ldhood is by far the most delightful period
of his existence? And why? Because he is then most a fool. And next to
that his youth, in which folly still prevails; while in proportion as he
retires from her dominion, and becomes possessed through discipline and
experience of mature wisdom, his beauty loses its bloom, his strength
declines, his wit becomes less pungent, until at last weary old age
succeeds, which would be absolutely unbearable, unless folly, in pity
for such grievous miseries, gave relief by bringing on a second
childhood. Nature herself has kindly provided for an abundant supply of
folly in the human race, for since, according to the Stoic definition,
wisdom means only being guided by reason; whereas folly, on the other
hand, consists in submitting to the government of the passions; Jupiter
wishing to make life merry, gave men far more passion than reason,
banishing the latter into one little corner of his person, and leaving
all the rest of the body to the sway of the former. Man, however, being
designed for the arrangement of affairs, could not do without a small
quantity of reason, but in order to temper the evil thus occasioned, at
the suggestion of folly woman was introduced into the world--"a foolish,
silly creature, no doubt, but amusing, agreeable, and well adapted to
mitigate the gloom of man's temper." Woman owes all her advantages to
folly. The great end of her existence is to please man, and this she
could not do without folly. If any man doubts it, he has only to
consider how much nonsense he talks to a woman whenever he wishes to
enjoy the pleasures of female society."

Erasmus wrote an ode in honour of Henry VII. and his children, and in it
he recommends him to keep with him Skelton, "the one light and ornament
of British literature." He says that no doubt the advice is unnecessary,
as he hears the King is most anxious to retain his services. He was
tutor to the young prince--afterwards Henry VIII. Skelton was born about
1460. Many of his humorous writings are lost, such as "The Balade of the
Mustarde Tarte." He became a "poet laureate," at that time a degree in
grammar, rhetoric and versification, on taking which, the graduate was
presented with a laurel crown. Having taken orders in 1498, he was
afterwards suspended for living with a lady whom he had secretly
married. This suspension was much owing to his having incurred the anger
of the Dominican Friars, whom he had attacked in his writin