Satire

The Praise of Folly

by Desiderius Erasmus

Folly herself makes the speech, in praise of the foolishness that makes life bearable and of all who serve her, scholars, monks, popes and princes above all. Erasmus wrote it in 1509 at Thomas More’s house in London, and its Latin title, Moriae Encomium, puns on his friend’s name. It was a bestseller, and it made him enemies.

The librarian

Read it in the Library After Dark Or read it as plain text

Reading time

About 2 hr 30 min

Where to find it

The Lost Property Office, down the book lift in the west wing

Edition

Project Gutenberg, eBook #9371. In the public domain in the United States.