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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William Herman of Gouda, which are still unpublished (ff. 1-24).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 un¬
known, 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 substi¬
tuted 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, Stras¬
burg, 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.