" much addicted to love, and luxury, and fleep; and mightily * difpofed to an air of freedom and jocofenefs; and had "tincture of avarice in him."

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Colet, however, gave not the leaft indulgence to any vicious inclinations or propenfities. He checked them on their first appearance; he avoided opportunities of temptation; and retrained any irregular appetites or paffions within the bounds prescribed by reason, religion, and philofophy. His difpofition to love, to fleep, to luxury, he reftrained by the ftricteft fobriety and temperance; by a constant abftinence from fuppers; by a clofe and affiduous application to his ftudies; and by ferious, inftructive, and religious converfation (w). But yet when opportunities offered themselves of jefting with facetious perfons, of talking familiarly with the female fex, or of appearing at great and elegant feasts and entertainments, his natural difpofitions to gaiety, to mirth, and gallantry, would fometimes, as it were inadvertently, break forth, and fhew themselves. For which reafon he very much forbore cultivating much acquaintance with laymen, and particularly avoided public entertainments (x). But if at any time neceffity obliged him to attend at any places of this kind, he picked out fome learned friend or acquaintance, and converfed with him in Latin; to avoid the loofe, trifling, or profane difcourfe of the table. And in the mean time he would eat only of one dish, and drink but one or two draughts of beer, abstaining commonly from wine; though he was very fond of it, if good, but notwithstanding drank it in the moft fparing manner: for as he was always jealous of himfelf, he was, therefore, conftantly upon his guard.

(w)" By his Philosophy, his Divinity, his Watchings, and Faftings, and Devotions, he preferved every step of his whole life from the pollutions of the world; and (as far as Erafmus could poffibly gather from their familiar difcourfes) he was per. fectly chaste, and died in virgin purity." -Knight, P. 27.

(x) If Colet had lived in the prefent age, he would, perhaps, have found. ftill more reafon to have avoided public entertainments. How common is it, in places of feftivity and mirth, in the affemblies of the gay and joyous, as they call them felves, (of the male fex) to hear obfcene toasts, obscene fongs, and other things of that kind, equally ftupid and indecent in which no man can join with innocence, and which must be exceedingly difagreeable to every man who has any fenfe of decency

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and decorum, and who is in the least difpofed to regulate his life agreeably to the dictates of reason, virtue, and religion. But if any man testifies any fort of difapprobation of these things, or expreffes the leaft reluctance at joining in them, he becomes the butt of the company. He is an affected hypocritical fellow, a senselefs, lifelefs animal, and a fellow without a foul. As for the gentlemen who are the foremost to promote these indecencies in public companies, they are always jolly fellows, men of infinite wit and humour, and choice fpirits! they have a number of good qualities; they are only deftitute of any fenfe of shame, of any conception of the difference between right and wrong, of any fenfe of virtue or decorum, and of any degree of wisdom and understanding.

On the 17th of December, 1497, Colet was ordained Deacon, and Priest a short time after. And having continued at London and Stepney a fufficient time to fhew his regard and respect for his friends, he retired to Oxford, in order to profecute his studies with the more advantage. In this fituation, however, he was neither inactive, nor unufeful. He read, without any reward, public lectures in the Univerfity, by way of expofition on the Epittles of St. Paul. And though he had not taken any degree in divinity, yet there was not, we are told, a Doctor in divinity or law, nor Abbot, or any other dignitary in the church, but came gladly to hear him, and brought their books along with them.

Whether this (fays Dr. Knight) was owing to the fame and authority of Mr. Colet, or to the ingenuity of the hearers, who, in more honourable degrees and years, were not ashamed to learn from a younger and inferior perfon, I will not fay. But though the novelty of these exercises might at first gather an audience, yet nothing could keep it up but the abilities of the performer (y)."

Colet about this time enjoyed a happiness of which he had long been extremely defirous. This was the conversation, and in a fhort time the friendship, of Erafmus. This great man had for a fhort time been tutor, at Paris, to feveral of the young English Nobility and Gentry; particularly to William, Lord Montjoy. This Nobleman, who was a lover of learning, and a patron of learned men, was very fond of the company of Erafmus, and accordingly prevailed upon him to come over into England, about the latter end of the year 1497 (≈). He arrived at Dover; from whence he proceeded to London, but feems not to have made any very confiderable stay there, but haftened down to Oxford, being recommended thither by the Prior and Canons of St. Genovefe at Paris, to Father Richard Charnock,

George Stafford read alfo a lecture in the fame place upon St. Paul's epistle to the Romans; being probably induced thereto by the example more especially of Dr. Colet at Oxford, and afterwards at his own cathedral."-Knight, P. 30, 31.

(z) It is faid that Lord Montjoy was never eafy while Erafmus was in England, but when he was in his company. Even after he was married, he left his family, and went to Oxford, purely to proceed in his ftudies under the direction of Erafmus. He alfo gave him the liberty of his houfe in London, when he was abfent; but a furly fteward, whom Erafmus, in a letter to Colet, calls Cerberus, prevented his using that privilege often.

Charnock, Prior of the Regulars of the Order of St. Austin, in the College of St. Mary the Virgin, where he was received and accommodated with diet and lodging, in a very courteous and hofpitable manner.

After Erafmus had been a fhort time with Father Charnock, the latter gave this character of him to Colet: "That he was, "in his opinion, a very excellent perfon, and of fingular worth "and goodness." And Colet could not now any longer restrain his defire of cultivating an acquaintance with him. He, therefore, wrote to Erafmus, from his own chamber, a very elegant and polite epiftle; in which he told him, That his friend Brome had heartily recommended him by letter, but that he stood before highly commended to him, as well by the fame of his reputation abroad, as by the teftimony of his writings. That, while he was at Paris, he well remembers the name of Erafmus was often mentioned with honour by the learned; and that he had there particularly read over an epiftle of his to Gaguinus, which feemed to him to be the production of a most learned and masterly writer. But ftill the best recommendation of him was, that the venerable Prior, with whom he now fojourned, had yef terday told him, That his new gueft, in his opinion, was a very excellent perfon, and endued with fingular virtues. "For this "reafon, (fays he), my Erafmus, as far as learning and extenfive "knowledge, and fincere goodnefs, can make impreffion upon 66 one, who rather wishes for thofe excellent endowments, than "dare pretend to them; so far, in right of thofe virtues and

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accomplishments, you are and ever must be always most accept"able to me. As foon as I can fee you, I fhall, in my own "perfon, do for myself what others have done for you in your "abfence, commend myself to you; though with a better grace, and with more propriety, than others have commended you to me. For, in truth, the Lefs ought to be commended "to the Greater, and the Ignorant to the more Learned. But "if there be any thing, in which fo inconfiderable a perfon as I am, can render you any useful or acceptable service, I shall "moft willingly and gladly do it. I rejoice at, and congratu "late you on, your arrival in this island; and wish that our "country may be as pleasant and agreeable to you, as I know you, by your great learning, muft needs be useful to our coun"try. I am, Sir, and ever shall be, most devoted to one, whom "I esteem to be the most learned, as well as the best of men, "Farewell. From my chamber in Oxford."

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To this Erafmus immediately returned an answer, equally polite and obliging. That could he find any thing in himself worthy of praife, he should be proud of being commended by fo worthy and excellent a perfon; whofe judgment and good opinion he valued fo highly, that he fhould prefer his filent esteem alone to all the applaufes of a theatre at Rome. But, notwithstanding, the praifes which he had received from fuch a

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perfon, were fo far from raifing in him an high conceit of himfelf, that he was rather mortified by them; for they only put him in mind of what he ought to be. That, for his part, he beft knew his own failings; and, therefore, would prefume to give a character of himself. "You have in me (fays he) a man of little or no fortune, who is a ftranger to ambition, but very fufceptible of love and friendship. One who has made little progrefs in literature, but who is a great lover and admirer of it. Who entertains the highest respect for "any excellence in others, as confcious of the want of it in himfelf; and who can eafily yield to any one in learning, but to none in integrity. A man fincere, open, free; a hater of falfehood and diffimulation; of an humble, but upright mind; and from whom nothing is to be expected, befides an honeft heart. If, my dear Colet, you can love fuch a man, and *judge him worthy of your friendship, you may account me "your own, as effectually as any thing you can call fo. Your country of England is exceedingly agreeable to me on many "accounts, but more efpecially on this, which affords to me an higher gratification than any thing befides, that it abounds with men of admirable learning, of whom, when I account "you the chief, no man will think I do you more than juftice." After which, Erafmus goes on to commend the style of Colet's letters, as eafy, fmooth, unaffected, flowing from a rich vein, as waters from a clear fountain head; even, and in every part like itself, open, plain, modeft, having nothing in it rough, or obfcure, or turbid; fo that he could fee the image of his foul in his letters. And then he thus concludes: " You fpeak whatever you mean, and mean all you fpeak. Words arife from "your heart, rather than your lips: they follow your concep"tion, not your conception them. In fhort, you have that "happy facility, that you can deliver without pains, what another could hardly exprefs with the greateft labour. But, to yourself, I refrain from your praifes, left I fhould offend your delicacy; knowing how unwilling they are to receive praife, "who are the moft deferving of it. Farewell. Oxford, 1498." A foundation of friendship being thus laid in writing between these two great men, ended in a very strict intimacy, which continued to the end of their lives. And as they were happy in each other's acquaintance, they did not neglect to improve it for their mutual advantage, by frequent converfations and conferences upon literary fubjects. At a public dinner in the Univerfity, after a Latin fermon, the table-talk being fcholaftical and theological, Colet fat as Moderator. Among other difcourfe Colet faid, That Cain's greatest offence, and the most odious in GOD's fight, was his diftrusting the bounty of our Great CREATOR, and placing too much confidence in his own art and induftry; and fo applying himself to tilling of the ground, while his brother Abel, content with the natural productions of the

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earth, only employed himself in feeding fheep. Upon this argument the whole company engaged; and Colet argued by ftrict fyllogifms, while Erafmus oppofed in a more loofe and rhetorical manner. But "in truth (fays Erafmus) this one Di"vine (Colet) was more than a match for us all. He feemed to "be filled with a divine fpirit, and to be fomewhat above a 66 man. He spoke not only with his voice, but with his eyes, "his countenance, and his whole demeanour." When the difputation had been held too long, and was grown too grave and fevere for fuch a chearful entertainment, Erafmus broke it off, by telling an old ftory of Cain, from a pretended antient author, but which was entirely the product of his own imagination and invention; and thus this friendly theological controverfy ended.

Colet, as he was himself ambitious of cultivating a friendship with every perfon who was eminently diftinguished for virtue, genius, or learning, fo he obliged Erafmus by introducing him. to the acquaintance of his fellow-citizen, Mr. More; of whom he used to say, that "he was the only wit in the island." Erafmus, in a letter to his patron, Lord Montjoy, dated from Oxford in 1498, takes particular notice of the kindnefs and civility of Colet, as well as of the Prior Charnock. And he fays, that nothing could be more amiable and agreeable than the temper and conversation of these two men; and that he could live even in Scythia, or any the most remote part of the world, with two fuch agreeable friends and companions.

About the latter end of this year Erafmus, though extremely well pleased with his friends at Oxford, and with the manner in which he spent his time there, returned to London, in order to vifit his friend and pupil Lord Montjoy, and to cultivate a better acquaintance with fome of thofe ftudious and learned perfons, who at that season of the year frequently reforted to the Court and City. But the next fummer, it seems, he made a fecond visit to the University of Oxford, accompanied by Lord Montjoy. And it was at this time, as Dr. Knight fuppofes, that he and Colet first held their conferences upon our SAVIOUR's reluctances and fears before his laft paffion; the substance of which Erasmus put afterwards into writing.

Colet did not approve of the opinion of those Divines, who maintained, That our SAVIOUR, upon a profpect of his agonies, did in his human nature shrink from them; and, as man, was afraid of the Crofs, and would have declined his fufferings on it. And that from the natural defire of escaping the trial and cruel torments, he let fall that expreffion, as it were of human weakness, FATHER, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME. He thought this avoidance of the shame and punishment, was unworthy of our SAVIOUR's ardent defire of mankind's redemption. He rather confidered thofe figns of reluctancy, to be only a way of recommending his refolution to bear all for the falvation of mankind, and giving the better trial

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