Translation: “I have turned my entire attention to Greek. The first thing I shall do, as soon as the money arrives, is to buy some Greek authors; after that, I shall buy clothes.”
Common Paraphrase: “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”
–Desiderius Erasmus
Quote Number: 341
Source: Erasmus, Desiderius to Jacob Batt. Letter. April 12, 1500. In Collected Works of Erasmus Vol 1. 1974.
Source Notes: