cerning the
anguish, fear and sadness of Jesus', _Disputatiuncula de tedio, pavore,
tristicia Jesu_, etc., being an elaboration of these letters.

While the tone of this pamphlet is earnest and pious, it is not truly
fervent. The man of letters is not at once and completely superseded.
'See, Colet,' thus Erasmus ends his first letter, referring half
ironically to himself, 'how I can observe the rules of propriety in
concluding such a theologic disputation with poetic fables (he had made
use of a few mythologic metaphors). But as Horace says, _Naturam
expellas furca, tamen usque recurret_.'

This ambiguous position which Erasmus still occupied, also in things of
the mind, appears still more clearly from the report which he sent to
his new friend, the Frisian John Sixtin, a Latin poet like himself, of
another disputation with Colet, at a repast, probably in the hall of
Magdalen College, where Wolsey, too, was perhaps present. To his
fellow-poet, Erasmus writes as a poet, loosely and with some
affectation. It was a meal such as he liked, and afterwards frequently
pictured in his _Colloquies_: cultured company, good food, moderate
drinking, noble conversation. Colet presided. On his right hand sat the
prior Charnock of St. Mary's College, where Erasmus resided (he had also
been present at the disputation about Christ's agony). On his left was a
divine whose name is not mentioned, an advocate of scholasticism; next
to him came Erasmus, 'that the poet should not be wanting at the
banquet'. The discussion was about Cain's guilt by which he displeased
the Lord. Colet defended the opinion that Cain had injured God by
doubting the Creator's goodness, and, in reliance on his own industry,
tilling the earth, whereas Abel tended the sheep and was content with
what grew of itself. The divine contended with syllogisms, Erasmus with
arguments of 'rhetoric'. But Colet kindled, and got the better of both.
After a while, when the dispute had lasted long enough and had become
more serious than was suitable for table-talk--'then I said, in order to
play my part, the part of the poet that is--to abate the contention and
at the same time cheer the meal with a pleasant tale: "it is a very old
story, it has to be unearthed from the very oldest authors. I will tell
you what I found about it in literature, if you will promise me first
that you will not look upon it as a fable."'

And now he relates a witty story of some very ancient codex in wh