Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/366

362 FAMILIAR COLLOQUIES. a cardinal's hat, if it be offered them. Hi. A cardinal's hat, say you? no, nor a triple crown neither. And those humble sons of poor St. Francis will put forth their slippers to be kissed by the greatest monarchs in the world. Le. And then if you should use the term vilitas to them, it would be an unpardonable crime. Hi. Unpardon- able, indeed, if by vile you mean that which is of small account among men, or seems contemptible to itself. But what need is there to make an excuse for that which was not said ?

Le. But was not Merdardus ashamed to tell that lie, and at church too, and in one of the most famous ones, and in the hearing of a great assembly of monarchs, a great many learned men that had read over Erasmus's writings ? Hi. Ashamed, say you ? no, the buffoon thought he deserved the laurel for it ; for this is the fourth vow of the Merdar- dians, that they observe more religiously than the other three, not to be ashamed of anything. Le. There are, indeed, a great many that are very studious of that. Hi. But this was not a single lie neither; for, in the first place, the song of Mary as Luke wrote it remains untouched. How can he be said to correct anything that makes no alteration in it ? And then the word humilitas is not altered, nor is there any mention made of vilitas. And, in the last place, he does not correct the song who translates faithfully what Luke wrote, but only explains it. Le, I perceive a threefold lie, very like such a buffoon. Hi. But hold, you have not heard the greatest piece of impudence yet. Le. What, have you any more then? Hi. He exclaimed against that ass as the head, author, and ringleader of all the tunmlts that are in the Christian world. Le. Say you so ? Hi. And that it is to be charged upon him that the church is torn in pieces by so many sectaries, that the clergy are despoiled of their tithes, that the bishops are set light by, and the sacred authority of the pope himself is everywhere disregarded ; that ploughmen play the part of the old gigantic race. Le. Does he say these things publicly? Hi. Pub- licly ? ay, and makes a mighty clamouring too. Le. But they are quite of another mind that have attentively read over the writings of Erasmus. A great many of them will acknowledge that they have from his performances collected the seeds of true piety. And this fire that lias been kindled by the monks is got to that height that all the endeavours they use to put it out are but just as if you should pour oil into a fire. Hi. You see what an evil beast the belly is. Le. You have hit the nail on the head. It is, indeed, for the interest of such fellows that there be a great deal of superstition in the Christian world, and but a very little true religion. But what said the auditory? could they bear to hear such an ass bray in the pulpit ?

Hi. Some wondered what was come to the man. Those that were of a choleric temper went out of the church murmuring, saying, We came to hear the praises of the holy Virgin set forth, and this drunken fellow is vomiting out his mere calumnies upon us. And there were a great many women present, Le. This sex used to be mighty admirers of this order of men. Hi. You say right ; but the women perceived what sort of a fellow he was. And some that were women of reading were uneasy, and some hissed him. Le. But an ass does not mind hissing ; such a railing fellow ought to have been pelted out of his pulpit with rotten eggs and brickbats. Hi. There were some that