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1514] TO SERVATIUS ROGERUS 565 to his enemies. The attempt was successful and 6 became the accepted text, in which the letter was printed in many volumes containing material for Erasmus’ life; see BEr.’ It is the text printed in the prefaces of Lond. and LB.; but in the appendix to LB. Leclere reprints y1. The genuineness of the letter has sometimes been doubted ; but it is sufficiently authenticated by the reference to Il. 153-7 in Dorp’s letter (Ep. 304), written shortly afterwards, and by Erasmus’ own allusions to it in LB. 1265, where he admits one passage (Il. 26-33) and demurs to the incorrect citation of another (Il. 75-7) ; even apart from Lypsius’ circumstantial account. The date assigned is unquestionable ; cf. Ep. 295. In consequence of the diversity of the sources the sigla are given in full.] REVERENDO PATRI SERVATIO ERASMVS S. P. HvmanIssime pater, litterae tuae per plurimorum iactatae manus tandem ad me quoque peruenerunt iam Angliam egressum; quae mihi sane voluptatem incredibilem attulerunt, quod veterem ilum tuum in me animum adhuc spirant. Paucis autem respondeo, vtpote ex itinere iam scribens, et ad ea potissimum quae tu scribis ad rem maximo pertinere. Tam varia est hominum sententia, et suus cuique auium cantus, vt omnibus satisfieri non possit. Ego certe hoc sum animo, vt quod sit factu optimum sequi velim; testis est mihi Deus. Nam si quid olim iuueniliter sensi, id partim aetas, partim rerum correxit vsus. Nunquam ro mihi fuit consilium vel vitae genus vel cultum mutare, non quod probarem, sed ne cui scandalo essem. Scis enim me ad id vitae genus tutorum pertinacia et aliorum improbis hortatibus adactum esse magis quam inductum; tum Cornelii Woerdeni conuitiis et pudore quodam puerili fuisse retentum, cum intelligerem mihi 15 on hoe vitae genus haudquaquam aptum esse; nam non omnibus congruunt omnia. Jeiuniorum semper impatiens fui, idque peculiari quadam corporis ratione. Semel excitatus e somno nunquam potui redormiscere, nisi post horas aliquot. Ad litteras tantum rapiebatur animus, quarum istic nullus vsus, adeo vt non 20 dubitem quin si in liberum aliquod vitae genus incidissem, non solum inter foelices verumetiam inter bonos potuissem numerari. Itaque cum intelligerem me nequaquam esse idoneum isti 2. egressum aBy : ingressum È. 3. veterum a. 4. respondeo ay : respondebo ô. 5. iam om. B. 6. pertinere aßy : pertinent è. Tam By5: Tam a, varia aBy.: vana è. 8. certe Byd: certo a. xo. id ayd: jam £. IT. mihi om. ay. 12, id ay5: istud 6. 13. hortatibus ayé : adhortationibus 8. 14. tum Byd: cum a. Woerdeni è: Werdemia: Wordeni 8 : Vuertemi y. 18, ed: a aBy. 20. tantum ayò : enim 8. vb om. y. 21. quin om. ò. liberum aliquod að: liberum aliquot £: liberius y. 22. potuissem y : potuerim £5: potuero a. 9. iuueniliter] Cf. ii. 21. Steyn c. 1493. The bearer of the letter 14. Woerdeni] of Woerden, to the isa certain Cornelius, who had been a N. of Gouda. Cf. ii. 8r seq. and Lond. friend of Herman at Deventer ; and xxiv. 5, LB. App. 442, where he appears against his name Hand A (see App. 9) as ‘Cantelius.’ His presence at Steyn adds in the margin, ‘ Puto fuisse Coris shown by a letter from Wm. Her- nelium Woerdenum’, (Gouda MS. man to Cornelius Gerard, written from 1323; f. 21).
