The Ship of Fools Part 36

A wyse man onely as we often fynde Is to be named moste ryche and of most myght Here thou his wordes and plant them in thy mynde And folowe the same for they ar sure and right.

Better is to endure, thoughe it be nat lyght To suffer a wyse man the sharply to repreue Than a flaterynge fole to clawe the by the sleue

Thoughe sharpe correccyon at the first the greue Thou shalt the ende therof fynde profytable It oft apereth, therfore I it byleue That man also forsoth is fortunable Whiche here in fere lyueth sure and stable And in this lyfe is clene of his intent Ferynge the sharpe payne of h.e.l.lys punysshement

He may hym selfe right happy call also Whiche is correct in his first tender age And so lernyth in goodes law to go And in his yocke, whiche doth all yll a.s.swage But these folys bydynge in theyr outrage Whiche of correccyon in this lyfe hath dysdayne May fere to be correct in h.e.l.l with endles payne

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye obstynate folys that often fall in vyce Howe longe shall ye kepe this frowarde ignoraunce Submyt your myndes, and so from synne aryse Let mekenes slake your mad mysgouernaunce Remember that worldly payne it greuaunce To be compared to h.e.l.l whiche hath no pere There is styll payne, this is a short penaunce Wherfore correct thy selfe whyle thou art here.

Of folysshe Fesycyans and vnlerned that onely folowe paractyke knowynge nought of the speculacyon of theyr faculte.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that a.s.sayeth the craft of medycyne Agaynst the seke and paynfull pacyent And hath no insyght cunnynge nor doctryne To gyue the seke, helth and amendement Suche is a fole, and of a mad intent To take on hym by Phesyke any cure Nat knowynge of man, nor herbe the right nature]

Yet be mo folys vpon the grounde and londe Whiche in our Shyp may clayme a rowme and place Suche be Phesycians that no thynge vnderstonde Wandrynge about in euery towne and place Uysytynge the seke whiche lyue in heuy case But nought they relefe of those paynes harde But gape alway after some great rewarde

Suche that haue practyse and nought of speculatyfe Whan they go vysyte some paynfull pacyent Whan they hym note sure to forgo his lyfe Without all hope of any amendement Yet say they other than is in theyr intent That his diseas is no thynge incurable So that the pacyent to hym be agreable

Sayth the Phesycyan whan he hath his rewarde Abyde a whyle tyll I my bokes ouer se Wherby I may relyue thy paynes harde Than from the pacyent homewarde departyth he To se his bokes but if the pacyent dye In that meane s.p.a.ce the medycyne is to late So may he lay it to his owne folysshe pate

The speculacion sholde he before haue sene For that in Phesyke is chefe and pryncypall, Yet many ar that vse the craft I wene Whiche of the cunnynge knowe lytell or nought at all A herbe or wede that groweth vpon a wall Beryth in it these folys medycyne.

None other bokes haue they nor doctryne

Nor none they rede to haue the true scyence Or perfyte knowlege and grounde of medycyne They rede no volumes of the experyence Of Podalirius nor Mesues doctryne Suche folys disdayne theyr myndes to enclyne Unto the doctryne of bokes of Auycen Of ypocras and parfyte galyen

But all the substance of theyr blynde faculte They take in bokes that speke of herbes only Without respect had to theyr properte Or operacion so often they them aply To fals doctrynes, but first and specyally These olde wyues therwith wyll haue to do Thoughe they nought knowe that doth belonge therto

They dare be bolde to take on them the cure Of them diseasyd howe be it that they nat can Suche thynge descerne as longyth to nature What is for woman good, and what for man So oft they ende moche wors than they began That the pore pacyent is so brought to his graue Yet dyuers suters suche folysshe wytches haue

Suche wytches boldly dare afferme and say That with one herbe they hele can euery sore Under euery syne plenete, houre and day Yet besyde this they boldly dare say more That it that helyth a man aged and h.o.r.e Shall helpe also a woman or a childe Thus many thousandes oft ar by them begyled

They say also in this our charge or cure What nedes it note the synes or fyrmament The cause of thynges, or the strength of nature Whether that the seke be stronge or impotent They gyue one medesyn to euery pacyent And if it fortune it be to colde or warme The faythles wytche in hande goth with hir scharme

Say folysshe Surgyan by what experyence Or whose Doctryne discyplyne or lore Takest thou on the, nought knowynge of scyence With one Salue or plaster, to heale euery sore Yet so thou thynkest, I the compare therfore Unto a lawyer that of his craft nought can And yet presumeth to counsell euery man

A lawer and a Phesician ar both lyke Of theyr condicion and both insue one trayne The one begylyth the pacyent and seke Takynge his G.o.d for to encreas his payne The other labours and cauteles oft doth fayne To clawe the coyne by craft from his clyent Castynge hym of whan all his good is spent

Thus thryues the lawer by anothers good Iniustly gotten, disceyuynge his clyent Also some other ar callyd Phesicians good Whiche vtterly disceyue the pacyent If he haue money than hath he his intent And if the seke haue store ynough to pay Than shall the cure be dryuen from day to day

So if the lawer may any auauntage wyn He shall the cause from terme to terme defarre The playntyf for a player is holde in.

With the defendaunt kepynge open warre So laweyers and Phesicians thousandes do marre And whan they no more can of theyr suers haue The playntyf beggyth, the seke is borne to graue

But of these lawyers bycause I spoke before Of folysshe Phesicians here onely I intende.

Somwhat to say: And of lawers no more On you Phesicians shall I conclude and ende I say no man may hym so well defende That he for murder may auoyde punysshement Yet may Phesicians, sleynge the pacient

Thus thou that of Phesycian hast the name If thou nought knowe of perfyte medycyne It is forsoth to thy rebuke and shame To boste the scyence: nat hauynge the doctryne Therfore I counsell that thou thy mynde inclyne To haue the cunnynge, els certaynly thou shall Haue thy blynde craft and lyue a fole with all.

THE ENUOY OF THE TRASLATOUR.

Thou blynde Phesician that of thy craft nought can Leue of thy lewdnes and bolde audacyte To take on the: the cure of chylde or man For by thy foly the wors myght they be And ye that suerly perceyue your faculte Be true therin, and auaryce from you cast Shame is to brynge a man to pouertye And than in paynes to leue hym at the last

Of the ende of worldly honour and power and of Folys that trust therein.

[Ill.u.s.tration: On erth was neuer degre so excellent Nor man so myghty: in ryches nor scyence But at the ende all hath ben gone and spent Agaynst the same no man can make defence Deth all thynge drawyth, ferefull is his presence, It is last ende of euery thynge mundayne Thus mannys fortune of cours is vncertayne]

O creatures of myndes mad and blynde I wonder of your hertis proude and eleuate Whiche on vayne power set so sore your mynde And trust so moche to your vnsure estate As of your lyfe were neyther yere nor date To worldly worshyp ye stedfastly intende As if your lyfe sholde neuer more come to ende

Alway ye labour to come to dignyte And oft by falshode your power to augment Alas fewe ar content with theyr degre But by extorcion spoyle the pore innocent On worldly treasour so set is theyr intent And styll to honour as besely to ascende As if theyr lyfe sholde neuer more come to ende

Take thou example by Julius cesar That of the worlde durynge a whyle was sure And many kynges subduyd by myght of warre And of the Empyre had lordshyp charge cure But this his myght great s.p.a.ce dyd nat endure And whyle he trustyd yet hyer to ascende By cruell deth he soon came to his ende

Right in lyke wyse the myghty Darius Was kynge of Persy a realme moche excellent Yet was his mynde so greatly couetus That with the same helde he hym nat content But warred on other Royalmes adiacent So whan his myght coude nat therto extende His owne Royalme he loste and so came to his ende

And also Xerxes in ryches abundant Was longe in peas and great tranquyllyte And in his Royalme was hye and tryumphant As longe as he was content with his degre Than had he pleasour and great felycyte.

To a.s.say by warre his kyngdome to amende But all he lost and so came to his ende

Whyle NabuG.o.donosor kynge of Babylone In vnsure fortune set to great confydence Commaundynge honour vnto hym to be done As vnto G.o.d: with all humble reuerence, G.o.d by his power and hye magnyfycence Made hym a beste, for that he dyd offende And so in proces of tyme came to his ende

Alexander the great and myghty conquerour To whome all the worlde scantly myght suffyse Of Grece was the origynall lorde and Emperour And all the worlde subdued as I surmyse Yet hath he done as is the comon gyse Left all behynde, for nought coude hym defende But as a symple man at the last came to his ende

The myghty Cresus with his kyngdomes and store Of golde and ryches hym selfe coude nat content But whyle he trustyd and laboured for more Fortune hym fayled: So lost he his intent.

What shall I wryte of Cyrus excellent Drynkynge his blode by deth whiche fortune sende To here of states the comon deth and ende

All kyngdomes dekay and all estate mundayne Example of Rome Cartago and Mycene Of Solyme Tyre grace and Troy moste souerayne None of these places ar nowe as they haue ben Nor none other ouer the worlde as I wene Thus shortly to speke and all to comprehende All worldly thynges at last shall haue an ende.

THE ENOUY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

O man that hast thy trust and confydence Fyxed on these frayle fantasyes mundayne Remember at the ende there is no difference Bytwene that man that lyued hath in payne And hym that hath in welth and ioy souerayne They both must dye their payne is of one sort Both ryche and pore, no man can deth refrayne For dethes dart expellyth all confort

Say where is Adam the fyrst progenytour Of all mankynde is he nat dede and gone And where is Abell of innocence the flour With adamys other sonnes euerychone A: dredfull deth of them hath left nat one Where is Mathusalem, and Tuball that was playne The first that played on Harpe or on Orgone _Ilz sont tous mortz ce monde est choce vayne_

Where is iust Noy and his ofsprynge become Where is Abraham and all his progeny As Isaac and Jacob, no strength nor wysdome Coude them ensure to lyue contynually Where is kynge Dauyd whome G.o.d dyd magnyfy And Salomon his son of wysdome souerayne Where ar his sonnes of wysdome and beauty _Ilz sont toutz mortz ce monde est choce vayne._

Where ar the prynces and kynges of Babylon And also of Jude and kynges of Israell Where is the myghty and valiant Sampson He had no place in this lyfe ay to dwell Where ar the Prynces myghty and cruell That rayned before Christ delyuered vs from payne And from the Dongeons of darke and ferefull h.e.l.l _Ilz sont toutz mortz ce monde est choce vayne._

Of worldly worsyp no man can hym a.s.sure In this our age whiche is the last of all No creature can here alway endure Yonge nor olde, pore man nor kynge royall Unstable fortune tourneth as doth a ball And they that ones pas can nat retourne agayne Wherfore I boldly dare speke in generall We all shall dye: _ce monde est choce vayne_.

Ryches nor wysdome can none therfro defende Ne in his strength no man can hym a.s.sure Say where is Tully is he nat come to ende Seneke the sage with Cato and Arture The hye Arystotyll of G.o.dly wyt and pure The glorious G.o.dfray, and myghty Charlemayne Thoughe of theyr lyfe they thought that they were sure Yet ar they all dede: _ce monde est choce vayne_.

Where ar the Phylosophers and Poetis lawreat The great Grammaryens and pleasant oratours.

Ar they nat dede after the same fourme and rate As ar all these other myghty conquerours Where ar theyr Royalmes theyr ryches and treasours Left to theyr heyres: and they be gone certayne And here haue left theyr riches and honours So haue they proued that this worlde is but vayne.

So I conclude bycause of breuyte That if one sought the worlde large and wyde Therin sholde be founde no maner of dere That can alway in one case suerly byde Strength, honour, riches cunnynge and beautye All these decay, dayly: thoughe we complayne _Omnia fert etas_, both helth and iolyte We all shall dye: _ce monde est choce vayne_.