The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-04 00:00:00

STRALSUND, JAN. 1

At the latter end of the last year was a most dread-
ful scene of shipwreck at Altenkirchen, on the Isle
of Rugen.
The yacht Inge/-rd, Captain Anders, which, in a
very dark night, and during a heavy storm from the
East, had ventured too far into the dangerous Trem-
per Gulf, was early in the morning driven upon the
fatal cliff, and pitched upon a sand-bank with the keel
almost perpendicularly raised into the air. The six
persons who composed the whole crew remained some
time almost petrified with horror before they had
courage to attempt saving themselves. Three at last
climbed up into the rigging, and the other three fas-
tened themselves with cords near the pump. In this
comfortless situation, exposed to the raging sea and
to a most terrible cold, they passed seven dreadful
hours, while the breaking sea passed over their heads
near .3000 times. They were at length perceived
from the shore; but before a boat could be procured,
freed front ice, &c. several hours passed, during
which their situation grew every minute more des-
perate. One of those by the pump was suddenly
torn away by a breaker, dashed into the body of the
ship, drowned, again washed out by another wave,
and hurled into the abyss. Another was observed,
whenever the breaker ran off, to raise his head and
discharge the salt-water. An hour before help came,
he groaned to his companions above that it was all
over with him. They bid him take courage, as
help they saw was at hand ; but he dropt his head,
and expired without a word.
The fishermen were at length ready, but when
they saw the horrible situation, the most courageous
turnod pale in dread; yet, moved by the distress of
the poor men, and encouraged by persons present,
they at length resolved te dangerous attempt...
A long cord was fastened to the boat, and the other
end gtvento those remaining on shore, to pull back.
the boat as swiftly as possible through the breakeri
when they had taken the people from the ship.
Eleven daring men got into the boat, but were
scarcely sailed off, when the sea broke over them,
and seemed to swallow them up. They were given
over fur lost, when tney were seen to appear again,
and by means of their oars to reach the wreck, which
they entered by means of a rope that hung do wn, at the
moment when the boat was on the point of being driven
into the open sea. With immense difficulty they got
the poor men, almost frozen to death, into the boat.
'Too Lte they gave the signal for return—the boat
was seized by the breakers, whirled. round, and
must infallibly have overset, had the rope•indicated
a moment later to those on shore what they were to
do. The boat was now pulled with the rapidity of
an arrow through.' the .breakers, and all. reached
shore in safety,:the most without damage.
, All means were .employed to bring the poor
frozen creatures to themselves ; but the sailor was
deid.iu the boat, the.catptain'ilied two days after;
A the other two were quite recovered.

. •
DESIDERWS ERASMUS.
() Itt:M A MA-ItticAtrt Dismay Of AoTTEIISAM.I
Erasmus was the happy offspring of the unhappy
love of Geeraerd and Margaretta : the first, born of
a respehable family in Gouda; the latter, the daugh-
ter of a physician of Zevenbergen in Dutch Bra-
bant. Margaretta discovered too soon the conse-
quences of her amour. The parents of her lover
would not consent to a marriage, and strove to break
off for ever the attachment, by placing him in the
Church. Geeraerd, to escape the importunate cla-
mours of his parents, withdrew to Rome, thinking to
support himself by transcribing, as he wrote a beau-
tiful hand, and printed books were very scarce and
dear, the art being but in its infancy.
The unfortunate Margaretta, ansious to conceal
her situation, sought an asylum where she was un-
known ; and accordingly went to Rotterdam, where,
in an auspicious hour, she was delivered of a son,
for the honour of whose birth the city of Gouda has
in vain contended, and whose profound learning and
splendid talents have immortalized the name of his
birthplace.
Margaretta, having thus become a mother with
out receiving permission from the clergy, returned
to Gouda, taking her infant with her. l'he mother
of her lover took upon her the care of the child,
and the father wrote to Geeracrd in Rome, that his
mistress was dead. This news was a's the stroke of
annihilation to the faithful heart of Geeraerd, and
produced all the effect his cold and politic parents
wished: he was plunged in hopeless grief, and, in a
fit of despair, renounced the world, entered into
holy orders, and soon afterwards returned to Gouda.
But what were his sensations, his astonishment, joy
and pain, when he beheld, hying before his eyes,
that adored mistress-he mourned as dead! Her be-
loved image was too deeply engraved on his heart,
for aught but death to erase it; but, severely just
and faithful to the fraudulently-extorted vows of
celibacy, he kept within the pale of Platon:c affec-
tion, and they turned all their attention to the culti-
vation of the darling pledge of their illicit loves.
They baptized him Geeracrd, which in the Dutch
means nearly the same as elesiderio in the Roman
tongue, (desire) : thence, at a fte_ure day, he as-
sumed the name of L:sithrius, instead of the inhar-
monious word Geeraerd, to which he added Erasmus,
which in die Grecian tongue bears the same signi-
fication. When this wonderous man was arrived at
that towering altitude of fame and admiration his
sublime talents procured him, he was grossly libelled
by hordes of vengeful fanatics, Romish and Protes-
tants, on account of his illegitimate birth ; many an •
holy slanderer fed his malignant soul with scurri-
lous lampoons, in which much more malice was
visible than wit ; and to render their envenomed
stings yet more painful, they reproach this great
and good man, who was the toe to priestcraft, under
whatever shape or name disguised, with being the
offspring of a Print and a Whore!
When Erasmus had attained his ninth year, he
commenced his studies at the school of Deventer.
A traditionary tale relates, that his talents were then
so moderate,that sonic years were spent in instructing
him before he could conceive the very rudiments of
the sciences. But this is probably a device only,
invented by some cunning tutor to console parents
for the slow progress made by their sons in their
studies: besides, it accords but very ill with what
Erasmus has written of him .elf; namely, that at his
eleventh year of age, he was acquainted with all the
parts of the study of philosophy. In his thirteenth
year he lost his hapless mother, whose death was felt
an heavily by the constant Geeraerd, that he quickly
followed her to the tomb. The base and sordid
guartliont ef the orphan Erasmus, eager to wrest
away the slender pittance his parents had been able
to leave him, were incessant in their efforts to force
him into holy orders; and at length, through ill-
disguised compulsion, he entered into a monastery
at Steyr, near Gouda. His motives for selecting
this, above every other asylum of the kind, is un-
known: some have imputed it to the mildness of the
regulations; others, to the respect he bore his father,
and desire to be near where the ashes of his parents
were deposited: the first is the most plausible reason.
The enemies of Erasmus, who retraced every
step of his life for the most hateful purpose, accused
hint of having led at Step a life of debauchery.
Certain it is, hiS heart was not strongly fortified by
nature against the softer passionsotor were his doc-
trines of chastity of the most rigid kind. He con-
fessed himself having sometimes yielded to tempta-
tion, but spurned with disdain the infatuation of
ever having been a slave to licentiousness.
At this monastery, Erasmus composed several
works, to beguile the dreary hours of a cloister life:
but nothing was capable of subduing the aversion
he felt against leading the dronish life of a Monk:
he seized with avidity every opportunity to cast
off the manacles which were bound on him by .his
profes.ion. The Bishop of Cambray at length re-
leased him from his bondage, by requesting him of
the superior fur his private secretary ; the request
was granted, Erasmus released front his cell, and
sent to the college of Montagu at Paris, to perfect
hiinself in the sea:aces. It was there that Erasmus.
translated into Lain the works of many of the
greatest Greek writers, of whom, previous so his
happy labours, little .had long been known to the I
world, their. names alone excepted. These works
spread his fame through all the kingdoms of Europe,
and several Prince: strove to entice him to dwell in
their capital or courts. It was during a visit lie
made to England, that he became acquainted n ith
the illustrious Sir Thomas Moore, and laid the
foundation of a friendship of the noblest kind. It
is said that these two greatest scholars and most
accomplished men of their age, met by accident at
a public table, where they were alike strangers to
each others person. The discourse happened to
take a very learned turn; and Moore and Erasmus
differing on sonic points, espoused opposite tenets :
each supported his argument with the greatest good
manners, and displayed the most striking proofs of
brilliant talents and profound erudition, but neither
could be said to win. At length, Moore, astonished
at the prodigy of eloquence and learning he had
,met with, exclaimed with strong emphasis, " them
surely art ER ASSIUS or the Devil!" " And thou,
replied ER ASSMS, Mad be CHA.NCELLLoa MOU NE, or
no one."
It was to thii renowned Englishmn his celebrated
work, in praise `of Folly ! was dedicated. The de-
dication-gives the occasion, and motive of the work's
appearance in,the world. Erasmus, as he was re-
turning from laly,:•sought to amuse his time in
some way, useful and agreeabie, and writ the book
in question. He knew that his friend was a Bela-

Lsn, and he conceived he would take pleasure in
perusing such a work. But the liberty which his
hold and playful genius took with different elevated
orders of society, particularly with the Monla and
Priesls, which, dislin-bing the sluggish nest, brought
a crowd of vengeful hornets about his ears, who,
like the fabled harpies, shed the foulest odours on
his name and character. But the shaft was sped,
and the monster bigotry had received its death-
wound. The Sarbonne solemnly decided " that
Erasmus, through the whole of that work, had con-
ducted &f in a foolish, indecent manner, in contempt
and reproach Jesus Chrst, the holy Virgli mother,
and the laws of the church and church ceremonies, which
he Erasmus, without regard to God or religion, bad
slandered and reviled."—This bitter censure from that
formidable body did not however hinder the book
from being read by kings, cardinals, bishops, and
princes. Leo the tenth jestingly remarked, " our
Erasmus hath also 1,4 share of the folly ;" but neither
that Pope, nor any one of his less illustrious prede-
cessors, ever made him► any reproaches, or did him
the least injury.