre nor space
Yet synne they styll, nat receyuynge this grace
They folowe the crowes cry to theyr great sorowe
Cras cras cras to morowe we shall amende
And if we mende nat than, than shall we the next morowe
Outher shortly after, we shall no more offende
Amende mad fole whan god this grace doth sende
He is vnwyse whiche trustes the crowes songe
And that affermyth that he shall lyue so longe
Syns deth (as I haue sayde) is so vnstable
Wherfore we ought alway vs to prouyde
And mende our lyfe and synne abhomynable
For though that thou be hole at the euyn tyde
Thou knowest nat sure that thou shall here abyde
Untyll the morne but if thou dye in that space
It shall be to late for the to cry cras cras
Syns it is in thy power that thou may
Amende thy selfe whan god inspyreth the
Why shalt thou tary vnto another day
The longer tary the lesse apt shalt thou be.
In olde sores is grettest ieopardye
Whan costome and vse is tourned to nature
It is right harde to leue: I the ensure
Therfore if that thou lewdly fall in syn
By thy frayle flesshe, and the fals fendes trayne
Take nat the vse, contynue nat therin
But by confessyon shortly ryse agayne
Synne alway thretenyth vnto the doer, payne
And grutche of conscience with moche thought and wo
Yet alwaye ar we redy and prone therto
Mannys lyfe on erth is euyn a chyualry
Agaynst our flesshe fyghtyng whiche often doth vs shame
Also the deuyll our goostly ennemy
On his parte labours to get vs in his frame
Thus oft we fall, and than our foly blame
Repentynge sore, and wyllynge to refrayne
But within an houre we fall therto agayne
Thus euer to vyce ar we redy and prone
The gyftis of grace we clene from vs exclude
We haue great cause sore to complayne and mone
We leue that thynge (our myndes ar so rude)
That myght vs gyde to helth and beatytude
Thus our owne foly, and our owne blynde madnes
Us often ledyth vnto great wretchydnes
And if it fortune, that at any tyme
Within our myndes we purpose stedfastly
For to confesse our synne, excesse, or cryme
Agayne our thought is changyd by and by
Away than ren we with the crowys crye
With one cras, to morowe, perauenture twayne
Without regarde had, vnto infernall payne
But in the meane space if that deth vntretable
Arrest the with his mace, fyers and cruell
And for thy synne and lyfe abhomynable
By iustyce damme thy soule for euer to hell
Than woldest thou gladly (If thou myght) do well
But there is no grace but doloure payne and sorowe
Than is to late to crye cras cras to morowe
THE ENUOY OF THE ACTOUR.
Say what delyte, thou fole or what pleasoure
Takest thou in synne and voluptuosyte
It is small sothly, and passeth euery houre
Lyke to the water, and that in myserye
Therfore set nat in synne thy felycyte
This day begyn thy lewde lyfe to refuse
Perchaunce to morowe sholde be to late to the
So sholde cras the crwys songe the sore abuse
*
Of hym that is Jelous ouer his wyfe and
watcheth hir wayes without cause, or
euydent tokyn of hir myslyuynge.
[Illustration: He that his wyfe wyll counterwayte and watche
And feryth of hir lyuynge by his Jelowse intent
Is as great fole, as is that wytles wratche
That wolde kepe flees vnder the son feruent
Or in the se cast water, thynkynge it to augment
For thoughe he hir watche lockynge with lockys twayne
But if she kepe hir selfe his kepynge is but vayne]
Orestes was neuer so blynde and mad as is he
Whiche for his wyfe taketh thought and charge
Watchynge hir wayes, thoughe that she gyltles be
This fole styll fereth, if she be out at large
Lyst that some other his harnes sholde ouercharge
But for all his fere and carefull Jelowsy
If she be nought there is no remedy.
Thou fole I proue, thy watchynge helpeth nought
Thy labour lost is, thou takest this care in vayne
In vayne thou takest this Jelowsy and thought
In vayne thou sleest thy selfe with care and payne
And of one doute thou fole thou makest twayne
And neuer shalt fynde eas nor mery lyuynge
(Whyle thou thus lyuest) but hatered and chydynge
For locke hir fast and all hir lokes marke.
Note all hir steppys, and twynklynge of hir iye.
Ordeyne thy watchers and dogges for to barke
Bar fast thy dores and yet it wyll nat be
Close hir in a Toure with wallys stronge and hye
But yet thou fole thou lesist thy trauayle
For without she wyll no man can kepe hir tayle
And yet more ouer breche hir with plate and mayle
And for all that if she be nought of kynde
She shall disceyue the (If she lyst) without fayle
But if that she be chast of dede and mynde
Hir selfe shall she kepe, though thou hir neuer bynde
Thus they that ar chast of nature, wyll byde so
And nought wyll be nought what so euer thou do
Thus is it foly and causeth great debate
Bytwene man and wyfe, whan he by Jelowsy.
His wyfe suspectyth, and doth watche or counterwayt
Or hir mysdemyth and kepyth in stratly.
Wherfore me thynke it is best remedy
For hym that gladly wolde escape the hode
Nat to be Jelous: but honest lyuynge and gode
The toure of bras that callyd was darayne.
Coude nat the damsell (by name Danes) defende
But that Jupiter fonde a cautell and trayne
In a golden shoure into hir to discende
And to be short, at conclusyon and ende
This mayde for all this Toure was there defylyd.
And by this lorde was she there brought with childe
By this example it apereth euydent
That it is foly a woman to kepe or close
For if she be of lewde mynde or intent
Outher preuy or apert there about she goys
Deuysynge wayes with hir good man to glose
But specially if that he hir suspect
With a hode shall he vnwars be ouerdect
But in the worlde right many other be
Whiche neuer folowe this fals and lothly way
We haue example of one Penolope
Whiche though that she alone was many a day
Hir husbonde gone, and she vexed alway.
By other louers: yet was she euer trewe
Unto hir olde: and neuer changyd for newe
I fynde that often this folysshe Jelowsy
Of men; causyth some women to mysdo
Where as (were nat theyr husbondes blynde foly)
The pore wymen knowe nat what longyd therto
Wherfore suche men ar folys and mad also
And with theyr hodes whiche they them selfe purchace
Within my shyp shall haue a rowme and place
For where as perchaunce theyr wyfes ar chaste and goode
By mannys vnkyndnes they chaunge and turne theyr herte
So that the wyfe must nedes gyue them a hode
But to be playne some wymen ar esy to conuert
For if one take them where they can nat start.
What for theyr husbondes folysshe Jelowsy
And theyr owne pleasour: they scars can ought deny
THE ENUOY OF THE ACTOUR.
Therfore ye wymen lyue wysly and eschewe
These wanton wowers and suche wylde company
Get you gode name by sadnes and vertue
Haunt no olde quenys that nourysshe rybawdry
Than fere ye nat your husbondes Jelowsy
If ye be fawtles, chaste and innocent
But wanton wowers ar ful of flatery
Euer whan they labour for their intent.
Be meke, demure, bocsome, and obedyent,
Gyue none occasyon to men by your foly
If one ought asshe, deny it incontynent
And euer after auoyde his company
Beware of cornes, do nat your erys aply
To pleasaunt wordes nor letters eloquent
If that Helena had so done certaynly
She had nat ven rauysshed by handes violent
*
Of auoutry, and specially of them y^t ar
bawdes to their wyues, knowynge and
wyll nat knowe, but kepe counseyll, for
couetyse, and gaynes or auauntage.
[Illustration: A fole blynde, forsoth and wytles is that man
Whiche thoughe his wyfe openly defylyd be
Before his owne face, yet suche a chrafte he can
To fayne hym a slepe, nat wyllynge it to se
Or els he layeth his hande before his iye
And thoughe he here and se howe the mater gose
He snortynge slepyth, and wyll it nat disclose.]
O what disorder, what shame and what domage
Is nowe brought in, and right lykely to abyde
In the sacrament of holy mariage
The fere of payne and lawe is set a syde
Faythe is clene lost, and fewe them selfe do gyde
After theyr othe, but for lacke of punysshement.
They brake and despyse this dyuyne sacrament
Alas the lawe that Julius dyd ordeyne
Agaynst auoutry: is nowe a slepe or dede
None feryth iustyce punysshement nor payne
Both man and woman ar past all fere and drede
Theyr promes brekynge, without respect or hede
Had to theyr othe, by mariage solemnysed
The bed defylyd. the sacrament despysed
Many ar whiche thynke it is a thynge laudable
Anothers sponse to pullute and dyffame
And howe beit the synne is moche abhomynable
They fere nat god, nor dout nat worldly shame
But rather boldly they bost them of the same
They note no thynge the mortall punysshement
Taken on auoutrers in the olde testament
Yet is another thynge more lothsome and vyle
That many husbondes knowynge theyr wyues syn
Absent themselfe and stop theyr iyen the whyle
Kepynge the dore whyle the auoutrer is within
They forse no thynge so they may money wyn
Lyuynge as bawdes, and that to theyr owne wyues
O cursyd money, this madnes thou contryuys
O cursyd husbonde thou ought to be asshamyd
To set so great fors for syluer or for golde
That thou for them thy wyfe wyll se diffamyd
And helpe therto: ye: and the dede beholde
Blame it blynde dryuyll: by the lawe so thou sholde
And nat therat to gyggyll laghe and Jest
It is a lewde byrde that fyleth his owne nest
The Hystory of Atreus expressyth playne
Howe he (by his owne brother) for auoutry
Was dryuen from his royalme and his childre slayne
For his mysdede: without: let or remedy
These children thus bought theyr faders mad foly
What shall I wryte the wo and heuynes
Whiche Tarquyn had for rauysshynge lucres
I rede in the hystory of one Virginius
Whiche to thyntent this foule synne to eschewe
Whan his doughter was desyred by Clodius
And that by force; the fader his dowghter slewe
Bytwene the handes of Clodius vntrue
The fader answered (whan men his dede dyd blame)
Better is to dye chast: than longe to lyue in shame
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