Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/16

 xii PREFACE. In the Old Men's Discourse, how many things are there that are shewn as it were in a looking-glass, which either should be avoided in life, or may render it comfortable. It is better for young persons to learn these things by pleasant colloquies than by experience. Socrates brought philosophy down even from heaven to earth, and I have made it a diversion, broxight it into familiar conversation, and to the table ; for even the divertisements of Christians ought to savour of philosophy. In the Rich Beggars, how many things are there by which country parsons that are ignorant and illiterate, and no way deserving the name of pastors, may be enabled to amend their lives? and besides, to take away the glorying in garments, and to restrain the madness of those who hate a monk's attire, as if a garment were evil of itself 1 And by the way there is a pattern set down what sort of persons those monks ought to be, who walk to and fro through the villages, for there are not many such as I here describe. In the Learned Woman, I refresh the memory of the old example of Paula, Eustochius, and Marcella, who added the study of learning to the integrity of manners. And I incite monks and abbots, who are haters of sacred studies, and give themselves up to luxury, idleness, hunting, and gaming, to other kind of studies more becoming them, by the example of a young married woman. In the Apparition I detect the wiles of impostors, who are wont to impose upon well-meaning credulous people, by feigning apparitions of devils, and souls, and voices from heaven. And what a great deal of mischief have these juggling tricks done to Christian piety ? And because an ignorant and simple age is in an especial manner liable to be imposed upon by these deceptions, I thought it proper to set forth the manner of the imposture to the life by a facetious example. Pope Celestine himself was imposed upon by such tricks, and a young man of Berne deluded by monks ; and even at this very day, many are thus imposed upon by devised oracles. Nor are the least part of human miseries owing to Alchemy, by which even learned and wise men are imposed upon, it being so pleas- ing a disease, if once any one be seized with it. To this magic is also akin, being the same in name, but flattering them with the surname of natural. I charge horse-coursers with the same cheating tricks, and in the Beggars' Dialogue ; and again in the Fabulous Feast. If boys should, from these Colloquies, learn nothing else but to speak Latin, of how much greater commendations are my labours worthy, who by that way of play and divertisement effect that, than theirs who enforced upon youth the Mammothrepti, Brachylogi, Catholicontse, and the methods of signifying. In the Lying-in Woman, besides the knowledge of natural things, there are a great many good morals concerning the care of mothers towards their children first, while they are infants, and again after they are grown up. In the Religious Pilgrimage, I reprehend those who have tumul- tuously cast all images out of churches, and also those that are mad upon going on pilgrimage under pretence of religion, from whence also now-a-days societies are formed. They who have been at Jerusalem arrogate to themselves the title of knights, and call themselves brothers,