Erasmus (c.1466–1536,) fully Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, Dutch name Gerhard Gerhards, was a Dutch humanist and scholar. He was one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance in northern Europe. Writing extensively on both theological and secular themes, he was the first to achieve reputation through the printed word.
Born an illegitimate son of a priest in Rotterdam, Erasmus was ordained in 1492 and studied in Paris. From 1499, he adopted the life of an independent scholar, moving from city to city tutoring, lecturing, and corresponding with scholars throughout Europe.
Erasmus published his own Greek edition of the New Testament (1516,) followed by a Latin translation. He also wrote Encomium Moriae (1509, ‘In Praise of Folly’) and edited the works of Saint Jerome, Saint Thomas More, and other early Christian theologians.
Among Erasmus’s original works, Enchiridion Militis Christiani (1503, ‘Manual of the Christian Knight’) stressed ascetic piety as an ideal of Christianity and called for reform of the Church. Erasmus’s rejection of the doctrine of predestination and the scope of papal authority generated much controversy.
Erasmus paved the way for the Reformation with his satires on the Catholic Church, including the Colloquia Familiaria (1518, ‘Colloquies.’) Although his works influenced Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers, Erasmus sought change from within the Catholic Church and disagreed with the course of the Reformation. In De Libero Arbitrio (1524,’ On the Bondage of the Will,’) he clashed openly with Luther.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Desiderius Erasmus
Fortune favors the audacious.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Courage, Fortune
The nearer people approach old age the closer they return to a semblance of childhood, until the time comes for them to depart this life, again like children, neither tired of living nor aware of death.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Age
He does good to himself who does good to his friend.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Friendship
Now I believe I can hear the philosophers protesting that it can only be misery to live in folly, illusion, deception and ignorance, but it isn’t—it’s human.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Humanity, Human Nature
It is wisdom in prosperity, when all is as thou wouldn’t have it, to fear and suspect the worst.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Pessimism
They take unbelievable pleasure in the hideous blast of the hunting horn and baying of the hounds. Dogs dung smells sweet as cinnamon to them.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Hunting
Ask a wise man to dinner and he’ll upset everyone by his gloomy silence or tiresome questions. Invite him to a dance and you’ll have a camel prancing about. Haul him off to a public entertainment and his face will be enough to spoil the people’s entertainment.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Intelligence, Intellectuals
What difference is there, do you think, between those in Plato’s cave who can only marvel at the shadows and images of various objects, provided they are content and don’t know what they miss, and the philosopher who has emerged from the cave and sees the real things?
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Illusion
There is nothing I congratulate myself on more heartily than on never having joined a sect.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Enthusiasm
What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Fame
This I always religiously observed, as a rule, says one, never to chide my husband before company, nor to prattle abroad of miscarriages at home. What passes between two people is much easier made up than when once it has taken air.
—Desiderius Erasmus
When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Reading, Books
Nothing is as peevish and pedantic as men’s judgments of one another.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Critics, Criticism
Heaven grant that the burden you carry may have as easy an exit as it had an entrance.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Prayer
Nature, more of a stepmother than a mother in several ways, has sown a seed of evil in the hearts of mortals, especially in the more thoughtful men, which makes them dissatisfied with their own lot and envious of another s.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Evil
The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Ability
You’ll see certain Pythagorean whose belief in communism of property goes to such lengths that they pick up anything lying about unguarded, and make off with it without a qualm of conscience as if it had come to them by law.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Communism, Socialism
Your library is your paradise.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Paradise, Libraries
Everyone knows that by far the happiest and universally enjoyable age of man is the first. What is there about babies which makes us hug and kiss and fondle them, so that even an enemy would give them help at that age?
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Family, Children, Babies
As Plato entertained some friends in a room where there was a couch richly ornamented, Diogenes came in very dirty, as usual, and getting upon the couch, and trampling on it, said, “I trample upon the pride of Plato.” Plato mildly answered, “But with greater pride, Diogenes!”
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Pride
If you look at history you’ll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Books, Literature
Prevention is better than cure.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Medicine
Jupiter, not wanting man’s life to be wholly gloomy and grim, has bestowed far more passion than reason—you could reckon the ration as twenty-four to one. Moreover, he confined reason to a cramped corner of the head and left all the rest of the body to the passions.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Passion
Whether a party can have much success without a woman present I must ask others to decide, but one thing is certain, no party is any fun unless seasoned with folly.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Parties
This type of man who is devoted to the study of wisdom is always most unlucky in everything, and particularly when it comes to procreating children; I imagine this is because Nature wants to ensure that the evils of wisdom shall not spread further throughout mankind.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Learning
A good portion of speaking will consist in knowing how to lie.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Speaking
If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don’t do it, and it won’t happen.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Thinking, Action
Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Light
The more ignorant, reckless and thoughtless a doctor is, the higher his reputation soars even amongst powerful princes.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Medicine, Doctors
If a person were to try stripping the disguises from actors while they play a scene upon stage, showing to the audience their real looks and the faces they were born with, would not such a one spoil the whole play ? And would not the spectators think he deserved to be driven out of the theatre with brickbats, as a drunken disturber ?.. Now what else is the whole life of mortals but a sort of comedy, in which the various actors, disguised by various costumes and masks, walk on and play each one his part, until the manager waves them off the stage ? Moreover, this manager frequently bids the same actor to go back in a different costume, so that he who has but lately played the king in scarlet now acts the flunkey in patched clothes. Thus all things are presented by shadows.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Actors, Acting
People who use their erudition to write for a learned minority… don’t seem to me favored by fortune but rather to be pitied for their continuous self-torture. They add, change, remove, lay aside, take up, rephrase, show to their friends, keep for nine years and are never satisfied. And their futile reward, a word of praise from a handful of people, they win at such a cost—so many late nights, such loss of sleep, sweetest of all things, and so much sweat and anguish… their health deteriorates, their looks are destroyed, they suffer partial or total blindness, poverty, ill-will, denial of pleasure, premature old age and early death.
—Desiderius Erasmus
It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Being True to Yourself, Realization, Happiness, Joy, Acceptance, Awareness, Being Ourselves
In short, no association or alliance can be happy or stable without me. People can’t long tolerate a ruler, nor can a master his servant, a maid her mistress, a teacher his pupil, a friend his friend nor a wife her husband, a landlord his tenant, a soldier his comrade nor a party-goer his companion, unless they sometimes have illusions about each other, make use of flattery, and have the sense to turn a blind eye and sweeten life for themselves with the honey of folly.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Fools, Foolishness
War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: War
Only by the good influence of our conduct may we bring salvation in human affairs; or like a fatal comet we may bring destruction in our train.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Experience is the common school-house of fools and ill men.—Men of wit and honesty are otherwise instructed.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Experience
It’s the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Religion
It is useless to gather virtues without humility, for the spirit of the Lord delighteth to dwell in the hearts of the humble.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Humility
A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.
—Desiderius Erasmus
Topics: Habits, Unhappiness, Habit
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