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52 LETTERS OF ERASMUS [1524
grauemque ob hanc rem inuidiam sustinuit a barbaris et monachis.
Vsque ad annum quinquagesimum nec impetiuerat quenquam, nec
150 impetitus est a quoquam stylo. Idque habebat sibi propositum om¬
nino stylum incruentum seruare. A Fabro primum est impetitus ;
nam Dorpiana orsa suppressa sunt. In respondendo semper erat
ciuilitate. Lutherana tragoedia onerauerat illum intolerabili inuidia ;
discerptus ab vtraque parte, dum vtrique studet consulere. Augebo
155 catalogum operum meorum; ex hoc quoque multa colligentur.
Scripsit ad me Gerardus Nouiomagus quosdam meditari vitam
Erasmi, partim carmine, partim oratione. Ipse cupiebat instrui
secreto ; sed non ausus sum mittere. Si contingat cum illo colloqui,
poteris illi communicare. Nec tamen expedit aliquid tentare de
160 vita, nisa res ipsa vrgeat. Sed his de rebus fortassis alias, aut etiam
coram.
Haec vbi scripsissem, venit Berckman onustus mendaciis. Scio
quam sit difficile continere arcanum ; tamen vni tibi credo omnia.
Celebraui Viandulum nostrum ; Liuinus exhibebit libellum : hortare
165 Ceratinum vt si quando relegat auctorem annotet aliqua. Fauendum
est Frobenio; ego non possum illi semper adesse. Et eius causa
grauor magna inuidia. Nosti quam sint figuli. Rursum vale.
Ill. Brarus RHENANUS TO HERMANN OF WIED.
Origenis Opera 1536 (a). Schlettstadt.
Lond. init. : LB. i. init. 15 August 1536.
[The following sketch of Erasmus’ life occurs in the preface contributed by
Beatus Rhenanus to the edition of Origen (Opera latine, studio et labore D. Erasmi
Roterodami partim versa, partim recognita. Basle. H. Froben and N. Episcopius,
Sept. 1536, 2 vols. fol.) on which Erasmus had been engaged in his last years.
It was intended for dedication to Hermann of Wied, Archbishop of Cologne,
who had shown Erasmus some attention through Cornet Agrippa in 1533,
and seemed likely to become a liberal patron ; ‘and the intention was carried
out after his death by Beatus Rhenanus, who had doubtless taken no light part
in the work.
As early as 1537 this extract from the preface was included with other matter
illustrative of Erasmus’ life in a pirated edition of Erasmus’ Catalogi duo published
at Antwerp. It was afterwards enlarged by Beatus Rhenanus into the short
biography prefixed to the collected edition of Erasmus’ works, which follows it
150. à quoquam 0: vnquam a. 158. ciuilitate 0: ciuilior a. O! addit in
margine: Sic in Autographo erat; voluit addere praeditus, vel scribere ciuilior. one¬
rauit a. 156. ad me 0: iam mihi a. 157. partim carmine . . . 158 secreto
OM. a. 159. Nec... 160 vrgeat om. a. 162, Bireman a. 164, Viamdulum
veserum a. 167. Rursum om. a.
149. Vsque...seruare]Cfi.p.21.27-86. as Erasmus passes into the first person
This passage is plainly a reminiscence. at the end of the Compendium it may
_ 154. Augebo catalogum) Cf. i. be retained here.
introd, TETS 164. Viandulum] Erasmus’ Paraphra¬
162. Hacc vbi seripsissem] This con- sis in tertium Psalmum is dedicated to
cluding passage is properly a post- Melchior Viandal with a preface dated
script to the letter to Goclen. But 25 Feb. 1524.