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Introduction Vil
A far more famous work is the ‘ Shyp of folys
of the worlde, translated in the College of
saynt mary Otery in the counte of Deuonshyre :
out of Laten, Frenche and Doche into Englysshe
tonge by Alexander Barclay, Preste and at that
tyme Chaplen in the sayde College’. Barclay
was a young man when in 1508 to ‘ auoyde the
execrable inconuenyences of ydilnes’ he began
his rhymed translation at the advice of his
patron, Thomas Cornish, Provost of Oriel and
Bishop Suffragan of Bath. It is a remarkably
free translation, even in an age which did not
demand literal adherence to an original; so
free that Barclay felt it necessary to apologize
for it. ‘Concernynge the translacion of this
Boke, I exhort y° reders to take no displesour
for yt it is nat translated word by worde acord¬
inge to y® verses of my actour. For I haue but
only drawen into our moder tunge in rude
langage the sentences of the verses as nere as
the parcyte of my wyt wyl suffer me, some
tyme addynge, somtyme detractinge and takinge
away suche thinges a semeth me necessary and
superflue.’ Barclay’s additions are very interest¬
ing, for he drew largely on his own experience,