As an ecclesiastical
person he looked to the Pope as the source of his authority, and in
order that uniformity of requirement for various degrees and of
educational methods might be maintained, there was practically
universal agreement that such centralization of the power to grant
privileges for the erection of universities and the conferring of
degrees was the most practical way. With regard to Perugia besides
there was the additional reason that the Pope represented the
political as well as the ecclesiastical authority in the matter, and
that very naturally the {154} encouragement for the good educational
work already being done in the Umbrian City should come from him.

This premised, certain features of this bull are especially noteworthy
in the light of modern educational experiences. The Pope was
confirming the establishment of a new university. It was to be as he
realized, a smaller university in size, but he did not want its
standard of education to be lower than that of the great universities.
For this reason he insists specifically in the bull that the license
to teach--the equivalent of our modern doctorate in law, letters and
science, shall not be given except after the completion of a course
equivalent to those given in these subjects in Paris or Bologna, the
great universities of the time, and that the examination shall be
quite as rigid and shall be conducted under conditions that, as far as
human foresight can arrange, shall preclude all possibility of
favoritism of any kind entering into the promotion of candidates for
these degrees. The fact that oaths were required in the hope that
standards would be thus maintained shows how seriously the subject of
education was taken at this time, when, if we would believe some of
those who depreciate the Middle Ages, ecclesiastical efforts were
mainly occupied with the attempt to keep the people as ignorant as
possible.

This phase of the Papal decree is all the more interesting when it is
viewed in the light of some modern educational developments. A few
years ago there was a very general complaint that the doctorate in
philosophy was conferred too easily, especially by the minor
universities, and that as a consequence this degree had come to mean
very little. It required a distinct crusade of effort to raise
standards in this matter, and even at {155} the present time the
situation is not entirely satisfactory. A very curious element in the
situation lies in