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APPENDIX XMI THE COPENHAGEN MANUSCRIPT Tux Royal Library at Copenhagen possesses a MS. (G. K.S. 95 fol.) of 253 folios, which is almost entirely in the handwriting of Erasmus. Very little information is available externally as to the history of the manuscript. It was presented to the library by Frederick III of Denmark (1648-1670); and its binding is probably of that period. Its contents also are so varied that they do not give any clear indication as to the mode of its composition. They are as follows :— ff. 1-3. A list of writings by Athanasius, with opening words: in Greek, in the hand of a secretary. ff. 4-112 and 118-150. Rough drafts of Erasmus’ Ecclesiastes, Book 1, De praeparatione ad mortem and Adagia: in his autograph, somewhat hastily written ; the leaves not always correctly arranged, as the following scheme will show :— Ecclesiastes: ff. 4-9, 77-8, 10-57, 74-6. De praeparatione: ff. 58-71, 79; 72-3 containing passages for insertion at various points. Adagia: ff. 147-150; No. 1493. ff. 118-144, 80-112 ; Nos. 3659-3935. ff. 145-6 ; Nos. 4131-4140. f. 113. Address sheet of a letter to Erasmus: recto blank; verso, ‘Verae Theologiae et omnium bonarum litterarum instauratori Opt. Max. et patrono suo incomparabili D. Erasmo Roterodamo. Friburgi Brisgoiae.’ ff. 114-5. Index nouorum prouerbiorum ; by a secretary, except for one entry by Erasmus and a few words hastily written by him. ff. 116-7. A second index of proverbs; by a secretary, but with a number of entries by Erasmus. Both indexes refer to the Adagia contained on the folios enumerated above. ff. 151-2. Notes on Seneca ; in Erasmus’ autograph. ff. 153-9. Notes on Augustine ; in Erasmus’ autograph. ff. 160-252. 52 letters, all in Erasmus’ autograph. f. 253. A copy of Erasmus’ last will, dated 12 Feb. 1536; written by a secretary. With the exception of the letters, which are somewhat diverse in date, the manuscript belongs to only a few years of Erasmus’ life. As to when he began to write the Ecclesiastes, there is no definite evidence to show. It had been asked for by his friends as far back as
