In Praise of Folly

And again, when Christ gives Him thanks that He had concealed the mystery of salvation from the

wise, but revealed it to babes and sucklings, that is to say, fools. For the Greek word for babes is

fools, which he opposes to the word wise men. To this appertains that throughout the Gospel you

find him ever accusing the Scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the law, but diligently defending

the ignorant multitude (for what other is that “Woe to ye Scribes and Pharisees” than woe to you,

you wise men?), but seems chiefly delighted in little children, women, and fishers. Besides, among

brute beasts he is best pleased with those that have least in them of the foxes’ subtlety. And therefore

he chose rather to ride upon an ass when, if he had pleased, he might have bestrode the lion without

danger. And the Holy Ghost came down in the shape of a dove, not of an eagle or kite. Add to this

that in Scripture there is frequent mention of harts, hinds, and lambs; and such as are destined to

eternal life are called sheep, than which creature there is not anything more foolish, if we may

believe that proverb of Aristotle “sheepish manners,” which he tells us is taken from the foolishness

of that creature and is used to be applied to dull-headed people and lack-wits. And yet Christ

professes to be the shepherd of this flock and is himself delighted with the name of a lamb; according

to Saint John, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Of which also there is much mention in the Revelation.

And what does all this drive at, but that all mankind are fools—nay, even the very best?

And Christ himself, that he might the better relieve this folly, being the wisdom of the Father, yet

in some manner became a fool when taking upon him the nature of man, he was found in shape as

a man; as in like manner he was made sin that he might heal sinners. Nor did he work this cure any

other way than by the foolishness of the cross and a company of fat apostles, not much better, to

whom also he carefully recommended folly but gave them a caution against wisdom and drew them

together by the example of little children, lilies, mustard-seed, and sparrows, things senseless and

inconsiderable, living only by the dictates of nature and without either craft or care. Besides, when

he forbade them to be troubled about what they should say before governors and straightly charged

them not to inquire after times and seasons, to wit, that they might not trust to their own wisdom

but wholly depend on him. And to the same purpose is it that that great Architect of the World,

God, gave man an injunction against his eating of the Tree of Knowledge, as if knowledge were

the bane of happiness; according to which also, St. Paul disallows it as puffing up and destructive;

whence also St. Bernard seems in my opinion to follow when he interprets that mountain whereon

Lucifer had fixed his habitation to be the mountain of knowledge.

Nor perhaps ought I to omit this other argument, that Folly is so gracious above that her errors are

only pardoned, those of wise men never. Whence it is that they that ask forgiveness, though they

offend never so wittingly, cloak it yet with the excuse of folly. So Aaron, in Numbers, if I mistake

not the book, when he sues unto Moses concerning his sister’s leprosy, “I beseech thee, my Lord,

not to lay this sin upon us, which we have foolishly committed.” So Saul makes his excuse of

David, “For behold,” says he, “I did it foolishly.” And again, David himself thus sweetens God,

“And therefore I beseech thee, O Lord, to take away the trespass of thy servant, for I have done

foolishly,” as if he knew there was no pardon to be obtained unless he had colored his offense with

folly and ignorance. And stronger is that of Christ upon the cross when he prayed for his enemies,

“Father, forgive them,” nor does he cover their crime with any other excuse than that of

unwittingness—because, says he, “they know not what they do.” In like manner Paul, writing to

Timothy, “But therefore I obtained mercy, for that I did it ignorantly through unbelief.” And what

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is the meaning of “I did it ignorantly” but that I did it out of folly, not malice? And what of

“Therefore I received mercy” but that I had not obtained it had I not been made more allowable

through the covert of folly? For us also makes that mystical Psalmist, though I remembered it not

in its right place, “Remember not the sins of my youth nor my ignorances.” You see what two

things he pretends, to wit, youth, whose companion I ever am, and ignorances, and that in the plural

number, a number of multitude, whereby we are to understand that there was no small company

of them.

But not to run too far in that which is infinite. To speak briefly, all Christian religion seems to have

a kind of alliance with folly and in no respect to have any accord with wisdom. Of which if you

expect proofs, consider first that boys, old men, women, and fools are more delighted with religious

and sacred things than others, and to that purpose are ever next the altars; and this they do by mere

impulse of nature. And in the next place, you see that those first founders of it were plain, simple

persons and most bitter enemies of learning. Lastly there are no sort of fools seem more out of the

way than are these whom the zeal of Christian religion has once swallowed up; so that they waste

their estates, neglect injuries, suffer themselves to be cheated, put no difference between friends

and enemies, abhor pleasure, are crammed with poverty, watchings, tears, labors, reproaches, loathe

life, and wish death above all things; in short, they seem senseless to common understanding, as if

their minds lived elsewhere and not in their own bodies; which, what else is it than to be mad? For

which reason you must not think it so strange if the apostles seemed to be drunk with new wine,

and if Paul appeared to Festus to be mad.

But now, having once gotten on the lion’s skin, go to, and I’ll show you that this happiness of

Christians, which they pursue with so much toil, is nothing else but a kind of madness and folly;

far be it that my words should give any offense, rather consider my matter. And first, the Christians

and Platonists do as good as agree in this, that the soul is plunged and fettered in the prison of the

body, by the grossness of which it is so tied up and hindered that it cannot take a view of or enjoy

things as they truly are; and for that cause their master defines philosophy to be a contemplation

of death, because it takes off the mind from visible and corporeal objects, than which death does

no more. And therefore, as long as the soul uses the organs of the body in that right manner it ought,

so long it is said to be in good state and condition; but when, having broken its fetters, it endeavors

to get loose and assays, as it were, a flight out of that prison that holds it in, they call it madness;

and if this happen through any distemper or indisposition of the organs, then, by the common

consent of every man, ’tis downright madness. And yet we see such kind of men foretell things to

come, understand tongues and letters they never learned before, and seem, as it were, big with a

kind of divinity. Nor is it to be doubted but that it proceeds from hence, that the mind, being

somewhat at liberty from the infection of the body, begins to put forth itself in its native vigor. And

I conceive ’tis from the same cause that the like often happens to sick men a little before their death,

that they discourse in strain above mortality as if they were inspired. Again, if this happens upon

the score of religion, though perhaps it may not be the same kind of madness, yet ’tis so near it that

a great many men would judge it no better, especially when a few inconsiderable people shall differ

from the rest of the world in the whole course of their life. And therefore it fares with them as,

according to the fiction of Plato, happens to those that being cooped up in a cave stand gaping with

admiration at the shadows of things; and that fugitive who, having broke from them and returning

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to them again, told them he had seen things truly as they were, and that they were the most mistaken

in believing there was nothing but pitiful shadows. For as this wise man pitied and bewailed their

palpable madness that were possessed with so gross an error, so they in return laughed at him as a

doting fool and cast him out of their company. In like manner the common sort of men chiefly

admire those things that are most corporeal and almost believe there is nothing beyond them.

Whereas on the contrary, these devout persons, by how much the nearer anything concerns the

body, by so much more they neglect it and are wholly hurried away with the contemplation of

things invisible. For the one give the first place to riches, the next to their corporeal pleasures,

leaving the last place to their soul, which yet most of them do scarce believe, because they can’t

see it with their eyes. On the contrary, the others first rely wholly on God, the most unchangeable

of all things; and next him, yet on this that comes nearest him, they bestow the second on their soul;

and lastly, for their body, they neglect that care and condemn and flee money as superfluity that

may be well spared; or if they are forced to meddle with any of these things, they do it carelessly

and much against their wills, having as if they had it not, and possessing as if they possessed it not.

There are also in each several things several degrees wherein they disagree among themselves. And

first as to the senses, though all of them have more or less affinity with the body, yet of these some

are more gross and blockish, as tasting, hearing, seeing, smelling, touching; some more removed

from the body, as memory, intellect, and the will. And therefore to which of these the mind applies

itself, in that lies its force. But holy men, because the whole bent of their minds is taken up with

those things that are most repugnant to these grosser senses, they seem brutish and stupid in the

common use of them. Whereas on the contrary, the ordinary sort of people are best at these, and

can do least at the other; from whence it is, as we have heard, that some of these holy men have by

mistake drunk oil for wine. Again, in the affections of the mind, some have a greater commerce

with the body than others, as lust, desire of meat and sleep, anger, pride, envy; with which holy

men are at irreconcilable enmity, and contrary, the common people think there’s no living without

them. And lastly there are certain middle kind of affections, and as it were natural to every man,

as the love of one’s country, children, parents, friends, and to which the common people attribute

no small matter; whereas the other strive to pluck them out of their mind: unless insomuch as they

arrive to that highest part of the soul, that they love their parents not as parents—for what did they

get but the body? though yet we owe it to God, not them—but as good men or women and in whom

shines the image of that highest wisdom which alone they call the chiefest good, and out of which,

they say, there is nothing to be beloved or desired.

And by the same rule do they measure all things else, so that they make less account of whatever

is visible, unless it be altogether contemptible, than of those things which they cannot see. But they

say that in Sacraments and other religious duties there is both body and spirit. As in fasting they

count it not enough for a man to abstain from eating, which the common people take for an absolute

fast, unless there be also a lessening of his depraved affections: as that he be less angry, less proud,

than he was wont, that the spirit, being less clogged with its bodily weight, may be the more intent

upon heavenly things. In like manner, in the Eucharist, though, say they, it is not to be esteemed

the less that ’tis administered with ceremonies, yet of itself ’tis of little effect, if not hurtful, unless

that which is spiritual be added to it, to wit, that which is represented under those visible signs.

Now the death of Christ is represented by it, which all men, vanquishing, abolishing, and, as it

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were, burying their carnal affections, ought to express in their lives and conversations that they

may grow up to a newness of life and be one with him and the same one among another. This a

holy man does, and in this is his only meditation. Whereas on the contrary, the common people

think there’s no more in that sacrifice than to be present at the altar and crowd next it, to have a

noise of words and look upon the ceremonies. Nor in this alone, which we only proposed by way

of example, but in all his life, and without hypocrisy, does a holy man fly those things that have

any alliance with the body and is wholly ravished with things eternal, invisible, and spiritual. For

which cause there’s so great contrarity of opinion between them, and that too in everything, that

each party thinks the other out of their wits; though that character, in my judgment, better agrees

with those holy men than the common people: which yet will be more clear if, as I promised, I

briefly show you that that great reward they so much fancy is nothing else but a kind of madness.

And therefore suppose that Plato dreamed of somewhat like it when he called the madness of lovers

the most happy condition of all others. For he that’s violently in love lives not in his own body but

in the thing he loves; and by how much the farther he runs from himself into another, by so much

the greater is his pleasure. And then, when the mind strives to rove from its body and does not

rightly use its own organs, without doubt you may say ’tis downright madness and not be mistaken,

or otherwise what’s the meaning of those common sayings, “He does not dwell at home,” “Come

to yourself,” “He’s his own man again”? Besides, the more perfect and true his love is, the more

pleasant is his madness. And therefore, what is that life hereafter, after which these holy minds so

pantingly breathe, like to be? To wit, the spirit shall swallow up the body, as conqueror and more

durable; and this it shall do with the greater ease because heretofore, in its lifetime, it had chanced

and thinned it into such another nothing as itself. And then the spirit again shall be wonderfully

swallowed up by the highest mind, as being more powerful than infinite parts; so that the whole

man is to be out of himself nor to be otherwise happy in any respect, but that being stripped of

himself, he shall participate of somewhat ineffable from that chiefest good that draws all things

into itself. And this happiness though ’tis only then perfected when souls being joined to their

former bodies shall be made immortal, yet forasmuch as the life of holy men is nothing but a

continued meditation and, as it were, shadow of that life, it so happens that at length they have

some taste or relish of it; which, though it be but as the smallest drop in comparison of that fountain

of eternal happiness, yet it far surpasses all worldly delight, though all the pleasures of all mankind

were all joined together. So much better are things spiritual than things corporeal, and things

invisible than things visible; which doubtless is that which the prophet promises: “The eye hath

not seen, nor the ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to consider what God has provided

for them that love Him.” And this is that Mary’s better part which is not taken away by change of

life, but perfected.

And therefore they that are sensible of it, and few there are to whom this happens, suffer a kind of

somewhat little differing from madness; for they utter many things that do not hang together, and

that too not after the manner of men but make a kind of sound which they neither heed themselves,

nor is it understood by others, and change the whole figure of their countenance, one while jocund,

another while dejected, now weeping, then laughing, and again sighing. And when they come to

themselves, tell you they know not where they have been, whether in the body or out of the body,

or sleeping; nor do they remember what they have heard, seen, spoken, or done, and only know

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this, as it were in a mist or dream, that they were the most happy while they were so out of their

wits. And therefore they are sorry they are come to themselves again and desire nothing more than

this kind of madness, to be perpetually mad. And this is a small taste of that future happiness.

But I forget myself and run beyond my bounds. Though yet, if I shall seem to have spoken anything

more boldly or impertinently than I ought, be pleased to consider that not only Folly but a woman

said it; remembering in the meantime that Greek proverb, “Sometimes a fool may speak a word in

season,” unless perhaps you expect an epilogue, but give me leave to tell you you are mistaken if

you think I remember anything of what I have said, having foolishly bolted out such a hodgepodge

of words. ’Tis an old proverb, “I hate one that remembers what’s done over the cup.” This is a new

one of my own making: I hate a man that remembers what he hears. Wherefore farewell, clap your

hands, live and drink lustily, my most excellent disciples of Folly.

Finis

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Indexes

Index of Latin Words and Phrases

•Magister Noster

•Noster Magister

•divum pater atque hominum rex

•jus divinum

•matula putes

•matula putet

•ollae fervere

•ollam fervere

•summum, medium, et ultimum

•terminus a quo

•terminus ad quem

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Document Outline

• Cover
• About this book
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Letter: Erasmus to Thomas More
• The Praise of Folly
• Indexes
  • Latin Words and Phrases