a good friend to Luther, who lamented his death, and preached his funeral sermon.

Lutherm himself was very ill, and given up by his physicians: he was persuaded that his disease was caused by the devil, and confident that he should recover, and disappoint the boasts of the papists.

In a letter to Cholerus, Erasmus mentions (Oswaldus) Myconius. Melch. Adam, in the Life of this Myconius, observes that he was intimately acquainted with Erasmus and Glareanus, and much esteemed by them both, But Erasmus speaks of him with great contempt". In the same letter he gives an account of Lambertus Campestris ", who had adulterated his Dialogues. He also complains much of Luscinius*. Ep. 1233.

Thomas Poly wrote a friendly letter P from London to Erasmus, and hoped that he should pay him a visit at Basil. He had seen the Defence of Erasmus against the Sorbonists, whom he calls Nebulones Parisienses. He is, I suppose, the person who is called Polus, in the Colloquy Exorcismus, and is there represented as a merry fellow, who acted the ghost, to scare a silly and superstitious priest. It is an excellent story, but probably a little embroidered. Tom. i.

c. 749.

m Seckendorf, 1. iii. p. 38.

n Basilea in locum Oecolampadii surrogatus est Myconius, homo ineptus, et quondam ludimagister frigidus.

In civitate quadam, Zorst opinor dicitur, æqualis Argentorato, ditionis ducis Juliacensis, Lambertus Campester, qui olim Lutetiæ edidit Colloquia mea velut a me emendata, persuaso typographo rem esse vendibilem, et sub nomine meo præfatus, et admixtis per totum opus miris emblematibus, quibus meipsum accusabam, omnia plena scurrilis cujusdam stoliditatis; quo peracto fugit Lugdunum; et simulans se summum Erasmi amicum, reperit patronum, cui mox suffuratus trecentos coronatos fugit, et in fuga deprehensus est inter aliquot puellas, suffigendus in crucem, nisi sacra cuculla Dominici servasset eum: is, inquam, multis aliis flagitiis ac sceleribus designatis, tandem in ea civitate, excussa cuculla, docet Evangelium, hoc est, meras seditiones. Dux petiit, ut hominem ejicerent. Responderunt, se non posse carere suo Ecclesiasta.

* Nuper apud Cartusianos in convivio dixit [Luscinius] Erasmum esse nebulonem, et omnes qui legunt ipsius libros fieri nebulones. Concerning this man see Ep. 1210. and the Amon. Lit. tom. vi, p. 455, &c. 601, &c.

P Ep. 367. c. 1752.

A. D. MDXXXIII.

ETAT. LXVI.

Erasmus ascribes the book of Scaliger to Aleander, and supposes that Bedda and Julius Camillus had some hand in Ep. 369, 370. c. 1754.

it.

Alciat relates that Julius Camillus, a man of learning, had made an offer to Francis the first, to teach him in a month's time to compose in Greek and Latin, in prose and in verse, with as much elegance as Demosthenes and Cicero, Homer and Virgil. He only required that the king would allow him one hour in a day, to give him his lessons. But he de-* sired that he might be permitted to be alone with the king, since so noble a secret was fit only to be communicated to a crowned head, and that his majesty would discover it to no person. For his reward, he modestly proposed as much preferment as would amount to two thousand crowns a year. His great confidence induced Francis to think that he had something to communicate that was worth the knowing. So he took two lessons of him, and then dismissed him, with a present of six hundred crowns. Bayle, François I.

From this story it may be collected that Camillus was a hungry and a bold fellow, and a true Charlatan.

Erasmus had been well acquainted with him in Italy, and represents him as a learned man, in his Reply to Cursius. T. x. c. 1751.

Erasmus dedicated to Theobaldus Fettichius the Geography of Ptolomy, and to Joannes Emstedius a Commentary on the Psalms by Haimon, an author of the ninth century. These books were published by Froben's heirs.

In his address to Emstedius, who was a Carthusian, he bestows high commendations upon those monks, who lived suitably to their profession, and were dead to the follies and vices of the world. As to honest Haimon, he says that his

Ad Haymonem redeo, qui Davidicam citharam pulsans, Angelicum cœtum vestrum ad spirituales excitabit choreas, ut in hymnis et canticis Domino psallatis in cordibus vestris. Nemo fastidiat dictionis simplicitatem, sed amplectatur sententiarum pietatem. Hoc eo admoneo, quod suspicer multos esse tales, quales ego fui olim, qui nauseant ad omnia, quæ carent rhetorum condimentis et ornamentis. Sed quum essem parvulus in Christo, sapiebam ut parvulus: atque utinam nunc quoque prorsus evacuassen ea quæ sunt parvuli. C. 1464.

piety fully compensates for the homeliness of his diction, and that he now relisheth such writers much better than he did in the days of his youth. Ep. 1242, 1243.

The son of John Paungartner wanted to make him some present. Erasmus tells him that it was needless; that he had already received one from his father, a cup, a proper gift to be sent to a Dutchman; but, says he, I am not able to drink Batavice, à la Hollandoise. Ep. 1249.

This year he published an Exposition of the Apostles' Creed, of the Decalogue, and of the Lord's Prayer, in form of a catechism, and to be a kind of confession of faith; and Sadolet, to whom he sent it, honoured it with his approbation. T. v. c. 1134.

The states of Holland made him a present of two hundred franks, the first compliment which he received from his own country, which paid him more honour a hundred years after his decease, than during his life. This friendly civility was highly agreeable, and the more acceptable to him, because he had made no application or interest for it. He had also this year received a present from the senate of Besançon, for which he returns thanks. Ep. 1244. 1251.

1269.

He informs us, that some strolling knaves, having learned from his writings the names of his illustrious friends and correspondents, had gone about in Germany, Italy, and Poland, pretending to be his disciples, or his domestics, and had got many good presents by this stratagem. Of this he gives remarkable instances, which show at the same time how much he was respected and beloved, and how ready men of rank and fortunes were to seize any opportunity of obliging him, and of showing their love of literature. This is matter of fact, though at present it may look like a Milesian fable and a fairy tale. Ep. 1247. 1252.

In one of these letters he hath taken occasion to speak very affectionately of the English '.

To Francis I he dedicated his Paraphrase on St. Mark, which he had formerly inscribed to the cardinal of Sion, in

* Majorem in modum doleo Anglis negotium exhiberi a Scotis. Videor enim mihi plus illi regioni debere, quæ mihi tot eximios peperit amicos, quam ei quæ me genuit. Vehementer tamen angit me Hollandia, indignis tractata modis.-c. 1467.

1521, In it he speaks with freedom enough of the duty of kings and of ecclesiastics, and of the obligation incumbent upon them to imitate Jesus Christ, the supreme King and Pastor of the Church; an obligation to which few of them paid any regard.

He had received a very handsome present from Damianus à Goes, for which he thanks him; and declares to him that he never had meddled, and never would meddle, in the affair of the divorces, for several good reasons; and he hath said

• Quod ais Lovanii jactatum a nescio quibus, me ab his stetisse, qui probant αποστάσιον βασιλικόν, quærisque quid sit talibus respondendum : quid aliud respondeas, optime Damiane, quam illud e Psalmis, Dentes eorum arma et sagittæ, et lingua eorum gladius acutus?' Quanquam satis scio tibi nequaquam istud a viro gravi fuisse auditum, sed a spermologo quopiam et acritomytho rabula, quo pestilentissimo hominum genere nunc undique scatet mundus. Nullus unquam mortalium ullam syllabam ex me audivit, approbantem aut improbantem hoc factum. Hoc apud omnes ingenue præ me tuli, mihi non vulgariter molestum esse, principem alioqui felicissimum in eum labyrinthum incidisse, cui cupiebam cum Cæsare per omnia convenire, quod intelligerem id ad publicam orbis tranquillitatem summopere conducere. Quæ fuisset autem mea non dicam temeritas, sed amentia, si nec postulatus, nec rogatus, de re tam ardua pronunciassem, de qua tot eruditi apud eam gentem episcopi, atque ipse adeo legatus apostolicus Laurentius Campegius, vir utriusque juris callentissimus, ferre sententiam cunctabantur? Merito amo τὸν Μονάρχην, ut cujus animum semper propitium ac faventem sum expertus. Quanquam ab eo tempore, quo cœpit hoc negotium agi, nihil ab eo beneficii accepi præter animi benevolentiam. Τὴν αὐτοῦ σύνοικον multis de causis diligebam ac diligo, idque, ni fallor, cum bonis omnibus, quam arbitror nec ipsi Baσ invisam esse. Cæsari principi meo, cui juratus sum Conciliarius, præclare de me studiisque meis merito, nisi me agnoscam omnia debere, aut vehementer stolidus sim, aut insigniter ingratus. Unde igitur mihi mens tam læva, ut ultro me tam invidioso negotio involverem, ad quod si fuissem vel rogatus vel flagitatus, manibus pedibusque fuerim recusaturus? Nullus unquam principum super hoc argumento meam requisivit sententiam. Tantum ante annos duos

adierunt me duo ex Aula Cæsaris nobiles, uno atque altero colloquio urgentes me, ut quid de ea causa sentirem, exponerem. Respondi id quod erat res, me nunquam ad eam quæstionem intendisse animum, de qua viderem summos tum auctoritate, tum eruditione viros tot annis ambigere. Facillimum esse pronunciare quid ego optarem, at pronunciare quid jus divinum atque humanum concederet, negaretve, non modo multorum dierum considerationem requirere, verum etiam circumstantiarum causæ cognitionem.. Illi professi se nihil ex mandato Cæsaris agere, discesserunt. Præterea, nemo mortalium me super hoc interpellavit negotio. Ergo cum sit impudentissimum mendacium, quod nugator ille, quisquis fuit, ad te pertulit, suspicor unde arripuerit occasionem.-Ei, quem & Baotλeus dicitur socerum adsciscere, (sir Thomas Bulleyn, after

enough to justify himself from the reproaches which some have since cast upon his memory, because he did not take part with the virtuous and unfortunate queen Catharine, for whom he had the highest regard and esteem, as he often. declared.

In the same epistle, he tells his friend a strange story" of

wards lord Rochford, and then earl of Wiltshire and Ormond) dicaram Psalmum vigesimum secundum, idque ante annos complures, ut id facerem, ab ipso rogatus. Est enim vir, ut uno ore prædicant omnes, unus prope inter nobiles eruditus, animoque plane philosophico. Hoc officium meum grato amplexus animo, petiit ut aliquid ederem in symbolum quod dicitur apostolorum. Feci quod voluit, eoque lubentius, quod res ad omnium utilitatem facere videretur. Hic nullum verbum est, quo (read quod) ad roy droσrariov causam attinet, cujus tamen vir ille, ut accipio, nec auctor, nec instigator fuit, utpote quietis quam opum aut honoris amantior. Quum Cæsar et Franciscus Galliarum rex bellis inter se conflictarentur, utrique dicavi meas lucubrationes, neque quisquam exstitit, qui clamitaret me ab hoste Cæsaris stare. Ep. 1253.

Pontifex jubet ut rex Angliæ maneat cum regina in maritali contubernio, donec Romæ pronuntiatum fuerit de causa. Quis non intelligit eam litem nunquam finiendam vivis conjugibus? Jam octo sunt anni quod agitur hoc negotium, et rex non sine causa habet gravatam conscientiam, quum ducenti doctores Scripturis et argumentis probarint matrimonium illud nec humano nec divino jure potuisse coire. Quod si pontifex pronunciarit non esse matrimonium, primum offendet Cæsarem, deinde damnabit sedem Romanam, quæ dispensarit contra fas. Tales causæ quæ multum adferunt nummorum Romam, quæque principes S. D. N. reddunt obnoxios, non solent finiri. Et fortassis aliud quiddam est, quod urit regis animum, quod efferri non vult. (He probably means Henry's love for Anne Boleyn.) Ep. 372. c. 1757.

u

See Knight, p. 252.

Oppidum, de quo tibi narratum est, Germanis dicitur Schiltach: abest a Friburgo octo millibus Germanicis bene magnis: de quo an omnia vera sint, quæ vulgo jactantur, non ausim affirmare. Illud nimis verum est, totum subito conflagrasse, mulierem confessam supplicio affectam. Conflagratio accidit quarto Idus Aprilis, qui dies erat Jovis ante Pascha, anno 1533. Quidam ejus oppidi cives apud hujus urbis magistratum rem ita gestam pro comperto narrarunt, quemadmodum mihi retulit Henricus Glareanus, quantum meminisse possum: Dæmon sibilo signum dedit, e quadam ædium parte: Caupo suspicans esse furem ascen▾ dit, neminem reperit. Sed idem signum rursus ex altiore cœnaculo redditum est. Et huc conscendit caupo furem persequens. Quum nec illic quisquam apparet, sibilus auditus est e fastigio fumarii. Illico tetigit. cauponis animum esse dæmoniacum quiddam: jubet suos esse præsenti animo. Acciti sunt sacerdotes duo, adhibitus exorcismus. Respondit se esse dæmonem. Rogatus quid illic ageret, ait se velle exurere oppidum. Minitantibus sacrificis, respondit se pro nihilo ducere minas illorum, quod alter esset scortator, uterque fur. Aliquanto post, mulierculam, quicum habuerat consuetudinem annis quatuordecim, quum in