Erasmus - Colloquia Nunc Emendatiora - 1636

Des. Erasmi Roterod. Colloquia Nunc Emendatiora [Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (of Rotterdam) - Colloquies, now emendated/corrected].

Lvgd. Batavorvm: ex officina Elzeviriana
[Leiden, Netherlands: Elzevir Press]. Anno 1636 (First Elzevir printing.)

This is an extremely influential but generically elusive work, printed by a legendary press. First published in 1524, the "Colloquia" comprise 63 conversations originally written for Erasmus' students on varied and overlapping topics, but these urbane meditations soon became widely read, as they covered subjects that intrigued the important thinkers of the day. Their influence was so profound that it is not saying too much to claim that they helped to speed the Reformation. Although they are difficult to classify precisely, one could categorize them as including, in general terms, exposure of ritualistic fallacies, invective against corruption within the church, examination of popular imposture, deploring of contemporary personal sins, practical advice for laymen, and miscellaneous discussion of amusing topics. In specific terms, the text takes on such controversial topics as the value of pilgrimage, celibacy, and abstinence from meat on Fridays and other prescribed days. Erasmus' "Colloquia" was frequently published by the Elzeviers, once in French and a total of nine times in Latin. The text was universally adopted for school use up through the 18th century.

Condition: Good
Vellum cover. Spine with author and title written at the top. External boards are slightly worn but in very good condition. Inner hinges are very good, a little cracked, but pages are tightly held at gutters. A latin inscription in miniscule handwriting is on the inside of the front cover. Some small tears on the bottom of the first few pages including the title page. The middle of the title page has possibly a signature of a former owner and at the bottom of the title page has a handwritten Latin text. A number of the pages includes notes in the margins and some words/sentences have been underlined. No scattered foxing. General browning of the pages. (Please see pictures). Overall in GOOD CONDITION for its age.

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and philosopher. Through his works, he is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Northern Renaissance and one of the major figures of Dutch and Western culture. Erasmus was an important figure in classical scholarship who wrote in a spontaneous, copious and natural Latin style. As a Catholic priest developing humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared pioneering new Latin and Greek scholarly editions of the New Testament and of the Church Fathers, with annotations and commentary that were immediately and vitally influential in both the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation. He also wrote On Free Will, The Praise of Folly, The Complaint of Peace, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style and many other popular and pedagogical works. Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious reformations. He developed a biblical humanistic theology in which he advocated the religious and civil necessity both of peaceable concord and of pastoral tolerance on matters of indifference. He remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life, remaining committed to reforming the church from within. He promoted what he understood as the traditional doctrine of synergism, which some prominent reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin rejected in favour of the doctrine of monergism. His influential middle-road approach disappointed, and even angered, partisans in both camps.