Erasmus

Stumbled across some quotes today from Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536), Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, commentator; a contemporary, co-conspirator, and critic of Martin Luther.  Don’t recall much about the man, save that a seemingly inordinate amount of time was spent on him in a college history class I took circa fall 1994.


On books –

“When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”

“Your library is your paradise.”

“Before you sleep, read something that is exquisite, and worth remembering.”

“I consider as lovers of books not those who keep their books hidden in their store-chests and never handle them, but those who, by nightly as well as daily use thumb them, batter them, wear them out, who fill out all the margins with annotations of many kinds, and who prefer the marks of a fault they have erased to a neat copy full of faults.”


On writing –

“The desire to write grows with writing.”


On Church and Faith –

“I put up with this church, in the hope that one day it will become better, just as it is constrained to put up with me in the hope that I will become better.”

“Only a very few can be learned, but all can be Christian, all can be devout, and – I shall boldly add – all can be theologians.”


On War –

“War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.”


Now commit them all to memory!