The Oxford Reformers: John Colet, Erasmus, and Thomas More

PREFACE

ΤΟ

THE FIRST EDITION.

SOME PORTIONS of this History were published in a somewhat condensed form in the course of last year in the Fortnightly Review,' and I have to thank the Editor for the permission to withdraw further portions, although already in type, in order that the publication of this volume might not be delayed.'

Having regard to the extreme inaccuracy of the dates of the letters of Erasmus,2 the conflicting nature of the evidence relating to the chronology of More's early life, and the scantiness of the materials for anything like a continuous biography of Colet, I should have undertaken a difficult task had I attempted in this volume, even so far as it goes, to give anything approaching to an exhaustive biography of Colet, Erasmus, and More. But my object has not been to

1 To avoid any charge of plagiarism I may also state, that a portion of the materials comprised in this volume has been made use of in articles contributed by me to the North British Review, in the years 1859 and 1860.

2 Where not otherwise stated, all references to these letters and to the collected works of Erasmus (Eras. Op.), refer to the Leyden edition.

3 See note on the date of More's birth in Appendix C.

write the biography of any one of them. I have rather endeavoured to trace their joint-history and to point out the character of their fellow-work. And with regard to the latter the evidence is so full, so various, and so consistent as to leave, I think, little room for misapprehension, either as to whether their work was indeed fellow-work, or as to the general spirit and scope of the work itself.

I gladly take this opportunity of tendering my best thanks to those who have aided me in this undertaking.

My warmest thanks are due to the Rev. J. S. Brewer, M.A., as well for the invaluable aid afforded by his Calendars of the Letters, &c. of Henry VIII., and for the loan of the proof-sheets of the forthcoming volume, as for the revision of the greater part of my translations; also to Mr. Gairdner for his ever ready assistance at the Public Record Office; to Dr. Edward Boehmer, of the University of Halle, for his aid in the collection of many of the early editions of works of Erasmus quoted in this volume; to the Senate and the late Librarian of the Cambridge University Library for the loan of the volume of MSS. marked GG. 4, 26; and to Mr. Henry Bradshaw, of King's College, Cambridge, for much valuable assistance, most courteously rendered, in the examination of this and other manuscripts at Cambridge. I have also to thank the Rev. J. H. Lupton, of St. Paul's School, for the description given in Appendix C.' of a manuscript of Colet's in the Library of St. Paul's School which I had overlooked,

1 Of the First Edition. This has since been published by Mr. Lupton.

and which I am happy to find is likely soon to be printed by him.

In conclusion, I cannot refrain from adding a tribute of affectionate regard for the memory of two of my friends-the late Mr. William Tanner of Bristol, and the late Mr. B. B. Wiffen of Woburn-of whose interest in the progress of this work I have received many proofs, and of whose kindly criticism I have gratefully availed myself.

HITCHIN: March 30, 1867.