Page 656 [656]
ee ee A,
606 LETTERS OF ERASMUS [1519
habeo mihi fauentissimos. Libris nihil fidunt. In solis sycophantiis
30 victoriae spes illis sita est. Eas contemno, recti conscientia fretus.
In te redduntur aliquanto mitiores. Meum calamum timent, sibi
male conscii: quos ego sane suis pingerem coloribus, vt digni sunt,
nisi me Christi tum doctrina tum exemplum alio vocarent. Immanes
ferae mansuescunt officiis, isti benefactis efferantur.
Habes in Anglia qui de tuis scriptis optime sentiant, et sunt ii
maximi. Sunt et hic, quorum est Episcopus Leodiensis, qui tuis
fauent. Ego me, quoad licet, integrum seruo, quo magis prosim
bonis literis reflorescentibus. Et mihi videtur plus profici ciuili
modestia quam impetu. Sic Christus orbem in suam ditionem
40 perduxit. Sic Paulus Iudaicam legem abrogauit, omnia trahens ad
allegoriam. Magis expedit clamare in eos qui pontificum authoritate
abutuntur quam in ipsos pontifices: idem de regibus faciundum
censeo. Scholae non tam aspernandae sunt quam ad studia magis
sobria reuocandae. De rebus receptioribus quam vt subito possint
45 eX animis reuelli, disputandum est argumentis densis et efficacibus
potius quam asseuerandum. Quorundam virulentas contentiones
magis conducit contemnere quam refellere. Vbique cauendum ne
quid arroganter aut factiose loquamur faciamusue: sic arbitror
gratum esse spiritui Christi. Interea seruandus animus, ne vel ira
50 vel odio vel gloria corrumpatur; nam haec in medio pietatis studio
w
on
solet insidiari.
Haec non admoneo vt facias, sed vt quod facis perpetuo facias.
Degustaui Commentarios tuos in Psalmos; vehementer arrident, et
spero magnam vtilitatem allaturos. Est Antuerpiae Prior eius
29. fauentissimos a: satis aequos F. 30. ego post Eas add. E. gr. Meum
calamum a: Eruditorum calamos 7. fortasse ante timent add. E. 33. VO¬
caret E. 35. da; DUB: Die 36. Episcopus Leodiensis a: eximius
quidam E. 37. E: fauet a, quoad a N? : quod FNS.
36. Leodiensis] In writing to Leo x, testifies the indebtedness of the
13 Sept. 1520 (Lond. xiv. 5, LB. 529), learned world to Erasmus among
about the unauthorized divulgation of others: ‘Erasmo Roterodamo debemus
this letter, Erasmus almost succeeds in cum Graecae tum Latinae linguae
creating the impression that he had studium; debemus item, vt pleraque
not mentioned the Bp.’s name; with- omittam, illustratam Noui Testamenti
out, however, actually saying so. In lectionem, debemus et Hieronymum.’
the letter appended to Martens’ second 54. Prior] James Probst or Proost
edition of the Colloquiorum Formulae (Praepositus) of Ypres (1486—30 June
(1519 fin.) he contents himself with 1562). At what date he had been
remarking that the name is not in the Luther’s pupil (11. 55,6) is not known ;
text given in E (BEr?, Collog. i. 65). but he perhaps came to Antwerp in
53. Commentarios] Operationes in 1513 with the band of Saxon Augus¬
Psalmos, a course of lectures delivered tinians who founded there the convent
at Wittenberg and printed there (by (LEZ 191. n. 3) of which e. 1518 he
J. Grunenberg), 1519, with a dedica- became Prior. In 1521 he returned to
tion to Duke Frederick of Saxony, complete his studies under Luther at
27 March 1519 (LE?. 166). A prefatory Wittenberg; where he became Bacca¬
letter from Melanchthon (ME. 36) lareus Biblicus 13 May, and Licentiate