The Ship of Fools Part 26

Thus sholde thou pray thou wretche both day and nyght With herte and mynde vnto thy creatoure: And nought by foly to a.s.she agaynst right To hurte or losse to thy frende or neyghboure Nor to thy fo by yll wyll or rygoure But if G.o.d to thy prayers alway sholde enclyne Oft sholde come great sorowe to the and to all thyne

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Man clere thy mynde or thou begyn to pray Els though thy prayer be iust it is but vayne And kepe togyther thy hurte and tonge alway Or els doutles thou lesest all thy payne From lewde peticions thy mynde thou ought refrayne If thou desyre yll to thy fo by malyce At thy peticion G.o.d shall haue dysdayne For though thou be wrothe G.o.d is nat in lyke wyse

Of vnprofytable stody.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He that vayne stody doth haunt or exercyse And lesyth his tyme, of fruyte voyde and barayne Resortynge to ryot whiche cunnynge doth dispyse And that of doctryne (in maner) hath disdayne Suche shall in age of his madnes complayne And seynge that he lesyth his tyme thus in foly Let hym come to our folysshe company.]

Nowe in this Nauy many them selfe present Of this our roylame and from beyond the see Whiche in theyr stody or lewde and neglygent Lesynge theyr tyme at the vnyuersyte Yet count they them selfe of great auctoryte With theyr proude hodes on theyr neckes hangynge They haue the lawde: but other haue the cunnynge

They thynke that they haue all scyence perfytely Within theyr hertes bostynge them of the same Though they therto theyr mynde dyd neuer aply Without the thynge, they ioy them of the name But suche mad folys to theyr great losse and shame Whyle they sholde norysshe theyr myndes with science They seke theyr pleasour, gyuen to neglygence

They wander in euery inconuenyence From strete to strete, from tauerne to tauerne But namely youth, foloweth all offence No thynge intendynge the profyte to dyscerne Nor fruyte of cunnynge wherby they myght gouerne Them selfe by reason, but suche thynges they ensue Wherby they neyther get good maners nor vertne

But he that intendeth to come to the science And G.o.dly wysdome of our elders: certayne.

He must sore stody, for without dilygence And besy laboure no man can it obtayne None ought to cesse: though it firste be a payne.

In good perseueraunce getteth great ryches Where no good cometh by sleuthfull ydelnes.

But moste I marueyll of other folys blynde Whiche in dyuers scyencis ar fast laborynge Both daye and nyght with all theyr herte and mynde But of gramer knowe they lytyll or no thynge Whiche is the grounde of all lyberall cunnynge Yet many ar besy in Logyke and in lawe Whan all theyr gramer is skarsly worth a strawe

If he haue onys red the olde dotrinall With his diffuse and vnparfyte breuyte He thynketh to haue sene the poyntis of grammer all.

And yet of one errour he maketh two or thre Precyan or sulpice disdayneth he to se Thus many whiche say that they theyr grammer can Ar als great folys as whan they firste began

One with his speche rounde tournynge lyke a whyle Of logyke the knottis doth lows and vndo In hande with his sylogysimes, and yet doth he fele No thynge what it menyth, nor what longeth therto Nowe sortes currit: Nowe is in hande plato Another comyth in with bocardo and pheryson And out goeth agayne a fole in conclusyon

There is nought else but Est and non est Blaberynge and chydynge, as it were beawlys wyse They argue nought els but to proue man a beest h.o.m.o est Asinus is cause of moche stryfe Thus pa.s.se forth these folys the dayes of theyr lyfe In two syllabis, not gyuynge aduertence To other cunnynge doctryne, nor scyence.

I wyll nat say but that it is expedyent The to knowe of Logyke the chrafte and connynge For by argument it maketh euydent Moche obscurenes, somtyme enlumynynge The mynde: and sharpynge the wyt in many a thynge But oft yet by it a thynge playne bryght and pure Is made diffuse, vnknowen harde and obscure

It is ynoughe therof to knowe the grounde And nat therin to wast all thy lyfe holly Styll grutchynge lyke vnto the frogges sounde Or lyke the chaterynge of the folysshe pye If one afferme the other wyll deny Sophestry nor Logyke with their art talcatyfe Shewe nat the way vnto the boke of lyfe

With suche folyes tender youth is defylyd And all theyr dayes on them they set delyte But G.o.dly doctryne is from theyr myndes exylyd Whiche sholde the body and soule also profyte They take no layser, pleasur nor respyte To other scyences, pleasaunt and profytable But without ende in one thynge chat and bable

One rennyth to almayne another vnto fraunce To parys padway Lumbardy or spayne Another to Bonony, Rome or orleance To cayne, to Tolows, Athenys or Colayne And at the last retournyth home agayne More ignorant, blynder and gretter folys Than they were whan they firste went to the scolys

One bostynge the name of a lawer or deuyne His proude hode hye vpon his stately necke: Thus muste a G.o.de clerke vnto a foule enclyne Lowt with the body and with obedyence becke And thoughe it tourne to theyr rebuke and checke Yet nowe a dayes ouer many suche there be.

Whiche in stede of cunnynge vseth audacyte

The hode must answere for the follysshe student Theyr tyme hath ben lost frutles and barayne.

Theyr frendes G.o.des on suche folyes ar spent To their damage thought hunger and payne: Thus to conclude: me thynke it is but vayne The frendes to labour the dayes of theyr lyue To spare for suche scolers whiche shall neuer thryue

The great foly, the pryde, and the enormyte Of our studentis, and theyr obstynate errour Causeth me to wryte two sentences or thre More than I fynde wrytyn in myne actoure The tyme hath ben whan I was conductoure Of moche foly, whiche nowe my mynde doth greue Wherfor of this shyp syns I am gouernoure.

I dare be bolde myne owne vyce to repreue

Howe be it I knowe my wordes shall suche greue As them selfe knoweth fawty and culpable But if they be wroth: take they me by the sleue For they shall bere the hode and I wyll the bable: But firste ye studentis that ar of mynde vnstable Ye wasters and getters by nyght in felde or towne Within my Nauy wolde I set you to a cable If I not fered lyst ye your selfe wolde drowne

Also I fere lyst my shyp sholde synke for syn If that Cupido and Uenus seruytours On the vnsure se my shyp entred within Or all the folys promotyd to honours I none receyue can of hye progenytours My shyp is nat dressyd for them conuenyent And to I fere lyst theyr cruell rygours: Sholde rayse to my shyp some tempest or tourment

THENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Fy studentis clens your myndes of this cryme Gyue ones your hertis to parfyte dylygence Howe longe in Idelnes, wyll ye lese your tyme In pryde and ryot, with all other offence Alas what profyte get ye by neglygence But spende your goodes in all iniquyte And where your frendes thynke, ye labour for scyence: Ye lese your tyme bryngynge them to pouertee

Leue of suche stody as is vnprofytable Without fruyte outher G.o.dly discyplyne And gyue your myndes to scyences lawdable Where ye may your herte set and inclyne: To Arystotyls or Platoys doctryne And nat alway on logyke or Sophestry I wyll nat say but it is a thynge dyuyne And moche worth to knowe Phylosophy

Of them that folysshly speke agaynst the workes of G.o.d.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Here note we fowlys whiche can nat be content With G.o.ddes worke, and ordynaunce dyuyne Thynkynge theyr owne wyll moche more expedyent Nat wyllynge theyr myndes to his wyll to enclyne But suche folys often sholde come to ruyne And wo with sorowe and losse sholde they fynde If G.o.d sholde conforme his workes to theyr mynde]

He is a fole and laboreth in vayne: Whiche with small brondes of fyre flamynge bryght Entendyth with laboure besynes and payne Of the shynynge sonne for to encrease the lyght Suche one a.s.sayeth a thynge pa.s.synge his myght And is a fole to set thought or delyte To mende that thynge whiche G.o.d hath made perfyte

But yet is he a moche gretter fole truely Whiche wyll correct that thynge whiche G.o.d hath done And doth nat his herte his wyll and mynde aply To G.o.ddes workes and deuyne prouysyon Of all other maddest is his condycion And more frantyfe forsoth I may hym call Than they that ar vext with furyes infernall:

(Thou fole) the myght of G.o.d omnipotent In vertue and wysdome so largely doth extende His maiesty, and power is so excellent His glorious G.o.dhede his workes doth defende So that no mortall man can them amende Wenest thou mad fole that thou amende cannest ought That he hath done: whiche made all thynge of nought

He that hath made the heuen and firmament The londe, the se, and euery other thynge Is so discrete, so wyse, and prouydent Before his presence parfytely seynge All thynge to come that neuer hath had beynge His workes and dedys ar so perfyte and ryght That none can increas nor yet decreas his myght

He doth all thynge dispose moderate and dispence Knowynge our mynde, and what is to vs most mete All thynge is open and playne in his presence Our inwarde thought must he nedes knowe and wete And euery fortune is playne before his fete He hath all thynge by lawe and order drest And doth no thynge but it is for the best

Therfore whether he gyue thunder snowe or rayne Wynde or wether, tempest or tourment Frost lyghtnynge, fayre wether, outher storme sodayne Mystes or clowdes, yet man sholde be content And nat with worde nouther inwarde intent Agaynst G.o.d grutche, but euery day and houre Magnyfye the dedys of G.o.d his creatoure

It were moche better thou fole that thou were dome Than to cast lewde wordes agaynst thy lorde in vayne Thou fole he worketh no thynge but by wysedome And yet art thou nat content but dost complayne Thou sekest vengeaunce (for thy synne) and payne In h.e.l.l for euer, thynkynge thy selfe so wyse To teche thy G.o.d, and his warke to dispyse

It is nat lawfull for any, hye nor lowe To be so bolde so blynde or so cruell Grutchynge wordes agaynst his G.o.d to throwe Thughe to theyr plaseour a thynge nat fortune well Take example by the children of Israell Whiche oft for this synne suffred great payne and wo Slayne and distroyed, so haue ben many mo

Many a lewde body without wysdome or rede Grutche in theyr myndes, and openly do blame Almyghy G.o.d, whan theyr children ar dede Where rather they ought to enioye of the same For it myght fortune that great rebuke and shame Myght to theyr frendes haue come by theyr synne and cryme Soone after: if they had nat dyed at that tyme

Wherfore this one clause is my conclusyon That G.o.d our maker is wyse and prouydent Blame nat his workes by thyne abusyon For all that he doth is for the best intent But if that G.o.d sholde alwaye a.s.sent To our desyres and euer perfourme our wyll Our owne requestis sholde tourne vs to great yll

ALEXANDER BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

O ye mad myndes that no thynge vnderstonde O man presumptuous and vn.o.bedyent Howe darest thou be so bolde to take on honde To repreue the workes of G.o.d omnipotent Wylt thou hym teche, as more wyse and prouydent Than he is (whiche made all thynge of nought) Leue of this thy foly, and holde thy selfe content For thou art a fole to set theron thy thought

Of them that gyue jugement on other.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that reputyth hym selfe iust and fawtles Of maners G.o.de, and of lyuynge commendable.

And iugeth other (parchaunce that ar gyltles) To be of a condicion reprouable Hymselfe nat notynge, thoughe that he were culpable He is a fole, and onys shall haue a fall Syns he wyll other iuge, hym selfe yet worst of all.]

Many fallyth in great peryll and damage And greuous deth by the vyce of folysshnes Perseuerantly bydynge in theyr outrage Theyr soule infect with synne and viciousnes And though that deth hym alway to them addres Yet hope they in longe lyfe and prosperyte And neuer a.s.swageth theyr blynde iniquyte