De Lof der Zotheid

In this witty Renaissance masterpiece, a mock‑sermon delivered by the personified Folly turns scholarly conventions upside down. Through a torrent of classical references, proverbs and lively anecdotes, the author lampoons the pomp of church hierarchy, the pretensions of holy men, and the superstitions that dominate everyday life, gathering scholars, soldiers, merchants and children alike in a parade of vanity and irrational habit.

The humanist writer, more at home in the world of ancient Greece and Rome than in his own corrupted institutions, blends erudition with a conversational tone that feels surprisingly modern. Illustrations by a contemporary artist add visual wit, while recurring sayings—such as the donkey at the lyre—give the satire a rhythmic charm. Listeners will be both entertained and nudged to question accepted wisdom, as the work gently encourages a rebellion against blind authority.