July 20. 1850.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



121 



ULRICH TON HCTTEN AND THE " EPISTOIta: OBSCU- 

 ROEUM VIEORUM." 



(Vol.ii., p. 55.) 



I have nevei" seen the article in the Quarterly 

 Review to which your corresponihMit H. B. C. 

 alludes : he will probably find it by reference to 

 the index, which is not just now within my reach. 

 The neat London edition, 1710, of the EpistolcB 

 was given by Michael iSIattaire. There are several 

 subsequent reimpressions, but none worth notice 

 except that by Henr. Guil. Roterinund, Hanover, 

 1827, 8vo. ; and again, with improvements, "cum 

 nova prsefatione, nee non illustratioiie historica 

 circa originera earum, atque notitia de vita et 

 scriptis virorum in Epistolis occureutium aucta," 

 1830, both in 8vo. 



The best edition, however, is that given by 

 Dr. Ernst Miinch, Leipsic, 1827, 8vo., with the 

 following title : — 



" Epistola; Obscurorum Virorum aliaque iEvi 

 Decimi sexti Moiinnenta Rarissima. Die Biiefe 

 der Finsterlinge an Magister Oituinus von Deveiiter, 

 nt'bst andern sehr sekenen Beitragen zur Litcratur- 

 Sitten-und-Kirclieiigeschichte des xvi" Jahrli under ts." 



This contains many important additions, and a 

 copious historical introduction. Both the editors 

 write in German. 



That this admirable satire produced an immense 

 effect at the period of its publication, there can be 

 no doubt ; but that it has ever been thoroughly 

 understood and relished among us may be doubted. 

 Mr. Hallam, in his Literature of Europe, vol. i., 

 seems to have been disgusted with the monlcish 

 dog-Latin and bald jokes, not recollecting that this 

 was a necessary and essential part of the design. 

 Nor is it strange that Steele, who was perhaps not 

 very well acquainted with the history of literature, 

 should have misconceived the nature of the pub- 

 lication, when we learn from an epistle of Sir 

 Thomas More to Erasmus, that some of the stupid 

 theologasters themselves, who were held up to 

 ridicule, received it with approbation as a serious 

 work : — 



" Epist. Obs. Viror. operac jjrctium est videre quau- 

 topere placeaiit omnibus, et doctis joco, et indoctisserio, 

 qui duiii lidemus, ]>iitant rideii stjluin tantuin, quein 

 illi non defenduiit, sed gravitate senteiitiaruiii dicunt 

 compeiisatum, el latere sub rudi vagina pulcherrinuim 

 gladiuin. Ltinain fuisstt inditus libello alius tituhis ! 

 I'rofecto intra centum aiuios lioniines studio stu])idi 

 non sensissunt nasun), quamquam rhinocerolico longio- 

 rem." * 



• " Ubi pritnum exissent Ep.Oh. V. miro Monacho- 

 rum applausu exceptiu sunt a\)Ui\ Hrit.innos a I'rancis- 

 caniH ac Dominicanis, qui sibi persnadubant, cas in 

 Ueuchlini contuineliain, et Monaclioruui f'<.vorem, serlo 



Erasmus evidently enjoyed the witty contriv- 

 ance, tliough he affects to disapprove it as an 

 anonymous libel. Simler, in his life of BuUinger, 

 relates that on the first reading Erasmus fell into 

 such a fit of laughter as to burst an abscess in his 

 face with which he was at that time troubled, and 

 which prevented the necessity of a surgical 

 operation. 



The literary history of the Episfolce and the 

 Dialogue is involved in obscurity. That Ulrich 

 von Hutten had a large share in their concoction 

 there can be no doubt; and that he was assisted by 

 Crotus Rubianus and Hermann von Busch, if not 

 by others, seems highly probable. The authorship 

 of Lamentationes Obncuroj-um. Virorum is a paradox 

 which has not yet been solved. They are a parody, 

 but a poor one, of the Epistola;, and in the second 

 edition are attributed to Ortuinus Gratius. If 

 they are by him, he must have been a dull dog in- 

 deed ; but by some it has been thought that Ihey 

 are the work of a Reuchlinist, to mystify the monks 

 of Cologne, and render them still more ridiculous : 

 yet, as the Pope's bull against the Episfolee, and 

 Erasmus's disapproving letter, find a prominent 

 place, and some other well-grounded inculpations 

 occur, it appears to me that some slender-witte'd 

 advocate of the enemies of learning has here shown 

 his want of skill in handling the weapons of the 

 adversary. 



How much Sir Thomas More was pleased with 

 the writings of Hutten we may gather from the 

 opening of a letter which Erasmus addressed to 

 Hutten, giving an interesting account of his illus- 

 trious friend, in August, 1519 : — 



" Quod Thomse Mori ingenium sic deamas, ac pene 

 dixerim deperis, niniirum scriptis illiiis inflammatus, 

 quibus (ut vere scribis) nihil esse potest neque doctius 

 neque festivius : istuc milii crede, clarissime Huttene 

 tibi cum niultis commune est, ciim Moro mutuum 

 etiam. Nam is vicissim adeo scriptorum tuorum genio 

 delectatur, ut ipse tibi propemoduni invideam." 



The Dialogue (Mire Festivus), which in the edi- 

 tion of 1710 occurs between the first and second 

 parts of the EpistolcB, bears especial marks of 

 Hutten's manner, and is doubtless by him. The 

 interlocutors are three of the illustrious obscure, 

 Magisters Ortuinus, Lupoldus, and Gingolplius, 

 and the first act of the comedy consists in their ob- 

 servations upon the promoters of learning, Reuch- 

 lin, Ei-asmus, and Faber Stai)ulensis, who after- 

 wards make their ajjpearance, and the discussion 

 becomes general, but no impression can be made 

 upon the stiqiid and prejudiced monks. The 

 theme is, of course, the inutility of the new learn- 

 ing, Hebrew and Greek and correct Latinity. One 

 short passage seems to me admirable : — 



proditus : (piamcinc (]nidam egregie ductus, sed nasntis- 

 simus, (ingeret se iionniliil oflendi stylo, consolati sunt 

 hominem." — Erasm. Epist. 979. 



