Selections from Erasmus

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493. AFFECTUUM] Mr. Lupton translates 'unction'.

511. DECIDIT] 'settled,' 'left.'

516. APUD ITALOS] Mr. Seebohm, _Oxford Reformers_, 3rd ed. p. 22,
conjectures that these Italian monks may have been Savonarola and his
companions.

519. GERMANOS] Mr. Lupton conjectures that the Order of the Brethren of
the Common Life, founded at Deventer by Gerard Groot in 1384, may be here
intended. If this is correct, there is significance in the use of
_residerent_, marking Colet's opinion, instead of _resident_; which would
make the statement Erasmus' own: for Erasmus had been for two years at a
school kept by the Brethren in Hertogenbosch and had not a high opinion
of them.

542. COLLEGIA] Colet's censure of the colleges in the English
universities must apply to the older institutions founded before the
Renaissance. Erasmus is probably recalling here some utterance of the
days before the foundation of Christ's (1506) and St. John's (1516) at
Cambridge, and Corpus Christi (1516) at Oxford.

544. SCHOLIS PUBLICIS] Mr. Lupton rightly interprets this of the
'schools' at the universities, in which public lectures were given; and
shows that as the lecturer had to hire the 'school' for his lecture, the
competition for fees would necessarily be keen. Cf. also l. 576. The term
is also used at this period for a school maintained publicly by a town.

548. UT CONFESSIONEM] Cf. ll. 133 seq.

563. ANSIS OMNIBUS] Like a vessel made with handles on all sides, i.e.
more than are necessary: 'at all points.'

570, 1. AD TERNIONES] into groups of three, in a _Breviloquium dictorum
Christi_. Mr. Lupton instances the three words to Mary Magdalene in John
20. 15-7. Cf. also l. 619.

574. CULTUM ECCLESIASTICUM] public celebration of Divine Service.

598. EPISCOPO] Rich. Fitzjames, Bp. of London, 1506-22.

605. COLLEGII] The canons and other ecclesiastical officers together
constituted St. Paul's a 'collegiate church'.

606. QUIRITABANTUR] 'lamented.' The verb is commonly active; but the
deponent form is cited by a grammarian from Varro.

608. ORIENTATE MONASTERIUM] Mr. Lupton shows that St. Paul's was in old
times a monastery; and suggests that Erasmus, whose information probably
came from Colet, was thinking of a king of the East Saxons, who took the
religious habit there. The name Eastminster seems, however, to have been
applied not to St. Paul's, but to an abbey near the Tower.

615. CANTUARIENSEM] Warham: see XXII and XXIII.

619. ILLUD EX EVANGELIO] John 21. 15-7.

635. PACEM] Cf. Cic. _Fam_. 6. 6. 5.

636. ID ... TEMPORIS] This attack on Colet may be dated in Lent of either
1512 or 1513; for in each year preparations were being made for a war
with France. It is not clear what interval of time is meant by Erasmus to
have elapsed between this and the attack mentioned in ll. 655 seq. about
Easter 1513.

637. MINORITAE DUO] Edmund Birkhead, Bishop of St. Asaph 15 April
1513--died April 1518)--cf. l. 687--and Henry Standish who succeeded him
in the see.

639. IN POETAS] because Colet allowed classical Latin poetry to be read
in his new school. The Church had always discouraged the study of the
poets of antiquity, on the ground of the immoral character of many of
their writings.

656. PASCHA] Easter, 27 March 1513. This incident can only be placed in
1513: because the expedition of 1512 started in the summer.

657. PARASCEVES] Good Friday: Gk. [Greek: Paraskeuae], the day of
preparation before the sabbath of the Passover.

666. CONSISTERET] _consistere_ means 'to take a stand with a person', 'to
agree.' This impersonal use is not classical.

669. IULIOS] As Mr. Lupton points out, there can hardly fail to be an
allusion here, not only to Julius Caesar, but also to the warlike Pope
Julius II (1503-1513); whom Erasmus had seen entering Bologna as a
conqueror in 1506 (cf. XXI. 26 n.). Similarly the name Alexander suggests
not only 'the great Emathian conqueror', but Pope Alexander VI (l. 165
n.).

672. VELUT AD BUBONEM] _sc_. aves. Owls are frequently teased by flocks
of small birds.

696. PRAEBIBIT] A compliment in days when poisoned cups were not unknown.

703. LUPI ... HIANTES] 'Dicebatur si quis re multum sperata multumque
appetita frustratus discederet. Aiunt enim lupum praedae inhiantem rictu
late diducto accurrere: qua si frustretur, obambulare hiantem.' Erasmus,
_Adagia_.

715. IN EO GENERE] As a friar.

723. IN CANONEM] into the catalogue of martyrs and saints, i.e. to
canonize.

XXV

[An anecdote of Colet related in a letter written in 1523 to give a
sketch of a friend lately dead. The date of the incident is uncertain;
but Erasmus' description of himself in l. 22 as 'hominem infelicissimum'
points rather to the year 1506, when he was still struggling and had not
as yet obtained the leisure he desired for his studies.]

4. DE LANA CAPRINA] Cf. Hor. _Ep_. 1. 18. 15, 6:

Alter rixatur de lana saepe caprina,
Propugnat nugis armatus.

'a (tali) eventu natum apparet, contentiose decertantibus duobus utrum
lanas haberet caper an setas.' Erasmus, _Adagia_.

DE ASINI ... UMBRA] 'de re nihili.' Erasmus, _Adagia_.

7. GUILHELMUM] Warham; see XXII and XXIII.

9. ENOHIRIDIO] Cf. X. 54 n.

XXVI

[A sketch of Thomas More, sent in reply to a request from Ulrich von
Hutten, the celebrated German knight; written in 1519.

Thomas More (1477 or 1478-1535) was the son of Sir John More (c.
1453-1530), knight, and afterwards Judge of the King's Bench. He was a
friend of Erasmus' earliest months in England (see V). Henry VII attached
him to his court and sent him on many embassies, and he afterwards filled
numerous offices; being Under-sheriff of London, Privy Councillor,
Treasurer of the Exchequer, Speaker of the House of Commons, and in 1529
Lord Chancellor in succession to Wolsey. This office he resigned in 1532,
feeling himself in opposition to Henry's ecclesiastical policy; and this
opposition cost him his life.

He married in 1505 Jane Colt; and shortly after her death, probably in
1511, Alice Middleton.]

29. Apelles was a Greek painter of the fourth century B.C. Alexander the
Great thought so highly of him that he would allow no one else to paint
his portrait.

30. FULVII RUTUBAEQUE] The names of gladiators (cf. Hor. _Sat_. 2. 7.
96); who are taken here as types of the unskilled.

35. LEGATIO] i.e. if either More or Hutten should be sent on an embassy,
which would bring them together.

66. OVIDIUS] _A._ _A_. l. 509 seqq.

67, 8. E CULMO] 'e culmo perspicitur spica demessa: etiam in sene apparet
cuiusmodi fuerit iuvenis.' Erasmus, _Adagia_.

81. MOS] The custom of the loving-cup.

120. HESIODO] _Op_. 713:

[Greek: Maede poluxeinon maed' axeinon kaleesthai.]

141. 'Though he was young of years, yet would he at Christmastide
suddenly sometimes step in among the players, and, never studying for the
matter, make a part of his own there presently among them, which made the
lookers-on more sport than all the players beside.' _Life of More_, by W.
Roper, his son-in-law.

145. MORIAS ENCOMIUM] The Praise of Folly; see p. 11. [in the middle of
LIFE OF ERASMUS, paragraph starting with 'As he rode hastily'.
Transcriptor.]

146. CAMELUS SALTAREM] 'Ubi quis indecore quippiam facere conatur,
camelum saltare dicebant: veluti si quis natura severus ac tetricus
affectet elegans ac festivus videri, naturae genioque suo vim faciens.'
Erasmus, _Adagia_.

154. Democritus of Abdera (c. 460-361), 'the laughing philosopher,' who
is famed for having maintained his cheerfulness in spite of being blind.

182. ABSOLVI] to be finished, fully trained.

191. Augustine (died 430), Bishop of Hippo, was one of the Latin Fathers
of the Church.

192. PROFESSUS EST] 'lectured on.'

209. PUELLAE TRES] _tres_ is a correction, made in 1521, when this letter
was printed a second time, for _quatuor_, which was doubtless a mistake.
The names of the children are not added till 1529, in a third edition.
Margaret (1505-1544) married about 1520 William Roper, who wrote a Life
of More. She was her father's favourite and friend, the ties between them
being very close. She corresponded in Latin with Erasmus; and one of her
letters to him is extant.

The other children, born in 1506, 1507, and 1509, were less
distinguished. The name of Aloysia is usually given as Elizabeth. Erasmus
perhaps made a confusion with the name of More's second wife.

218. SEVERITUDINE] ante- and post-classical for _severitate_.

222. REM] 'household business.'

233. PATER IAM ALTERAM] This passage implies that Sir John More was
already married to his third wife; and in the edition of 1521 Erasmus
speaks of a 'tertia noverca'. Only three wives are mentioned in the
_Dict. of National Biography_. Erasmus is perhaps in error.

240. ADVOCATIONIBUS] 'his practice as a barrister.'

250. DIE IOVIS] Thursday; Fr. Jeudi.

255. DRACHMAS] shillings.

261. LEGATIONEM] On one of these, in 1515, he wrote the _Utopia_ (l.
312).

276, 7. FELICES RES PUBLICAS] An exclamatory accusative.

294. EXPROBRAT] _sc_. beneficium; i.e. casts up against a man a benefit
conferred.

308. COMMUNITATEM] 'communism.'

310. ANTAGONISTAM] Erasmus accepted this challenge; and both wrote
declamations in reply to Lucian.

312. The _Utopia_ (i.e. Nowhere, Gk. [Greek: ou topos], sometimes called
_Nusquama_) is a description, written in Latin, of an ideal commonwealth;
in which More develops a number of very novel political ideas. The first
book, which was written last, deals with the condition of England in his
day; the description of Utopia occupying the second.

322. IN NUMERATO] 'in readiness.'

344. TORQUATIS] an epithet regularly used by Erasmus for the inhabitants
of courts with their chains of office (torques) round their necks; cf.
XVII. 61-2.

Midas was a king of Phrygia renowned for his riches.

345. OFFICIIS] officials. This concrete use is late Latin.

348, 9. ALIAM AULAM] Hutten had written a satire entitled _Aula_. He was
now living in the household of Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of
Mainz.

353. STOCSCHLEII] John Stokesley (c. 1475-1539), ecclesiastic and
diplomatist. He was now chaplain to the king, and in 1530 was made Bishop
of London in succession to Tunstall.

354. CLERICI] John Clerk (died 1541), ecclesiastic and diplomatist. He
was now chaplain to Wolsey; and subsequently became Dean of Windsor and
in 1523 Bp. of Bath and Wells.

XXVII

[An extract from the _Adagia_, no. 796. The Dutch physician referred to
is perhaps a Dr. Bont whom Erasmus knew at Cambridge in 1511 and who died
there of the plague in 1513.]

9, 10. QUID MULTIS] Cf. IX. 219 n.

10. GERMANO] Their standards of honesty were then high, and they were in
consequence apt to be imposed upon. England on the contrary was already
'perfide Albion'; as Erasmus writes in a letter of 1521, 'Britannia vulgo
male audit, quoties de fide agitur'.

24. _tuissare_: to address as 'thou'. Cf. Fr. tutoyer, Germ. dutzen.

33. QUAE NULLA] a condensed expression equivalent to _quae, quamvis
maxima, non tamen_.

XXVIII

[A letter written to John Francis, physician to Wolsey, and one of the
promoters of the College of Physicians in 1518. The date of the letter is
uncertain.]

3. SUDORE LETALI] The sweating-sickness. Ammonius (see XV introd.) fell a
victim to it in 1517.

8. HABENT] _sc_. Angli.

10. Claudius Galenus (130-200) was a Greek physician, who practised at
Rome in the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

13. COLATAM] a medical technical term (cf. XXIX. 10); lit. 'filtered'. So
here 'fine draughts' of air coming in round the small window panes.
Erasmus' idea seems to have been that when the winds were blowing, the
air would be fresh and the windows should be opened; but that when the
air was still, it was likely to be unwholesome and should be kept out.

24. SALSAMENTIS] Much of the leprosy which was prevalent at the time has
been ascribed to the consumption of salt fish.

35. CONFERRET] 'It would be useful'; cf. _conducere_.

40. OTIUM MEUM] 'at my spending my time in this way.'

XXIX

[This extract from a letter written to Fisher in 1524 contributes
something to the description of English houses given in XXVIII. Erasmus
had sent one of his servants to England, earlier in the summer, with
letters announcing that he was composing a book against Luther--as his
friends had frequently urged him to do.]

6. MARE] Erasmus had visited Fisher at Rochester in 1516 and clearly had
vivid recollections of the mud-flats of the Medway.

9. PARIETIBUS VITREIS] i.e. with continuous windows, as in the stern
galleries of old sailing ships.

* * * * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

P. 23. IV. 13. EST PRAETEREA MOS] The reality of this practice in England
may be illustrated from Erasmus' _Christiani matrimonii Institutio_,
1526, where he describes unseemly wedding festivities. 'Mox a prandio
lascivae saltationes usque ad cenam, in quibus tenera puella non potest
cuiquam recusare, sed patet domus civitati. Cogitur ibi misera virgo cum
ebriis, cum scelerosis ... iungere dextram, apud Britannos etiam oscula'.
The Lady of Crequi, between Amiens and Montdidier, welcoming Wolsey's
gentleman, George Cavendish, in July 1527, said: 'Forasmuch as ye be an
Englishman, whose custom is in your country to kiss all ladies and
gentlewomen without offence, and although it be not so here in this
realm, yet will I be so bold to kiss you, and so shall all my maidens'.
So, too, Cavendish writes of Wolsey's meeting with the Countess of
Shrewsbury at Sheffield Park, after his fall: 'Whom my lord kissed
bareheaded, and all her gentlewomen.'

P. 85, XXII. 48, A CENIS] Cf. XXIII. 34-5, XXIV. 342. It was a recognized
form of abstinence, to take no food after the midday _prandium_. In the
colloquy _Ichthyophagia_, first printed in Feb. 1526, Erasmus states that
in England supper was prohibited by custom on alternate days in Lent and
on Fridays throughout the year (cf. IX. 96). Of the Emperor Ferdinand,
when he visited Nuremberg in 1540, an observer wrote, 'Sobrius rex cena
abstinuit'; and Busbecq records that it was his master's practice to work
in the afternoon, 'donec cenae tempus sit--cenae, dico, non suae sed
consiliariorum; nam ipse perpetuo cena abstinet, neque amplius quam semel
die cibum sumit, et quidem parce'.

* * * * *

VOCABULARY

ABBAS, an abbot.
ACCUBITUS, a reclining (at meals).
ADAMUSSIM, precisely (AMUSSIS, a carpenter's rule).
ADLUBESCO, to be pleasing to.
AGRICOLATIO, agriculture.
AMARULENTUS, bitter.
ANATHEMA, curse of excommunication.
ANNOTAMENTUM, a note.
ANNOTO, to jot down.
ANTISTES, a prelate; a master.
ARCHIDIACONUS, an archdeacon.
ARCHIEPISCOPUS, an archbishop.
ATTEMPERO, to fit, adjust.
AVOCAMENTUM, a diversion, relaxation.

BENEDICUS, speaking friendly words.
BREVE, a Papal letter, Brief.
BYSSINUS, made of linen.

CAECUTIENTIA, blindness.
CANONICUS, a canon, of a cathedral, secular; of a monastery, regular.
CANTOR, a precentor.
CAPITULUM, a chapter (of a cathedral).
CARBUNCULUS, a carbuncle.
CARPA, a carp.
CAULETUM, a cabbage-garden.
CAUPONARIA, a female inn-keeper.
CEREVISIA, CERVISIA, beer.
CERVISIARIUS, made of beer.
CHALCOGRAPHUS, a printer.
CHIROTHECA, a gauntlet.
CHIRURGUS, a surgeon.
CINERICIUS, similar to ashes.
COLLAUDO, to praise highly.
COLLUCTOR, to contend with.
COLO, to strain, filter.
COMES, a count, an earl.
COMMISSARIUS, an agent.
CONCINNO, to arrange.
CONFABULO, a companion.
CONFOVEO, to warm, cherish.
CONSARCINO, to stitch together.
CONSILESCO, to keep silence.
CONSPURCATUS, polluted.
CONTIONOR, to preach.
CUCULLUS, a cowl.

DAMASCENUS, made of damask.
DECANUS, a dean.
DELINEARE, to sketch out.
DERODO, to gnaw away.
DIACONUS, a deacon.
DIATRIBA, a school.
DICTERIUM, a witticism.
DISSUO, to unstitch, sever.

ECCLESIA, a church.
ELUCESCO, to shine forth.
EMACULATUS, clear from faults, corrected.
EPISCOPUS, a bishop.
ESUS, an eating.
EXCUDO, to print.
EXOTICUS, foreign.

FEBRICITO, to be ill of a fever.
FERMENTO, to leaven.
FLATILIS, produced by blowing.
FLAVOR, yellowness.
FORMULAE, type.

GLAUCOMA, a mist before the eyes.
GRAECANICUS, of Greek origin, Greek.
GRAECITAS, the Greek language.

HAERETICUS, a heretic.
HEBDOMADA, a week.
HOLOSERICUS, made entirely of silk.
HORTENSIS, belonging to a garden.
HYPOCAUSTUM, a room heated from below with a stove.
HYPODIACONUS, a subdeacon.
HYPODIDASCALUS, an under-master.

IACTIO, a throwing.
ILLECTO, to entice, attract.
IMPOS, without control over.
INCENATUS, without having supped.
INCONTANTER, without hesitating.
INQUINAMENTUM, a defilement.
INTERULA, an inner garment.
INVITABULUM, a place that invites.

LACTARIUM, milk food.
LIBRIPENS, a man in charge of scales.
LOCATOR, a jobmaster.
LONGAEVITAS, long life.
LUSITO, to play, sport.

MACTATOR, a slaughterer.
MAGNAS, a great man, magnate.
MALAGMA, a poultice.
MONACHUS, a monk.
MONOCHORDON, a musical instrument with one string.
MORDACITAS, biting sarcasm.
MORIONES, jesters.
MULTILOQUUS, talkative.

NOLA, a bell.
NUBILOSUS, cloudy, foggy.

OBOLEO, to give forth a smell, betray oneself by smell.
OECONOMUS, a steward.
OPIPARUS, sumptuous.

PANOPLIA, an equipment.
PELLICIUS, made of skins or furs.
PETASO, pestle or shoulder of pork.
PHILARGYRIA, love of money.
PONTIFEX, a pope.
PRAESUL, a dignitary of the Church.
PRESBYTER, a priest.
PRIDIANUS, of the day before.
PROGYMNASMA, an exercise.
PROSUS, straightforward (of style), i.e. prose.
PROTRITUS, common.
PULSATILIS, produced by beating.

REDORMISCO, to fall asleep again.
RHETORIA, a trick of rhetoric.
ROSACEUS, made from roses.

SACERDOTIUM, a benefice, living.
SACRIFICOR, to celebrate the mass.
SACRIFICUS, a priest.
SCHOLIUM, a note.
SCRUPULUS, a scruple, fraction of an ounce.
SESQUIHORA, an hour and a half.
SOLOECUS, faulty, uncouth.
SORBITIUNCULA, a posset.
SUBCAESIUS, greyish.
SUBDITICIUS, spurious.
SUBMURMURO, to murmur softly.
SUBNIGER, blackish.
SUBSANNO, to sneer.
SUFFLAVUS, yellowish.
SUFFUROR, to steal away.
SUPPOSITITIUS, put in the place of another, not genuine.
SYNCOPIS, a fainting fit.
SYNGRAPHA, a promissory note, document.

TABELLIO, a messenger.
TELONES, a customs officer.
TELONICUS, belonging to a customs officer.
TEMPORALIS, connected with the things of this life.
TESSELLA, a pane.
TURPILOQUIUM, immodest speech.
TYPOGRAPHUS, a printer.

VICE-PRAEPOSITUS, a vice-provost.
VIVERRA, a ferret.

XENIUM, a present.

* * * * *

LIST OF PLACE NAMES

AGRIPPINA, Cologne.
AMBIANI, Amiens.
ANDRELACUM, Anderlecht.
ANTUUERPIA, Antwerp.
AQUISGRANUM, Aachen.
ARGENTINA, ARGENTORATUM, Strasburg.
ARTESIA, Artois.

BASILEA, Basel.
BEDBURIUM, Bedburg.
BELNA, Beaune.
BONONIA, Bologna.
BONNA, Bonn.
BRISACUM, Breisach.

CALECIUM, Calais.
CANTABRIGIA, Cambridge.
CANTUARIA, Canterbury.
CLARUS MONS, Clermont.
COLONIA (AGRIPPINA), Cologne.
CONFLUENTIA, Coblenz.
CURTRACUM, Courtray.

DIVUS TRUDO, St. Trond.

EBORACUM, York.

FRIBURGUM BRISGOIAE, Freiburg-in-the-Breisgau.

GRIENWIKUM, Greenwich.

HELVETIA, Switzerland.
HIEROSOLYMA, Jerusalem.

LEODIUM, Liege.
LONDINUM, LONDONIUM, London.
LOVANIUM, Louvain.
LUTETIA (PARISIORUM), Paris.

MAGUNTIA, Mainz.
MOSAE TRAIECTUM, Maastricht.

OXONIA, Oxford.

PARISII, Paris.
POPARDIA, Boppard.

ROFFA, Rochester.

ROTERODAMUM, Rotterdam.

SANCTUM AUDOMARUM, St. Omer.
SELESTADIUM, Schlettstadt.
SPIRA, Speyer.

TENAE, Tirlemont.
TONGRI, Tongres.
TORNACUM, Tournay.
TRAIECTUM, Utrecht.

VENETIAE, Venice.

WORMACIA, Worms.

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