in his possession, having fortunately been detained by his grandmother to
cover the balance of her bill. But he thought there was a still higher and
overruling cause for his having had the name of Erasmus conferred on him,
namely, the secret presentiment of his mother's mind, that, in the babe to be
christened, was a hidden genius, which should one day lead him to rival the fame
of the great scholar of Amsterdam. The schoolmaster's surname led him as far
into dissertation as his Christian appellative. He was inclined to think that he
bore the name of Holiday quasi lucus a non lucendo, because he gave such few
holidays to his school. »Hence,« said he, »the schoolmaster is termed
classically, Ludi Magister, because he deprives the boys of their play.« And
yet, on the other hand, he thought it might bear a very different
interpretation, and refer to his own exquisite art in arranging pageants,
morris-dances, May-day festivities, and such like holiday delights, for which he
assured Tressilian he had positively the purest and the most inventive brain in
England; insomuch, that his cunning in framing such pleasures had made him known
to many honourable persons, both in country and in court, and especially to the
noble Earl of Leicester - »And although he may now seem to forget me,« he said,
»in the multitude of state affairs, yet I am well assured, that had he some
pretty pastime to array for entertainment of the Queen's Grace, horse and man
would be seeking the humble cottage of Erasmus Holiday. Parvo contentus, in the
meanwhile, I hear my pupils parse, and construe, worshipful sir, and drive away
my time with the aid of the Muses. And I have at all times, when in
correspondence with foreign scholars, subscribed myself Erasmus ab Die Fausto,
and have enjoyed the distinction due to the learned under that title; witness
the erudite Diedrichus Buckerschockius, who dedicated to me under that title his
treatise on the letter Tau. In fine, sir, I have been a happy and distinguished
man.«
    »Long may it be so, sir!« said the traveller; »but permit me to ask, in your
own learned phrase, Quid hoc ad Iphycli boves - what has all this to do with the
shoeing of my poor nag?«
    »Festina lente,« said the man of learning, »we will presently come to that
point. You must know that some two or three years past, there came to these
parts one who called himself Doctor