Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/79

 Germany before the Protestant Revolt 41 which does not take life too seriously or involve itself in needless complications. 1 [After holding up to ridicule the kind of person who is 237. Ex- always telling, or listening to, ghost stories and tales of tra ctsfrom prodigies and miracles, Erasmus continues:] To this same of Folly. class of fools belong those who beguile themselves with the silly but pleasing notion that if they look upon a picture or Adoration of image of St. Christopher, — that huge Polyphemus, — they the saints - will not die that day ; or that he who salutes an image of St. Barbara with the proper form of address will come back from battle safe ; or that one who approaches St. Erasmus on certain days with wax candles and prayers will soon be rich. They have found a new Hercules in St. George, — a sort of second Hippolytus. They seem to adore even his horse, which is scrupulously decked out with gorgeous trappings, and additional offerings are constantly being made in the hope of gaining new favors. His bronze helmet one would think half divine, the way people swear by it. And what shall I say of those who comfortably delude indulgences, themselves with imaginary pardons for their sins, and who measure the time in purgatory with an hourglass into years, months, days, and hours, with all the precision of a mathe- matical table ? There are plenty, too, who, relying upon certain magical little certificates and prayers, — which some pious impostor devised either in fun or for the benefit of his pocket, — believe that they may procure riches, honor, future happiness, health, perpetual prosperity, long life, a lusty old age, — nay, in the end, a seat at the right hand of Christ in heaven ; but as for this last, it matters not how 1 There is an old English translation of The Praise of Folly, with illustrations by Erasmus' friend Holbein, the great German painter. This has been several times reprinted, and is not hard to obtain. The translation is spirited, but recklessly free, since many sentences are added which have no equivalent in the original. While it is too inac- curate to be reproduced here, it nevertheless gives a good idea of the scope of the work and even of Erasmus' style of treatment.