me known to the numerous public
which was interested in Gaguin's historical work, and at the same time
he acquired another title to Gaguin's protection, on whom the
exceptional qualities of Erasmus's diction had evidently not been lost.
That his history would remain known chiefly because it had been a
stepping stone to Erasmus, Gaguin could hardly have anticipated.

Although Erasmus had now, as a follower of Gaguin, been introduced into
the world of Parisian humanists, the road to fame, which had latterly
begun to lead through the printing press, was not yet easy for him. He
showed the _Antibarbari_ to Gaguin, who praised them, but no suggestion
of publication resulted. A slender volume of Latin poems by Erasmus was
published in Paris in 1496, dedicated to Hector Boys, a Scotchman, with
whom he had become acquainted at Montaigu. But the more important
writings at which he worked during his stay in Paris all appeared in
print much later.

While intercourse with men like Robert Gaguin and Faustus Andrelinus
might be honourable, it was not directly profitable. The support of the
Bishop of Cambray was scantier than he wished. In the spring of 1496 he
fell ill and left Paris. Going first to Bergen, he had a kind welcome
from his patron, the bishop; and then, having recovered his health, he
went on to Holland to his friends. It was his intention to stay there,
he says. The friends themselves, however, urged him to return to Paris,
which he did in the autumn of 1496. He carried poetry by William Hermans
and a letter from this poet to Gaguin. A printer was found for the poems
and Erasmus also brought his friend and fellow-poet into contact with
Faustus Andrelinus.

The position of a man who wished to live by intellectual labour was far
from easy at that time and not always dignified. He had either to live
on church prebends or on distinguished patrons, or on both. But such a
prebend was difficult to get and patrons were uncertain and often
disappointing. The publishers paid considerable copy-fees only to famous
authors. As a rule the writer received a number of copies of his work
and that was all. His chief advantage came from a dedication to some
distinguished personage, who could compliment him for it with a handsome
gift. There were authors who made it a practice to dedicate the same
work repeatedly to different persons. Erasmus has afterwards defended
himself explicitly from that suspicion and carefully noted how many of