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562 LETTERS OF ERASMUS [1514
ORNATISSIMO PATRI D. GVLIELMO ARCHIEPISCOPO CANTVARIENSI
PRIMATI BRITANNIAE ERASMVS ROTEROD. 8. D.
Cym ab ingratitudine non secus abhorream atque Achilles ille
Homericus a mendacio, mecumque perpenderem quam esset immen¬
sum quod tuae deberem benignitati, rursum et illud viderem, medio¬
cribus amicis de mediocribus beneficiis gratias agi conuenire, porro
5 tam excellenti vereque Primati gratiam referre conari tantum abesse
a grati hominis officio vt potius ingratitudinis vel certe insolentiae
genus esse videatur ; videlicet optimum factu iudicaui, vt tibi literaria
strenula ceu flosculo quopiam e Musarum hortulis decerpto animum
memorem atque amantem vteunque testificarer. Itaque Saturnalia
10 Luciani Latinitate donata bonis auibus mitto, libellum nisi fallor
nec infestiuum nec a me alteri dicatum, et in primis oportunum, si
quando ridere libebit ; imo si licebit in tanto negociorum agmine, quae
tibi (vt Horatianis dicam verbis) per caput et circum saliunt latus.
Cur autem vicio detur summatibus viris, siquando curis delassatum
15 animum risu reficiant? cum apud Hesiodum rideat et maximus ille
marip dvipav re bev te Iuppiter; praecipue si risus sit cuiusmodi
hune esse puto, nec illiberalis nec duovoos, imo haud scio an aliquanto
plus frugis etiam adferens quam seria quidem illa sed permolesta
negocia.
20 Vale, pater amplissime, et Erasmum tuum, vt facis, a monstro illo
plusquam Lernaeo vindicare perge. [Anno m.p.xv.]
294. To PETER GILLES.
Farrago p. 194. London.
F. p. 329: HN: Lond. vii. 32: LB. 156. (July) 1514.
[Erasmus departure from England on his way to Basle may be placed in July
1514, since he probably arrived at Hammes on the 7th ; cf. Ep. 296. 233.
The words in which he announces his intended visit to Mountjoy and his other
friends resemble those in Ep. 295; and this letter may therefore be placed
in 1514.
During his last days in London must have occurred the meeting with Canossa
in Ammonius’ house at Westminster, by Thames’ side, which is so graphically
described in Lond. xxiv. 24, LB. 1239. Canossa’s arrival in London may be dated
in June 1514, since the mandate to him to proceed from France to England was
dispatched from Rome about 20 May (Brewer, i. 5107, and 5173). |
ERASMVS PETRO AEGIDIO SVO S. D.
Acorprrs ab hoc nauta Antonio tria scrinia, vnum quadrum ligneum
funibus obuinctum, duo Gallica corio suillo circumtecta ; repones vel
apud te vel alicubi in tuto, donec ipse aduenero. Nautae, si videbitur,
solues, nisi forsitan hic a me pecuniam exegerit; nondum enim cum
293. 8. e F: a Lond. 21. Anno m.D.xv. add. H. 294. 1. tria E Corrig. :
mea EF. 2. duo E: tria F. circumtecta E: superne contecta H.
293, x1. alteri dicatum] OpPIS: 294. 1. tria] The correction made
13. Horatianis] Sat. 2. 6. 33, 4. in E escaped the notice of subsequent
15. Hesiodum] Cf. Th. 36 seq. editors.