New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-07

lasted Erasmus and his brother were Kept AZ
school, but when the guardians had wasted IL
all it was thought most convenient to put both
into a monastery. Pete. the elder, Who as
Erasmus said contemptuously. was well
fitted to be a monk. yielded first Erasmus
held out long, and profted by his delay. since
he was allowed while he took time to consider
the use Of q fine classical library in the hous"
of the Augus,inians with whom he finally took
his vows But after he had become a member
of the order his privilege Of reading was with
Drawn. that he might learn the virtue Of obedi-
ence. Bu; the prior that the youth was
unfit for the life he had adopted and recon-
mended him to the Bishop of Cambray. The
latter easily obtained dispensation from the
Pope and the young monk began life as his
secretary, and subsequently, under MS patronage.
studied and taught in Paris. Thus originated
Erasmuss quarrel with monkery. the only real
grievance that he had with the Church II
gave unity and direction to his life which
otherwise might have be,n merely brilliant and
frivolous There were stories Of escapades in
Paris Erasmus audes to them himself He
was too busy with his books. with his literary
ambitions, and with hi resentments toward
those who had used hun i'll and had come near
wrecking his life al the outset. to be vicious.
But the illusions 70 these carly years In Paris
continually recur to mind - one reads the vale
tudinarlan complaints with which the letters
translated by Mr. Froude abound. His lack
Of physical confidence in hmsef-throughout his
life he was always anticipating death as near at
hands in strange contrast with his mental
courage. He could speak his mind and he
knew how to speak 1t without giving his enc
mics. the monks a legal hold upon him: but ne
had none OF that personal daring which made
n, ru-illi n he "a % If
laid the egg and Luther Matched it," cried
the monks. Not at all" his reply "the
egg laid would have grown hen. but Luther
has Matched a gamecOck." With his dread of
war and physical conflict. Erasmus would have
awaited the slow processes Of reform within the
Church itself. lie was convinced that the idea
which he had Of a return TO the faith and usaGes
Of the Fathers feasible one. But he
failed to consider that human nature in general,
and especially those elements OF human nature
which had suffered most from the abuses OF
which he himself complained was not as calm
and as devoid Of passion as His own mind. The
world ran away from him just it had run
away from Reuchlin. and as il WAS to run away
from Luther They had all helped to set In
motion forces which they could not control This
was Illustrated in dumb show one occasion
in the presence of the Emperor Charles Y. one
of the players in a doctors robe brought In
bundle Of sticks some crooked and some straight,
laid them on the hegrth and returned to his
place. on his back was written "Reuchlin.
The next player tried to lay the sticks side by
side but the crooked ones would not lie as they
were placed and he retired in disgust He was
called Erasmus" Then Augustinian monk
rushed in threw the crooked sticks into the
fire and famed the blaze He was labelled
- An ed n IA
the fire with his sword, and finally player in
pontihcal robes seeing two cans in the room.
filled with water. the other with oil. sna,ched up
the latter as if by mistake. poured oil over the
flames and raised such a blaze tina; he fed In
terror. He was intended for Leo X
Observe that it was Erasmus who thought that
the straight sticks and the crooked sticks might
be made to lie together without disturbance. II
he did not see the near future as well as some
others he at least caught glimpse OF times
when the dispute would be ended in weariness
If not in harmony. He was for liberation and
concession. the Church rules u conformity 70
be relaxed. the demands of the lars to he salts
fed as far as might BE- without a schism. the
clergy to be allowed T. marry. tho Church land
question to be settled by a COMPROMISED Will"
as t. doctrine the ancient Articles Of Fa!th. on
which all parties agreed, were a sufficient
basi. for communion. On the new questions over
which the world quarrelling the Real Pres
encc, the priesthood, justification. prodestna-
ton. free will. grace. merits and the rest OF H.
men might be allowed 10 think as they Pleased
without ceasing 10 be Christians or splitting
into separate communities" II Is this attitude
OF Erasmus toward tn more virulent disputes
Of his day which attracts the admiration Of Mr.
Froudc. But adds he 1T required two centuries
Of lighting and another century of SUSPICION be-
fore mankind generally could be brought to ac-
cept what seems now so obvious truth. Eras-
mus shrank from dogma'ic statements. OF two
dogmat.sts he was SURE not that one was right
but that both were wrong He was hated by
the extreme partisans both sides The
Protestants thought him a coward the Cath
olics thought him heretic and yet even to his
last hour he looked to (as no man Of letters
has been looked to before or since to keep
the peace Of Europe. He reminded himself
often no doubt Of story which he himself
told about a certain Monk John of rustic breed
Ing who attempted to part two prize-nghters
and killed for his pains. At all events,
neither the Diet Of Worms nor that Of Augs-
burg his face. He was not the stuff Of
which martyrs are ma L. and there was no
call upon him 20 be burned in a dispute where
he saw right and wrong both sides. But that
he could put his doubts In a way to make men
understand them is shown by the simple
enumeration Of the points upon which his COM
mentary the New Testament was censured
by the Sorbonne. They were the celibacy Of
the clergy, the VOWS OF monks fasts and the
ntcrdctons on the eating Of meat. observance
Of feasts. evangelical councils. the translation Of
the Scriptures into the vulgar tongues, the
jurisdiction Of secular courts. canonical hours.
divorce and the like-ail Turning questions in
those times But admonition was the limit Of
authority in his case. for Erasmus's New Tesla
ment in Greek. with Latin translation. and
notes unlike any that had ever before been
written on the Scriptures dedicated to Leo
Y and was greeted by HIM with letter of APP
nrnXal In which he wrote: "YOur lncubratiOnS