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PRINCIPAL EDITIONS OF ERASMUS’ EPISTOLAE 595
With the Farrago (E) the pretence was discarded, and the volume
appeared without a preface, perhaps because Erasmus was absent
from Basle. It is of special interest as containing, with a very few
exceptions, all of Erasmus’ letters before 1514 which were printed
during his lifetime. Like his first letter-book, this volume contains
very few letters from his early friends. In the Paris period the
correspondence is always one-sided. With his pupils, Grey and
Fisher, the Northoffs and Mountjoy, this isnatural enough ; buteven
Faustus Andrelinus. who enjoyed a high contemporary reputation,
was only accounted deserving of that honour to the extent of partici¬
pating in what was evidently considered a witty exchange of notes %.
Of the faithful Batt, the recipient of so many urgent missives, only
one letter was included”, and that possibly written by Erasmus?
hand. Soagain in England there are plenty of letters to More, Sixtin,
and Colet, or to Gilles at Antwerp; but only the gifted Ammonius
was deemed worthy to have his replies appended in any number to
Erasmus’ compositions. Something of this was no doubt due to the
Basle editors, who were modest enough to insert not a single letter
from their own circle, a fact which excited some comment”. But
probably in large measure it was because Erasmus had not preserved
the letters of his correspondents during his early years; in the case
of Ammonius, however, he had taken care to secure whatever he
could, as soon as he heard of his friend’s death *.
It is clear from consideration of the dates assigned to some of the
early letters in the Farrago that Erasmus must have arranged for the
publication. Out of the 103 letters which represent the years down
to 1505, fifty-one have year-dates assigned ; of these, thirty-three and
perhaps more are wrong, in most cases quite indisputably. These
incorrect year-dates cannot have formed part of the original letters ;
and Erasmus would hardly have left his friends to assign dates
haphazard. It is evident therefore that the dates were added by
Erasmus himself, in preparing the letters for publication. But his
memory was sadly at fault, as it was ten years later, when he was
engaged upon the Opus Epistolarum.
The next edition, the Epistolae ad diuersos (F), was brought out to
correct a number of indiscretions committed in the former volumes *,
especially in D and E”; and it is quite evident that Erasmus was
aware of the undertaking. In the preface, which he contributes
himself, he admits having revised the Farrago; but he dwells at
great length on his reluctance to publish his letters, and the pressure
exercised upon him by circumstances, When the printed matter was
exhausted, Beatus Rhenanus wrote to him for fresh material; in
reply he sent a packet of letters, perhaps a book containing those of
1519-21, entreating Beatus to make a good selection, and protesting
that he would like to see the volume suppressed.
The little volume of Selectae Epistolae (Œ) appears to have been
called forth by the numerous attacks on Erasmus in 1528, for it
15 Epp. 96-100. 19 Lond. xiii. 5, LB. 515.
© Ep. 120. 2° Cf. Epp. 123, 146, and 280. In
7 BRE. 136. Epp. 80 and 88 are examples of con¬
18 LB. App. 228, 180, 260, 132, 281. siderable amplification,