the wife of a minor court official.  So long as his supplies lasted, he kept strictly to his work; but when the Bishop failed him, he was obliged to support himself, and took to private teaching.  Two of his pupils were young men from Lubeck, who were under the care of a teacher from their own part of the world, Augustine Vincent, a budding scholar, who afterwards published an edition of Virgil, but who as yet was glad to be helped by Erasmus.  Another pair came from England, one a kinsman of John Fisher, and were in the charge of a morose North-countryman.  In great poverty, Erasmus made his way somehow, occasionally writing little treatises for his pupils, on a method of study, on letter-writing—­an important art in those days—­, a paraphrase of the Elegantiae of Valla; and finally, one of his best-known works, the Colloquies, had its origin in a little composition of this period, which he refers to as ’sermones quosdam quotidianos quibus in congressibus et conuiuiis vtimur’—­a few formulas of address and expressions of polite sentiments, which develop into brief conversations.

The poor scholar’s hardships were mitigated by the generosity of a friend.  Whilst with the Bishop of Cambray Erasmus had made the acquaintance of a young man from Bergen-op-Zoom, the Bishop’s ancestral home; one James Batt, who after education in Paris had returned to be master of the public school in his native town.  About 1498 Batt was engaged as private tutor to the son of Anne of Borsselen, widow of an Admiral of Flanders and hereditary Lady of Veere, an important sea-port town in Walcheren which then did much trade with Scotland, and whose great, dumb cathedral and ornate town-hall still tell to the handful of houses round them the story of former greatness.  From the first Batt applied himself to win his patroness’ favour to his clever and needy friend.  Erasmus was invited to visit them, money was sent for his journey; and within a short time he was receiving pecuniary contributions from the Lady more frequently than if she had been allowing him a pension.  His letters to Batt—­the replies which came he never published—­are remarkable reading, and do credit to both sides.  Conscious of high powers and pressed by urgent need, Erasmus begins by begging without concealment, for money to keep him going and give him leisure.  But as time goes on and the Lady wearies of much giving, Erasmus’ tone grows sharper and more insistent; until at last he scolds and upbraids his patient correspondent for not extorting more, and even bids him put his own needs in the background until Erasmus’ are satisfied.  Batt’s name deserves to be remembered as chief amongst faithful friends, for putting up with such scant gratitude after his inexhaustible devotion; and we must needs think more highly of Erasmus, if his friend could accept such treatment at his hand and not be wounded.  To the great much littleness may be forgiven.  The surprising thing is that Erasmus should have allowed such letters to be published.