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324 | TO JOHN REUCHLIN 51
ribus duntaxat gustaui labris. In summa dabitur sua cuique laus,
idque candidissime. Bene vale et Erasmum in eorum adscribito
numerum qui tuo nomini vere et ex animo fauea(n)t. Kan. Martiis.
325. To THomas RUTHALL.
Senecae Lucubrationes f°. a? (a). Basle.
Gouda MS. 1324, f. 23 v° (8). 7 March 1515.
[The preface to the edition of Seneca’s Lucubrationes, for which Erasmus had
prepared in England and which he left to be printed by Froben after his
departure from Basle. The book was begun in April (Ep. 328. 17 n.) and
finished in August 1515. In1. p. 13. 14-24 Erasmus enlarged upon the careless¬
ness of the friends whom he had left in charge of the work and on the fraudu¬
lence of one in particular, who removed part of the manuscript. Beatus
Rhenanus (Epp. 328 and 330) plainly was one of those censured by Erasmus,
who does not mince his words even about his friends; and possibly the
Amorbachs also helped with the edition. But it is clear from a comparison of
Erasmus’ various lutterances on the subject that the chief offender was
William Nesen (cf. Epp. 328, 329, 330; and Lond. xxi. 4, xix, 3, xxi. 26; LB.
680, 714 and 782). In an emended edition of Seneca published in March 1529,
Basle, H. Froben and J. Herwagen, with a new preface, Lond. xxviii. 12, LB.
toro, Erasmus speaks of him with more moderation. From the same preface it
appears that the Lucubrationes did not reach Ruthall until Erasmus’ return to
England in 1516 (cf. Ep. 437); and that Ruthall was in consequence annoyed.
There is a copy of this letter in one of the Gouda manuscripts (App. 9); but
as there are no variants except such as might be made by a clever but not over¬
careful writer, copying from the printed book, I have not given it precedence.
For Erasmus’ work at the tragedies of Seneca also see 1. p. 13, and Ep. 263.)
AMPLISSIMO PATRI D. THOMAE RYTHALLO, EPISCOPO DVNELMENSI,
SERENISSIMI BRITANNIAE REGIS SECRETARIO MAGNO,
ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS S. D.
Mire videtur euenisse, Praesul ornatissime, vt vtrique diuerso
quidem genere sed tamen haud ita dissimilem militiam eodem
tempore militauerimus. Etenim dum tu primum regis vere inuictis¬
simi felicibus auspiciis Gallos in fugam agis, deinde a castris in
castra reuersus Scotorum regem maximis et instructissimis copiis
in ditionis tuae fines irrumpentem repellis, fundis, conscindis, ego
duos omnium optimos sed omnium deprauatissimos autores, diuum
Hieronymum et Senecam, a mendis, teterrimis videlicet litterarum
hostibus, quibus hactenus non contaminati fuerant sed prorsus
extincti, summo studio vindicaui. Et mihi cum geminis hostibus
fuit res, nec vsquam arbitror in vestris castris plus fuisse difficultatis
325. 11. vsquam a: vnquam 8.
Epp. 334. 125, 6and g96. 272 seq.); and France with the King in June; but
later also from Oecolampadius (Ep. was soon sent back to take part in
373. 72 seq.) for the New Testament. organizing resistance to the Scottish
325. 3. dum tu] See the correspond- invasion. See Brewer i. 4460-2 for his
ence of 1513. Ruthall went over to letters to Wolsey after Flodden,
E 2
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