For EIGHT DOLLARS remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & Co. Single copies of the LIVING AGE, 18 cents. IT needs not woods with violets paved. Nor lilies by cool waters laved, Nor gorses on the plain, Nor song of birds in bush and brake, My lady's cheeks twin roses are, That bloom the whole year round; My lady's throat is whiter far Than whitest lily found; When thick and fast fell hail and sleet, I find whene'er my glances meet When blackbirds' notes shake not the dew When larks sing not in heaven's blue At dawning of the day- High in the chestnut-tree- Chambers' Journal TO MIRANDA, WHO SLEEPS. Awake, dear heart, awake! thou hast slept well! THE dawning light hath set the world astir With chirp and warble of birds, and faery whirr Of winglets, quivering in the broken spell That sleep had laid on nature; strange to tell, Miranda sleepeth yet; strange, for it were A wonder if the delicate ear of her Knew not this multitudinous matin-bell. Yet sleeps Miranda still! What was to meet In dreamland, what, or whom, for thee to lie Unmindful of the glory of earth and sky, With little quiet hands and quiet feet? And still thou sleepest, and thy sleep is sweet, FORGIVE me that, by sordid cares compelled, And witless wisdom of the worldly-wise, My truant soul her gaze awhile withheld From those transcendent eyes. Forgive me that I ceased to follow thee, And turned aside into the dusty way, For oh, my heart, my heart was never free, Queen Beauty, from thy sway! When most I seemed to shrink from thy embrace, Then most I hungered, thirsted with de When at thy beckoning smile I hid my face, I only fled because the love I bore Dear heart, I would not waken thee, The grace to dwell with her forevermore, not I. Athenæum. E. H. HICKEY. From The Quarterly Review. naissance of western Europe in the sixteenth century converged towards THE name of Desiderius Erasmus is him."2 From all parts men turned to certainly one of the most considerable him to interpret for them ideas, prein the literary annals of Europe. sentiments, desires of which they were There have been, perhaps, only two dimly conscious, but which they could other men of letters, during the Chris- not formulate; to guide them in their tian era, whose influence can be paral-exodus from the outworn mediæval leled with his two who, like him, order to an ampler stage of civilization. lived and worked in periods of transi- We too may, with advantage, turn to tion; who, like him, furnish in their him for light upon that astonishing writings, and especially in their corre- epoch, so pregnant with instructionspondence, the most vivid image of if history be indeed philosophy teachtheir time; who, like him, with small ing by experience-for us in our own prescience of the destined course of changeful times. M. Emile Amiel events, were singularly potent instru- truly remarks, "Même aujourd'hui, ments in moulding the minds of the malgré les travaux parus, et Dieu sait generations to come after them. It si le nombre en est grand, le dernier We was the function of St. Augustine to mot n'a pas été dit sur Erasme." sum up in himself the chief character- are far from supposing that we shall istics of the vast spiritual and intel- say that last word in this article. But lectual changes that accompanied the we hope to say something which shall dissolution of the Roman Empire. He present at least the outlines of the true more than any one else, who character and work of this man of light impressed upon public and private life and leading, so long obscured by relithat ecclesiastical form which it was to gious passion and theological prejudice. wear until the Middle Ages had run their course. In Voltaire we have the living embodiment of 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 it was "the representative man - to use Emerson's word-of the Revival of Letters in its non-Italian phase. "The whole literary and religious Re 1 1. Erasme, Précurseur et Initiateur de l'esprit moderne. Par H. Durand de Laur. Paris, 1872. 2. Erasme, Etude sur sa Vie et ses Ouvrages. Par Gaston Feugère. Paris, 1874. 3. Renaissance et Réforme. Par D. Nisard, de l'Académie Française. Paris, 1877. 4. Erasme en Italie. Par Pierre de Nolhac. Paris, 1888. 5. Un Libre-Penseur du XVIme 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 de livered at Oxford, 1893-4, by J. A. Froude, Regius Professor of Modern History. London, 1894... 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. Nisard has had the wellmerited 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 labor of M. Feugère appears to have been designed, in 2 Nisard, Renaissance et Réforme, vol. i., p. 140. some sort, as a supplement and corol- | M. de Nolhac's brochure is especially lary to M. Nisard's brilliant essay. valuable as throwing fresh light on Nothing can be more excellent than the two years which Erasmus spent in the spirit in which this accomplished Italy-years which, as we shall herescholar addressed himself to his task: after have occasion to observe, were of "Se replacer directement devant especial importance in his intellectual development. Of the Erasme, tirer de sa correspondance un tableau fidèle de sa vie, essayer une To a Cambridge scholar, worthily classification critique de ses ouvrages, sustaining the traditions of Bentley and en recueillir la fleur, pour les faire Porson in his university, we are inmieux connaître et goûter." M. Feu-debted for an admirable monograph on gère has, of course, his own philosoph- the great humanist who, for a brief ical and religious opinions. He does period, was numbered among its pronot conceal them, although he does fessors. To say that Dr. Jebb's Rede not obtrude them. But sincerity, good lecture is worthy both of its author and faith, and tolerance are written on of its subject is to pay it the highest every page of his work, which well tribute which we can bestow. merits the "coronation" it received last volume which proceeded from the from the French Academy. M. Du- accomplished pen of the late Regius rand de Laur, in his two large volumes, professor of modern history at Oxford, follows the same lines as M. Feugère, we must speak much less favorably. not less conscientiously, if with There are few writers of this age who less literary ability. "Pour connaître have exhibited greater literary power Erasme," the author tells (( us, nous than the late Mr. Froude; there are l'avons interrogé pour le faire con- fewer who have made proof of worse naître nous l'avons laissé parler lui- judgment, or of more defective scholarmême, nous effaçant le plus possible." ship. These lectures on Erasmus have The vast amount of material which M. all the merits and all the demerits Durand de Laur has brought together of their author's other works. His is carefully and impartially selected, descriptions are most happy. His and is skilfully and commodiously ar- portraits are most life-like. His sumranged. M. Amiel's small book con- maries are most brilliant. He abounds tains many excellent reflections, and is in sage sayings, in racy reflections, in particularly happy in repelling certain caustic criticisms. But of that judicial unjust criticisms into which Adolph mind, that breadth of view, that philoMüller, notwithstanding his learning sophic moderation, which are essential and industry, was betrayed by regard- characteristics of a great historian, his ing Erasmus from the narrow stand-pages present no trace. He is everypoint of German pietism. But M. where an advocate. It was part of his Amiel himself is by no means free from excellent design to illustrate his theme prejudices and prepossessions of an- with extracts from the letters of Erasother an antipietistic kind. In-mus. And as these are much too long deed, the very title of his volume, "Un for full quotation in his lectures, he Libre-Penseur du XVIme Siècle," is very properly set himself to abridge, sufficient to raise a presumption against compress, and epitomize them. The it. Erasmus is not a man who can be result is pre-eminently readable. Nothus ticketed and disposed of. It is where has Mr. Froude more felicitously only just to say, however, that the displayed his rare literary skill. But work is better than its title leads us to nowhere has he more infelicitously disexpect. But, assuredly, M. Amiel im- played the inaccuracy, happily no less agines a vain thing when he supposes rare in other historians, which was his that the object of Erasmus's religious besetting sin. The meaning of the faith was the "Dieu des bonnes gens "Latin is constantly missed. Qualifying invoked by Béranger, or the shadowy words are ignored. Sometimes things deity of Rousseau's Savoyard vicar. are attributed to Erasmus directly op posite to what he really wrote; some- to identify this partial aspect of it with times things of which the original the whole. Nor can we wonder that presents no trace at all. It is never the ill-judged enthusiasm of this acsafe to assume that Erasmus says what complished writer should have proMr. Froude attributes to him. Mr. duced in some minds and those by Froude observes in his preface: "My no means inconsiderable minds -a object has been rather to lead histor-reaction against a movement in whose ical students to a study of Erasmus's history he labored so abundantly. But own writings than to provide an ab- certain it is that whatever the world breviated substitute for them." We lost by the Renaissance — and no gain strongly advise historical students to in the history of our race is unmixed follow the course thus recommended gain we owe to it that re-awakened to them by the late professor; and in interest in the sources of our moral order to enforce the advice we shall and intellectual life which has so vastly from time to time indicate by instances enlarged our mental horizon; we owe that come in our way how untrust- to it a true appreciation of the spiritual worthy his "abbreviated substitute" is. unity of Western civilization. It was It must not be supposed, however, that the resurrection not merely of the these are selected specimens of Mr. classical spirit, for good and for evil; Froude's mistakes. They are merely it was also - we may say it was still casual samples of his errors, "thick more the resurrection of Christian as dust in vacant chambers," we may antiquity; an appeal from the degensay, for there is scarcely a page free erate disciples of Aquinas and Scotus from them. to Christ and his apostles, to the martyrs and doctors of the primitive Church. Again, the movement was not of sudden incidence. No great movement in the world's history ever is. Even at the end of the thirteenth century the medieval order shows signs of exhaustion. From the middle of the fourteenth we may date the begin And now, making special use of these seven works, while not neglecting other Erasmian literature, and ever keeping before us the text of Erasmus himself,1 we will proceed with the task we have undertaken. But first let us survey briefly the age into which Erasmus was born. Undoubtedly he did much to mould his age; as undoubt-ning of the new era unto which Europe edly his age did much to mould him. was hastening. Society becomes less A man's work is done in his time; and, and less ecclesiastical. The ideas and to understand it and him, we must cor- principles which had given to the prerectly apprehend and appreciate the vious centuries their simple and severe conditions of his time. The word Re- greatness, lose vivifying influence. naissance serves to characterize the age Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio have of Erasmus as accurately, perhaps, as been called, not unjustly, the precurany one word can. No doubt that sors of the fifteenth-century Aufkläword long implied generally, and still rung. A revived interest in antiquity implies for many, all the prejudice penetrates their writings, like the which so long hung over the medieval breath of spring. In them, as in period; a blindness to its real great-painters like Botticelli, in sculptors like ness, an ignorance of the vast part Donatello, we may trace the tokens of which it has played in the ethical and the great change even then being intellectual evolution of humanity. wrought in man himself. The effect Again, in Italy, the Renaissance practically was, to a large extent, a rebirth of pagan idolatry and sensuality; and we much regret that the late Mr. J. A. Symonds should have done so much 1 We use the Leyden edition (1703-1706) in ten folio volumes. of the fall of Constantinople in quickening the new movement into full life, may, perhaps, have been overrated. Still we shall not greatly err, if, with Mr. Symonds, we take the seventy-four years between that event and the sack of Rome (1453-1527) as indicating the |