In Praise of Folly - Illustrated with Many Curious Cuts

Desiderius Erasmus

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Praise of Folly, by Desiderius ErasmusThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.orgTitle: In Praise of FollyIllustrated with Many Curious CutsAuthor: Desiderius ErasmusIllustrator: Hans HolbeinRelease Date: October 6, 2009 [EBook #30201]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN PRAISE OF FOLLY ***Produced by David WidgerFrontispieceTitlepageIN PRAISE OF FOLLYBy ErasmusIllustrated with many curious CUTS, Designed, Drawn, and EtchedBy Hans HolbeinWITH PORTRAIT,LIFE OF ERASMUS,AND HISEpistle addressed to Sir Thomas More.LONDON: REEVES & TURNER, 196, STRAND, W.C.1876.THE LIFE OF ERASMUS.On the Argument and Design of the following Oration.ERASMUS's Praise of FOLLY.List of IllustrationsFrontispieceTitlepageErasmus055 079 131 169 202 234 274 320 352036 057 85 138 173 206 238 278 324 356038 060 89 142 178 210 242 282 329 360044 063 097 147 182 215 250 288 332 364048 064 100 151 186 218 254 294 336 370051 068 109 156 190 222 257 302 340 378052 070 113 159 194 226 262 312 344 384075 126 164 199 230 270 316 348 397THE LIFE OF ERASMUS.ERASMUS, so deservedly famous for his admirable writings, the vast extent of his learning, his great candour andmoderation, and for being one of the chief ...

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• Publié par: erdie
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 80
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Praise of Folly, by Desiderius Erasmus This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: In Praise of Folly Illustrated with Many Curious Cuts Author: Desiderius Erasmus Illustrator: Hans Holbein Release Date: October 6, 2009 [EBook #30201] Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN PRAISE OF FOLLY ***  

Produced by David Widger

Frontispiece Titlepage

IN PRAISE OF FOLLY

Illustrate

d w

ith m

any

By Erasmus

curious CUTS, De

signe

d, Draw

n, and Etche

d

List of Illustrations

055 079 131 169 202 234 274 320 352 036 057 85 138 173 206 238 278 324 356 038 060 89 142 178 210 242 282 329 360 044 063 097 147 182 215 250 288 332 364 048 064 100 151 186 218 254 294 336 370 051 068 109 156 190 222 257 302 340 378 052 070 113 159 194 226 262 312 344 384 075 126 164 199 230 270 316 348 397

LONDON: REEVES & TURNER, 196, STRAND, W.C. 1876.

Frontispiece Titlepage Erasmus

THE LIFE OF ERASMUS. On the Argument and Design of the following Oration. ERASMUS's Praise of FOLLY.

aHsnB yebniH lo erssdet  oiS rhT D HIS Epistle add O EFRE FUMSA NA ,S THWIOR PAITR LI T, .eroM samo

THE LIFE OF ERASMUS. ERASMUS, so deservedly famous for his admirable writings, the vast extent of his learning, his great candour and moderation, and for being one of the chief restorers of the Latin tongue on this side the Alps, was born at Rotterdam, on the 28th of October, in the year 1467. The anonymous author of his life commonly printed with his Colloquies (of the London edition) is pleased to tell us that anno quo natus est apud Batavos, non constatde . And if he himself wrote the life which we find before the Elzevir edition, said to be Erasmo autore , he does not particularly mention the year in which he was born, but places it circa annum 67 supra millesintum quadringentesimum . Another Latin life, which is prefixed to the above-mentioned London edition, fixes it in the year 1465; as does his epitaph at Basil. But as the inscription on his statue at Rotterdam, the place of his nativity, may reasonably be supposed the most authentic, we have followed that. His mother was the daughter of a physician at Sevenbergen in Holland, with whom his father contracted an acquaintance, and had correspondence with her on promise of marriage, and was actually contracted to her. His father's name was Gerard; he was the youngest of ten brothers, without one sister coming between; for which reason his parents (according to the superstition of the times) designed to consecrate him to the church. His brothers liked the notion, because, as the church then governed all, they hoped, if he rose in his profession, to have a sure friend to advance their interest; but no importunities could prevail on Gerard to turn ecclesiastic Finding himself continually pressed upon so disagreeable a subject, and not able longer to bear it, he was forced to fly from his native country, leaving a letter for his friends, in which he acquainted them with the reason of his departure, and that he should never trouble them any more. Thus he left her who was to be his wife big with child, and made the best of his way to Rome. Being an admirable master of the pen, he made a very genteel livelihood by transcribing most authors of note (for printing was not in use). He for some time lived at large, but afterwards applied close to study, made great progress in the Greek and Latin languages, and in the civil law; for Rome at that time was full of learned men. When his friends knew he was at Rome, they sent him word that the young gentlewoman whom he had courted for a wife was dead; upon which, in a melancholy fit, he took orders, and turned his thoughts wholly to the study of divinity. He returned to his own country, and found to his grief that he had been imposed upon; but it was too late to think of marriage, so he dropped all farther pretensions to his mistress; nor would she after this unlucky adventure be induced to marry. The son took the name of Gerard after his father, which in German signifies amiable , and (after the fashion of the learned men of that age, who affected to give their names a Greek or Latin turn) his was turned into Erasmus, which in Greek has the same signification. He was chorister of the cathedral church of Utrecht till he was nine years old; after which he was sent to Deventer to be instructed by the famous Alexander Hegius, a Westphalian. Under so able a master he proved an extraordinary proficient; and it is remarkable that he had such a strength of memory as to be able to say all Terence and Horace by heart. He was now arrived to the thirteenth year of his age, and had been continually under the watchful eye of his mother, who died of the plague then raging at Deventer. The contagion daily increasing, and having swept away the family where he boarded, he was obliged to return home. His father Gerard was so concerned at her death that he grew melancholy, and died soon after: neither of his parents being much above forty when they died. Erasmus had three guardians assigned him, the chief of whom was Peter Winkel, schoolmaster of Goude; and the fortune left him was amply sufficient for his support, if his executors had faithfully discharged their trust Although he was fit for the university, his guardians were averse to sending him there, as they designed him for a monastic life, and therefore removed him to Bois-le-duc, where, he says, he lost near three years, living in a Franciscan convent The professor of humanity in this convent, admiring his rising genius, daily importuned him to take the habit, and be of their order. Erasmus had no great inclination for the cloister; not that he had the least dislike to the severities of a pious life, but he could not reconcile himself to the monastic profession; he therefore urged his rawness of age, and desired farther to consider better of the matter. The plague spreading in those parts, and he having struggled a long time with a quartan ague, obliged him to return home. His guardians employed those about him to use all manner of arguments to prevail on him to enter the order of monk; sometimes threatening, and at other times making use of flattery and fair speeches. When Winkel, his guardian, found him not to be moved from his resolution, he told him that he threw up his guardianship from that moment Young Erasmus replied, that he took him at his word, since he was old enough now to look out for himself. When Winkel found that threats did not avail, he employed his brother, who was the other guardian, to see what he could effect by fair means. Thus he was surrounded by them and their agents on all sides. By mere accident, Erasmus went to visit a religious house belonging to the same order, in Emaus or Steyn, near Goude, where he met with one Cornelius, who had been his companion at Deventer; and though he had not himself taken the habit, he was perpetually preaching up the advantages of a religious life, as the convenience of noble libraries, the helps of learned conversation, retirement from the noise and folly of the world, and the like. Thus at last he was induced to pitch upon this convent. Upon his admission they fed him with great promises, to engage him to take the holy cloth; and though he found almost everything fall short of his expectation, yet his necessities, and the usage he was threatened with if he abandoned their order, prevailed with him, after his year of probation, to profess himself a member of their fraternity. Not long after this, he had the honour to be known to Henry a Bergis, bishop of Cambray, who having some hopes of obtaining a cardinal's hat, wanted one perfectly master of Latin to solicit this affair for him; for this purpose Erasmus was taken into the bishop's family, where he wore the habit of his order. The bishop not succeeding in his expectation at Rome, proved fickle and wavering in his affection; therefore Erasmus prevailed with him to send him to Paris, to prosecute his studies in that famous university, with the promise of an annual allowance, which was never paid him. He was admitted into Montague College, but indisposition obliged him to return to the bishop, by whom he was honourably entertained. Finding his health restored, he made a journey to Holland, intending to settle there, but was persuaded to go a second time to Paris; where, having no patron to support him, himself says, he rather made a shift to live, than could be said to study. He next visited England, where he

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E R A S M U S's EPISTLE TO

Erasmus 025

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