Erasmus
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Erasmus to William, Lord Mountjoy A journey through fierce winter conditions to Tournehem Castle, near Calais. This was the seat of Anne of Borsselen, Lady of Veere, who was briefly Erasmus' patron.

The Latin text is taken from P.S. Allen, "Opus Epistolarum Des. Erasmi Roterodami", Vol. I. Oxford University Press, 1913. Re-issued 1992.

Erasmus of Rotterdam sends greetings to William Mountjoy, the English Count.

We have finally arrived, unharmed even, though it seemed that both heaven and earth were unwilling. What a tough journey! After this, which Hercules or Ulysses shall I not look down on? Hostile Juno has always been fighting poetic men; again she has incited Aeolus. Not only has she been savaging us with winds, but she has been struggling against us with with all her weapons: with the keenest cold, with snow, with hail, with rain, with rain storms and with mist - in short with everything damaging. And she has been attacking us with these sometimes singly, sometimes altogether. On the first night, after a long downpour, a sudden, sharp frost descended and made the road extremely uneven; there was an excessive snowfall; then hail and then rain which as soon as they touched the earth or trees, solidifed into ice. Everywhere you would have seen the ground encrusted with ice - not with an even covering but standing up all over in the sharpest little peaks. You would have seen trees pressed with coverings of ice, to the extent that in some, their highest and lowest points touched; some had splintered branches; some stood split through the middle of their trunks, and others lay pulled out at the roots. People who had lived in the country from birth swore to us that they had never seen the like in their lives before. Meanwhile, we had to go on horseback now through deep piles of snow; now through snow-encrusted briars; now along tracks made doubly difficult, as first the frost had hardened them, and then the ice had sharpened them; now over a crust which had covered the deep snowfalls; indeed the crust was sometimes too soft to support the horse, and sometimes too hard not to injure its hooves.

What do you think your Erasmus' thoughts were amongst this? He was an astonished rider on a bewildered horse. Whenever my horse's ears pricked up, I was cast down in spirit; whenever he sank to his knees, my heart shot up. Now that Bellerophon of poetry terrified me with his example, then I cursed my rashness for having entrusted my life together with my letters to the dumb animal. But there is something for you to hear which you would credit to Lucian's Vera Historia, if there had not happened to me with Batt himself as witness. When the castle was now almost in view, we ran up against everything on all sides encrusted with ice, which as I said, had fallen on the snow. And the force of the wind was so great that on that day one person and then another had fallen over and perished. However, the wind was blowing from behind. Therefore, I sent myself down the mountain slopes, sailing along the top of the ice and meanwhile steering my course with my staff. That was insteade of a rudder. It was a new kind of sailing. Almost the whole journey, we met no one, no one was following on behind, so much had the storm been not just savage but even monstrous. On the fourth day, we saw the sun with difficulty. This one thing we picked out as pleasant amongst so many bad ones: that we were less afraid of an attack by robbers less; however we feared it as befitted wealthy men.

Now you have my journey, most generous and honest young fellow; just as it was extremely arduous, so finishing it was most advantageous. We arrived alive at Anne, Lady of Veere. What shall I say to you of the friendliness, kindness and generosity of this women? I know one is usually suspicious of rhetorical embellishment, especially those who are not clumsy in the art. But I should like you to believe that I am not exaggerating; on the contrary, m skill is overshadowed by the reality. Nature never produced a creature either more modest, wise, honest or kind. And how should I put the matter into words? She has been so kind to me, beyond my merit, as that old man was wickedly opposed to my merits. She has heaped on me as many respectful services, and called for no duties from me, as he loaded me down with insults, whilst he was being treated with kindness. What shall I say about my Batt, in whose heart this world has nothing simpler or more loving? Now at long last, I have begun to detest those other ingrates. Remember that for a long time, I have been devoted to those monsters. Oh, I got to know you late on, with chance dragging me away from you, rather than necessity linking us together.

I am writing this about to go to my homeland; then I shall carry on over there to meet you and make again for Paris, perhaps going on ahead of this letter. I cannot write anything certain about our living together; however the plan shall be adjusted to the moment. Let this one thing reassure you: there is no one alive who loves you more at heart than your Erasmus. Also my Batt, who shares all my loves and hates, accompanies me in wishing you well. Take care, my William, to be as well as possible.

From Tournehem castle, the 4th. of February [1499]

Translated by Ealasaid Gilfillan. 21.01.05

Erasmus
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