Contents

EDITOR'S PREFACE . . pp. 7, 8

AUTHOR'S PREFACE . . pp. 15, 16

CHAPTER I

SOCIETY IN THE EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY

Erasmus's birth and parentage — The spread of the Renaissance — Its character in Italy, France, and the Empire — Its Neo-Paganism and materialistic spirit — The sixteenth century as the beginning of modern Europe — The antithesis between the Renaissance and the mediaeval spirit — Comparison between the new learning in Italy, France, the Empire, and England — The ground exceedingly favourable for the spread of the Reformation in Germany, England, and the Netherlands pp. 17-35

CHAPTER II

THE YOUTH AND MATURITY OF ERASMUS

Erasmus's appearance and education — He enters the Augustinian priory of Steyn — Ordained priest by the Bishop of Utrecht — Dangers of entering an order without real vocation — Dispensed from the monastic life and enters the service of the Bishop of Cambrai — He goes to the University of Paris — In Paris he makes the acquaintance of William Blount, which is the occasion of his visit to England — Travel a feature of the Middle Ages and Insularity a product of the Reformation — In London Erasmus began his life-long friendship with More, Colet, and Warham — He leaves England : troubles at Dover — His determina- tion to visit Italy and methods of obtaining the necessary money — His second visit to England and departure for Bologna ; interview with Julius II — His third visit to England and the Cambridge period — Henry VIIPs offer of patronage ; Erasmus Rector of Aldington and Warham's kindness — The pilgrimage to St. Thomas, Canterbury, and to Our Lady, Walsingham ; reflections on pilgrimages — Erasmus again at Cambridge — The appearance of his Greek New Testament and Latin version ; the beginning of his fame — His final departure from England . . pp. 36-58

CHAPTER III

HIS ZENITH AND THE BEGINNINGS OF PROTESTANTISM

Erasmus summoned to the Court at Brussels — Fresh trouble over his dispensation — Corre- spondence with Servatius Rogerus, prior of Steyn — Ammonius undertakes to obtain a complete dispensation, which is granted by Leo X — The Reuchlin controversy — Leo X's character and magnificence — The party of conservative reform and the appearance of Luther — Erasmus's fear and dislike of Luther — He urges the Elector of Mainz to moderation in the matter of Tetzel and the Indulgences — His New Testament causes alarm to the conservatives, although it appeared with the approval of Leo X — Erasmus's chief opponents —Luther's open defiance of the Church — Erasmus refuses him any further support even of the hitherto limited kind — The Diet of Worms and its results — The party of innovation and heresy henceforth irreconcilable — Growing suspicion of Erasmus's attitude ; Erasmus supported by the Popes, but under constant attacks shows some lack of prudence — St. Ignatius and the works of Erasmus — The subsequent attitude of the Society of Jesus towards him .... pp. 59-86

CHAPTER IV

HIS TROUBLES AND LATER YEARS

Open hostility to Luther — Death of Leo X and accession of Adrian VI — His character, austerity, and piety — His determination to correct abuses — He appeals to Erasmus to rise in God's cause and stops the Carinelite attack on him — Adrian's short reign and his dis- appointments ; succeeded by Clement VII — The violence and iconoclasm of the Reformers — Erasmus and Ulrich von Hutten — Luther's contemptuous letter to Erasmus — Erasmus replies with his De Libero Arbitrio — Erasmus's triumph and the delight of the Catholic world — Correspondence with Melanchthon, the only reformer with whom Erasmus continued friendly relations to the end — Erasmus at Basel — Hostility of the Spanish theologians ; Charles V uncertain, but supports Erasmus secretly — Condition of some monasteries at this time — The Reformation breaks loose in Basel and Erasmus goes to Freiburg-i-B — The question of the nullity of Henry VIIPs marriage with Katherine — Melanchthon pre- sents the Confession to the Diet at Augsburg ; its moderation ; its superiority over all other hostility to the Reformation : the edict of restoration and restitution — Erasmus's views on the situation — Erasmus in favour with Clement VII and with the King of the Romans — The schism in England caused by Clement's inability to declare the King's marriage null and the progress of heresy — Paul III succeeds to the throne of St. Peter ; his wish to appoint Fisher and Erasmus Cardinals, a proof of his sincerity in the matter of reform — The judicial murder of Blessed Thomas More and Blessed John Fisher — The effect of their death upon Erasmus— His illness and death in Basel— His character and tastes ; his strength and weakness pp. 87-115

CHAPTER V

THE FRIENDS AND CORRESPONDENTS OF ERASMUS

Erasmus at Oxford — His editions of the Fathers, and not his New Testament nor his texts of the classics, his greatest achievement — His regard for the works of St. Thomas Aquinas — The Moria Encomium : the out- cry in the universities which its appearance caused — Sir Thomas More's support of Greek — The struggle between Greeks and Trojans at Oxford— Polydore Vergil— The Julius Ex T clusus : a politico-religious squib ; Erasmus the probable author — The Colloquies — The Paraphrases of the New Testament ; to whom dedicated ; the praise bestowed on them from suspect quarters ; their drawbacks as literature for popular use — Erasmus's correspondents ; their remarkable diversity ; amongst them were included all the most famous men of the day — Minor correspondents : Lypsius, Meyer, Wil- denauer, Kock ; Louis de Berquin, a brilliant scholar; condemned by the Sorbonne; his tragical end — de Pins, Vives, Botzheim, in- timates of Erasmus and staunch Catholics — Erasmus's work and influence — his undoubted Catholicity — Final reflections. . pp. 1 16-142

INDEX OF NAMES . . pp. 143, 144