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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 acordinge 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 interesting, for he drew largely on his own experience,
