Nicolas, Van Egmond

Nicolas, Van Egmond a Dutch theologian, was born in the County of Egmond near the close of the 15th century. He entered the Order of the Carmelites, took his degrees at Louvain, and was there received as doctor in theology. He distinguished himself by the bitterness of his words in his disputes with Erasmus. The pulpit was his arena; and when pope Hadrian VI imposed silence upon him, Egmond vented his wrath in anonymous libels. Erasmus, who frequently speaks of him in his letters, seems not much more moderate in regard to him, and describes him thus: "Homo natura fatuus, nec admodum doctus, moribus immanis, praefracti animi impotenti impetu," etc. He died in 1527. The following distich, in the form of an epitaph, was made against Nicolas:

"Hic jacet Egmondus telluris inutile pondus; Dilexit rabiem, non habeat requiem."

See Erasmus, Epistolce; Paquot, Mmnzoires.