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The Praise of Folly 69
nothing more happy than that generation of
men we commonly call fools, ideots, lack-wits
and dolts; splendid Titles too, as I conceive
em. Vle tell ye a thing, which at first perhaps
may seem foolish and absurd, yet nothing more
true. And first they are not afraid of death ;
no small evil, by Jupiter! They are not tor¬
mented with the conscience of evil acts: not
terrify’d with the fables of Ghosts, nor frighted
with Spirits and Goblins, They are not dis¬
tracted with the fear of evils to come, nor the
hopes of future good. In short they are not
disturb’d with those thousand of cares to
which this life is subject. They are neither
modest, nor fearful, nor ambitious, nor envious,
nor love they anyman. And lastly if they should
come nearer even to the very ignorance of
Brutes, they could not sin, for so hold the
Divines. And now tell me, thou wise fool, with
how many troublesome cares thy mind is con¬
tinually perplext ; heap together all the discom¬
modities of thy life, and then thou’lt be sensible
from how many evils I have delivered my Fools.
Add to this that they are not onely merry, play,
sing, and laugh themselves, but make mirth