CHAP. X. 1524. Æt. 57. son who courted the favours of the celebrated Lord Bolingbroke, took occasion to mention before him some failing of the Duke of Marlborough, his lordship's opponent: "Sir!" exclaimed Lord Bolingbroke, "The Duke of "Marlborough was so great a man, that I have forgotten all his faults." 166 Add to this, that Erasmus repeatedly and explicitly disclaimed in his works, every opinion that was contrary to the faith or doctrines of the Catholic church; and that he could enumerate among his defenders many of the most illustrious of her children. CHAPTER XI. ERASMUS AT FRIBOURGH. 1529-1535. Æt. 62-68. THE establishment of the Protestant religion at Bâsle, occasioned Erasmus to remove from it to the Roman Catholic town of Fribourgh. He repeatedly mentions that it gave him great concern to quit Bâsle: he was treated in it with great respect by all ranks of persons. It was the residence of Froben, his favourite printer and confidential friend. At this very time Froben was employed in printing Erasmus's edition of the works of St. Augustine. Bâsle also possessed many friends of Erasmus; among them was Ecolampadius. A letter* written by him in his early years to Erasmus, expresses, according to the bishop of Meaux, the purest piety. He describes himself in it, as writing at the foot of a cross, before which he was accustomed to pray, and he breathes such tender sentiments of devotion upon the ineffable charity of Jesus Christ, which the picture brought Epist. 42, 43. 1. 7. Var. l. 1. P 244. Æt. 6268. CHAP, XI. to his mind, that it is impossible not to be affected 1529-1535. by the perusal of them. He afterwards entered into a religious order: before he took that step, he advised with Erasmus upon it. Erasmus " he was far from dissuading " How wrote to him, that pel! exclaims Erasmus,* where such serious "efforts are made to disengage the soul from "the passions of the world, and to prepare her "for an union of Christ, when he shall call her "to him." Erasmus and Ecolampadius had long lived in intimacy, but not without those jealousies which, when they do not proceed too far, serve as a zest to friendship. Ecolampadius did not lessen, by his adoption of the Lutheran principles, the interest which Erasmus took in his welfare. When he married, Erasmus ob served that, "what was generally called Lu"ther's tragedy, should be rather called his "comedy, as the bustle generally ended in a marriage." When the intention of Erasmus to quit Bâsle became generally known, the magistrates used every means in their power to prevail upon him to remain among them. They deputed Ecolampadius to him; a long interview took place between them in Froben's garden; it did not induce Erasmus to alter his design; * Epist. 27. 1. 13.7 t Epist, 1. 1. 19. Fribourgh. but it was agreed that their friendship should XI continue inviolate; each being at liberty to speak Erasmus at and write upon matters of religion as he should think proper. When Erasmus quitted Bâsle, some of its principal inhabitants escorted him out of the town. The magistrates of Fribourgh, if he had permitted it, would have given him a public reception. He reached it towards the end of the month of April 1529. The life which he led at Fribourgh was perfectly agreeable to his inclinations: he had full liberty to prosecute his studies; two or three persons of acknowledged merit dined at his table every day, and he reckoned several distinguished characters among his visitors. They always consulted his convenience, and retired as it appeared to suit him. He seems to have led that kind of life, and to have enjoyed that personal consideration at Fribourgh, which Mr. Gibbon did at Lausanne, and has so agreeably described. We have mentioned Lord Mountjoy's munificent patronage of Erasmus: He found about this time another illustrious patron, in the Earl of Ormond, the grandfather of the celebrated Ann Bouleyn To him Erasmus dedicated the most pious of all his publications, "A Treatise on the proper Preparation for Death." His CHAP. XI. thoughts were employed on that subject, when 1629-1535. he received a letter from his lordship, requestÆt. 62-68. ing him to publish some devotional work, fit for common use. He accordingly composed this treatise, and dedicated it to his lordship. Erasmus also dedicated to his lordship, an Explanation of the 23d Psalm;" and his "Explanation of the Creed of the Apostles," in the form of a catechism. Cardinal Sadolet* addressed to Erasmus a complimentary letter upon the last he tells him, that "he had read it with great pleasure;" and that, " by it, he had stopped the mouth of that race of men who "seek to acquire unjust praise by calumny. "Your excellent virtue and character," he adds, are a sufficient refutation of them.' Erasmus contended, that the Creed of the Apostles expressed the heads of their doctrine, but denied that it was composed by them. This opinion was then severely criticised, but few now maintain the contrary. † Sadoleti, Epist. 5, 1.4; cited by Burigni, vol. ii, p. 355. + On the origination of the Creed of the Apostles, there are different opinions: some writers have supposed, that the Apostles before their dispersion, agreed on its several articles. An ancient tradition recorded by Rufinus, mentions, that each of the Apostles contributed to it a sentence; and a writer, under the name of St. Austin, proceeds so far, as to assign to each Apostle the article which he contributed. This tradition, and still more the improvement on it, have greatly the air of a fable: and even the opinion, which |