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euulgari velimus quicquid cum amiculo congerrone vel stomachamur
vel nugamur. Ediderunt epigrammata a me quidem scripta (non
inficior) sed non in hoc scripta. Ea, sicuti coniicio, famulus suffura¬
tus typographis vendidit. Alius quispiam ex pauculis paginis iisque ro
deprauatissime scriptis, velut ex opere edito, dictu mirum quam
multa citet et inculcet de ratione conscribendarum epistolarum. Et
vt de caeteris minutioribus sileam, nuper hunc rep) ouvraéews libellum
mihi veluti postliminio vindicarunt, primitus nullius aeditum titulo.
Quaerebat Iohannes Coletus, theologus inter Anglos eximius, 15
nouae scholae suae nouum de Constructione libellum, qui simul et
compendio pueris commendaretur et perspicuitate. Eum huius iussu
scripserat Gulielmus Lilius, vir vtriusque literaturae haud vulgariter
peritus et mirus recte instituendae pubis artifex. Absolutum ab illo
mihi tradidit, imo obtrusit emendandum ; quid enim facerem, cum 20
vir ille rogandi finem non faceret, tam amicus vt nefas esse ducerem
quicquam negare precanti, tantae vero authoritatis, sic de me meritus,
vt suo iure quiduis etiam imperare posset Erasmo ? Quoniam autem
sic emendaram vt pleraque mutarim (nam id mihi videbam esse
facilius), nec Lilius, vt est nimia quadam modestia praeditus, passus 25
est librum suo vulgari nomine, nec ego iudicaui mei candoris esse
vsurpare mihi in quo quicquam esset alienum. Proinde magnopere
sum interminatus, cuiusuis titulum asscriberent, modo ne meum.
Itaque recusante vtroque libellus åvóvvpos prodiit, Coleti duntaxat
praefatiuncula commendatus.
Quem quidem libellum in praesentia nec laudaturus sum, ne cui
videar arrogantior, nec vituperaturus, ne parum candidus habear.
Verum haec praefari visum est, ne posthac quisquam vyt meum am¬
plectatur quod ipse praefatiuncula mihi non assero. Plus satis
erratorum et in iis quae publicantur a nobis, vt nemo alius edat 35
30
22, sic a: om. y: tam è.
he contended in verse-writing (see
8. epigrammata] First published
More’s Epigrammata), and with Colet,
by Badius with the Adagia 8 Jan.
1507; Badius also published a separate
edition on 15 July 1512.
g. famulus] This statement is
perhaps only another instance of the
disclaimer in the cause of modesty ;
cf. Ep. 30. 16 n.
12. epistolarum] Cf. Ep. 7x introd.
18. Lilius] Wm. Lily (1468 ?—1522)
after a degree at Oxford went on pil¬
grimage to Jerusalem and resided for
some years in Rhodes (BRE. 72). He
also studied in Italy and became a good
Greek scholar. His return to England
may probably be placed before 1500.
Settling in London (ef. Ep. Ts saro)
ho was intimate with More, with whom
who appointed him first high master
of St. Paul's School in 1512—an office
which he held until his death. But his
name rarely occurs in Erasmus’ writ¬
ings. His fame as a grammarian was
great and rested upon this work and an¬
other small syntax composed at Colet’s
request c. 1509. The two books were
subsequently combined and served for
more than a century as a national
Latin grammar. See DNB.
29. libellus] The first edition was
by R. Pynson, 1513, with a preface by
Colet, also dated in 1513 ; from which
it appears that Colet had some share
in the book.