Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/77

 Germany before the Protestant Revolt 39 That bids him send his son away Among the priestly ranks to stay. Oh, no ! 'T is that he may support His relatives ; — a thing, in short, Full easy for a priest to do, Who, though no book he ever knew, Could still enjoy his benefice And lead a merry life, I wis. For priests no more than monkeys know Of saving souls from realms below ; I would n't trust a cow to one, Full sure she'd either kick or run ; And as for matins or the mass, I 'd rather hear the miller's ass Take up the lute and try a song. But the bishops do the greatest wrong When they consent to consecration Without a mite of education. 1 Erasmus' Praise of Folly was written by a great Erasmus scholar to please other scholars. Instead of Brant's character of jingling rhymes in the language of the people, we have ^s Praise elegant Latin prose with some admixture of Greek words and phrases and many a subtle classical allusion, which only the learned could enjoy. In his prefatory letter to Sir Thomas More, at whose home Erasmus finished writing The Praise of Folly in 1508, the author explains that he thought out the little volume on his way back 1 Here is an example of Brant's style in modernized German: Priesterschaft schatzt man so gering Als war' es ein gar leichtes Ding. Drum findet man viel junger Pfaffen Die so viel konnen wie die Affen, Und sollen Seelen doch erbauen ! Kein Vieh war' ihnen zu vertrauen ; Wissen so viel von Kirchenregieren Als Miillers Esel vom Lautenieren.