His name was 'Gerard Gerard,' which he translated into 'Desiderius Erasmus.'
He was begot (as they say) behind dores—vide an Italian booke in 8vo. de famosi Bastardi: vide Anton. Possevini Apparatus. His father (as he says in his life, writt by himselfe) was the tenth and youngest son of his grandfather: who was therfore designed to be dedicated to God.—'Pater Gerardus cum Margareta (medici cujusdam Petri filia), spe conjugii (et sunt qui intercessisse verba dicunt), vixit.'
His father tooke great care to send him to an excellent schoole, which was at Dusseldorf, in Cleveland. He was a tender chitt, and his mother would not entruste him at board[917], but tooke a house there, and made him cordialls, etc.—from John Pell, D.D.
He loved not fish, though borne in a fish towne—from Sir George Ent, M.D.
<From> Dr. John Pell:—he was of the order of ..., whose habit was the same that the pest-house master at ... (I thinke, Pisa: quaere Dr. John Pell) in Italie wore; and walking in that towne, people beckoned him to goe out of the way, taking him to be the master of the pest-house; and he not understanding the meaning, and keeping on his way, was there by one well basted. He made his complaint when he came to Rome, and had a dispensation for his habit.
He studied sometime in Queens Colledge in Cambridge: his chamber was over the water. Quaere Mr. Paschal more particularly; and if a fellowe: he[918] had his study when a young scholar here.
'The staires which rise up to his studie at Queens Colledge in Cambridge doe bring first into two of the fairest chambers in the ancient building; in one of them, which lookes into the hall and chiefe court, the Vice-President kept in my time; in that adjoyning, it was my fortune to be, when fellow. The chambers over are good lodgeing roomes; and to one of them is a square turret adjoyning, in the upper part of which is that study of Erasmus; and over it leades. To that belongs the best prospect about the colledge, viz. upon the river, into the corne-fields, and countrey adjoyning, etc.; ☞ so that it might very well consist with the civility of the House to that great man (who was no fellow, and I think stayed not long there) to let him have that study. His keeping roome might be either the Vice-President's, or, to be neer to him, the next; the room for his servitor that above, over it, and through it he might goe to that studie, which for the height, and neatnesse, and prospect, might easily take his phancy.' This from Mr. Andrew Paschal, Rector of Chedzoy in Somerset, June 15, 1680.
He mentions his being there in one of his Epistles, and blames the beere there. One, long since, wrote, in the margent of the booke in <the> College library in which that is sayd, 'Sicut erat in principio, etc.'; and all Mr. Paschall's time they found fault with the brewer.
He had the parsonage (quaere value) of Aldington in Kent, which is about 3 degrees perhaps a healthier place then Dr. Pell's parsonage in Essex. I wonder they could not find for him[919] better preferment; but I see that the Sun and Aries being in the second house[920], he was not borne to be a rich man.
He built a schoole at Roterdam, and endowed it, and ordered the institution[921]. Sir George Ent was educated there. A statue in brasse is erected to his memory on the bridge in Roterdam.