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Erasmus, Desiderius, 1469-1536

"Two Dyaloges (c. 1549)"

_Bea._ Yf we had a
logician here whiche could well and clarkelie
defyne what were a kynge, what a bysshoppe,
||what a magistrate, what a philosopher is,
padueture we shuld find som amog these iolly
felowes whiche had rather haue the name then the
thynge. _Boni._ Surely & so thynke I. Yf he be a
kinge whiche by lawe and equyte regardes more the
commoditie of his people then his owne lucre/yf he
be a bisshop which alwayes is careful for the
lordes flocke comytted to his pastorall charge/yf
he be a magistrate which frankelie and of good
wyll dothe make prouysyon, and dothe all thinge
for the comyn welthes sake/and yf he be a
phylosopher whiche passynge not vpon the goodes of
this worlde, only geueth hym selfe to attayn to a
good mynde, and to leade a vertuous lyfe. _Bea._
Lo thus ye may perseyue what a nombre of semblable
exaples ye may collecte & gether. _Boni._ Undouted
a great sorte. _Bea._ But I pray the tel me wyll
you saye that all these are no men. _Boni._ Nay I
feare rather lest in so sayenge it shulde cost vs
our lyues, and ||so myght we our selues shortelye
be no men. _Bea._ Yf man be a resonable creature,
howe ferre dyffers this from all good reason, that
in comodities apertayning to the body (for so
they deserue rather to be called then goodnes) and
in outwarde gyftes whiche dame fortune geues and
takes awaye at her pleasure, we had rather haue
the thynge then the name, and in the true and only
goodnes of the mynd we passe more vpon the name
then the thynge.


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