Mr. Editor,--Your correspondent "Roterodamus" (pp. 27, 28) asks, I hope,
for the author of the epigram which he quotes, with a view to a life of
his great townsman, Erasmus. Such a book, written by some competent
hand, and in an enlarged and liberal spirit, would be a noble addition
to the literature of Europe. There is no civilised country that does not
feel an interest in the labours and in the fame of Erasmus. I am able to
answer your correspondents question, but it is entirely by chance. I
read the epigram which he quotes several years ago, in a book of a kind
which one would like to see better known in this country--a
typographical or bibliographical history of Douay. It is entitled,
"_Bibliographie Douaisienne, ou Catalogue Historique et Raisonné des
Livres imprimés à Douai depuis l'année 1563 jusqu'a nos jours, avec des
notes bibliographiques et littéraires; Par H.R. Duthilloeul. 8vo. Douai,
1842_." The 111th book noticed in the volume is entitled, "_Epigrammata
in Hæreticos. Authore Andrea Frusio, Societatis Jesu. Tres-petit in 8vo.
1596_." The book is stated to contain 251 epigrams, "aimed," says M.
Duthilloeul, "at the heretics and their doctrines. The author has but
one design, which is to render odious and ridiculous, the lives,
persons, and errors of the apostles of the Reformation." He quotes three
of the epigrams, the third being the one your correspondent has given
you. It has this title, "_De Lutheri et Erasmi differentia_," and is the
209th epigram in the book.
I have never met with a copy of the work of Frusius, nor do I know any
thing of him as an author. The learned writer who pours out a store of
curious learning in the pages of _Gentleman's Magazine_ is more likely
than any body that I know to tell you something about him.
Mons. Duthilloeul quotes another epigram from the same book upon the
_Encomium Moriæ_, but it is too long and too pointless for your pages.
He adds another thing which is more in your way, namely, that a former
possessor of the copy of the work then before him had expressed his
sense of the value of these "epigrammes dévotes" in the following
NOTE:--
"_Nollem carere hoe libello auro nequidem contra pensitato_."
Perhaps some one who possesses or has access to the book would give us a
complete list of the persons who are the subjects of these defamatory
epigrams. And I may add, as you invite us to put our queries, Is not
Erasmus entitled to the distinction of being regarded as the author of
the work which the largest single edition has ever been printed and
sold? Mr. Hallam mentions that, "in the single year 1527, Colinæus
printed 24,000 copies of the _Colloquies_, all of which were sold." This
is the statement of Moreri. Bayle gives some additional information.
Quoting a letter of Erasmus as his authority, he says, that Colinæus,
who--like the Brussels and American reprinters of our day--was printing
the book at Paris from a Basle edition, entirely without the concurrence
of Erasmus, and without any view of his participation in the profit,
circulated a report that the book was about to be prohibited by the Holy
See. The curiosity of the public was excited. Every one longed to secure
a copy. The enormous edition--for the whole 24,000 was but one
impression--was published contemporaneously with the report. It was a
cheap and elegant book, and sold as fast as it could be handed over the
booksellers counter. As poor Erasmus had no pecuniary benefit {51} from
the edition, he ought to have the credit which arises from this proof of
his extraordinary popularity. The public, no doubt, enjoyed greatly his
calm but pungent exposure of the absurd practices which were rife around
them. That his humorous satire was felt by its objects, is obvious from
this epigram, as well as from a thousand other evidences.