f piety to the impiety of a few. This
is also the wish of Pope Leo, who has nothing more at heart than that
innocence be safe.'

At this same time Erasmus does his best to keep Froben back from
publishing Luther's writings, 'that they may not fan the hatred of the
_bonae literae_ still more'. And he keeps repeating: I do not know
Luther, I have not read his writings. He makes this declaration to
Luther himself, in his reply to the latter's epistle of 28 March. This
letter of Erasmus, dated 30 May 1519, should be regarded as a newspaper
leader[17], to acquaint the public with his attitude towards the Luther
question. Luther does not know the tragedies which his writings have
caused at Louvain. People here think that Erasmus has helped him in
composing them and call him the standard bearer of the party! That
seemed to them a fitting pretext to suppress the _bonae literae_. 'I
have declared that you are perfectly unknown to me, that I have not yet
read your books and therefore neither approve nor disapprove anything.'
'I reserve myself, so far as I may, to be of use to the reviving
studies. Discreet moderation seems likely to bring better progress than
impetuosity. It was by this that Christ subjugated the world.'

On the same day he writes to John Lang, one of Luther's friends and
followers, a short note, not meant for publication: 'I hope that the
endeavours of yourself and your party will be successful. Here the
Papists rave violently.... All the best minds are rejoiced at Luther's
boldness: I do not doubt he will be careful that things do not end in a
quarrel of parties!... We shall never triumph over feigned Christians
unless we first abolish the tyranny of the Roman see, and of its
satellites, the Dominicans, the Franciscans and the Carmelites. But no
one could attempt that without a serious tumult.'

As the gulf widens, Erasmus's protestations that he has nothing to do
with Luther become much more frequent. Relations at Louvain grow ever
more disagreeable and the general sentiment about him ever more unkind.
In August 1519 he turns to the Pope himself for protection against his
opponents. He still fails to see how wide the breach is. He still takes
it all to be quarrels of scholars. King Henry of England and King
Francis of France in their own countries have imposed silence upon the
quarrellers and slanderers; if only the Pope would do the same!

In October he was once more reconciled with the Louvain faculty. It