The Ship Of Fools, volume first

Das Narrenschiff (1494), or The Ship of Fools, is a satirical allegory by Sebastian Brant about a ship sailing to Narragonia, the fool’s paradise, carrying over 100 fools representing common human failings. The work aimed to improve people and regenerate the church and empire through unsparing satire. Alexander Barclay created an English version of Brant’s work, also titled The Ship of Fools (1509), which gained popularity and initiated a new wave of satirical literature in England. Barclay’s version reflected medieval ideas of the fool, differing from earlier allegories by presenting concrete examples of folly, such as book collectors who learn nothing and corrupt judges. Reprint of the 1874 edition.