salutary truth, and to receive improvement of mind and morals. When we wish to be only amused, we shall repair to the play and the puppetshow.

I will take the liberty to hint to young and fashionable divines, who are in general smitten with the false graces of style and delivery, that their congregation would be much more edified, if, instead of moral essays, in what they call fine language, they would preach sermons, properly, so called, in the plain style of truth and Scripture. Let them also take care, as they will answer it to Him in whose name they ascend the pulpit, not to preach themselves, but the Gospel; not to be so solicitous in the display of a white hand, as of a pure heart; of a diamond ring, as of a shining example.

No. CXXXIV.

On the Genius of Erasmus.

BATAVIA and Boeotia are by no means remarkable for the production of genius; but Boeotia may boast her Pindar, and Batavia her Erasmus.

I mean not to consider the theological opinions of Erasmus, but his learning and his genius; and of these I may venture to affirm, that if Erasmus had lived in an Augustan age, they would have advanced him to a rank among the best of the classics. But the theology and theologians of his times were at open war with the graces of taste and elegance; and, considering the authority which they possessed, and the scarcity of any other writings than those which proceeded from the cloister, it may be pro

in that age, without contracting a tinge of the prevailing barbarism.

The style of Erasmus is not therefore perfectly pure and classical; but it is his own, and it has a native charm which renders it agreeable. I would not advise a young man to view it as a model; nor, indeed, to be much conversant in the works of Erasmus, or any modern writer of Latin, till his taste be formed, and a judgment regulated, by Terence, Virgil, Cæsar, and Cicero.

But he whose mind is mature, and whose comprehensive powers are capable of grasping all preeminent authors, whether ancient or modern, will receive pleasure and improvement in a great degree from the writings of Erasmus. They have usually been studied only by divines, and for theological information. But I warmly recommend them to the lover of philology, or of classical learning, as furnishing a dish for such a palate, both plentiful and highly seasoned. Erasmus was born to cultivate the Litera Humaniores, or the politer parts of learning; and 1 have often lamented, that he should have been diverted from those flowery paths into the rough roads of controversial divinity.

The colloquies, or dialogues of Erasmus, are often used to initiate boys, at an early age, in the study of the Latin language. They are uncommonly lively, entertaining, and instructive; and as there is not much danger of corrupting the style of a very young boy, there are, perhaps, few books better adapted to the purpose. Indeed we must not do Erasmus the injustice to assert, that he is devoid of elegance in style, for though, wherever he expresses theological ideas he is almost under the necessity of using words unknown to the writers of a better age; yet, on other occasions, he really abounds with phrases of the purest and sweetest Latinity. Neither are his

dialogues to be considered as fit only for boys, since they abound in wit, humour, good sense, and in allusions, which strongly mark the fertility of the mind from which they originate. In a comparative estimate of genius, according to its kinds and degrees, I should not hesitate to place Erasmus in the same class with Lucian. There is, indeed, a seasoning of salt in all his writings, in which the necessity of being grave did not forbid him to be facetious. The Ciceronianus is an admirable specimen of judgment and pleasantry.

His Praise of Folly is a most humorous satire, and reflects no less honour on the inventive powers, than on the good sense of its author; as it was written, if I mistake not, in the space of one week, for the amusement of himself and Sir Thomas More, at whose house he was upon a visit. It made its author many enemies; but his genius rose like the arm of a giant against a host of pigmies, and defeated them all after a short conflict. His forgiveness of the vain and angry Dorpius who first attacked him, evinces his magnanimity and goodness of heart. Spite and envy may secretly undermine, but can never make an open and successful attack on the fortress of true genius.

But the epistles of Erasmus will, perhaps, be found to furnish the student in philology with more amusement than any other of his works. They are, indeed, a valuable treasure of curious information. Their clear and lively language, their poignant wit, and goodnatured humour, render it difficult to lay them aside when once we are engaged in the serious perusal of them. They are very numerous, but they are by no means all which Erasmus wrote. He complains, indeed, of being obliged to write so many, that there was not a possibility of taking

the world, and of human nature, as well as of letters and literary characters, may be collected from them by the attentive reader.

But, indeed, to whatever part of his voluminous works we turn our attention, we can scarcely avoid the sentiments of pleasure and surprise. He has written more than many students were ever able to read. He has written so excellently, that all the learned, except a few envious contemporaries, from his own times to ours, have uniformly considered him as a prodigy. And let it never be forgotten, that, under Providence, he owed his education and subsequent improvements entirely to himself. He was used ill and neglected in his youth.

He abounded neither in books nor instructors; but he possessed a genius and a love of letters, before which all obstacles usually give way, like the Alps to an Hannibal.

It adds greatly to our wonder, in contemplating his large and crowded tomes, when we recollect that he spent his life in a most unsettled state, and in constantly traveling from city to city, and from kingdom to kingdom. But his mind was employed in study wherever he went, and he composed many parts of his works as he rode on his horse. was also attacked by many enemies; and though he was placable, yet as he was also irascible, much of that time and attention, which would otherwise have been devoted to calm contemplation, was necessarily lost in controversy.

He

He was certainly the greatest man of his time. Popes, kings, archbishops, bishops, and cardinals, hide their diminished heads in his presence. One is, indeed, almost tempted to laugh when one surveys a group of stupid personages, with crowns and mitres, riches and titles, sitting on their thrones and in their cathedral, yet bowing with an homage

merit of the poor Erasmus. He indeed, was permitted, by Providence, to pass through his pilgrimage in this world without ecclesiastical riches or dignity; he was designed as an instance to prove, that great merit is its own reward, and that temporal distinctions are allowed, like trifles beneath the notice of Heaven, to fall indiscriminately on the deserving and the undeserving, the learned and the ignorant. Erasmus had no mitre; but he had the internal satisfactions of genius; he had glory, he had liberty.

Though I am sensible he wants no addition to his fame, and could not receive any from my applause, yet I have ventured to pay him this humble tribute, as the oblation of gratitude for the great and repeated pleasure which his works once afforded me in the retirement of a college.

No. CXXXV.

On the Education of a Prince.

AN opinion has often prevailed, that the education of a prince ought to be totally different from that of other gentlemen, and that any remarkable share of learning would disgrace him. I shall not hesitate to affirm, that they were the enemies of princes who advanced such an opinion; for nothing can contribute more effectually to the general abolition of the monarchical form of government, than to render the character and person of the monarch contemptible. In an age and country enlightened like our own, if a king were the only gentleman unadorned with a liberal education, his kingly office would serve only