The Life and Character of Erasmus (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 12 PARENTS AND BIKTH. BIRTH- CHAPTER II. -EDUCATION?EARLY YEARS?FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND?(A.D. 1467?1500). We have no difficulty in fixing the birth-place of the illustrious Erasmus, as he assumed it for his surname. He was born in Eotterdam, on October 28th, 1467. His father Gerard, of the town of Gouda (Tergau), in Holland, a man of much wit and vivacity, fell in love with Margaret, the daughter of Peter, a physician of Sevenbergen, by whom, after the most solemn promises to each other that they would marry, he had two sons, one of whom is the subject of our present memoir. His relations, who were anxious to separate him from Margaret, and to make him a monk, thinking that they ought to offer one son to God, compelled him, by ill usage, to leave his native town, about two years after the birth of his first son. He then went to Eome, where, as he was a good scholar, he gained a livelihood by transcribing ancient authors. While he was engaged in this occupation, they sent him word that she was dead. Thereupon, in an agony of grief, he took upon himself that irrevocable vow which separated him for ever from married life. Returning soon afterwards, he discovered the deceit which had been practised upon him. He now heard that he was again a father, and saw for the first time, the offspring of hisEDUCATION. 13- guilty passion for the equally guilty Margaret. She determined that she would never marry another man, and he remained faithful to his sacerdotal vows. The original name of this son was Gerard. In conformity, however, with the pedantic taste prevailing among men of letters in those days, of assuming names of Greek or Latin etymology, he translated that name, signifying in Dutch the Beloved, into the equivalent names of Desiderius in Latin, and Erasmus in Gre...