This morning I caught the tail-end of Melvyn Bragg's programme (I don't know what it's called). There was a panel of academics talking about Erasmus. I keep saying that I learn one new thing every day, and forget two or three old ones. Today I learned that, more than anything else, old Desi was an unequivocal, and vocal, opponent of war. One of the panel - I think it was Eamon Duffy - quoted him; "Dulce bellum inexpertis", a great line. "War is sweet to those who haven't experienced it", to those who haven't been "up to their necks in muck and bullets", as the old army saying goes. But the Latin version is short and bitter-sweet, succinct.
Later, chasing up the adage online, I found that Professor Duffy (if it was he) was quoting Erasmus quoting a fourth century Roman known as Vegetius.

I remember a couple of things about the learned Erasmus from school. He was a humanist; an advocate of reform in religion. He remained loyal to the old faith in spite of his objections to it's corrupt ways. He wrote a work called "In Praise of Folly". That's it.
Now my interest is awakened. Now I have to find out what of the works of Desiderius Erasmus is available in print. There's stuff online, but that's no good to an old gimmer like me.

E-books, PAH!