sollicit him to take the Habit upon him, and become one of their Order.
_Erasmus_ excused himself, alledging the Rawness and Unexperiencedness
of his Age. The Plague spreading in these Parts, and after he had
struggled a whole Year with an Ague, he went Home to his Guardians,
having by this Time furnished himself with an indifferent good Style, by
daily reading the best Authors. One of his Guardians was carried off by
the Plague; the other two not having manag'd his Fortune with the
greatest Care, began to contrive how they might fix him in some
Monastery. _Erasmus_ still languishing under this Indisposition, tho' he
had no Aversion to the Severities of a pious Life, yet he had an
Aversion for a Monastery, and therefore desired Time to consider of the
Matter. In the mean Time his Guardians employ'd Persons to sollicit him,
by fair Speeches, and the Menaces of what he must expect, if he did not
comply, to bring him over. In this Interim they found out a Place for
him in _Sion_, a College of Canons Regulars near _Delft_, which was the
principal House belonging to that Chapter. When the Day came that
_Erasmus_ was to give his final Answer, he fairly told them, he neither
knew what the World was, nor what a Monastery was, nor yet, what himself
was, and that he thought it more advisable for him to pass a few Years
more at School, till he came to know himself better. _Peter Winkel_
perceiving that he was unmoveable in this Resolution, fell into a Rage,
telling him, he had taken a great deal of Pains to a fine Purpose
indeed, who had by earnest Sollicitations, provided a good Preferment
for an obstinate Boy, that did not understand his own Interest: And
having given him some hard Words, told him, that from that Time he threw
up his Guardianship, and now he might look to himself. _Erasmus_
presently reply'd, that he took him at his first Word; that he was now
of that Age, that he thought himself capable of taking Care of himself.
When his Guardian saw that threatening would not do any Thing with him,
he set his Brother Guardian, who was his Tutor, to see what he could do