Readings in the History of Education eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 163 pages of information about Readings in the History of Education.

Readings in the History of Education eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 163 pages of information about Readings in the History of Education.

     In that same year a grave dissension arose between the scholars
     and the citizens of Paris, the origin of which was as follows: 

There was at Paris a notable German scholar who was bishop-elect of Liege.  His servant, while buying wine at a tavern, was beaten and his wine jar was broken.  When this was known, the German clerks came together and entering the tavern they wounded the host, and having beaten him they went off, leaving him half dead.  Therefore there was an outcry among the people and the city was stirred, so that Thomas, the Provost of Paris, under arms, and with an armed mob of citizens, broke into the Hall of the German clerks, and in their combat that notable scholar who was bishop-elect of Liege, was killed, with some of his people.
Therefore the Masters of the scholars in Paris going to the King of France complained to him of Thomas, the Provost of Paris and of his accomplices who killed the aforesaid scholars.  And at their instance the aforesaid Thomas was arrested, as were certain of his accomplices, and put in prison.  But some of them escaped by flight, leaving their homes and occupations; then the King of France, in his wrath, had their houses demolished and their vines and fruit trees uprooted.
But as to the Provost, it was decided that he should be kept in prison, not to be released until he should clear himself by the ordeal of water or sword, and if he failed, he should be hung, and if he was cleared he should, by the King’s clemency, leave the kingdom.
And yet the scholars, pitying him, entreated the King of France that the Provost and his accomplices after being flogged after the manner of scholars at school, should be let alone and be restored to their occupations.
But the King of France would not grant this, saying that it would be greatly derogatory to his honor if any one but himself should punish his malefactors.  Furthermore, this same King of France, being afraid that the Masters of the scholars, and the scholars themselves, would withdraw from his city, sought to satisfy them by decreeing that for the future no clerk should be haled to a secular trial on account of any misdemeanor which he had committed, but that if the clerk committed a misdemeanor he should be delivered over to the Bishop and be dealt with in accordance with the clerk’s court.  Also this same King of France decreed that whoever was the Provost of Paris should take oath that he would be loyal to the clerks, saving his loyalty to the King.  Moreover this same King conferred upon the scholars his own sure peace and confirmed it to them by his own charter.
But that Provost, when he had been detained in the King’s prison for many days planned his escape by flight, and, as he was being lowered over the wall, the rope broke, and falling from a height to the ground, he was killed.[35]

3.  Special protection for a limited time is granted more explicitly by Philip IV in 1306: 

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Readings in the History of Education from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.