The Colloquies of Erasmus Part 3

The ARGUMENT.

_This Colloquy teaches Courtesy and Civility in Saluting, who, when, and by what t.i.tle we ought to Salute_.

_At the First Meeting_.

A Certain Person teaches, and not without Reason, that we should Salute freely. For a courteous and kind Salutation oftentimes engages Friends.h.i.+p, and reconciles Persons at Variance, and does undoubtedly nourish and increase a mutual Benevolence. There are indeed some Persons that are such Churls, and of so clownish a Disposition, that if you salute them, they will scarcely salute you again. But this Vice is in some Persons rather the Effect of their Education, than their natural Disposition.

It is a Piece of Civility to salute those that come in your Way; either such as come to us, or those that we go to speak with. And in like Manner such as are about any Sort of Work, either at Supper, or that yawn, or hiccop, or sneeze, or cough. But it is the Part of a Man that is civil even to an Extreme, to salute one that belches, or breaks Wind backward. But he is uncivilly civil that salutes one that is making Water, or easing Nature.

G.o.d save you Father, G.o.d save you little Mother, G.o.d save you Brother, G.o.d save you my worthy Master, G.o.d save you heartily Uncle, G.o.d save you sweet Cousin.

It is courteous to make Use of a t.i.tle of Relation or Affinity, unless when it carries something of a Reflection along with it, then indeed it is better not to use such t.i.tles, tho' proper; but rather some that are more engaging, as when we call a Mother in Law, Mother; a Son in Law, Son; a Father in Law, Father; a Sister's Husband, Brother; a Brother's Wife, Sister: And the same we should do in t.i.tles, either of Age or Office. For it will be more acceptable to salute an antient Man by the Name of Father, or venerable Sir, than by the Sirname of Age; altho' in antient Times they used to make use of [Greek: ho geron], as an honourable t.i.tle. G.o.d save you Lieutenant, G.o.d save you Captain; but not G.o.d save you Hosier or Shoe-maker. G.o.d save you Youth, or young Man. Old Men salute young Men that are Strangers to them by the Name of Sons, and young Men again salute them by the Name of Fathers or Sirs.

_A more affectionate Salutation between Lovers_.

G.o.d save you my little _Cornelia_, my Life, my Light, my Delight, my Sweet-heart, my Honey, my only Pleasure, my little Heart, my Hope, my Comfort, my Glory.

_Either for the Sake of Honour or otherwise_.

_Sal._ O Master, G.o.d bless ye.

_Ans._ Oh! Good Sir, I wish you the same.

_Sal._ G.o.d bless you most accomplish'd, and most famous Sir. G.o.d bless you again and again thou Glory of Learning. G.o.d save you heartily my very good Friend. G.o.d save you my _Maecenas_.

_Ans._ G.o.d save you my Singular Patron, G.o.d save you most approv'd Sir.

G.o.d save you, the only Ornament of this Age. G.o.d bless you, the Delight of _Germany_.

_Sal._ G.o.d bless you all together. G.o.d bless you all alike.

_Ans._ G.o.d bless you my brave Boys.

_Sal._ G.o.d save you merry Companion. G.o.d bless you Destroyer of Wine.

_Ans._ G.o.d bless you Glutton, and unmerciful Devourer of Cakes.

_Sal._ G.o.d bless you heartily President of all Virtue.

_Ans._ G.o.d bless you in like Manner, Pattern of universal Honesty.

_Sal._ G.o.d save you little old Woman of Fifteen Years of Age.

_Ans._ G.o.d save you Girl, eighty Years old.

_Sal._ Much good may it do you with your bald Pate.

_Ans._ And much good may it do you with your slit Nose. As you salute, so you shall be saluted again. If you say that which is ill, you shall hear that which is worse.

_Sal._ G.o.d save you again and again.

_Ans._ G.o.d save you for ever and ever.

_Sal._ G.o.d save you more than a thousand Times.

_Ans._ In truth I had rather be well once for all.

_Sal._ G.o.d bless you as much as you can desire.

_Ans._ And you as much as you deserve.

_Sal._ I wish you well.

_Ans._ But what if I won't be so? In truth I had rather be sick, than to enjoy the Health that you want.

G.o.d bless your Holiness, Your Greatness, Your Highness, Your Majesty, Your Beat.i.tude, Your High Mightiness, are Salutations rather us'd by the Vulgar, than approv'd by the Learned.

_In the Third Person_.

_Sapidus_ wishes Health to his _Erasmus_.

_Sapidus_ salutes his _Beatus_, wis.h.i.+ng him much Health.

_Another Form_.

_Sal._ G.o.d bless you _Crito_, I wish you well good Sir.

_Ans._ And I wish you better. Peace be to thee Brother, is indeed a Christian Salutation, borrow'd from the _Jews_: but yet not to be rejected. And of the like Kind is, A happy Life to you.

_Sal._ Hail Master.

_Ans._ In truth I had rather have than crave.

_Sal._ [Greek: Chaire].

_Ans._ Remember you are at _Basil_, and not _Athens_.

_Sal._ How do you then dare to speak _Latin_ when you are not at _Rome_?