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xil Introduction
to flight. They retired to Florence, but returned
in time to see the triumphant entry of Pope
Julius II. Erasmus was always a preacher of
peace; convinced of the wrongfulness of war, he
inveighed against it with all his eloquence; the
spectacle of the Head of the Church conducting
a campaign and plunging men into misery filled
him with horror. In the ‘Moria’, still more in
the ‘ Julius Exclusus ’, he spoke his indignation
without respect of persons.
While at Bologna Erasmus was busied with
his collection of ‘ Adages’. These had been first
printed during his Paris years, but now the little
book was worked up into a big book, and Erasmus
went to Venice to see the new edition published.
It was produced by Aldus, the famous printer,
in whose family Erasmus spent a year of strenuous
work. When it ended, he left Venice to go
south ; and at Siena joined Alexander Stewart,
the young Archbishop of St. Andrews, who
later fell with his father, James IV, at Flodden.
With this pupil Erasmus visited Rome and
Naples, enjoying with equal keenness the interest
of classic sites or the discussion of modern
politics with the high officials of the Curia. It