Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian...
NationalityDutch
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth26 October 1466
ears mouths speak
What passes out of one's mouth passes into a hundred ears. It is a great misfortune not to have sense enough to speak well.
kings teaching hard-work
For them it's out-of-date and outmoded to perform miracles; teaching the people is too like hard work, interpreting the holy scriptures is for schoolmen and praying is a waste of time; to shed tears is weak and womanish, to be needy is degrading; to suffer defeat is a disgrace and hardly fitting for one who scarcely permits the greatest of kings to kiss the toes of his sacred feet; and finally, death is an unattractive prospect, and dying on a cross would be an ignominious end.
mind body wedlock
The wedlocks of minds will be greater than that of bodies.
wine beer bread
A good prince will tax as lightly as possible those commodities which are used by the poorest members of society: grain, bread, beer, wine, clothing, and all other staples without which human life could not exist.
long soul world
From hence, no question, has sprung an observation ... confirmed now into a settled opinion, that some long experienced souls in the world, before their dislodging, arrive to the height of prophetic spirits.
two evil two-evils
Of two evils choose the least.
time determination persistence
Our determination to imitiate Christ should be such that we have no time for other matters.
men village six
The Jewish usurers are fast-rooted even in the smallest villages, and if they lend five gulden they require a security of six times as much. They charge interest, upon interest, and upon this again interest, so that the poor man loses everything that he owns.
reputation talent concealed
Concealed talent brings no reputation.
grief men
Time takes away the grief of men.
church-music modern music-is
Modern church music is so constructed that the congregation cannot hear one distinct word.
wind belly
Retain the wind by compressing the belly.
sweet peace war
War is sweet to those who have not experienced it.
philosophy power hands
If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.