[De horis canonicis]

Note: History concerning a hermit.

by the argument of the law 6, Digest, on the signification of words. Nevertheless, Innocent and Hostiensis say it is safer that they be said at the appropriate hours, and Joannes Andreae also seems to embrace this side, for the reason that he recites a history about a certain hermit who sometimes said his office later, sometimes earlier, to whom an angel brought for food grapes, sometimes sour, sometimes withered, sometimes good. Whence, when the hermit had asked the angel the cause of this diversity, he answered that he brought good ones to him when he anticipated the hours, and withered ones when he was involved in other occupations and read those hours later. I, however, believe that a cleric will do well and more advisedly if he pays the debt of servitude to his Lord at the due and appropriate hours, to this the fact is established in the chapter Dolentes, on the celebration of the Mass, where they are sharply rebuked who do not rise at the sudden time to pray, and through this, note in the said Clementine 1. If, therefore, he were occupied by just occupations, then he can read those hours together; otherwise, if occupations do not occur, as so and [in this way] he is occupied literally from our text in the beginning, and as I said above. For one must not depart from the words of the text itself, law Non aliter, Digest, on legacies 3, chapter, and the chapter Ad audienciam, on tithes, etc.

I ask, therefore, regarding the daily question, what of students who are occupied with the study of letters; can they pay their hours together? I answer, prima facie it must be said that no, because on account of a temporal good, and especially of a temporal one, no evil is to be done, by the argument of the chapter Non est putanda, 1, question 1, and the chapter Non magno, "neither clerics nor monks," where the gloss, 1, distinction, speaks most fully on this matter. Rather, he ought to prefer to suffer all evils than to consent to evil, chapter Factum, on those things which through violence, fear, or cause, final. Since, therefore, a student intends to study on account of a temporal advantage or some other ambition, therefore on account of this he ought not to read the hours together, but at the due hours for salvation.

Pay attention to what will be said below. For science cannot be acquired without study, and it itself is what exists as very necessary for the universal governance of the whole world and the good of the holy church of God, which seeks to abound in lettered men so that they may bring fruit in it in due time, chapter Ego, on prebends, and the chapter Cum ex eo, on elections, Book VI, and the final chapter, "neither clerics nor monks," where [it speaks] of lettered men.