On the recto of the first leaf there is a large woodcut of Pynson's
arms, or device No. VII., similar to that which is on the reverse of
the last leaf of each of the volumes of his edition of Lord Berners'
translation of Froissart's Chronicles; on the back of the first leaf is
the translator's dedication to "Thomas Cornisshe, bishop of Tine, and
suffragan bishop of Bath;" on the next leaf begins "The regyster or
table of this present boke in Englyshe," (all as on pp. cxiii.--cxx.),
succeeded by a Latin table. Then on sign. a i. and fol. i. a large
woodcut, the same as is used for the title page of Cawood's edition
(and on p. 313, Vol. II.), with a Latin description in the margin.
Beneath is the title in Latin. On the back, "Alexander Barclay
excusynge the rudeness of his translacion," followed with "An
exhortacion of Alexander Barclay." Then on fol. ii., etc., follow in
Latin, "Epigramma," "Epistola" in prose, and various "Carmina." On the
back of fol. v. "The exhortacion of Brant to the fools" in Latin verse,
followed by Barclay's version with the heading "Barclay the Translatour
tho the Foles." On fol. iiii. the "Prologus Jacobi Locher ... incipit,"
followed by its translation into English. On fol. ix., etc.,
"Hecatastichon in proludium auctoris et Libelli Narragonici" and the
English translation, "Here begynneth the prologe." On xii. "The
Argument" in Latin and English, and then on xiii. commences the first
chapter, "De inutilibus libris," in Latin, and then in English, which
is the order throughout, with the cuts at the beginning of either the
one or other as the page suited. The book concludes with a ballad in
honour of the virgin Mary, consisting of twelve octave stanzas: at the
end of which is the colophon in a stanza of seven lines. On the verso
of the last leaf is the printer's device, No. v.
The Latin is uniformly printed in the Roman type, and the English in
the Gothic. Herbert supposes the diphthongs to be "the first perhaps
used in this kingdom."
The cuts are rude, coarse, English imitations of those in the original
editions. They are, including the preliminary one, 118 in number. The
cut illustrating the chapter, "Of them that correct other," etc., fol.
liii. has been exchanged with the cut of the succeeding chapter. The
cut illustrating "The unyuersall shyp and generall Barke," fol.
cclxii., is repeated at the succeeding chapter. The one illustrating
Barclay's new chapter "Of folys that ar ouer worldly" is an imitation
of the illustration of "De singularitate quorundam novorum fatuorum" in
the Latin edition of March 1497. The cut illustrating the ballad of the
Virgin appears in the original at the head of "Excusatio Jacobi Locher
Philomusi," and illustrates, according to the margin, "Derisio boni
operis."
The word "Folium" is on the left hand page, and the number, in Roman
capitals, on the right throughout the book; the last is cclxxiiii.
Including the dedication and table (4 folios) there are 283 folios. The
numbering is a model of irregularity: iiii. is repeated for vi., xx.
stands for xv., xviii. is repeated, xx. is wanting, xxii. is repeated,
xxiv. is wanting, xxx. is repeated, xxxvi. is wanting, xxxix. is
repeated in place of xliv., xlviii. is wanting, xlix. is repeated, lvii
is repeated after lxi., lviii follows twice, lix., lx., lxi. being
repeated in succession after lviii., lxvii., lxviii. are repeated after
lxviii., lxxxii. is wanting, lxxxiii. is repeated, lxxxii. stands for
lxxxvii., lxxxiii. succeeds for lxxxviiii, cclxv. succeeds for lxxxix.,
lxxxxii. is repeated for lxxxxvii., [in the Grenville copy this leaf is
correctly numbered], cxxxii is wanting, cxl. stands for cxxxviii.,
cxlxi. stands for cxlvi., clxxiv. is wanting, clxxxxxi. stands for
cci., ccxii. is repeated for ccxvii., ccxxxviii. is wanting, cclx.
stands for ccl., cclviii. is repeated for cclx.
The numeration by signatures is as follows: + iiij; a, 8; b--p, 6 s; q,
7; r, s, t, v, x, y, z, &, 6 s; A--Y, 6 s.
The book is extremely rare. There is a fine copy in the Bodleian
Library among Selden's books, another in the British Museum, Grenville
Collection, and another in the Library of St. John's College, Oxford.
The following are the more notable prices: Farmer, 1798, £2. 4s.;
Sotheby's, 1821, £28; Dent, £30. 9s.; Bib. Anglo-Poetica, £105;
Perkins, 1873, £130.
The following amusing note on prices is taken from Renouard's
"Catalogue d'un Amateur." "Les premières éditions latines de ce
singulier livre, celles des traductions françoises, toutes également
remplies de figures en bois, ne déplaisent pas aux amateurs, mais
jamais ils ne les ont payées un haut prix. La traduction angloise faite
en 1509, sur le francois, et avec des figures en bois, plus mauvaises
encore que leurs modèles, se paye en Angleterre 25, 30 et mème 60
guinées; c'est là, si l'on veut, du zèle patriotique, de l'esprit
national."
II.a. STULTIFERA NAUIS.... THE SHIP OF FOOLES..... With diuers other
workes.... very profitable and fruitfull for all men.... Cawood. 1570.
Folio.
A large cut of vessels filled with fools (the same as on p. 313, Vol.
II.) is inserted between the Latin and English titles. This edition
omits the ballad to the Virgin at the end. The English is in black
letter, and the Latin in Roman, in the same order as in the preceding
edition. On the recto of leaf 259: Thus endeth the Ship of Fooles,
translated ... by Alexander Barclay Priest, at that time Chaplen in the
Colledge of S. Mary Otery in the Countie of Deuon. Anno Domini 1508. On
the back "Excusatio Iacobi Locher Philomusi," in Sapphic verse. On the
next page five stanzas by Barclay "excusing the rudenes of his
Translation." Lastly, an Index in Latin, and then in English. Then,
follow the "diuers other workes," the Mirrour of good maners, and the
Egloges. Colophon: Imprinted at London in Paules Church-yarde by Iohn
Cawood Printer to the Queenes Maiestie. Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum
solum.
The woodcuts, including the one on the title-page, number 117. They are
the same as those of Pynson's edition, but show occasional traces of
the blocks having been chipped in the course of their preservation in a
printer's office for 60 years or so. The borders only differ, being of
a uniform type, while those of the previous edition are woodcuts of
several patterns.
The numbering is a little irregular; the preliminary leaves (12) are
unnumbered. The folios are numbered in figures on the left hand page,
'folio' being prefixed to the first six, 16 is repeated for 17, 13
stands for 31, [in one of the Adv. Lib. copies the latter irregularity
is found, though not the former; in the other, 17 and 31 are numbered
correctly], 96 is repeated for 99, 188 for 191, 100 for 200, and 205
for 201. The last number is 259, and there are three extra leaves, thus
making 274 for the Ship. The supplementary works are not numbered. The
signatures are as follows: _The Ship_, ¶ six leaves; ¶¶ six leaves; A
to U u, in sixes; X x, four leaves; _Mirrour of good manners_, A--G, in
sixes; _Egloges_, A to D, in sixes; in all 680 pp.
This book was licensed to Cawood in 1567-8, and is said to be the only
book he had license for. It is now very rare.
Prices: Digby, 1680, 4s. 4d. Bernard, 1698, 1s. 10d. Gulston, 1783, £1,
16s. White Knights, £8, 12s. Roxburghe, £9, 19s. 6d. Fonthill, £13,
13s. Bib. Anglo-Poet, £12, 12s. Heber, £8, 12s. Sotheby's, 1873, £48,
10s.
* * * * *
A complete bibliography of the various editions and versions of the
Ship of Fools will be found in Zarocke's edition of the original, or in
Graesse's Trésor de livres rares et précieux. A notice is subjoined of
the two editions of the English prose translation, and of the two other
publications bearing the title.
The abridged prose translation, by Henry Watson, from the French prose
version of Jehan Droyn, appeared from the press of De Worde in the same
year in which Barclay's fuller poetical version was issued. In both
text and illustrations it is a much inferior production to the latter.
As the existence of the first edition has been, and still is, denied,
it being frequently confounded with Barclay's book, we transcribe the
following description of the only known copy from Van Praet's
"Catalogue des livres imprimés sur vélin de la Bibliotheque du Roi."
The Shyppe of Fooles, translated out of frenche, by Henry Watson. London,
Wynkyn de Worde, 1509, petit in--4.
Edition en lettres de forme, sans chiffres ni réclames, avec
signatures, figures et initiales en bois; à longues lignes, au nombre
de 32 sur les pages entierès; cont. 169 f.; les 7 premiers renferment
1. le titre suivant, gravé audessus d'une figure qui représente le
navire des fous:
¶ The shyppe of fooles.