Exhibit 412 ยท Satirical essay
In Praise of Folly (passage on pardons and indulgences)
What shall I say of such as cry up and maintain the cheat of pardons and indulgences?
A Catholic humanist and priest ridicules those who maintain pardons and indulgences and who compute a soul's time in purgatory by the number of pardons purchased, and says a highwayman, plundering soldier or bribe-taking judge can pay part of his gains and count his sins atoned for. Gutenberg ebook 30201, English translation (translator not stated in the file; verify against the Wilson 1668 or another named edition before citing).
- Source
- Desiderius Erasmus
- Date
- 1511
- Quoted from
- Gutenberg #30201, section on superstitions (Folly's speech)
- Grade
- Primary record
- Document
- https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/30201/pg30201.txt
- Accessed
- 2026-11-09
- Cited by
- Findings citing this exhibit