This twenty-third volume in Erasmus' Opera omnia (ASD) is the third volume of the ninth 'ordo', that is the 'ordo' of the Apologies. The division into 'ordines' each 'ordo' being devoted to a specific literary or thematic category - was laid down by Erasmus himself for the posthumous publication of his works (c£ General introduction, ASD I, pp. x, xvii-xviii, and C. Reedijk, Tandem bona causa triumphat. Zur Geschichte des Gesamtwerkes des Erasmus von Rotterdam. Vortrage der Aeneas-Silvius-3tiftung an der Universitat Basel, XVI, Basel/Stuttgart, 1980, pp. 12 sqq., 21-22. For the reason why the collected Apologies eventually became the ninth 'ordo,' see the Preface to ASD IX,2, p. vii). The present volume contains the Apologia ad Iacobum Fabrum Stapulensem, edited by Andrea W Steenbeek (Leiden). It is the slightly adapted version of her Leiden Ph.D. thesis (1994) which was supervised by Professor H.]. de longe. The Conseil international pour l'edition ·des reuvres completes d'Erasme mourns the loss of the former director of North-Holland Publishing Company, Mr. M.D. Frank, who died on 9 november 1995. As early as 1964 he expressed his willingness to publish the new critical edition of Erasmi Opera omnia
after North-Holland was incorporated into Elsevier Science Publishers he kept a lively interest in the Erasmus edition. The Conseil will remember him with gratitude and respect. For reasons of health Professor Maria Cytowska resigned from the Conseil, which she had joined in 1979. The Conseil wishes to express its gratitude to Professor Cytowska for all she did for the Erasmus edition. The Conseil welcomes as new members Professor Nicolette Mout (Leiden University) and Professor Harry Vredeveld (Ohio State University). Professor Dresden and Professor Augustijn resigned from the Editorial Board. However, since they are staying on as members of the Conseil international, the Board will have every opportunity to avail itself of their advice and support. Dr. M.L. van Poll-van de Lisdonk was elected to the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board and the editor of the present volume are grateful to all libraries that kindly put books, photostats, microfilms, and bibliographical material at their disposal.