Desiderius Erasmus Quotes

Do not be guilty of possessing a library of learned books while lacking learning yourself.

Read first the best books. The important thing for you is not how much you know, but the quality of what you know.

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.

At last concluded that no creature was more miserable than man, for that all other creatures are content with those bounds that nature set them, only man endeavors to exceed them.

The opinion formulated by the Church has more value in my eyes than human reasons, whatever they may be.

Everyone knows that by far the happiest and universally enjoyable age of man is the first. What is there about babies which makes us hug and kiss and fondle them, so that even an enemy would give them help at that age?

By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.

To know nothing is the happiest life.

[Only by] the good influence of our conduct may we bring salvation in human affairs; or like a fatal comet we may bring destruction in our train.

Luther was guilty of two great crimes - he struck the Pope in his crown, and the monks in their belly.

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.

The nearer people approach old age the closer they return to a semblance of childhood, until the time comes for them to depart this life, again like children, neither tired of living nor aware of death.

Invoked or not invoked, the god is present.

He who allows oppression shares the crime.

Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.

I have turned my entire attention to Greek. The first thing I shall do, as soon as the money arrives, is to buy some Greek authors; after that, I shall buy clothes.

By burning Luther's books you may rid your bookshelves of him, but you will not rid men's minds of him.

Scarcely is there any peace so unjust that it is better than even the fairest war. -Vix ulla tam iniqua pax, quin bello vel aequissimo sit potior

Picture the prince, such as most of them are today: a man ignorant of the law, well-nigh an enemy to his people's advantage, while intent on his personal convenience, a dedicated voluptuary, a hater of learning, freedom and truth, without a thought for the interests of his country, and measuring everything in terms of his own profit and desires.

Given a choice between a folly and a sacrament, one should always choose the folly—because we know a sacrament will not bring us closer to god and there’s always the chance that a folly will.

A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.

Love that has nothing but beauty to keep it in good health is short-lived.

Great abundance of riches cannot be gathered and kept by any man without sin.

Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.

So our student will flit like a busy bee through the entire garden of literature, light on every blossom, collect a little nectar from each, and carry it to his hive.

The majority of the common people loathe war and pray for peace; only a handful of individuals, whose evil joys depend on general misery, desire war.

Don't give your advice before you are called upon.

Anything which causes trouble has special merit in their eyes.