The Roman Curia opposes every branch of learning which savors of polite literature, while it defends its barbarism with tooth and nail.

How can it do otherwise?
Abolish those books on Papal Supremacy, and where shall they find that the Pope is another God, that he is almighty, that all rights and laws are closed within the cabinet of his breast, that he can shut up folk in hell, in a word that he has power to square the circle?
Destroy that false jurisprudence, and this tyranny will vanish; but the two are reciprocally supporting, and we shall not do away with the former until the latter falls, which will only happen at God's good pleasure.' [Footnote 138: See Dejob's _Life of Muret_, pp.

231, 238, 274, 320.] [Footnote 139: _Op.cit_.pp.262, 481.] The jealousy with which liberal studies were regarded by the Church bred a contempt for them in the minds of students.

Benci, a professor of humane letters at Rome, says that his pupils walked about the class-room during his lectures.

With grim humor he adds that he does not object to their sleeping, so long as they abstain from snoring.[140] But it is impossible, he goes on to complain, that I should any longer look upon the place in which I do my daily work as an academy of learning; I go to it rather as to a mill in which I must grind out my tale of worthless grain.