While advancing her argument that deception is essential to human happiness, Folly makes a cryptic reference to Thomas More, an English statesman and close friend of Erasmus, alongside several other allusions to painters from Ancient Greece and Rome. Presenting a number of hypothetical scenarios, Folly states:
If one was to behold a canvas [...] under the persuasion that it was a picture by Apelles or Zeuxis, would he not be happier than another who buys the work of such masters at a high price, but feels less of pleasure, perhaps, in viewing it? I know a man of my name who gave his young wife some imitation jewels as a present, persuading her—for he is a plausible joker—that they were not only genuine and natural but also of unique and inestimable value. Pray tell me, what difference did it make to the girl, so long as she joyously delighted her eyes and heart with glass [...] ?
First, Folly wagers that an individual who is under the false impression that they have purchased a painting by “Apelles or Zeuxis” at a low price would “be happier” than an individual who purchased a real painting at a high price. Here, Folly alludes to two of the most famed painters from Ancient Greece. For Folly, the actual truth of a painting’s origins is less important than how the owner feels about the painting.
Similarly, Folly notes that a man with her own name once presented his “young wife with some imitation jewels” as a gift, convincing her that “they were genuine and natural” as well as very expensive. Here, Folly alludes to Thomas More, whose name, More, is rendered in Greek as “Moría,” which is very similar to the word “Moriae,” which translates to “Folly.” Erasmus, then, presumably repeats a humorous anecdote told by his close friend, to whom the essay is also dedicated. Folly concludes that, even if the jewels in the anecdote were fake, the joy felt by More’s wife was real.
After satirizing various human professions, Folly directs her satirical gaze upon the Catholic Church. Drawing pointed allusions to various Christian saints alongside figures from classical mythology, Folly states:
And next to these come the folk who have arrived at the foolish but gratifying belief that if they gaze on a picture of Polyphemus-Christopher they will not die that day, or that whoever salutes in certain prescribed words an image of Barbara will come through a battle unharmed, or that by making application to Erasmus on certain days, using a certain kind of candles and certain prayers, one will shortly become rich. Indeed, they have discovered another Hercules, and even another Hippolytus, in George.
Though Erasmus remained a Catholic his entire life, refusing to ally himself with Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther, he often criticized the Catholic Church for its supposed excesses, including acceptance of beliefs and traditions which Erasmus regarded as superstitious. Here, Folly satirizes those “who have arrived at the foolish but gratifying belief” that they can gain good fortune and security by worshiping images of the Christian saints.
By alluding to both Christian saints and figures from classical mythology, Folly suggests that these religious practices are not truly Christian. For example, she claims that some Catholics have “discovered another Hercules [...] in George.” Here, she alludes both to Hercules, the strong hero from mythology, and to St. George, the patron saint of England. Her allusions, then, imply that some individuals are worshiping St. George incorrectly, not as a venerated Christian martyr, but rather as a mighty hero, in the manner of Ancient Roman religious belief.
Folly uses both a common idiom (“second childhood”) and an allusion to the Lethe, a river from Ancient Greek mythology, to comment upon the nature of old age. Taking credit for the happiness experienced both by children and by the elderly, Folly notes:
Old age would not be tolerable to any mortal at all, were it not that I [...] bring those who have one foot in the grave back to their infancy again, for as long as possible; so that the folk are not far off in speaking of them as “in their second childhood.” [...] I lead them to my spring of Lethe—for that stream rises in the Fortunate Isles, and only a little rivulet of it flows in the underworld—so that then and there they may drink draughts of forgetfulness. With their cares of mind purged away, by gentle stages they become young again.
Previously, Folly praised herself for the relative happiness experienced by many during childhood, which she attributes to the naivete of the young. Here, she claims that old age “would not be tolerable” if not for her, as she brings those who have “one foot in the grave” back to a state of “infancy.” She notes the appropriateness of the idiom “second childhood,” a common phrase that suggests that children and the elderly are alike in their relative reliance upon others and their lack of responsibilities.
Folly then explains how she brings this happy state about, claiming that she takes the elderly to a “spring of Lethe” so that they might “drink draughts of forgetfulness.” In Greek mythology, the Lethe is one of the rivers of the Underworld, famed for its waters which cause forgetfulness in those who drink from it. Folly, then, claims that she helps the elderly to forget all the wisdom and knowledge which they have gained during their lives.
