Page 77 [77]
OCR
326 | TO THE READER 55 in length ; from the third, which is also very long, I have selected two passages as suitable for inclusion in this edition. The original manuscripts of the first and third prefaces are in a packet of papers belonging to the Basle University Library, together with a great number of the scholia on Jerome in Erasmus’ hand. Besides Erasmus’ autograph for this preface (a) the packet contains also a manuscript copy by Conrad Fonteius (p. 67), which seems from notes and marks on it to have been made for use in the press (81). In illustration of the critical standards of the age it may be remarked that even £! does not reproduce a with minute fidelity, and that in £? the printers followed the established orthography of their press rather than that of Erasmus as represented by Fonteius. These differences of orthography are, however, too numerous to be shown here in detail. The insignificant variants in the revised edition of 1524-6, vol. iv. pp. 407 and 412 (y), are doubtless due to the printers. In Chevallon’s edition, Paris, 1533-4 (see p. 211), the text of this preface, vol. iv. f. 138 v°, follows the variants of y. It is noticeable that the second extract, ll. 63-130, is not found in the first drafts of either a or 81, but forms part of a passage inserted later ; clearly after the receipt of Ep. 304, to which it is a reply resembling Ep. 337, and thus (ef. Ep. 337- 1) after the visit to England on which Erasmus determined to dedicate the New Testament to Leo x instead of to Warham. The date given is unquestionable. | ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS DIVINARVM STVDIOSIS LITTERARYM S. D Haud me fallit, optime lector . (f. 189) Sunt rursum quibus non omnino deest iudicium, sed vix est credibile quantum valeat imaginatio persuasioque, si prior animum occuparit ; idque non solum in vulgo verum etiam in eruditissimis magnique iudicii viris. Sic cotidie falluntur oculi, sic populi totius aures olim Parmenonis suem requirebant; quae quidem res et in 5 prouerbium deinde cessit. Non pigebit fabulas aliquot hoc referre loco, quo magis quod dico fiat perspicuum. Fuit olim iuueni mihi cum Petro Santeramo Siculo, homine non minus festiuo quam aerudito, familiaritas in edibus inclyti viri Henrici, vulgari cognomento de Bergis, episcopi Cameracensis. Is, vti referebat, cum 10 Parisiis ageret, ludens huiusmodi scripserat epigramma, veluti Tv mx referens : Tempora fatalis quoniam sic limitis itis, Tristia concentu funera solor olor. Affinxerat titulum, Cygnus moriens pro specu. Sub id adhibuit 15 scribendi pulchre peritum artificem, qui distichon hoc quam maxime posset ad imitationem antiquitatis pingeret, litteris aliquot data opera relictis mutilis ceu iam oblitteratis vetustate. Carmen adornatum exhibuit Fausto Andrelino, qui multos iam annos illic poeticen profitetur. Addidit eam schedulam inter vetustissimas 20 antiquitatis reliquias sibi repertam fuisse, videlicet quod sciret | hominem aspernaturum, si dixisset nudius tercius apud sese natam. 9. erudito 8. 8. Santeramo] Cf. Ep. 71 introd. and App. 5.
