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- Original Leaves from Famous Books
Original Leaves from Famous Books
Show more"Early in 1509, the translation of Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff by the English priest, Alexander Barclay, was first printed in England. This work of Barclay's called 'Ship of fooles of the world' is more a ship of fools of sixteenth century England than it is a translation of the earlier work. It presents an understanding of the poverty-stricken priest and court-ridden life of the common people during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Both the original author, Brant, and the translator, Barclay, held to the general design 'to ridicule the prevailing follies and vices of every rank and profession under the allegory of a ship freighted with fools. Fools are evil and malicious people to be displayed and scolded'. Barclay installs himself as a captain, 'I am the first fole of all the hole navy'. These writers found hundred and ten categories, even in those simple days, to ridicule. It is done in delightful verse. Zeydal states that this book 'played an important role in outmoding medieval allegory and mortality and in directing literature into the channels of the drama, the essay and the novel of character'. The woodcuts which added much to the popularity of Barclay?s translation are crude copies of those who appeared in the original Basle edition, often attributed to young Dürer" "John Cawood, who printed this second edition of the Ship of fooles in 1570, was appointed Royal Printer by Queen Mary in 1553. Strangely enough, he retained this lucrative post under Queen Elizabeth, who, however, made him share the honor and privileges of this title with another printer, Richard Jugge" (Ege, Otto F.)
Original Leaves from Famous Books
Otto F. Ege Collection
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