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586 APPENDIX III Leclere in a review of Jean Richard’s Sentimens d’ Hrasme de Roterdam conformes à ceux de l'Eglise Catholique, Cologne, 1688, in the Bibliothèque universelle et historique, 1687, vol. vii, p. 140. It is not clear how much authority Leclere intended to be attached to it. APPENDIX IV THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH CORNELIUS GERARD Tuar identifications of Petrus in Poel! and Engelbert Schut’, combined with the fact that Cornelius was at Lopsen when Herman addressed to him the letter? claiming the authorship of the poem on St. Bavo‘, show that Cornelius was at Lopsen during this period. The convents of Steyn and Lopsen were about fifteen miles apart. Epp. 17 and 18 were evidently written at an early period in the acquaintance. Ep. 17 may be placed first because in it Erasmus thanks Cornelius for one letter; in Ep. 18 he is gratefal for an accumulation of letters and also there is talk of an interchange of compositions. Epp. 19-22 are closely connected and deal with the Apologia. Ep. 20 answers Ep. 19, quoting three passages from it, and in it Erasmus apologizes for having been the first to send a poem. Ep. 21 is possibly the answer to this, deprecating Erasmus’ praises and explaining that Cornelius had really taken the initiative. Cornelius seems also to have written a letter, which is lost, recommending Erasmus to read Jerome’s Epistles, having first perhaps pointed out that the speech of Jerome added by him to the Apologia (cf. Ep. 19. 22 n.) might be to Erasmus a useful weapon in some argument he was conducting, very probably the Antibarbari. Ep. 22 replies with thanks for the suggestion, and explains that Erasmus was already familiar with the Epistles of Jerome; ending with a quotation from the Apologia. Epp. 23-27 also hang closely together. Ep. 23 from its opening words is evidently the continuation of a letter already written, perhaps Ep. 22; after objecting to Cornelius’ praise of Balbus, Erasmus extols Valla and urges Cornelius to read the Elegantiae. Epp. 24 and 25 should perhaps be combined into one, for both answer Ep. 23, quoting passages from it; the former making fun of Valla, the latter defending Balbus. Ep. 26 answers Ep. 24, defending Valla and taking special exception to the epithet ‘mordax.’ Ep. 27 answers Ep. 25, quoting passages from it. This second group cannot be much later than the first, for Ep. 23 has a renewed expression of delight at Cornelius’ construction of the Apologia, which indicates that it was still new. Ep. 27% is too fragmentary to be assigned any definite place in the correspondence; but as it shows Erasmus beginning to take the copies through which, doubtless, this series of letters has survived, it must not be placed too early. Ep. 28 may be placed before Ep. 29 because of the greater freedom 1 Ep. 17. 6on. iv. 54-73. It is shortly prior to No. 3, 2 Ep. 28. 24n. which Cornelius answered with No. 4 3 No. 5 of the correspondence from Lopsen. printed by Dr. Molhuysen in NAKG. * Ep. 28. 4n.
