Today, the new academic year started in Leuven. By a historical coincidence, Erasmus wrote on this day 500 years ago to the professor of Latin at his Trilingual College (Collegium Trilingue) in the same city, his close friend Conrad Goclenius (ca. 1490-1539) from Mengeringhausen (today in the German state of Hessen). Erasmus touches on some recent events, including the burning of a heretic in Paris, and Goclenius’ own situation, staccato-style, apparently in a hurry. When he moves to gossiping about one of their messengers at the end of his letter, Erasmus regularly switches to Greek, in an attempt to make sure the nosy messenger would not notice his being mentioned and also to hide an insult to the Germans:
Ἐγέλασα τουτουὶ Ἀντωνίου simplicitatem. Venit huc vt emeret libros, deponeret τὸ σχῆμα, denique et τοῦ γαμεῖν; nec habebat obulum. Admoneo te ne cum hoc inauspicato criminum genere multum habeas commertii. Admonui et olim ne valde inplicareris τῶν Γερμανῶν amicitiis: sunt equus Seianus. Bene vale, ac magno animo perage Musarum negotium: fortuna aliunde affulgebit. De Francisco rursus admoneo ne quid rerum mearum illi committas. (Allen, ep. 1388, with one minor adaptation)
Antonius, who brings you this, is a simple-minded fellow who has made me laugh. He came here in order to buy books, and get rid of his habit [he was a Franciscan], and even with some idea of marriage; and he hadn’t a halfpenny. Take my advice, and do not have much to do with this unauthorized kind of accusation. I advised you long ago not to get deeply involved in friendships with Germans; they are a Sejanus’ horse [a horse that brings bad luck to its possessor]. My best wishes. Fight the Muses’ battle with a good courage; worldly success will shine upon you from some other source. As for Franz, let me repeat my warning not to entrust him with any business of mine. (Translation CWE, with the Greek put in italics and some explanations in square brackets)
Raf Van Rooy 
One Reply to “”