• This Present Boke named the Shyp of Folys of the Worlde, 1509

Curatorial Notes:

• Sebastian Brant’s satirical Narrenschiff (Basel, 1494) uses the “ship of fools” trope to mock the follies of society — including the “vayne & deceytfull craft of alkemy” (fol. 222v). This woodcut, which accompanies Brant’s section on fraud, pairs an alchemist in a fool’s cap (on the left) with a fraudulent vintner (on the right). Although Brant attacks false alchemists who peddle useless knowledge, he still leaves open the possibility that an honest practitioner might succeed in transmutation.

Credit Line:

• Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Format:

• Book

Creator:

• Brant, Sebastian, 1458-1521

Author:

• Brant, Sebastian, 1458-1521

Language:

• English

Publisher:

• Inprentyd in the cyte of London : In Fletestre at the signe of Saynt George by Rycharde Pynson, 1509.

Date:

• 1509

Extent:

• [4], cclxxiiii leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

View in catalog:

• https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9934248643506421

Binder:

• Bedford, Francis, 1799-1883

Contributor:

• Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552
• Locher, Jacob, 1471-1528

Description:

• Text in Latin and English.
• Originally published under title: Das Narrenschiff, Basel, 1494. Latin translation first pub. Basel, 1497, by Jacob Locher.
• First leaf has Pynson's coat of arms and final leaf has his device.

Binding note:

• ExKa copy in blue goatskin, ruled, tooled, and blocked in gold; red marbled endpapers; binding by Francis Bedford.

References:

• STC (2nd ed.) 3545
• Grolier Club. Fifty-five books printed before 1525 (1968) 46, 47

Provenance:

• ExKa copy is Sydney Richardson Christie-Miller's copy from the library of Britwell Court.
• ExKa copy has bookplate of Grenville Kane.

Identifier:

• ark:/88435/vm40xz576