222 
of C zzricarure 
and 
Grotehue 
work of Sebaitian Brandt, it attracted the fpecial attention of a celebrated 
preacher of the time named Johann Geiler. Geiler was born at Schafll 
haufen, in Switzerland, in 14.45, but having loii: his father when only 
three years of age, he was educated by his grandfather, who lived at 
Keyfertberg, in Alface, and hence he was commonly called Geiler of 
Keyferfberg. He ftudied in Freiburg and Bile, obtained a great repu- 
tation for learning, was eiteemed a profound theologian, and was finally 
fettled in Straiburg, where he continued to thine as a preacher until his 
death in I510. He was a bold man, too, in the caufe of truth, and de- 
claimed with earneft zeal againft the corruptions of the church, and efpe- 
cially againft the monkifh orders, for he compared the black monks to the 
devil, the white monks to his dam, and the others he faid were their 
chickens. On another occafion he faid that the qualities ofa good monk 
were an almighty belly, an afs's back, and a raven's mouth. He told his 
congregation from the pulpit that a great reformation was at hand, that 
he did not expect to live to fee it himfelf, but that many of thofe who 
heard him would live to fee it. As may be fuppofed, the monks hated 
him, and fpoke of him with contempt. They faid, that in his fermons he 
took his texts, not from the Scriptures, but from the " Ship of Fools " of 
Sebaftian Brandt; and, in ea, during the year 1498, Geiler preached at 
Strafburg a feries of fermons on the follies of his time, which were 
evidently founded upon Brandt's book, for the various follies were taken 
in the fame order. They were originally compiled in German, but one 
of Geiler's fcholars, Jacob Other, tranflated them into Latin, and 
publifhed them, in 1501, under the title of "Navicula five Speculum 
Fatuorum przeftantifliini facrarum literarum doctoris Johannis Geiler." 
YVithin a few years this work went through feveral editions both in Latin 
and in German, fome of them illuftrated by woodcuts. The Ityle of 
preaching is quaint and curious, full of fatirical wit, which is often coarfe, 
according to the manner of the time, fometimes very indelicate. Each 
fermon is headed by the motto, " Stultorum inlinitus eft numerus." 
Geller takes for his theme in each fermon one of the titles of Brandt's 
" Ship of Fools," and he feparates them into fubdiviiions, or branches, 
which he calls the bells (nolas) from the fool's-cap. 
The