Chapters 5 - 10 Summary and Analysis

Folly transitions into describing all the benefits she brings to the world of men. She first emphasizes, however, that because she is the child of gods, she is divine; her divinity gives her great power in that she caused herself to be born and causes the whole human race to multiply. She can cause even the Stoic to talk nonsense and convince men to become married, which is truly a great power.

Folly claims that she is the source of pleasure which is the stuff of life. Everyone loves pleasures, even the Stoics, despite their claims to the contrary. Early life is among the happiest time for men, and it is folly that makes it so, and in adolescence there is great folly as well. Old age could not be tolerated unless folly accompanied it; the elderly become again...