At Laach Butzbach for the first time set eyes on Trithemius’ works.  One of these was a Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, printed by John Amorbach at Basle in 1494—­a sort of theological Who’s Who, giving the names of authors ancient and modern with lists of their writings.  Butzbach continued it with an Auctarium, into which he hooked almost every writer he could find, whether ecclesiastical or not.  It is a large book, still remaining in manuscript at Bonn, as it was written out for him by two very inefficient novices.  The date of its composition is abundantly indicated by the notes with which he terminates his notices of living authors:  ’Viuit adhuc anno quo hec scribimus 158’ or 159.[13] Such a compilation, in so far as it deals with contemporary writers, might have had considerable value; but unfortunately, like some of Trithemius’ work, it is an uncritical performance and contains ridiculous blunders, which impair the credit of its statements when they cannot be checked.  Industry and devotion to learning are not the sole qualifications for a scholar.

     [13] = 1509.  By a reverse process Bruno Amorbach writes 10507
          for 1507.

But it was not altogether a happy time for Butzbach, even though he was honoured by correspondence with Trithemius.  There were few among the monks who actually sympathized with his studies; and from a certain section they brought him actual persecution.  When, as Prior, he emphasized before the brethren the section in Benedict’s rule which enjoins to study, they mocked at him.  ‘No learning, no doubts’ said one.  ‘Much learning doth make thee mad’ said another.  ’Knowledge puffeth up’ said a third; and heeded not his gentle reply, ’but love edifieth’.  They protested against his allowing the novices to read Latin poetry.  They appealed to the Visitor and got the supplies of money for the library cut off; even what he earned himself by saying masses for the dead was no longer allowed to be appropriated to him for the purchase of books.  Finally when the visitation came round in 1509, they delated him for spending too much time on writing, to the neglect of the business of the monastery.  But here they overreached themselves.  The Visitors called for his books, opened them and saw that they were good—­possibly they found their own names among the ecclesiastical writers.  The Prior was acquitted, and the mouths of his enemies were stopped.

One cause of dissension in monasteries at this period was the existence of an unreformed element among the monks; though in Butzbach’s time it had probably disappeared at Laach.  Ever since the Oriental practice of monasticism spread into the West, Christendom has seen a continual series of endeavours towards better and purer ideals of human life.  Of all the monastic orders the Benedictine (520) was the oldest and the most widely spread.  But time had relaxed the strictness of its observance; and indeed