Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/364

SCO FAMILIAR COLLOQUIES. hath comforted me in mine humility," lv Tairfivwati, that is to say, in affliction. There are a great many texts of the like kind too many to be mentioned here. Therefore, as rairtivog may be metaphorically expressed TairtivfMppovwv, that is, of a modest mind, and not puffed up; so it will be no strange thing for any one to use Tcnrtivwaif; for .Tairiivo<ppoavvri, if we speak according to the scripture phrase. But as for those who will have it that rairilvwat^ signifies modesty of mind in the song of the Virgin Mary, and at the same time do in like manner interpret what we read, Gen. xxix., " The Lord hath looked upon my affliction," rcnrttvwaiv ', Leah does not boast of her modesty, but in that, by reason of her deformity, she was less pleasing to her husband, she calls her affliction. After the same manner in Deuter- onomy xxvi., " And looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression." Does he not call rairtivwaiv affliction?

Le. What is in their minds, then who in the song of the Vii-gin interpret rairtivwaiQ modesty of mind ? Hi. I can give no reason for it, but that our divines neglect the knowledge of language, and the study of the Latin tongue and the ancient fathers, who cannot be thoroughly understood without these helps. And add to this, it is a hard matter to remove prejudice when once it is fixed in the mind, And, besides, you see some persons attribute so much to the maxims of schools, that they will rather reduce the scripture to them, than correct their human notions by it. Le. But that is more absurd than what we read of the Lesbian rule ? Hi. Bede, the monk, no very grave author, whensoever he departs from the received opinions in relation to the word rcnrtivwaii; makes mention of pride. But Theo- phylact, a Greek writer, who formed his notions chiefly from the most approved Greek writers, denies that TwrilvtoaiQ is here to be taken for a virtue. But what need is there to have recourse to authority, when the common opinion of men rejects that interpretation ?

Hi, You say very well, for inasmuch as modesty is, as it were, the perfection and defendress of all virtues, it would be immodesty in any one to praise himself for it. I will allow that this virtue was most perfect and incomparable in the holy Virgin (I mean Christ excepted) ; but in this very thing she is the more commendable for modesty, in that she does not praise herself, but acknowledging her own meanness, ascribes the greatness of the mystery to divine mercy. Mary, say they, for her modesty deserved to be the mother of God. I will allow this to be true in a sense; but pray what modesty is it for the Virgin to say this of herself? Le. Nay, more than that, the very tenor of the song declares that she speaks of her own unworthiness, and therefore thus begins, " My soul doth magnify the Lord." But she that shall say, I deserve to be the mother of God for my modesty, magnifies herself and not the Lord, and therefore anon she adds, " For, behold, from hencefoi'th all generations shall call me blessed." Behold signifies the thing was sudden and unexpected. He does not expect to have the highest of honours that does not judge himself worthy of any honour at all. She does not say, He hath done to me great things because He judged me worthy, but, because He is mighty, and doeth whatsoever He will, and maketh them meet for His favour who are unworthy. Nor is that said to be a happiness that is obtained by