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610 APPENDIX Ix the case of 1323 before the leaves were numbered ; and as these gaps occur at the stitching in the centre of the gatherings, the leaves seem to have been lost after the volumes were bound. The manuscripts are mainly the work of one person, Hand A, who, as will be seen, wrote somewhere about 1524; with additions by a later hand, B, writing about 1538. Both manuscripts are bound in limp vellum, the binding of 1324 being the earlier; since it is in the wallet form and has fly-leaves from a mediaeval philosophical manuscript, whilst 1323 has headbands, tie-strings, stained edges (all characteristics of a later style) and no fiy-leaves? Both were probably written on detached leaves, which were afterwards bound together ; but 1323 has evidently been bound twice, since its margins and the writing on them have been much more cut down than those of 1324, and the height of its page has been reduced from 8 inches to 73. In . 1324, too, there are only two gaps where pages have fallen out; in 1323 there are at least four, two of which? have been supplied by Hand B, who copied the loose leaves on a different paper and inserted the new in place of the old. The contents of the manuscripts are of the highest importance. 1323 opens with a number of letters and poems, written to or by Cornelius Gerard of Gouda about the years 1489-93 *, which have been published for the first time by Dr. P. C. Molhuysen of Leiden in NAKG. 1905, iv. 54-73; and some poems by Erasmus and William Herman of Gouda, which are still unpublished (ff. 1-24). Herman’s are of interest as bringing to light a fact hitherto unknown, that he was a pupil of Hegius at Deventer; Erasmus’ are evidently compositions of his early years, and are entitled Hrasmus magistro Enghelberto Leydensi, Elegia de collatione doloris et leticiae, Elegia de praepotenti virtute Cupidinis pharetrati, Elegia querula doloris, and the Carmen Bucolicum. This last was first published by Alard of Amsterdam after Erasmus’ death (Leiden, P. Balenus, 1538), and has been printed by Leclere (LB. viii. 561) from a manuscript formerly belonging to Peter Seriverius ; in both sources it is stated to have been composed at Deventer. The version in the Gouda manuscript was probably taken from the original; since the romantic names Rosphamus and Gunifolda are used in place of Pamphilus and Galatea, which it may be conjectured were substituted by Alard, together with a number of corrections in the text, out of regard for Erasmus credit as a classic. On ff. 24 v°-32 are copied the letters between Erasmus and Wimpfeling, which were printed first in Erasmus’ De Copia, Strasburg, Schtirer, Dec. 1514. Then, ff. 32-8, follow some more poems by Cornelius Gerard, some verses of authorship unassigned, one of which is on the election of Adrian vr to the Papacy (Jan. 1522), others by Alard of Amsterdam and John Murmell of Ruremond, ? I am indebted for much of this * One of the letters is contemporary information to Mr. S. Gibson of the with Ep. 28; another is perhaps later Bodleian Library, who ascribes the than Erasmus’ departure to join the binding of 1324 to xvi° med., that of Bp. of Cambray, for Herman writing 1323 to xvii° init. from Steyn sends to Cornelius greeting * ff. 5,6, and 32-4; ithasbeen noted from Servatius and Francis, but makes above that f. 7 is lost. no mention of Erasmus; cf. Ep. 35- 130.
