Page 12 [12]
OCR
Introduction v educated of all countries when Locher Philomusus translated it into Latin, under the title, *Stultifera Navis.’ The same year Pierre Riviére made a French version, ‘La Nef des Folz du Monde;’ and the Belgian, Badius Ascensius, later renowned as a printer at Paris, was stirred up to attempt a sequel. Brant had dealt with men only, but Badius felt that women should not be left out, and his ‘ Stultiferae Naves’ added six shiploads of foolish virgins to the fleet. The book was sent to Angilbert de Marnef, the Paris publisher, with a request for a translation into French, ‘so that women might read it for their salutary discipline, and instruction in a holy life.’ Jean Drouyn, who had just published a paraphrase of _Riviére’s translation, gladly undertook the work; but he amplified it till his ‘ Nef des Folles’ came out half as big again as the ‘ Stultiferae Naves ’. Four French editions of Badius’s book and one Latin were printed in three and a half years ; but still he was not satisfied, and in 1505 he made another Latin version of Brant’s ‘ Narrenschiff’, naming it ‘ Navis Stultifera’, an inversion of Locher’s title.
