In Praise of Folly

But to the point under a fortunate direction. Ecclesiastes says in his first chapter, “The number of

fools is infinite;” and when he calls it infinite, does he not seem to comprehend all men, unless it

be some few whom yet ’tis a question whether any man ever saw? But more ingeniously does

Jeremiah in his tenth chapter confess it, saying, “Every man is made a fool through his own wisdom;”

attributing wisdom to God alone and leaving folly to all men else, and again, “Let not man glory

in his wisdom.” And why, good Jeremiah, would you not have a man glory in his wisdom? Because,

he’ll say, he has none at all. But to return to Ecclesiastes, who, when he cries out, “Vanity of

vanities, all is vanity!” what other thoughts had he, do you believe, than that, as I said before, the

life of man is nothing else but an interlude of folly? In which he has added one voice more to that

justly received praise of Cicero’s which I quoted before, viz., “All things are full of fools.” Again,

that wise preacher that said, “A fool changes as the moon, but a wise man is permanent as the sun,”

what else did he hint at in it but that all mankind are fools and the name of wise only proper to

God? For by the moon interpreters understand human nature, and by the sun, God, the only fountain

of light; with which agrees that which Christ himself in the Gospel denies, that anyone is to be

called good but one, and that is God. And then if he is a fool that is not wise, and every good man

according to the Stoics is a wise man, it is no wonder if all mankind be concluded under folly.

Again Solomon, Chapter 15, “Foolishness,” says he, “is joy to the fool,” thereby plainly confessing

that without folly there is no pleasure in life. To which is pertinent that other, “He that increases

knowledge, increases grief; and in much understanding there is much indignation.” And does he

not plainly confess as much, Chapter 7, “The heart of the wise is where sadness is, but the heart of

fools follows mirth”? by which you see, he thought it not enough to have learned wisdom without

he had added the knowledge of me also. And if you will not believe me, take his own words, Chapter

1, ’’I gave my heart to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly.” Where, by the way, ’tis

worth your remark that he intended me somewhat extraordinary that he named me last. A preacher

wrote it, and this you know is the order among churchmen, that he that is first in dignity comes last

in place, as mindful, no doubt, whatever they do in other things, herein at least to observe the

evangelical precept.

Besides, that folly is more excellent than wisdom the son of Sirach, whoever he was, clearly

witnesses, Chapter 44, whose words, so help me, Hercules! I shall not once utter before you meet

my induction with a suitable answer, according to the manner of those in Plato that dispute with

Socrates. What things are more proper to be laid up with care, such as are rare and precious, or

such as are common and of no account? Why do you give me no answer? Well, though you should

dissemble, the Greek proverb will answer for you, “Foul water is thrown out of doors;” which, if

any man shall be so ungracious as to condemn, let him know ’tis Aristotle’s, the god of our masters.

Is there any of you so very a fool as to leave jewels and gold in the street? In truth, I think not; in

the most secret part of your house; nor is that enough; if there be any drawer in your iron chests

more private than other, there you lay them; but dirt you throw out of doors. And therefore, if you

so carefully lay up such things as you value and throw away what’s vile and of no worth, is it not

plain that wisdom, which he forbids a man to hide, is of less account than folly, which he commands

him to cover? Take his own words, “Better is the man that hideth his folly than he that hideth his

wisdom.” Or what is that, when he attributes an upright mind without craft or malice to a fool,

when a wise man the while thinks no man like himself? For so I understand that in his tenth chapter,

“A fool walking by the way, being a fool himself, supposes all men to be fools like him.” And is

45

Desiderius Erasmus

In Praise of Folly

---

it not a sign of great integrity to esteem every man as good as himself, and when there is no one

that leans not too much to other way, to be so frank yet as to divide his praises with another? Nor

was this great king ashamed of the name when he says of himself that he is more foolish than any

man. Nor did Paul, that great doctor of the Gentiles, writing to the Corinthians, unwillingly

acknowledge it; “I speak,” says he, “like a fool. I am more.” As if it could be any dishonor to excel

in folly.

But here I meet with a great noise of some that endeavor to peck out the crows’ eyes; that is, to

blind the doctors of our times and smoke out their eyes with new annotations; among whom my

friend Erasmus, whom for honor’s sake I often mention, deserves if not the first place yet certainly

the second. O most foolish instance, they cry, and well becoming Folly herself! The apostle’s

meaning was wide enough from what you dream; for he spoke it not in this sense, that he would

have them believe him a greater fool than the rest, but when he had said, “They are ministers of

Christ, the same am I,” and by way of boasting herein had equaled himself with to others, he added

this by way of correction or checking himself, “I am more,” as meaning that he was not only equal

to the rest of the apostles in the work of the Gospel, but somewhat superior. And therefore, while

he would have this received as a truth, lest nevertheless it might not relish their ears as being spoken

with too much arrogance, he foreshortened his argument with the vizard of folly, “I speak like a

fool,” because he knew it was the prerogative of fools to speak what they like, and that too without

offense. Whatever he thought when he wrote this, I leave it to them to discuss; for my own part, I

follow those fat, fleshy, and vulgarly approved doctors, with whom, by Jupiter! a great part of the

learned had rather err than follow them that understand the tongues, though they are never so much

in the right. Not any of them make greater account of those smatterers at Greek than if they were

daws. Especially when a no small professor, whose name I wittingly conceal lest those choughs

should chatter at me that Greek proverb I have so often mentioned, “an ass at a harp,” discoursing

magisterially and theologically on this text, “I speak as a fool, I am more,” drew a new thesis; and,

which without the height of logic he could never have done, made this new subdivision—for I’ll

give you his own words, not only in form but matter also—“I speak like a fool,” that is, if you look

upon me as a fool for comparing myself with those false apostles, I shall seem yet a greater fool

by esteeming myself before them; though the same person a little after, as forgetting himself, runs

off to another matter.

But why do I thus staggeringly defend myself with one single instance? As if it were not the common

privilege of divines to stretch heaven, that is Holy Writ, like a cheverel; and when there are many

things in St. Paul that thwart themselves, which yet in their proper place do well enough if there

be any credit to be given to St. Jerome that was master of five tongues. Such was that of his at

Athens when having casually espied the inscription of that altar, he wrested it into an argument to

prove the Christian faith, and leaving out all the other words because they made against him, took

notice only of the two last, viz., “To the unknown God;” and those too not without some alteration,

for the whole inscription was thus: “To the Gods of Asia, Europe, and Africa; To the unknown and

strange Gods.” And according to his example do the sons of the prophets, who, forcing out here

and there four or five expressions and if need be corrupting the sense, wrest it to their own purpose;

though what goes before and follows after make nothing to the matter in hand, nay, be quite against

46

Desiderius Erasmus

In Praise of Folly

---