wish that copies of these, made under the royal seal, be in good
faith made like the original.[44]


(d) _The Privilege of suspending Lectures_ (Cessatio)

One of the most effective privileges of mediaeval universities was the
right of suspending lectures. This was used again and again in cases of
unredressed grievances against civil or ecclesiastical
authorities,--more particularly against the former. A _cessatio_ was
usually followed by a migration of masters and scholars to some other
university, unless satisfaction was promptly forthcoming. Such a
migration was a serious blow to the commercial prosperity of any town;
consequently the "cessation" was an instrument of great power for the
extraction of all sorts of local concessions. It was often exercised
without express authorization by civil or ecclesiastical powers, but the
privilege was distinctly conferred by a bull of Pope Gregory IX for
Paris in 1231:

And if, perchance, the assessment [right to fix the prices] of
lodgings is taken from you, or anything else is lacking, or an
injury or outrageous damage, such as death or the mutilation of a
limb, is inflicted on one of you, unless through a suitable
admonition satisfaction is rendered within fifteen days, you may
suspend your lectures until you have received full satisfaction.
And if it happens that any one of you is unlawfully imprisoned,
unless the injury ceases on a remonstrance from you, you may, if
you judge it expedient, suspend your lectures immediately.[45]

The events leading up to the granting of this privilege are worth