We give below Dean Colet's "Institution of a Christian Man, for the Use of his School, prefixed to the Rudiments of the Latin Tongue."

The Artycles of Faythe.

I byleve in God the Father almyghty creatour of heven, and of erth, &c.
Then follow the the sacramentes.

Charyle. The Love of God.

In trewe byleve I shall fyrste love God the Father almyghty that made me, and our Lorde Jesu Chryste that redemed me, and the Holy Goost that alway inspireth me. This blessed holy Trinite I shall away love and honour, and serve with all my herte, mynde, and strength, and fere God alonely, and put my trust in hym alonely.

The love of thyne owne selfe.

Seconde, I shall love my selfe to God warde, and shall abstayne fro all synne as moche as I may, specially from the synnes deedly.

I shall not be proude, nor envyous, nor wrothfull, I shall not be glotenous, nor lecherous, nor slouthfull, I shal not be covetous desiring superfluite of worldly thynges, and yvell company I shall eschewe, and flye as moche as I' may.

I shall gyve me to grace and virtue, and connynge in God. I shall pray often, specially on the holy dayes. I shall lyve alway temperatly, and sobre of my mouthe.

I shall fast the dayes commaunded in Christes Chyrche. I shall kepe my mynde fro yveil and foule thoughtes. I shall kepe my mouth from swearyng, lyenge, and foule spekynge.

I shall kepe my handes fro stelyng and pyking. Thynges taken away I shall restore agayne. Thynges founde I shall rendre agayne.

The love of thy neyghbour.

Thyrde, I shal love my neyghbour: that is every man to Godwarde, as my owne selfe. And shall helpe hym in all necessytes spyritually and bodyly, as I wolde be holpen my owne selfe; specially my father and my moder, that brought me into this worlde. The mayster that teacheth me I shall honour and obey. My felowes that lerne with me I shall love.

Penaunce.

If I fall to synne I shall anone ryse agayne by penaunce and pure confessyon.

Houslynge.

As often as I shall receive my Lorde in sacrament, I shall with all study dispose me to pure clenlynesse and devocyon.

In sycknesse.

Whan I shall dye, I shal call for the sacramentes and rightes of Chrystes churche by tymes, and be confessed, and receyve my Lorde and Redemer Jesu Chryst.

In dethe.

And in peryll of dethe I shal gladly call to be enea ea, and so armed in God I shal departe to hym in truste of his mercy, in our Lorde Chryst Jesu.

Hoc fac, et vives.

Feare God.

Love God.

Desyre to be with hym.

Preceptes of lyvynge.

Serve hym dayly with some prayer.
Brydle the affectyons of thy mynde.
Subdue thy sensual appetytes.
Thrust downe pryde.
Refrayne thy wrathe.
Beware of ryot.
Dispende measurably.
Flye dishonesty.

Be true in worde and dede.

Reverende thy elders.
Obey thy superyours.

Be felowe to thyne equales.

Be benygne and loving to thyne infe- Use oft tymes confessyon.

Oratiuncula ad puérum Jesum scholæ præsidem.

Mi Domine Jesu suavissime, qui puer adhuc anno ætatis tuæ duodecimo in Hierosolymitano templo inter doctores illos sic disputasti, ut stupefacti universi tuam superexcellentem sapientiam admirarentur: te quæso, ut in hac tua schola, cui præes, et patrocinaris, eam quotidie discam, et literaturam, et sapientiam, qua possim in primis te, Jesu, qui es ipsa vera sapientia, cognoscere, deinde cognitum eundem te colere, et imitari, atque in hac brevi vita sic ambulare in via doctrinæ tuæ sequax vestigiorum tuorum, ut quo pervenisti ipse ad aliquam ejus gloriæ partem decedens ex hac luce, possim ego quoque tua gratia feliciter pervenire. Amen.

The above Rudiments or Institution of a Christian Man, by Dean Colet, was translated into Latin verse by Erasmus, as a sort of school catechism or instruction, at the request of the Dean. Erasmus writes in a letter to John Nævius, master of the Libian School at Louvain, and adds respecting his friend, “a good man, of singular wisdom, whose flourishing kingdom of England could hardly equal, or afford one other man more pious, or more truly a disciple of Christ," "seeing the sad and degenerate condition of the age, chose out the tender youth to work on, that he might put the new wine of Christ into new bottles."

Christiani Hominis Institutum, per Erasmum Rot scriptum in usum schola Londini instituta per Joannem Coletum, inter epigrammata Des. Erasmi Rot. 4to.

Bas. 1518.

Valet in Christo fides quæ per dilectionem operatur.

Fides.

I. Articulus. Credo.

Confiteor primum ore pio, venerorque fideli
Mente Deum Patrem, vel nutu cuncta potentem.
Hunc, qui stelligeri spaciosa volumina coeli,
Et solidum omniparæ telluris condidit orbem.

IL Et in Jesam.

Ejus item gnatum Jesum, cognomine Christum,
Quem Dominum nobis agnoscimus, et veneramur.
III. Qui conceptus.

Hunc Maria, afflatu divini numinis, alvo
Concepit virgo, peperit purissima virgo.

IV. Passus sub Pontio.

Et grave supplicium immeritus damnante Pilato
Pertulit, infami suffixus in arbore, mortem
Oppetiit, tumulatus humo est, claususque sepulchro,
Interea penetrat populatur ad infera regna.

V. Tertio die.

Mox ubi tertia lux moesto se prompserat orbi,
Emersit tumulo superas redivivus in auras.

VI. Ascendit.

Inde palam ætheream scandit sublimis in arcem,
Illic jam dexter Patri assidet omnipotenti.

VIL Ilerum venturus est.

Idem olim rediturus, ut omnem judicet orbem,
Et vivos pariter, vitaque et lumine cassos.
VIII. Credo in Spiritum.

Te quoque credo fide simili spirabile numen
Halitus, afflatusque Dei sacer, omnia lustrans.
IX. Sanctam ecclesiam.

Et te confiteor sanctissima concio, qua gens
Christigena arcano nexu coit omnis in unum
Corpus et unanimis capiti sociatur Iesu,
Hinc proprium nescit, sed habet communia concta.
X. Remissionem peccatorum.

Hoc equidem in coetu sancto, peccata remitti
Credo, vel his sacro fuerint qui fonte renati,
Vel qui diluerint ultro sua crimina fletu.

XI. Carnis resurrectionem.

Nec dubito quin exanimata cadavera rursum
In vitam redeant, animas sortita priores.

Amor Dei.

Hæc est indubitata fides, cui pectore certo
Nixus, amabo Patrem super omnia cunctipotentem,
Qui me condi deritque, et in hunc produxerit orbem
Rursus amore pari Dominum complectar Iesum,
Qui nos asseruit, pretioque redemit amico.
Spiritum item Sanctum, qui me sine fine benigno
Afflatu fovet, atque animi penetralia ditans
Dotibus arcanis, vitali recreat aura.

Atque hic Ternio Sanctus, et omni laude ferendus
Toto ex corde mihi, tota de mente, supremis
Viribus, obsequio, meritoque coletur honore.
Hunc unum reverebor, et hoc semel omnis in uno
Spes mea figetur, hoc omnia metiar uno.
Hic propter sese mihi semper amabitur unus.

Amor sui.

Post hunc haud alia ratione, ac nomine charus
Ipse mihi fuero, nisi quatenus omnis in illum
Ille mei referatur amor, fontemque revisat.

Fuga peccati.

Culpam præterea fugiam pro viribus omnem.
Præcipue capitale tamen vitavero crimen,
Quod necat, atque animam letali vulnerat ictu.

Superbia, invidia, ira.

Ne fastu tumeam, ne vel livore maligno
Torquear, aut bili rapiar fervente, cavebo.

Gula, luxuria, pigritia.

Ne vel spurca libido, vel insatiabilis alvus
Imperet, enitar, nec turpis inertia vincat.

Avaritia.

Ne nunquam saturanda fames me vexet habendi,
Plus satis ut cupiam fallacis munera mundi,

Fuga malorum hominum.

Improba pestiferi fugiam commercia cœtus
Omnia, summo animi conatu, proque virili.

Studium pietatis.

Atque huc incumbam nervis, ac pectore toto;
Ut magis atque magis superet mihi gratia, virtus,
Augescatque piæ divina scientia menti.

Deprecatio.

Orabo, superosque precum libamine puro
Placare adnitar, cum tempore sedulus omni,
Tum vero eximie, quoties lux festa recurret.

Frugalitas victus.

Frugales epulæ semper, mensæque placebit
Sobria mundities, et avari nescia luxus.

Jejunium.

Servabo reverens, quoties jejunia nobis
Indicit certis ecclesia sancta diebus.

Mentis custodia.

Sancta uti sint mihi secretæ penetralia mentis,

Ne quid eo subeat fœdumve, nocensve, studebo.

Lingua custodia.

Ne temere juret, ne unquam mendacia promat,
Turpia ne dictu dicat mea lingua, cavebo.

Manus custodia.

A furto cohibebo manus, nec ad ulla minuta
Viscatos mittam digitos, et si quid ademptum
Cuiquam erit, id domino properabo reddere vero.
Restitutio rei forte repertæ.

Id quoque restituam, si quid mihi forte repertum est,
Me penes haud patiar prudens, aliena morari.

Amor proximi.

Nec secus atque mihi sum charus, amabitur omnis
Proximus: est autem (ni fallor) proximus ille,
Quisquis homo est, ac sic ut amor referatur amici
In Christum, vitamque piam, veramque salutem.
Huic igitur fuerit quoties opus, atque necesse,
Sedulus officio corpusque, animumque juvabo,
Ut mihi succurri cupiam, si forsan egerem.
Id tamen in primis præstabo utrique parenti,
Per quos corporeo hoc nasci mihi contigit orbe.
Tum præceptori, qui me erudit, instituitque
Morigerus fuero, ac merito reverebor honore.
At rursus dulcisque scholæ, studiique sodales,
Semper (uti par est) sincero amplectar amore.
Assidua confessio.

Si quando crimen fuero prolapsus in ullum,
Protinus enitar, pura ut confessio lapsum
Erigat, ac justa tergatur noxia pœna.

Sumptio corporis Christi in vita.
Ast ubi sacrati me ad corporis atque cruoris
Coelestes epulas pietasque diesque vocabit,
Illotis manibus metuens accedere, pectus
Ante meum, quanta cura studioque licebit,
Purgabo maculis, virtutum ornabo nitelis.

Morbus.

Porro ubi fatalis jam terminus ingruet ævi,
Extremumque diem cum morbus adesse monebit,
Mature sacramentis me armare studebo,

Atque his muneribus, quæ ecclesia sancta ministrat
Christigenis, reteget confessio crimima vitæ,

Sacrifico, sumam Christi venerabile corpus.

Hoc fac, et vives.

Erasmus also drew up in Iambic verse the inscription to signify the choice and preference of the child Jesus as the divine protector and governor of the school, which together with a Sapphic Ode imploring the divine aid and success to the foundation, was hung up in the proscholia.

Carmen Iambicum.

Non invenusto antiquitas ænigmate

Studii magistram, virginem

Finxit Minervam; ac litterarum præsides

Finxit Camoenas virgines,

Nunc ipse virgo matre natus virgine