Desiderius Erasmus was born in Holland Germany in 1466. His parents died of the plague when he was only 13. His guardians pressured him into joining a monastery soon after that. He went on to refer to that period of time as his lost years because he never agreed with the region Catholicism. During his time at the monastery he became bored and annoyed with the endless rituals. In 1491 by a stroke of good luck, he was able to leave the monastery. A bishop took a liking to Erasmus and sent him to Paris to complete his studies. In Paris he objected to the teachings of scholastic learning, a philosophy that attempted to reduce religious beliefs into logical analysis. He soon left Paris and traveled to England where he studied and enjoyed Greek and Latin manuscripts. In the early 1500's he spent time in Italy where he associated with many...