was left to the guardianship of relatives, who cheated him
of his little patrimony, and compelled him to adopt a religious life.
Erasmus was thus a priest, though a very uncommon one. How curious that
so many great wits and humorists should have worn the clerical garb! To
mention only four, there were Rabelais, Erasmus, Swift and Sterne; each
of whom has added to the world's gaiety, and also helped to free it from
superstition. Christians who prate about the "ridicule" of holy things
in which Freethinkers indulge, should be reminded that these four
priests of the Christian religion could easily, between them, carry off
the palm for profanity; while for downright plain speech, not always
avoiding the nastiest of subjects, there is hardly a professed sceptic
who could hold a candle to them.

Erasmus divorced himself from religious duties as early as possible.
He detested the monks, regarding them for the most part as illiterate,
bigoted, persecuting, and parasitical vermin. His life was devoted to
literature, and in the course of his travels he contracted a friendship
with the most eminent and able men of the age, including our own Sir
Thomas More, the author of the famous _Utopia_. Erasmus died on July
12,1536. The money he had accumulated by the exercise of his pen, after
deducting some handsome legacies to personal friends, he left to relieve
the sick and poor, to marry young women, and to assist young men of good
character. This was in keeping with his professed principles. He always
regarded _charity_ as the chief part of _useful_ religion, and thought
that men should help each other like brothers, instead of fighting like
wild beasts over theology.

Erasmus was a contemporary of Luther, and there is an excellent Essay
by Mr. Froude on both these great men. He gives the palm to Luther on
account of his courage, and thinks that Erasmus should have joined
the Reformation party. But the truth is that Erasmus had far more
_intellect_ than Luther; he knew too much to be a fanatic; and while he
lashed the vices and follies of the Catholic Church, he never left her
fold, partly because he perceived that Luther and the Reformers were as
much the slaves of exclusive dogmas as the very Schoolmen themselves.
Erasmus believed in freedom of thought, but Luther never did. To sum up
the difference between them in a sentence: Luther was a Theologian, and
Erasmus a Humanist. "He was brilliantly gifted," says Mr. Froude, "his
indust