Where a rich man kept his revel; sisted very much of the fairy-tales which | Before a glittering gate they stood, wonderful adventures of saints who, when people, under forms very grotesque will still At a poor man's door next Joseph begged, "O mistress mild, receive this child, And eke his weary mother." With welcome blithe she took them in To's wife then said the host, as sleep He strove in vain to cherish, "I greatly fear that infant dear " On the kitchen hearth, as up-she sprang, Whilst o'er the fire the fragrant food "O mirror clear, O baby dear," She sang with joyful weeping; And so that host and his gracious wife Without delay or grudging, For where He's guest there goes it best In his fifth year Erasmus was sent to a school in Gouda, kept by Peter Winkel; but the fruit which grew on that tree of knowledge was harsh and crabbed, and the little pupil tasted it so sparingly that his father began to fear that learning was a thing for which he had no capacity. But, *Of these early Dutch Lays and Legends the largest collection is the "Niederländische Geistliche Lieder des XV. Jahrhunderts," in the "Hora Belgicæ," of Hoffman von Fallersleben (Hannover, 1851). The above specimen is an abridgment, freely translated, of No. 24, spliced at the end from the German stanzas at pp. 64, 65. Of the class of picture books referred to in the text, two examples have been reproduced in admirable facsimile by Mr. Stewart, of King William Street, viz., the "Speculum Humane Salvationis," and the "Geschiedenis van het heylighe Cruys." although he was no great reader, he could ors had done a good deal to smoooth and sing; he had a sweet, melodious voice, and straighten the bridle-path; and, with a his mother took him to Utrecht, where the plank here and there thrown across the cathedral authorities received him, and put wider chasms, and with some of the worst him in the choir; and in a white surplice, stumbling-stones removed, a willing pupil along with other little children, hé sang the could make wonderful progress. Even our Latin psalms and anthems in the grand old dull little friend, who had been the despair church where an older lad, named Florens- of the pedantic Peter, woke up; and, like zoon, was then a frequent worshipper, after- a creature which has at last found its elewards known to history as the preceptor of ment, he ramped in the rich pastures to Charles the Fifth, and eventually as Adrian which the gate of the Latin language adthe Sixth, the only Dutchman, if we rightly mitted. As with Melanchthon a few years remember, who ever wore the triple crown. afterwards, Terence was his favourite, and At nine years he was taken to a school in committing to memory all his plays he at Deventer, and here he began to be a laid up betimes an ample store of the pure scholar in earnest. Shortly before this (in old Roman speech, as well as a rich fund of July, 1471), in the neighbouring convent delicate humour, and dexterous, playful exof St. Agnes, at Zwoll, there had fallen pression. Sintheim was delighted. On one asleep a venerable monk, to be remembered occasion he was so charmed with his perthrough all time as Thomas à Kempis. He formance that he kissed the young scholar, was an exquisite copyist, as is attested by a and exclaimed, "Cheer up; you will reach sumptuous Bible in four volumes, still pre- the top of the tree." And on an occasion served, and he had also laid in a good store more august, when the famous Agricola of scholarship at this very Deventer school visited Deventer, and was shown an exerwhich Erasmus was now attending. But, cise of Erasmus', he was so struck with it above all, he was a serene and saintly man, that he asked to see the author. The "inwardly happy, outwardly cheerful," bashful boy was introduced; and, taking` to whom the world was nothing and God him with both hands behind the head, so was all in all, and who in his purè and pas- that he was compelled to look full in the sionless career held on till he was upwards face the awful stranger, Agricola, told him, of ninety, drawing towards him the love," You will be a great man yet." Such a and all but the worship of those who in prophecy, coming from one of the oracles of him felt a nearer heaven, and who heard the age, could never be forgotten, especialfrom his lips those lessons on the hidden ly as Agricola was almost adored by Rector life which myriads since have read in "The Hegius. Imitation of Jesus." Although a reviver of devotion rather than a restorer of learning, the cause of letters owed much to Thomas, for the worst foes of knowledge are grossness and apathy; and, when men like Rudolph Agricola and Alexander Hegius came under his spell, in the spiritual quickening which ensued, if they did not soar to the like elevation of enraptured piety, they at all events were raised to a region from which the coarse joys of the convent looked contemptible, and where the higher nature began to call aloud for food convenient. When Erasmus came to Deventer, the rector of the school was the disciple of à Kempis, Hegius, and the whole place was animated by his ardent scholarship. Erasmus was too poor to pay the fees required from the students in the rector's class, but on saints' days the lectures were gratuitous and to all comers. open However, in Sintheim he had a kind and skilful teacher. Although the royal road to learning was not yet constructed, the Deventer profess Ullman's Reformers before the Reformation, vol. ii. p. 127. * Knowledge should be its own reward; but poor human nature is very thankful for those occasional crumbs of encouragement. Nor was Erasmus above the need of them. Even at Deventer the discipline was very severe; and, although Erasmus was both a good boy and a good scholar, and his master's favourite pupil, it was impossible to pass scathless through the ordeal. In after years he did all he could to mitigate a system the savage cruelty of which was so abhorrent from his gentle nature; and he quotes with approval the witty invention of an English gentleman, who, in order to make his son at once a scholar and a marksman, had a target painted with the Greek alphabet, and every time that the little archer hit a letter, and at the same time could name it, he was rewarded with a cherry. This was an effectual plan for teaching "the young idea how to shoot; and to the same kindly method we owe alphabets of gingerbread or sugar, which *De Pueris Instituendis, published in 1529. See especially Opp. i. 485 et seq. † Opp. 1. 511. 1 even in the nursery awaken the pleasures were already in the coffer; but, far from being sold, the books have still to go to the auctionroom, or find a purchaser. The corn has still to be sown from which our bread is to be baked; and meanwhile, as Ovid says, 'on flying foot the time flits past.' In an affair Besides, I hear that Christian has not returned like this I cannot see the advantage of delay. the books which he had borrowed. Let his tardiness be overcome by your importunity." We have no doubt that this is the note Like On the whole, however, it was a happy time which he spent at Deventer. His mother, who had accompanied him at first, watched over him with anxious tenderness; and he had attached companions, such as William Hermann. And he could play. From his Colloquies we gather that he was up to bowls, and leap-frog, and running, to which Erasmus elsewhere refers as havthough not so fond of swimming. Then ing been written to his guardian by a youth the Issel was famous for its fish, and he not of fourteen.* If so, it exhibits a precoonly knew how to ensnare the finny tribe, cious talent for business, where, perhaps, we but when bait was scarce he had a plan would rather have seen the bashfulness of for bringing the worms aboveboard, by the school-boy; but to one who carries a pouring over their lurking-places water in bar sinister on his shield the battle of life is which had been steeped walnut-shells. very hard, especially at the beginning; and Above all, the noble passion of learning to this poor youth the world's experiences had been awakened, and every day was were becoming somewhat bleak. bringing some new knowledge under the other hunted creatures, his utmost sagacbest instructors his native land could offer, ity was needed for self-defence, and he had when a great desolation overtook him. In too much reason to distrust the tutorial trio. his thirteenth year, as he himself says In other respects the letter is an admirable although for reasons already mentioned we composition,t and interesting as indicating incline to think that he was somewhat thus early his turn for proverbial philosoolder the plague, then perpetually wan-phy and love of classical quotation. But dering over Europe, came to Deventer. It neither good Latin nor lines from Ovid could carried off his mother. It seized and de- make it palatable to the receiver. He stroyed many of his friends. At last it wrote back to his ward that, if he condepopulated the house where he lodged, tinued to send such figurative effusions, he and in his grief and terror he fled to his must subjoin explanatory notes. For his own father, at Gouda. But soon this refuge part, he always wrote plainly and "to the also failed. The death of Margaret had point"-punctuatim. such an effect on Gerrit, whose heart was Instead of the university, Erasmus was half broken already, that he immediately sent to a monkish school at Bois le Duc sickened and soon felt himself dying. He (Hertogenbosch); from which, after an irkhad by this time saved up enough to complete the education of his sons, and this, along with the care of the lads themselves, he entrusted to Peter Winkel and two other neighbours; and then the priest, in whom little of the facetious Gerrit survived, finished his sorrowful career another instance that there are false steps which life can never retrace, and wrongs which repentance cannot remedy. Erasmus was now very anxious to go to some university, but the guardians showed no great zeal in settling the affairs of the or phans. A note addressed to Magister Petrus Winkel, and undated, must have been written at this time, and is probably the earliest specimen of its author's epistolary style. "I fear that our property is not likely to be soon realized, and I trust that you will do your utmost to prevent our being injured by delay. Perhaps you will say that I am one of those who fear lest the firmament should fall. You might laugh at my apprehensions, if the cash some and unprofitable durance of nearly three years, the plague allowed him to escape. Returning to Gouda, he found that by the death of one of their number his guardians were reduced to Winkel the schoolmaster, and a mercantile brother. They had but a sorry account to give of their stewardship; and Erasmus warned his brother that a desperate attempt would assuredly be made to force them into a convent, as the shortest way of winding up the trust and closing the account. Both agreed that nothing could be more alien from their present mood of mind, the elder confessing that he had no love for a religious life, the younger being intent on that scholarship which convents could not give. "Our *Florentio decimum quartum annum agenti, quum illi scripsisset aliquan'o politius, respondit severiter, ut si posthac mitteret tales epistolas, adjungeret commentarium : ipsi semper hunc fuisse morem, ut plane scriberet, et punctuatim, nam hoo verbo usus est."-Opp. lil. 1822. It will be found in Knight's "Life of Erasmus," Appendix, p. iv. lived in a monastery, he had attended a conventual school, and had seen the comatose effect which the cowl exercises on the head of the wearer. "In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird;" and although the door was open, and nice barley was strewn on the threshold, inside the decoy he saw so many bats and doleful creatures as effectually scared him. and with the instinct of a true bird of Paradise he escaped away to light and freedom. means may be small," he said; " but let us scrape together what we can, and find our way to some college. Friends will turn up: like many before us, we may maintain our selves by our own industry, and Providence will aid us in our honest endeavours." "Then," said the other, "you must be spokesman." Nor was it long before the scheme was propounded. In a few days Mr. Winkel called; and, after an ample preface, full of affection for them both, and dwelling on all his services, he went on, But it was not easy to resist forever. "And now I must wish you joy, for I have He was friendless and penniless. Besides, been so fortunate as to obtain an opening his health was broken; for nearly a year for both of you amongst the canons regu- he had been suffering from paroxysms of lar." As agreed, the younger made answer, quartan ague, and in the wakeful hours of thanking him warmly for his kindness, but night he began to wonder if it might not be saying that they thought it scarcely prudent, better to renounce the pursuit of learning, whilst still so young, to commit themselves and give himself entirely to prepare for to any course of life. "We are still un- eternity. Whilst in this state of feeling known to ourselves, nor do we know the vo- he fell in with a youth who had been his cation you so strongly recommend. We school-fellow at Deventer, and who was now have never been inside of a convent, nor do an inmate of the convent of Steene, near we know what it is to be a monk. Would Gouda. Cornelius Berden drew a glowing it not be better to defer a decision till after picture of conventual retirement. He ena few years spent in study?" At this Mr. larged on the peace and harmony reigning Winkel flew into a passion: "You don't within the sacred walls, where worldly know what you are? You're a fool. You are throwing away an excellent opportunity, which I have with much ado obtained for you. So, sirrah, I resign my trust; and now you are free to look where you like for a living." Erasmus shed tears, but stood firm. "We accept your resignation, and free you from any farther charge." Winkel went away in a rage; but, thinking better about it, he sought the assistance of his brother, who, not being a schoolmaster, was less in the habit of losing his temper. Next day they invited the young men to dinner. It was beautiful weather; they had their wine taken out to a summer-house in the garden, and under the management of the balmy and blandiloquent merchant all went smooth and merry. At last they came to business, and so engagingly did the man of money set forth the life of poverty- 80 bright were the pictures of abstinence and seraphic contemplation which he drew over his bottle of Rhenish- that the elder brother was quite overcome. Pretending to yield to irresistible argument, he entered the convent; but he was a thorough rogue, and carried his rascality into the cloister. He cheated even the monks, and with his scandalous misconduct, drinking and stealing, proceeded from bad to worse, and henceforth disappears from bistory. Erasmus, on the other hand, hungering for knowledge and intent on mental improvement, held out. Although he had never strifes and passions never entered, and where, careful for nothing, but serving God and loving one another, the brethren led lives like the angels. Above all, he expatiated on the magnificent library and the unlimited leisure, and so wrought on his younger companion that he consented to come in as a novice. For the first months it was all very pleasant; he was not expected to fast, nor to rise for prayers at night, and every one was particularly kind to the new-comer; and, although before the year had expired he saw many things which he did not like, and some which awakened his suspicion, he was already within the gates, and it was not easy to get away. If he hinted to any one his fear that neither in mind nor body was he fitted to become a monk, he was at once assured that these were mere temptations of Satan, and, if he would only defy the devil by taking the final step, these difficulties would trouble him no more. The awful word "apostate" was whispered in his ear, and he was reminded how, after thus putting his hand to the plough and turning back, one novice had been struck by lightning, another had been bitten by a serpent, and a third had fallen into a frightful malady. As he afterwards pathetically urges, "If there had been in these fathers a grain of true charity, would they not have come to the succour of youth and inexperience? Knowing the true state of the case, ought they not to have tem extremely sensitive. If called up to midnight devotions, after counting his beads and repeating the prescribed pater-nosters, a model monk would turn into bed and be asleep in five seconds; but, after being once aroused from his rest, Erasmus could only lie awake till the morning, listening to his more fortunate brethren as they snored along the corridor. For stock-fish his aversion was unconquerable. Sir Walter Scott mentions a brother clerk in the Court of Session who used to be thrown into agonies by the scent of cheese, and the mere smell of salted cod gave Erasmus a headache. And whilst by a bountiful supper his capacious colleagues were able to prepare overnight for the next day's fast, to the delicate frame of our scholar abstinence was so severe a trial that he repeatedly fainted away. No wonder then that with the love of let said, "My son, it is foolish to carry this effort any farther. You do not agree with this mode of life, nor does it agree with you. Choose some other. Christ is everywhere not here only ;- and in any garb you may live religiously. Resume your freedom: so shall you be no burden to us, nor shall we be your undoing." But with these anglers it was not the custom when they had hooked a fish to throw them back into the water. They worked on his generous and sensitive spirit by asking, How can you as a renagade ever lift up your head amongst your fellow-men? And in pride and desperation he did as had been done by his father before him: he pressed his hands tight over his eyes and took the fatal leap. At the end of the year he made his profession as a canon regular in the Augustinian Convent of Emmaus at Steene. It was not long before his worst forebod-ters, the love of reality, and the love of libings were fulfilled. In the cloisters of Emmaus he found no Fra Angelico nor Thomas à Kempis, nor any one such as the name of the place might have suggestedone who cared to " open the Scriptures," or who said to the Great Master, "Abide with us." From the genius of the place both religion and scholarship seemed utterly alien. The monks were coarse, jovial fellows, who read no book but the Breviary, and who to any feast of the Muses preferred pancakes and pots of ale. There was a library, but it was the last place where you would have sought for a missing brother. They sang their matins and vespers, and spent the intermediate time in idle lounging and scurrilous jesting. Long afterwards, when invited to return, Erasmus wrote to the prior that his only recollections of the place were "flat and foolish talking, without any savour of Christ, low carousals, and a style of life in which, if you stripped off a few formal observances, there remained nothing a good man would care to retain." * At his first entrance his disposition was devout but he wanted to worship; it was the living God whom he sought to serve, and the genuflexions, and cross-often gives an abiding complexion to the ings, and bell-ringings, and changes of vest- character, or a life-long direction to the facments seemed to him little better than an ulties. The delight with which Pope when idle mummery. He had hoped for scholar a schoolboy read Ogilby's Homer resulted in like society, but, except young Hermann our English Iliad; and the copy of the from Gouda, he found none to sympathize" Faery Queen," which Cowley found on in his tastes, or join in his pursuits. Nor did the rule of his Order agree with him. His circulation was languid, his nervous sys"Colloquia quam frigida, quam inepta, quam non sapientia Christum; convivia quam laica: denique tota vitæ ratio, cui si detraxeris ceremonias, non video quid relinquas expetendum." Opp. iii. 1527. erty superadded to such constitutional inaptitudes, the "heaven on earth" at Steene soon became an irksome captivity. no Not that the five years were utterly lost. True, he was disappointed in Cornelius Berden, the quondam chum whose glowing representations had first inveigled him. In the outset he was delighted with his appar ent classical ardour, and rejoiced to burn with him the midnight oil, reading through a whole play of Terence at a single sitting. But it turned out that his motive was pure selfishness. He was ambitious of preferment, and, with the astuteness which he had learned during a short sojourn in Italy, he had entrapped into the convent his accomplished friend, as the cheapest way of obtaining a tutor. No wonder that, as soon as his treachery was detected, the victim bitterly resented his baseness. But, as we have already stated, in William Hermann he still found a kindred spirit. In poetical compositions and elegant Latinity they vied with one another, and any ancient treasure which either discovered they shared in common. Where the predisposition or susceptibility exists, a book read at the right time the window-seat of his mother's room, committed him to poetry for the rest of his days. In the same way Alexander Murray used to ascribe the first awakening of his polyglottal propensities to the specimens of the Lord's Prayer in many tongues which he found in Salmon's Geography, and our pleasant |