Gilberti Cognati Nozereni aliquot epistolae

so far is it from being of the Christian spirit. Shall I write against him? This is the height of his desires, that he may be celebrated in writing by any means. But I do not seek any vengeance. The kakologoi evil-speakers/slanderers complain that in my writings certain things hated by the monks are praised, and those who are dear are sometimes attacked, and then that the sophists are touched upon. This, forsooth, pertains to the Catholic faith. Precipitate in their hatred, they also slander those things which are pious, whatever savors of good letters and more refined learning. Nor do they meanwhile read those things which they condemn. I know that colleges of canons and monks labor under grave hatred among the laity, because many live for their gluttony and bellies, alien from all sacred doctrine. And this envy would be mitigated if, having despised all the pleasures in which this age is wont to rage, they were to spend their nights and days in the best authors, instead of girls, drinking parties, and gambling, and hold the sacred books in delight. For I know some who are said to abstain more religiously from sacred books than from other men's wives. What monks are like elsewhere, I do not know: I wish they were all everywhere such as I would wish. They would certainly not be greedy for luxury, tenacious of anger and vindictive, haughty, fierce, self-pleasing, envious, avaricious, empty of every emotion of true charity, and slaves of their bellies. For sacred reading, especially the Gospel of Christ, makes the hard-hearted benign, the irascible placid, the