smus of perfidy towards Badius, though his attitude is curious, to
say the least. But we do want to commemorate the dignified tone in which
Badius, who held strict notions, as those times went, about copyright,
replied, when Berckman afterwards had come to offer him a sort of
explanation of the case. He declares himself satisfied, though Erasmus
had, since that time, caused him losses in more ways, amongst others by
printing a new edition of the _Copia_ at Strassburg. 'If, however, it is
agreeable to your interests and honour, I shall suffer it, and that with
equanimity.' Their relations were not broken off. In all this we should
not lose sight of the fact that publishing at that time was yet a quite
new commercial phenomenon and that new commercial forms and relations of
trade are wont to be characterized by uncertainty, confusion and lack of
established business morals.

The stay at Cambridge gradually became irksome to Erasmus. 'For some
months already', he writes to Ammonius in November 1513, 'we have been
leading a true snail's life, staying at home and plodding. It is very
lonely here; most people have gone for fear of the plague, but even when
they are all here, it is lonely.' The cost of sustenance is unbearable
and he makes no money at all. If he does not succeed, that winter, in
making a nest for himself, he is resolved to fly away, he does not know
where. 'If to no other end, to die elsewhere.'

Added to the stress of circumstances, the plague, reappearing again and
again, and attacks of his kidney-trouble, there came the state of war,
which depressed and alarmed Erasmus. In the spring of 1513 the English
raid on France, long prepared, took place. In co-operation with
Maximilian's army the English had beaten the French near Guinegate and
compelled Therouanne to surrender, and afterwards Tournay. Meanwhile the
Scotch invaded England, to be decisively beaten near Flodden. Their
king, James IV, perished together with his natural son, Erasmus's pupil
and travelling companion in Italy, Alexander, Archbishop of Saint
Andrews.

Crowned with martial fame, Henry VIII returned in November to meet his
parliament. Erasmus did not share the universal joy and enthusiastic
admiration. 'We are circumscribed here by the plague, threatened by
robbers; we drink wine of the worst (because there is no import from
France), but, _io triumphe!_ we are the conquerors of the world!'

His deep aversion to the clamour of war, and all