Gerard’s Parents coming to the Knowledge that he was at Rome, wrote to him, sending him Word, that the young Gentlewoman whom he courted for a Wife was dead; which he giving Credit to, in a melancholy Fit, took Orders, being made a Presbyter, and apply’d his Mind seriously to the Study of Religion.  But upon his Return into his own Country, he found that they had impos’d upon him.  Having taken Orders, it was too late to think of Marriage; he therefore quitted all further Pretensions to her, nor would she after this, be induced to marry. Gerard took Care to have his Son Erasmus liberally educated, and put him to School when he was scarce four Years old. (They have in Holland, an ill-grounded Tradition; that Erasmus, when he was young, was a dull Boy, and slow at Learning; but Monsieur Bayle has sufficiently refuted that Error, tho’ were it true, it were no more Dishonour to him, than it was to Thomas Aquinas, Suarez, and others.) He was a Chorister at Utrecht, till he was nine Years old, and afterwards was sent to Daventer, his Mother also going thither to take Care of him.  That School was but barbarous, the most that was minded, was Matins, Even-Song, &c. till Alexander Hegius of Westphalia, and Zinthius, began to introduce something of better Literature. (This Alexander Hegius, was an intimate Friend to the learned Rodolphus Agricola, who was the first that brought the Greek Tongue over the Mountains of Germany, and was newly returned out of Italy, having learned the Greek Tongue of him.) Erasmus took his first Taste of solid Learning from some of his Playfellows, who being older than himself, were under the Instruction of Zinthius:  And afterwards he sometimes heard Hegius; but that was only upon holy Days, on which he read publickly, and so rose to be in the third Class, and made a very good Proficiency:  He is said to have had so happy a Memory, as to be able to repeat all Terence and Horace by Heart.  The Plague at that Time raging violently at Daventer, carry’d off his Mother, when Erasmus was about thirteen Years of Age; which Contagion increasing more and more every Day, having swept away the whole Family where he boarded, he returned Home.  His Father Gerard hearing of the Death of his Wife, was so concern’d at it, that he grew melancholy upon it, fell sick, and died soon after, neither of them being much above forty Years of Age.  He assign’d to his Son Erasmus three Guardians, whom he esteem’d as trusty Friends, the Principal of whom was Peter Winkel, the Schoolmaster of Goude.  The Substance that he left for his Education, had been sufficient for that Purpose, if his Guardians had discharg’d their Trust faithfully.  By them he was remov’d to Boisleduc, tho’ he was at that Time fit to have gone to the University.