Page 622 [622]
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’, com¬
bined 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, recom¬
mending 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.