New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-07
Mr.. FROUDE'S NEW BOOK.
A STUDY OF ERASMUS AND HIS RELA-
TIONS TO LEARNING AND RELIGION.


LIFE AND LETTERS OF. ERASMUS Lectures EGtuEe
Per guse" professor Of Modern History PIP. 49,
Charles Scribners sons.
Mr.. Froudes partially for the memory OK
Henry VIII would be enough to make him choose
Erasmus for the subject OF book. for the great
Neutral of Reformation times was very well dis
posed 10 the King He had good opportunity at
various times Of studying the character OF Henry
as a young prince and az King before reAs-
ious controversy and frequent marital QuarreiS
had given him the reputation for cruelty whch
ne still bears in history Erasmus held MN 10
be not only well affected toward men OF learhlhs'
but also to be that rare creature among princes
himself learned man On the veXed question:
Who wrote Henrys book in reply TO Luther' the
testimony OF Erasmus was as positive as that 81
any man could be who had not seen the manu-
script. Shortly after the book appeared Erasmus
wrote a letter to George, Duke Of SaXony' IN
which he praised il and declared that II was I'M
doubtedly the Kings cwn composition "heh
the divorce of Henry from Catherine set all Eu-
rome nv the ears and the Lutheran controver-
sialists were busy picking the King repu'auo"
"a n,eces Erasmus wrote to one of them TO
reterate his belief in the Genuncness OF the WORK
10 which Henry had put his name. He could tes-
he came of intelligent parentage, that he was an
apt talker and that he had studied the Schoo'-
men, Aqu!nas. Scotus and the rest Erasmus
added that he had himself been suspicious about
the hook until one DAY he was shown number
AZ tho Kings letters corrected and altered IN the
royal handwriting. These convinced nm 'h@'
Henrv was a CAPABLE scholar Henrys bearing as
q hov of nine wears had struck him as at once
regal and gentle At fifteen the young prince Is
found answering letter from Erasmus ana ne
was no sooner seated upon the throne IMAM ne Ill
vi;ed his friend to place in his Court o''i az
uuaintance" he wrote, began when was oo!'
The regard which | then learnt TO feel ior you
has been increased by the honorable mention
which you have made Of me in your WRITINGS
and by the to which you have apphed your
talents in the advancement of Christian TRUTH
Erasmus was too witty and too skeptical to be a
mere hatterer but of course. his words written 10
a King in an age when royalty had reached the
very summit of grandeur in Europe may be SUD-
tect to some diminution. Apparently he meant IL
all when he said that no prince was better pre-
pared for war and none was more eager 10 aVoiu
il than Henry, that he had cleared his country oil
robbers had improved the laws, encouraged learn
ing set an example to his subjects OF pure ana
nobla manhood and had indeed brought back the
sbould.1eI how England throve, how virtue -four
ished in the reign of Henry VIII. how the nation
was born again how piety revived. how learning
grew to a height which Italy might envy. and
how the prince who reigned over it was rule
and a pattern for all time to come. The intell-
gence Of the country would preserve the memory
of his virtues and scholars would set forth the
story of King who once reigned there and in
his own person revived the virtues of the ancient
heroes Il seriously believe" adds Mr.. Froude
THAT this will be the final verdict of English
History on Henry VIII"
But Mr. Froude also admires Erasmus for his
own sake. Not that he ignores the dubious po-
sition which Erasmus occupied after Luther be-
gan to stir Germany to revolt against Rome He
calls the author Of the "Adages" and the "Co.lo-
qu!es" and Of "Encomum Moriae' Laodicean'
that is a lukewarm person, and compares him to
Voltaire not only for the sharpness OF his wit
but for the inaccuracy of his learning. He draws
parallel also between Erasmus and Lucian. the
Greek scoffer. The suggestion comes from Eras-
mus himself. H found many features Of lie in
the fifteenth century when Christianity seemed to
be nearly worn out. tina; we're like those which
Lucian saw in the second century, when the
forces of antiquity were spent and nothing was
left but lies and luxury and degradation. Mr..
Froude calls attention TO one OF the dialogues OF
Lucan which attracted Erasmus's attention more
than any other, though he made Latin transla-
ton Of nearly all of them Il told the story OF a
young man who was tempted by the promise OF an
easy life to become the companion Of a nobleman,
to write his letters, correct his verses. anuse his
guests and write poems demand Lucian
traced this unfortunate youth through the various
stages of his serve career till he was suppanted
by new favorite and flung aside like worn
out dress and was forced for lack Of any honest
employment to become the attendant to the lap
dog CT the mistress Of the palace. Now the fiji
teenth century was as much age Of patrons
as was Lucian's own time. Erasmus, brilliant
he was, depended on the favor and presents OF
the great for his livelihood Though his books
were exceedingly popular and were put through
many editions. the condition OF the publishing
business was such that comparatively little profit
accrued TO the printer and still less TO the author
At the beginning Of his life man Of letters, he
seems to have imagined that he could improve on
the methods Of Lucians hero. who may have been
Lucan himself for all that is known to the con-
trary But Lucian's temper was too brittle and
his tongue too sharp to let him reach the lapdog
stage as he described it.; and the could be
said Of Erasmus. One may sec in Gil Bias what
the fate of such a literary underling was like
In the days before Of letters were recognized
as having a profession of their In the
paiace or the Bishop OF Cambray. or In the Castle
Of Tournehem under the protection Of the lady
whom he called his princess. Erasmus might have
cut the very figure described by lie Sage and
might have ended If not IN the nursery OF the lap
dog at least in the capacity Of tutor a pri-
vate chaplain Perhaps Lucian saved him.
Mr. Froude suggests; perhaps his own fondness
for liberty released him from servitude 20 those
who befrended him. In the end they had to aid
him because no man in Europe was useful in so
many ways as he He might have been greater.
II he had been willing TO be ess-major futurus, 81
minor esse voluisset-was the malicious criticism
Of Scallger: but at rate his confidence In