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THE

QUARTERLY REVIEW.

ART. 1.-1. Érasme, Précurseur et Initiateur de l'esprit moderne Par H. Durand de Laur. Paris, 1872.

2. Érasme, Étude sur sa Vie et ses Ouvrages. Par Gaston Feugère. Paris, 1874.

3. Renaissance et Réforme. Iar D. Nisard, de l'Académie Française. Paris, 1877.

4. Érasme en Italie. Par Pierre de Nolhac, Paris, 1888,

5. Un Libre-Penseur du X TIme Siècle: Erasme. Par Emile Amiel. Paris, 1889.

6. Erasmus. The Rede Lecture delivered in the Senate-House on June 11, 1890, by R. C. Jebb, Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Cambridge. Cambridge, 1890. 7. Life and Letters of Erasmus. Lectures delivered at Oxford, 1893-4, by J. A. Froude, Regius Professor of Modern History. London, 1894.

THI

HE name of Desiderius Erasmus is certainly one of the most considerable in the literary annals of Europe. There have been, perhaps, only two other men of letters, during the Christian era, whose influence can be paralleled with his two who, like him, lived and worked in periods of transition; who, like him, furnish in their writings, and especially in their correspondence, the most vivid image of their time; who, like him, with small prescience of the destined course of events, were singularly potent instruments in moulding the minds of the generations to come after them. It was the function of St. Augustine to sum up in himself the chief characteristics of the vast spiritual and intellectual changes that accompanied the dissolution of the Roman Empire. He it was, more than any one else, who impressed upon public and private life that ecclesiastical form which it was to wear until the Middle Ages had run their course. In Voltaire we have the living embodiment of Vol. 180.-No. 359.

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the spirit of doubt and denial which sapped the foundations whereon European society rested in his age. He was the chief prophet of that vast Revolution which he did not live to see, which he did not anticipate: a revolution which has made all things new for us in this nineteenth century. Erasmus may be regarded as 'the representative man'-to use Emerson's word-of the Revival of Letters in its non-Italian phase. The whole literary and religious Renaissance of Western Europe in the sixteenth century converged towards him.'* From all parts men turned to him to interpret for them ideas, presentiments, desires of which they were dimly conscious, but which they could not formulate; to guide them in their exodus from the outworn mediæval order to an ampler stage of civilization. We too may, with advantage, turn to him for light upon that astonishing epoch, so pregnant with instruction-if history be indeed philosophy teaching by experience for us in our own changeful times. M. Émile Amiel truly remarks, 'Même aujourd'hui, malgré les travaux parus, et Dieu sait si le nombre en est grand, le dernier mot n'a pas été dit sur Érasme.' We are far from supposing that we shall say that last word in this article. But we hope to say something which shall present at least the outlines of the true character and work of this man of light and leading, so long obscured by religious passion and theological prejudice.

The recent Erasmian literature is somewhat extensive. We have selected from it seven works enumerated at the head of this article, which, for various reasons, appear specially deserving of notice. It will be well, perhaps, if, by way of introduction to what we are about to write, we make a few remarks concerning each of them. Regarding the sketch of Erasmus which fills the first of M. Nisard's fascinating volumes, it is hardly necessary, indeed, that we should say anything. The singular value of this admirable bit of work was at once recognized by all competent judges when it originally appeared in the Revue des Deux Mondes' in 1836. And M. Ñisard has had the well-merited satisfaction of telling us in the preface to the last edition, that the works which have appeared on the subject, since he wrote, have served to corroborate the general correctness of his judgments. The longer study which we owe to the labour of M. Feugère appears to have been designed, in some sort, as a supplement and corollary to M. Nisard's brilliant Nothing can be more excellent than the spirit in which this accomplished scholar addressed himself to his task: 'Se

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Nisard, 'Renaissance et Réforme,' vol. i. p. 140.

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