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PRINCIPAL EDITIONS OF ERASMUS’ EPISTOLAE 599 rejected. He was assisted perhaps by De la Faye, who afterwards worked up the Deventer letter-book*. The letters were printed with care, the basis being apparently the London text; for in some cases where this differs inadvertently from the Basle text the Leiden edition reproduces the mistakes.” But this is not always so; for sometimes the Leiden text reverts from a change (not manifestly an error) made by the London editor to the reading of the authorized editions *. The arrangement of the letters, however, was done superficially. The dates assigned in the preceding editions were accepted almost without question, and the letters placed accordingly ; those which too obviously conflicted with Erasmus’ movements as shown by other letters being deferred to the Appendix, which was swelled by the inclusion of the Deventer letter-book and other late-gathered contributions ©. In consequence, for the years up to 1517, during which the Basle folio was a false guide, the Leiden arrangement is not of much more value than that of its original. For two hundred years, however, it has remained the standard edition of Erasmus’ Epistolae. TABLE OF EDITIONS A (Damiani Elegeia). Iani Damiani Senensis ad Leonem X. Pont. Max. de expeditione in Turcas Hlegeia, etc. Basle, J. Froben, August 1515. 4°. No Preface. 4 letters, all of May 1515. B (Epistole ad Erasmum). Epistole aliquot illustrium virorum ad Erasmum Roterodamum et huius ad illos. Louvain, Th. Martens, October 1516. 4°. Preface: Peter Gilles to Gaspar Halmal, 26 Sept. 1516, Antwerp. 21 letters: 3 from A; 18 new. Range of new letters: 11 Oct. 1514-Aug. fin. 1516. Distribution : 1514, 2; 1515, 2; 1516, 14. C! (Epistole elegantes). Aliquot epistole sanequam elegantes Erasmi Roterodami et ad hune aliorum eruditissimorum hominum, antehac nunquam excusae praeter vnam et alteram. Louvain, Th. Martens, April 1517. 40 Preface: Peter Gilles to Antony Clava, 5 March 1517, Antwerp. 35 letters: 4 from B; 31 new. Range of new letters: Oct. 1515—March 1517. Distribution: 1515, 1; 1516, 10; 1517, 20. C? Idem. Basle, J. Froben, Jan, 1518. 40. 52 letters. A reprint of A (except one letter), B, and C+. D? (Auctarium). Auctarium selectarum aliquot Epistolarum Erasmi Roterodami ad eruditos et horum ad illum. Basle, J. Froben, August 1518. 4° Preface: Beatus .g. Epp. 215. 20, and 283. 6. % See App. 8. we 3 T 32 See p. 608. 37 @, 9, Epp. 283. 149, 293. 8.
