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by fome of the Divines of that Age, that it was remarked it had raised him more Enemies than any Thing he had written.

It is also evident, from many Paffages in Erafmus's Works, that he had fo great Efteem for King Henry the VIIIth, that he vindicates his Title to the Kingdom of France against his Adverfary Bredda, who was angry that Erafmus fo much as mentioned

The Doctor was the Son of Thomas Yonge, Efq; one of the Juftices of the Court of Common Pleas, in the Reign of Edward the IVth. And from the Judge's eldeft Son the present Right Hon. Sir William Yonge, Bart. &c. is defcended. See English Baronett. Vol. III. p. 335, &c.

Other Friends to Erafmus, Cardinal Pole, to whom he wrote feveral Epiftles.

Stephen Gardiner, whom he commends for his uncommon Share in Literature, as well as Capacity to ferve his Country in the political Way.

Bishop Langland, to whom he dedicated one of his Theological Pieces, looking on him as a Prelate of great Ability, and especially in that Science.

Bishop Tunftal he accounted a very learned Man, whom he often mentions as one he highly valued, and from whom he had received many Favours.

Bishop Stokeflie he alfo mentions as a Prelate of great Learning, and one who adorned the English Court.

Grocyn he celebrates for his Indefatigableness in the Pursuit of Knowledge.

Richard Bere, Abbot of Glaf

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enbury, he frequently correfponded with.

Erafmus reckons, among the Worthies of our Nation, John Clark, bred at Oxford, who had travelled Abroad, and, upon his Return to England, was made Secretary to the Duke of Norfolk ; who, as well as the reft of the Courtiers, he highly valued, being a Man of Letters.

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Sylvefter Giglis, Bishop of Worcefter, was one of his Patrons, and, as he refided at Rome as the English Ambaffador, for a long Time, Erafmus tells him, in one of his Epiftles, That he ⚫ wondered not he had fo much Favour from Henry the VIIth, Henry the VIIIth, and Leo the Xth, confidering the many ' good Qualities in him, which • must always recommend a Man

to the Service of his Prince : And commends him particularly for his publick Spirit, as well as fingular Humanity.

Leonard Cox, D. D. bred at Oxford, he much esteemed for his Learning, with whom he correfponded both at Home and Abroad.

Thomas Bedel, Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury, was one that he remarkably favoured;

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it in his Dedication to that Prince, prefixed before his Paraphrafe on St. Luke. He fpoke of him often too, as a Prince of great Abilities of Mind, and every Way fitted for his high Station; and particularly expreffed his Refentment against the famous Martin Luther, and thofe who would infinuate, that the King did not pen the Book he published against the Reformer, declaring, "That he had known the King from a "Child,

Dr. Wills, one of the domeftick Chaplains to the Archbishop.

Henry, Lord Stafford, only Son of the unfortunate Duke of Buckingham, who was a Nobleman of great Piety, Virtue, and Learning, and was esteemed a finished Scholar, early corresponded with Erafmus, and wrote feveral Pieces both in Profe and Verfe.

Henry the VIIIth, in the Year 1528, wrote Erajmus a mot affectionate Letter, inviting him aver to England; afluring him,

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That he had many Years been an Admirer of his great Abilities, and was determined to promote true Religion in his Kingdom, in order to bring it back to its primitive Standard; that he was much concerned, left, being taken out of the Way, he should want that Affiftance he did expect, and was fure he was ready to afford him, in this his laudable Defign.' It appears plain, that Eraf mus did not return any Aniwer to this gracious Letter; for, in an Epittle to Sir Thomas More, we find this Paffage, That amidst the perplexing Circumftances, which he was then in, his Majelty's Invitation gave him great Satisfaction; but,

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"Child, and how fufceptive he was of all Branches "of Learning, even the abftrufe Parts of the Mathe"maticks: That, after he came to be King, he em

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ployed his leisure Hours in the improving him"felf in good Literature: That the Alterations and Interlineations in the King's Letters were wrote "with his own Hand: That the Germans indeed "looked upon him (Erafmus) as the Author of the King's

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worn out, fays, I wish he was not an Englishman, fince he is a very Scandal to his Country.' Nay, the Rev. Doctor gives his Hero up: For I cannot (fays he, p. 219) but remark, that, if ever Erasmus lost his Temper, it was in this between him and Lee; and, tho' he values himfelf at other ⚫ times for his Patience, yet we find that here he quite loft it.' Again, Erafmus was fo exafpe⚫rated at the Ufage he met with * from this Man, that he exaggerates every Circumftance of it, and treats him with all the Contempt imaginable, and as he thought he deferved.' But the Doctor tells us, in another Place, • That Erafmus was an Under-match for Dr. Lee:' Yet he expreffes fome Surprize at Erafmus's being fo uneafy at what Dr. Lee had wrote; for that, upon examining of them, they were moft of them wretch ed Criticifms, pretending to point out 300 Places, wherein Erafmus was mistaken in his New Teftament, not deferving an Anfwer from fo learned a Writer.' Notwithstanding this the Doctor (but two Pages be

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VOL. IV.

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fore, viz. p. 287) had given Lee this Character; He was a great 'Divine, and very well feen in all kind of Learning; famous as well for his Wifdom, as Virtue and Holinefs of Life; a continual Preacher of the Gofpel; a Man very liberal to the Poor, and exceedingly beloved by all Sorts of Men, who greatly miffed and bemoaned the Want of him when dead.'

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In the Year 1533 Erafmus was at Friburgh; and about this Time, on publishing his Expofition of the 22d Pfalm, he dedicated it to an English Nobleman.

Dr. Knight relates, that Eraf mus had a great Value for Queen Catherine; that he dedicated his Book of Chriftian Matrimony to her; and that, in one of his Epifles, he commends her Daugh- . ter, the Princefs Mary, for her Latin Epiftles, as writ in a good Stile; as he did the Queen, not only for being one of the most pious, but also as one of the moft learned Women of the Age: ‘And (fays the Doctor) one of the many good Reafons, why Erafmus thought Cardinal Wol fey deferved the Character he had left of him, in fome of his • later

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King's Book against Luther, which might turn

more to his Account, if the English would be of "the fame Opinion." Likewife, to fupport what he alledges, he speaks of many Letters he received from his Majefty and Lord Montjoy, who would bear his Teftimony of the fame, one of which, we have introduced, Vol. I. fol. 372, 380.

Erafmus, during the Time he refided at Bafil, recommended Hans Holbein, the famous Painter, to the English Court, who, being introduced by the Cardinal, his Majefty was fo well pleased with his Performance, that he took him into his Service; and hence he was called Henry the VIIIth's Painter. He alfo met with fo great Encouragement from the whole Court, that he was fully employed, and his Paintings

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later Epiftles, we may prefume, was ufing this Princefs fo barbaroufly.

But does not tell us in what Refpect, and only gives us part of a Speech the made to Wolfey.

As Erafmus was now pretty well advanced in Years, his Friend Sweating wrote him a preffing Letter, to come and fet tle in Holland, his own Country, and spend the Remainder of his Days in a religious House. However, his Inclination did not lead that Way, being more for a free Life, having thereby a better Opportunity of converfing with his chief Delights, learned Men and Books, which under Confinement he could not fo generally do: Therefore, after he left England, he firft refided at Bafil, and then proceeded to Friburg.

Whilft he was at Bafil, he was chofen Rector of the Univerfity, where he took great Pains

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to reform every Thing he thought
amifs among the Students: But
met with fuch Returns (fays
Dr. Knight) as generally fall
to the Share of Reformers, Ha-
'tred and Oppofition:' Yet, when
they fell to Wolfey's Lot, for at-
tempting the like Work, the
good-natured Doctor reckoned he
deferved fuch Treatment.

And further tells us, That fome
time before Erafmus's Death, Sir
• Thomas More and he had a fort
of a Difpute concerning fome
Notions in Religion; in the
• Course of which Sir Thomas told
him, "He was afraid he would

incur the Displeasure of his "Superiors, Cardinal Wolfey and others; and therefore begs him "to be more wary for the future, left he should prejudice himself, and incur the Odium "of Herefy."

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But, having lived to fee his
Friend, Cardinal Wolfey, die in

Dif

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in general were fo highly approved of, that they were carefully preferved, many of which are ftill to be met with in feveral of the Royal Palaces, as well as in the Houses of our Nobility and Gentry.

He kept a very clofe Correfpondence with Bifhop Fox, whilst he was carrying on the Building of Corpus Chrifti College in Oxford, for which he celebrates his Piety and Bounty in a Letter to Dr. Claremond, the firft Prefident thereof.

Erafmus was not made uneafy Abroad only, in Relation to fome of his Works; for we find he complains in one of his Letters, "That there was a certain College in the Univerfity of Cambridge, "where his Edition of the New Teftament was not fuf"fered to come within its Walls: And this he addreffed

Difgrace, Sir Thomas More and
Bishop Fiber beheaded, the Be-
ginning of the Year 1536, he
perceived his Life was drawing
to a Clofe, which made him
leave Friburg, where he had
been fome Time, and return to
his old Companion, Frobin, the
Printer, at Bafil; and, not long
after his Arrival, he was feized
with a fevere Fit of the Gout,
attended with Convulfions, which
foon brought him into a low
Condition: Then, taking notice
that his most intimate Familiars
were dead, fays, I defire not, if it
pleafe the Lord, to live any longer:
So that, it feems, Life was now be-
come quite indifferent to him.

In June following his other
Distempers were accompanied
with a
violent Flux, which
held above a Month, the ve-
ry Distemper his old Friend,
Cardinal Wolfey, died of, His
Sepfes and Speech remained

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to the laft, and, breathing out his Soul in feveral pious Ejaculations, he departed this Life the 12th of July, 1536, having lived 70 Years, 8 Months, and 15 Days. Thus fi

nifhed the Courfe of this truly great and learned Man, whofe Works will make his Name immortal. He was interred in the Cathedral Church at Bafil, attended both by the Members of the Univerfity and the Citizens, in a Chapel facred to the Virgin Mary, under a Monument of Porcean Marble; and, near adjoining to the Monument is a Bust of the God TERMINUS, with these Words,

DES. ERASMUM ROTERODAMUM, AMICI, SUBHOC SAXO CONDEBANT, QUARTO IDUS JULIAS,

M.D.XXXVI.

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