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The Medieval Church · 1450
The Layman on Wisdom
Idiota de Sapientia
Nicholas of Cusa · 1401–1464
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What it is
An unlettered spoon-carver in the Roman forum instructs a professional orator and a philosopher, arguing that wisdom cries out in the streets and not only in books.
Why it lasted
A cardinal writing against the pretensions of academic learning, and one of the most charming dialogues of the Renaissance.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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