Medieval lesson

Michael awaked a Sunday and he was early raising, he opened the door and he was in a city that he didn’t know, where the people was very strange because they spoke a strange language and somebody indicated to him a build and he gone to it, he gone in and seated on the chair, and he heard the lesson, in fact the professor was in desk and he spoken about some difficulties of medieval documents: “The documents begun always to invocation to God, In nomine Dei(in name of God), after the date of document, this is the year, day and indiction”, and Carl, a student: “What is the indicion?”, and the professor: “The indiction is period of 15 years, that the notary used to date every documents, and after 15 years it started again”, and George, other student: “What is In presentia infrascriptuorum testium?”; and the professor: “When the plaintiff were present in front notary, their names have to write, with name of father”, and same George: “Why name of father, it is enough the last name”, and the professor: “During the Middle age isn’t the last name, alone the patronymic”, and Albert other student: “When were used the last names”, and the professor: “When after the reform of Luther, the Church wanted the registers of birth and death, that was called Status animarum”, and after: “The state or number of souls”, and other student: “Why they used alone the Latin language?” and the professor: “Because these documents were alone to notaries, as today if somebody has a document from a tribunal, he bring it to a lawyer, because the lawyer knows what is, and we must consider that then the illiteracy was a the principal character”, and Gerald, a student: “They have to not gone to school?”, and the professor: “The schools were alone to richness families, and the monks and priest made lessons to childes so that they learned the letters, but the poor families, have destined their sons to other jobs”, and a student girl Germaine: “Who taught to write beyond the priests?”, and the professor: “The convents where the childes were educated to Latin language, to theology and philosophy”, and same Germaine: “Why they have shown the vocation?”, and the professor: “No absolutely, the families were composed among much sons, hence it have to send somebody in convent, also to have the protection of God”, and Edward: “Why much sons if they were poor?”, and the professor: “because were necessary the hands to farmer job”, suddenly the bell sounded and it is meant the lesson was ended. The following lesson was to ancient Roman history, and suddenly the light turn off and after some moment it turn on, and the students were in senate of ancient Rome, in 64^th years b.Ch., and they seen a man that wore a chiton and he begun his oration through these words: “Quo usque tandem abutere, Catlina patient nostra…”; and Laura asked to a student near to her: “Where are we?”, and Andrew, the student, answered: “We are in Roman senate in year 64^th b. Ch., and that man is Cicero”. Laura hence to be silent and heard.

Alessandro Lusana