shall holde me excused if ye consyder ye scarsnes of my wyt and my vnexpert youthe. I haue in many places ouerpassed dyuers poetical digressions and obscurenes of Fables and haue concluded my worke in rude langage as shal apere in my translacion. But the speciyl cawse that mouethe me to this besynes is to auoyde the execrable inconuenyences of ydilnes whyche (as saint Bernard sayth) is moder of al vices: and to the vtter derision of obstynat men delitynge them in folyes and mysgouernance. But bycause the name of this boke semeth to the redar to procede of derysion: and by that mean that the substance therof shulde nat be profitable: I wyl aduertise you that this Boke is named the Shyp of foles of the worlde: For this worlde is nought els but a tempestous se in the whiche we dayly wander and are caste in dyuers tribulacions paynes and aduersitees: some by ignoraunce and some by wilfulnes: wherfore suche doers ar worthy to be called foles. syns they gyde them nat by reason as creatures resonable ought to do. Therfore the fyrst actoure willynge to deuyde suche foles from wysemen and gode lyuers: hathe ordeyned vpon the se of this worlde this present Shyp to contayne these folys of ye worlde, whiche ar in great nomber. So that who redeth it perfytely consyderynge his secrete dedys, he shall not lyghtly excuse hym selfe out of it, what so euer good name y^t he hath outwarde in the mouth of the comontye, And to the entent y^t this my laboure may be the more pleasaunt vnto lettred men, I haue adioyned vnto the same ye verses of my Actour with dyuerse concordaunces of the Bybyll to fortyfy my wrytynge by the same, and also to stop the enuyous mouthes (If any suche shal be) of them that by malyce shall barke ayenst this my besynes. * * * * * Here begynneth the foles and first inprofytable bokes. [Illustration: I am the firste fole of all the hole nauy To kepe the pompe, the helme and eke the sayle For this is my mynde, this one pleasoure haue I Of bokes to haue grete plenty and aparayle I take no wysdome by them: nor yet auayle Nor them preceyue nat: And then I them despyse Thus am I a foole and all that sewe that guyse] That in this shyp the chefe place I gouerne By this wyde see with folys wanderynge The cause is playne, and easy to dyscerne Styll am I besy bokes assemblynge For to haue plenty it is a plesaunt thynge In my conceyt and to haue them ay in honde But what they mene do I nat vnderstonde But yet I haue them in great reuerence And honoure sauynge them from fylth and ordure By often brusshynge, and moche dylygence Full goodly bounde in pleasaunt couerture Of domas, satyn, or els of veluet pure I kepe them sure ferynge lyst they sholde be lost For in them is the connynge wherin I me bost.