Page 609 [609]
586] TO THE DUKES OF SAXONY 579
and revised by Erasmus (a?), who besides correcting the obvious blunders of
the secretary also rewrites and amplifies the text in places. a? necessarily takes
precedence of at; but it is not always easy to distinguish between them,
especially when the correction is in the form of a letter, such as the addition
of the cedilla by which e is made into ae. Erasmus often so transforms
Hand D’s e; but these corrections and such as seem made by the secretary
himself are not worth reproducing.
The Hist. Aug. Scriptores were printed by Froben in June 1518 (6'), Duke
Frederick being included in the dedication ; and again by Froben’s successors
in July 1533 (y). It is noticeable that from 1. 62 onwards Erasmus makes the
dedication to both Dukes even in the manuscript (a?), although the heading
and opening sentences are left unchanged. In printing he seems to have
designed to amplify his preface for 61, but after a few lines he abandoned the
undertaking, and the substantial revision is not made until y. The Gouda MS.
(8?) is evidently copied from 61.
In a preface to the reader (f°. 8°, 1518) dated 23 June 1518 and perhaps written
by Erasmus, Froben states that for Spartianus and the following authors he was
able to use a MS. of Spartianus borrowed from Murbach, and Egnatius’ Caesares
(Ep. 588. 55 n.), which he received through Frankfort, probably the autumn
fair of 1517; but that the volume was far advanced before these reached him.
For Frederick the Wise of Saxony (17 Jan. 1463 — 5 May 1525), the champion
of Luther and the Reformation, see ADB; and, for his relations to Erasmus,
Hartfelder in Zs. f. vergl. Litteraturgesch. N. F. iv. 1891, pp. 203-14.
The date is confirmed by the fact that in no other year was Erasmus at
Antwerp at this time.]
ILLVSTRISSIMIS SAXONIAE DVCIBVS, FEDERICO SACRI IMPERII
ELECTORI, ETC. EIVSQVE PATRVELI GEORGIO
ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS S. D.
Vr ab his viris quos fortunae calculus mundi gubernaculis ad¬
mouit, Federice ac Georgi ducum incorruptissimi, haud exegerim
anxiam atque exactam scholasticarum disciplinarum cognitionem,
in quibus qui consenuerint, eos fere sensu etiam communi carere
videmus, tantum abest vt tractandis rerum habenis sint idonei: ita
vehementer ab istis dissentio qui reges prorsus ab omni librorum
commercio ceu re noxia ablegant, perinde quasi hoc demum vere
regium sit, nihil omnino vel scire vel agere praeter aleam, venatus,
moriones et his etiam sordidiores voluptates. Cum quibus enim
amicis libentius confabuletur cordatus et pius princeps quam cum 10
iis qui et semper presto sunt et sapiunt plurimum et nihil loquuntur
ad gratiam? Verum nullis ex libris, mea sententia, plus vtilitatis
capi possit quam ex eorum monumentis qui res publice priuatimque
gestas bona fide posteris prodiderunt, presertim si quis regalis philo¬
sophiae decretis imbutus huc accesserit. Etenim qui in hoc munere
rerum gerendarum exemplum quam gestarum fidem spectare malue¬
runt, in quibus est Herodotus, hactenus modo prosunt, quod boni
PATRVELI ' (FREDERICO 8°): ILLVSTRISSIMO SAXONIAE
2. Federice ac add. t (Frederice 8°).
n
4
on
TIT. ILLYSTRISSIMIS .. ¬
DVOI a. I. his ay: iis £’.
8: incorruptissime a. 3. anxiam atque exactam add. B. 4. con¬
I = 2. esnercio al vis .
senuerunt y. 5. a’: idonii al, 7. af: conercio al. 9. his ay:
lis 82, rr. iis ay: his 82. a? : loquntur a}. I4, quis add. y¬
17. in quibus est Herodotus add. y.
ns tr 4. sensu] Cf. Hor. 8. 1. 3. 66.
Pp2