they are in the least just. Peter Richardotus, the magistrate's as ant, will lend his aid if you instruct him, and if you will make necessary defense before the senate of Dole. Believe me, there no danger here from the Sects. Not one says a disagreeable wo to me, and I do not wish to have anybody in my house who mi be infected with the new doctrines. Now, if God grants me strength so that I may be able to reach Besançon, then Gilbert be extremely necessary to me, for my other copyist knows French. If you will show yourself herein to be the friend yo always were, bound as I am to you, you will make me still mos so, etc.2

28

But before he could receive an answer to this letter he became to helpless to go either to Brabant or Besançon, being confined absolute to his bed, facts that we learn from his letter to Tillemann Giese, whi had been Bishop of Culm, but was now Bishop of Emmeland. It wa dated on the sixth day of June, 1536:

S. P. Your letter full of learning and genius made me great regret that I cannot respond to your wishes. Your Eberhardt wil bring you back an account of my condition, confined as I am almost entirely to bed, and in such poor health that I am compelled to refrain completely from every sort of literary work, without which life would be unbearable even were I in the best of health. Hence kindest of friends, if you receive no acknowledgment, at least you will pardon it to a dying man. Farewell. Your friend Erasmu of Rotterdam, with my own feeble hand.❞

We are quoting generously from these last letters of his in order show what thoughts were in his mind during his final days on earth We have another which does not lack interest, written to a certain fellow Imperial Councilor about a month before his death:

S. P. All good men are publicly indebted to you, most illus. trious sir, who in your official position grasp the web of affairs with firm mind. For the chief characteristics of a sincere judge are tha he shall restrain those who are evil, and protect the good from the injustice of the wicked. But on my own account I am indebted you in that some time ago in the case of Goclen you brought about that he got what was justly his, and that, with the sam feeling towards him, you endeavored to ward off injustice from him. Such brawls do these Roman harpies create for us that neith among the French, nor the Scotch, nor even among ourselves, do a benefice fall out without its being accompanied by a litigation several years. I would much desire that the English were at pe with the Pope. They have long ago seen to it, however, that Roman Curia shall excite no litigations in their country. Altho

28 Ibid., col. 1520B-C.

29 This letter did not appear in the Leyden edition of his works, but mi found in Salomon Hess' Erasmus von Roterdam nach seinem Leben und Schr Vol. II, p. 606.

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better known to the world of scholars by his Latin name of Canisius. In his mature years he wrote this thoughtful judgment of his great fellow-countryman Erasmus, and we may fairly assume that it represented the current Dutch opinion of him.*

It is undeniable that he [Erasmus] had a graceful and pleasing genius, a remarkable knowledge of the Greek and Latin tongues, a comprehensive erudition, a wonderful facility and fluency in writing, together with an eloquence that was rare and admirable in those days. However, although his energy and skill in stimulating the study of learning and rescuing it from barbarism have conferred great profit on many; yet on the other hand, to speak candidly, in matters related to the Christian religion and those of a theological aspect, he has been a source of great trouble both to himself and others. For the same excessive liberty he himself has taken he has taught others to take in criticizing the writings of the Fathers, the constitutions of the Church, the decisions of the theologians, the public ceremonies, nay, more, in attacking and censuring them. And yet it must be allowed if we wish to judge sincerely, that there is the greatest difference between Erasmus and Luther. He always retained the name of Catholic, while Luther stood forth not only as a manifest deserter of the Catholic Church, but also as its undutiful assailer, and the leader of many sects. Erasmus attacked religion more by craft than by force, as Orosius said of Julian [the Apostate], often exhibiting great caution and moderation both in his opinions and his errors; but Luther, by nature vehement, turbulent, ardent, factious, exceeded all bounds and rushed headlong to extremes, so arrogant that he would yield to no one, so harsh and pertinacious in his judgments that he was often unbearable even to his own friends, and, finally, so inflamed with hatred of the Church that he made the most furious and forcible efforts for its destruction. Erasmus set himself up as judge of what in the doctrine of theologians and the Church he considered should be condemned and what should be corrected; and, whether wittingly or unwittingly, he so played the part of Momus that he opened a mighty window for Luther and others to revolutionize all religion, and to arouse those tumults which we now see to have brought about the greatest calamity in the Christian world, and which we are unable to sufficiently deplore. Hence it has begun to be a common saying that "Where Erasmus gives the word, whether in joke or in earnest, Luther rushes in, and the eggs which the former has laid the latter has hatched." This is certainly evident, that the theological writings of Erasmus, many of which he himself has published, could not to-day, and ought not anywhere, to be defended. since the censure of the Church, which is and should be authoritative in the highest degree with the orthodox, has forbidden the writings of Erasmus to be read, except a few, and this for the weightiest reasons; and, although it has not condemned the author He has recently been canonized under the title of St. Peter Canisius. The god of ridicule.

himself, yet it has censured his works as being harmful rather than profitable to their readers."

Vossius too, who spent his life as a professor at Dort, Leyden, and Amsterdam, while giving all due praise to Erasmus for his achievements in literature and patristic history, intimates nevertheless that he was not always ready to take an oath on his judgment. It is to his numerous errors of judgment that the Dutch, in common with the rest of the world, took exception; the perusal of his works left behind a feeling of doubt which the splendor of his name served only to augment. While properly proud of the classical achievements of their great countryman, the Dutch have never been blind to his failings; and we make no doubt that even to-day they will readily subscribe and agree with the admission of LeClerc made in the preface to his monumental work on Erasmus :

I will not say that Erasmus has always seemed to me to have been correct in his judgments, for I have held him to be human and not divine. I will not attempt either to defend everything he has done; nor, had I lived in those days, and feel as I do now, would I have followed his advice in everything.

Now, in order to realize fully the immense influence which Erasmus exercised over Europe, both during his lifetime and after his death, and especially to observe where the greatest as well as the least amount of that influence was exerted, it will be necessary to make a minute investigation of his works as to scope and distribution. His personal influence, great though it was at times, was obviously limited and naturally ceased at his death, while his works continued to spread his fame, and in some degree his influence, for many generations after his demise.

The number of editions of his various works, or selections therefrom, added to his many editions of the classic authors with their translations, may easily amount to five thousand. Making a rough estimate of five hundred copies to each edition would give us in round numbers two million five hundred thousand copies. This estimate is possibly too large, and as it is impossible to ascertain the exact size of each edition let us estimate the grand total at two million copies. This stupendous output gives us but a bald idea of the influence which he exerted on the world by his books, and it will be necessary to go into further detail for a better understanding. The first thing that strikes the eye is that the greater part of his works were essentially school-books and books for scholars, and were written for that purpose. In other words, they were intended for textbooks, and their aim and purpose was educational. In view then of the vast influence he exerted by his textbooks, we may fitly call him the Schoolmaster of Europe. Of this class of works fully twenty-four hundred editions were published, or possibly one million copies, and hence we may fairly assume that these books were in the hands of nearly every tyro and scholar in Europe. What the influence of the schoolmaster has always been need not delay us here, but a few tables may be profitably studied.

Canisius, De corruptela verbi, Lib. V, chap. x.