Praise of Folly

Written in 1509 and first printed in 1511, this Latin satire is a mock oration delivered by Folly in praise of herself. She claims credit for marriage, flattery, and the illusions that make ordinary life bearable, then turns on grammarians, lawyers, theologians, monks, and princes who live by empty titles and scholastic hair-splitting. Classical allusions and scriptural jokes sit side by side. The piece was composed as a learned joke for Thomas More. It is a single ironic speech, not a treatise in the author's own voice and not a narrative with a plot.

Bound in red cloth with cover lettering in black, and spine lettering in gold and black, designed by Fiona Campbell. Grey endleaves. Mid-grey tinted page tops. White textured slipcase.