Page 623 [623]
589] FROM ANDREW OF ASOLA 591
meus suauissimus ac charissimus—quem, quae illius virtus fuit
mirifica, non possum non nominare sine multa praefatione honorum ;
quem, inquam, Erasme, quae illius humanitas fuit, non sine lachry¬
mis semper nomino—: tum in Plauto quanta vsus est industria, in
conglutinatore Latinae Syrenis. Hos vellem aedere studiosis omni¬
bus. Patere igitur me vti hoc tuo beneficio. Oro te per maiestatem
nominis Latini, cuius tu semper fuisti studiosissimus, ad me mittas
si quicquam est qui sit codex antiquus; quo possimus vti nostri
codicis quasi magistro, aut si quicquam est aliud apud te quod possit
nostrum munus expolire. Nihil omittere volumus ad rem con¬
ficiendam cum accurate tum eleganter, quo bonorum omnium in nos
studia augeantur. Vale.
Filii mei te multa salute impertiunt, quibus tuo nomine s.p, dixi,
or
o
salutem dicunt.
590. From NICHOLAS SAGUNDINUS.
London.
Deventer MS. gI, f. 96 v°.
22 June 1517.
LB. App. 143.
[Written after the receipt of Ep. 584 in London, and forwarded by More in
July (Ep. 601) together with Epp. 591,2 and probably Ep. 593. ]
SINGVLARI REIPVBLICAE LITTERARIAE ORNAMENTO ERASMO
ROTERODAMO NICOLAVS SAGVNDINYS S. D. P.
QVANQVAM me nouum tironem conantem ad te, doctissimorum
hominum doctissimum, aliquid in praesens scribere vel pudor quidam
meus pene subrusticus vel meae (quae nulla est) doctrinae conscientia
vel altitudo tui ingenii maximusque tui nominis splendor absterret
589. 45. enim (n.) ante re add. amanuensis postea, quasi perperam omissum : deceptus
nimirum illo quod sequitur, enim (n.) te. 49. c in quicquam incerta : deformawit LB.
55. Aldi post Filii scripsit amanuensis et delewit : inclusit LB perperam.
589. 44. Plauto] In his preface to the
first Aldine edition, July 1522, Fr.
Asulanus refers to the work of correc¬
tion done by Aldus and Erasmus, and
states that their text formed the basis
of his edition.
46. Latinae Syrenis] This title is
applied to Valerius Cato, the gram¬
marian, as a master of poetry; in a
couplet preserved in Suet. Gram. II.
Here apparently ‘metre’; cf. 1. 40n.
and Lond. xxi. 4, LB. 689.
55. Manutius] (c. 1506-1568) became
a priest at Asola; see Renouard, pp.
Some:
Antonius] (1558 or 9) became
a bookseller and printer at Bologna.
Paulus] (12 June 1512 or 1513 —
6 April 1574) became almost as famous
as his father in his conduct of the
Aldine press, of which he took over
the management in 1533. He also won
fame as a scholar, especially for his
work on Cicero. In 1561 at the re¬
quest of Pius rv he removed to Rome,
to undertake the printing of a series of
the Fathers. See Renouard.
590. 2 pudor] Cf. Cic. Fam. 5. 12. I.