Part 12 (1/2)

The expectation that he would be able to speak the conciliating as paling For the rest he failed to see the true proportions During the first months of 1520 his attention was almost entirely taken up by his own polereat revolution The desire to keep aloof got more and more the upper hand of hiin to look like sedition

It is perhaps necessary that scandals occur, but I should prefer not to be the author' He has, he thinks, by his influence with Wolsey, prevented the burning of Luther's writings in England, which had been ordered But he washad taken place in London, as early as 12 May

The best proof that Erasiven up his hope to play a conciliatory part may be found in what follows In the su between the three monarchs, Henry VIII, Francis I and Charles V, took place at Calais Eraso there in the train of his prince Hoould such a congress of princes--where in peaceful conclave the interests of France, England, Spain, the German Eether--have affected Erasination, if his ideal had remained unshaken! But there are no traces of this Erasmus was at Calais in July 1520, had soreeted More, but it does not appear that he attached any other importance to the journey than that of an opportunity, for the last tilish friends

It ard for Erasmus that just at this time, when the cause of faith took so much harsher forms, his duties as counsellor to the youthful Charles, now back from Spain to be crowned as emperor, circumscribed his liberty more than before In the su material furnished by the Louvain faculty, the papal bull declaring Luther to be a heretic, and, unless he should speedily recant, exco him 'I fear the worst for the unfortunate Luther,' Erase everywhere, so are princes incensed with him on all sides, and, most of all, Pope Leo Would Luther had followed my advice and abstained from those hostile and seditious actions! They will not rest until they have quite subverted the study of languages and the good learning Out of the hatred against these and the stupidity of edy first arise I do notfor ainst Luther'

Indeed, Erasmus had become, by virtue of his enormous celebrity, as circumstances would have it, reat policy of emperor and pope People wanted to use his name and make him choose sides And that he would not do for any consideration He wrote evasively to the Pope about his relations with Luther without altogether disavowing him How zealously he defends hi on Luther's side as noisy monks make out in their serement

But by the other side also he is pressed to choose sides and to speak out Towards the end of October 1520 the coronation of the emperor took place at Aix-la-Chapelle Erasmus was perhaps present; in any case he accone There, on 5 November, he had an interview about Luther with the Elector Frederick of Saxony He was persuaded to write down the result of that discussion in the forainst his intention they were printed at once

Erasmus's hesitation in those days between the repudiation and the approbation of Luther is not discreditable to hih his whole personality: his refusal or inability ever to draw ulti and selfish nature, afraid of losing his life, he would long since have altogether forsaken Luther's cause It is hishis fame, that he continually shows his weaknesses, whereas what is great in hine Eras huer than himself, he had, for some months, shared a room in the house of Aldus's father-in-law, at Venice: Hieronymus Aleander, now sent to the Emperor as a papal nuncio, to persuade him to conform his ireat ecclesiastical question, and give effect to the papal excommunication by the imperial ban

It must have been somewhat painful for Erasmus that his friend had so far surpassed hi by diplomatic means the solution which he hiood will and toleration He had never trusted Aleander, and was ainst hiifts, Aleander was by far Erasmus's inferior, and had never, like hiical studies; he had sinates (whoiven up early) Thispowers

To what degree of exasperation Erasonists at Louvain had now been reduced is seen froives Thomondanus before the Rector of the university, anted to reconcile thes did not look so black as Ulrich von Hutten thought, when he wrote to Erasmus: 'Do you think that you are still safe, now that Luther's books are burned? Fly, and save yourself for us!'

Ever more e to do with Luther Long ago he had already requested him not to mention his naain refer to you, neither will other good friends, since it troubles you'

Ever louder, too, are Eras of the monks at him, and his deht to preach

In April 1521 comes the moment in the world's history to which Christendo forward: Luther at the Diet of Worhest authority in the E in Germany that for a er rather than Luther and his adherents 'If I had been present', writes Erasedy would have been so teuain to the still greater detriment of the world'

The imperial sentence was pronounced: within the Eundian Netherlands before that time) Luther's books were to be burned, his adherents arrested and their goods confiscated, and Luther was to be given up to the authorities Erasedy is at an end with us here; would it had never appeared on the stage' In these days Albrecht Durer, on hearing the false news of Luther's death, wrote in the diary of his journey that passionate exclamation: 'O Erasht of Christ, ride forth beside the Lord Christ, protect the truth, obtain the martyr's crown For you are but an old manikin I have heard you say that you have allowed yourself two more years, in which you are still fit to do some work; spend them well, in behalf of the Gospel and the true Christian faith O Erasmus, be on this side, that God may be proud of you'

It expresses confidence in Erasmus's power, but at bottom is the expectation that he will not do all this Durer had rightly understood Erasle abated nowise, least of all at Louvain Latonified and able of Louvain divines, had now become one of the , touched Erasmond, the Carmelite, another of Erasonist, Vincent Dirks of Haarlem, a Dominican Erasainst the new attacks, and to explain why he has never written against Luther He will read hi to quiet the tu Aleander, who arrived at Louvain in June, to prohibit preaching against hi back Erasht track

But Erasan to consider the only exit which was now left to hiain his o presented itself: the third edition of his New Testament called him to Basle once more It would not be a permanent departure, and he purposed to return to Louvain On 28 October (his birthday) he left the tohere he had spent four difficult years

His chae of the Lily were reserved for him and he left his books behind On 15 November he reached Basle

Soon the rumour spread that out of fear of Aleander he had saved hiain in our days in spite of Eras denial, that Aleander should have cunningly and expressly driven him from the Netherlands, is inherently improbable So far as the Church was concerned, Eraserous than at Louvain, in the headquarters of conservatisovernment, where, it seemed, he could sooner or later be pressed into the service of the anti-Lutheran policy

It was this contingency, as Dr Allen has correctly pointed out, which he feared and evaded Not for his bodily safety did he erate; Erasmus would not have been touched--he was far too valuable an asset for such measures It was his mental independence, so dear to hiuard that, he did not return to Louvain

[Illustration: XIX THE HOUSE AT ANDERLECHT WHERE ERASMUS LIVED FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER 1521]

[Illustration: XX ERASMUS'S STUDY AT ANDERLECHT]

FOOTNOTES:

[17] Translation on pp 229 ff

CHAPTER XVII