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312] TO PETER GILLES 83 Feb. (y) and Nov. 1516 (3), July 1518 (6), and Feb. 1521 (9). In 1516 Erasmus sent a copy of 8 to Badius with the suggestion that he should reprint it (Epp. 434 and 472). Badius, who held strict views about copyright (cf. Ep. 263 and Lond. vi. 24, LB. App. 242), was at first unwilling, but ultimately issued an abridgement of the work (e) with some explanatory notes by himself (cf. Luc. Ind. and Badius’ preface to Peter Gilles, ‘Aduersanorum a libellis’ dated 29 Nov. 1516). His text of Erasmus’ preface was followed by Froben in editions of Feb. 1518, Feb. 1519, and July 1521, his notes being added at the end of the Parabolae without his name ; but in a revised edition of Aug. 1522 (0), perhaps in consequence of representations from Erasmus, who had then returned to Basle, Badius’ authorship of the notes was acknowledged and some slight changes made in this preface. In the Opera of 1540, vol. i. p. 466, the text of the preface follows e.] ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS PETRO AEGIDIO, CELEBRATISSIMAE CIVITATIS ANTVVERPIENSIS A LIBELLIS, S. D. VvLGARE quidem et crassum istud amicorum genus, Petre amicorum candidissime, quorum vt omnis vitae, ita. necessitudinis quoque ratio in corporibus sita est, si quando procul seiunctos agere contigerit, anulos, pugiunculos, pileolos atque alia id genus symbola crebro solent inuicem missitare; videlicet ne vel consuetudinis intermissione languescat beneuolentia, vel longa temporum ac locorum intercapedine prorsus emoriatur. Nos vero, quibus animorum coniunctione societateque studiorum omnis amicitiae ratio constat, cur non potius animi xeniolis et literatis symbolis identidem alter alterum salutemus? Non quod vllum sit periculum ne propter interruptam vitae consuetudinem frigus aliquod obrepat, neue tantis regionum interuallis semota corpora copulam ac nexum soluant animorum; qui vel hoc arctius sibi conglutinari solent, quo vastioribus spaciis illa fuerint dirempta : verum vt si quid ex amicitiae fructu detrahere videatur absentia, id huiusmodi pignoribus literariis non sine foenore sarciamus. Proinde nihil quidem vulgarium xeniorum ad amicum adeo non vulgarem, sed plurimas in vno libello gemmas mitto. Cur enim non sic appellem has ‘Opobres ex opulentissimo summorum authorum mundo selectas? Nuper enim dum Aristotelem, Plinium ac Plutarchum locupletandis Adagiorum Chiliadibus relego, dum Anneum Senecam a mendis, quibus ille non contaminatus erat sed prorsus extinctus, repurgo, has obiter annotaui tibi munusculum haud quaquam ingratum futuras. Sic enim augurabar, quod et te perspicerem ad orationis elegantiam natura compositum esse, et intelligerem non nitorem modo sed vniuersam prope sermonis dignitatem a metaphoris proficisci. Nihil autem aliud est mapaßoàù, quam Cicero collationem vocat, quam explicata metaphora. Caeterorum orna: TIT. A LIBELLISa: AB ACTIS 8. 11. aliquod ay: aliud £. 21. Adagiorum] Cf. Ep. 269. 22. Senecam] Cf. Ep. 325. ALLEN II D n
