CHAP. IV. pearance had been read and discussed by numberless readers in all the universities of Christendom), of a noted college in the most famous seat of European learning,- a college which could boast that it had sent forth not a few distinguished theologians and men of eminence. Among the number was the celebrated John Major, the author of the De Gestis Scotorum, who was resident at the college at the same time as Erasmus, and again resident within a few months of the time when the foregoing description appeared in the first edition of the Colloquies at Basel'. Yet this description appears to have provoked no outcry or indignant denial, nor does there seem any reason for doubting that it had as good a basis of fact as those terrible delineations of monastic life and character from the same pen, which were then moving all Europe to laughter or alarm. With facts like these before us, we shall probably incline to the conclusion, notwithstanding frequent indications of hardship and discomfort, that the mode of life at the English universities was certainly not below the average continental standard. His account appears to have called forth no indignant denial. Our early colleges for poor students. There is perhaps no feature more uniformly characteristic designed only of our early college statutes than the design of the founder to assist only those who really required assistance and were intent on a studious life. The stringency of the regulations, and the preference to be given to those candidates who had already made some acquirements, must necessarily have excluded the idler and the lover of licence. It was designed that each collegian should be a model of industry and good conduct to the ordinary student. Hence, while offering but moderate attractions to the wealthy, the college held out considerable advantages to the poor scholar: compared with the colleges of Paris, that of Navarre perhaps excepted, the aid afforded was far more liberal and the discipline consequently 1 Cooper, Athenæ, 1 92, 93. The wealthier class of students resided in the hostels: this is clearly shewn in Lever's sermon at St Paul's Cross, preached in 1550, where, contrasting the state of the university at the time with that at an earlier part of the century, he says that many of the scholars who hauyng rych frendes or beyng benefyced men dyd lyue of theym selues in Ostles aud Innes be eyther gon awaye, or elles fayne to crepe into Colleges, and put poore men from bare lyuynges.' Lever's Sermons, ed. Arber, p. 121. attainments in those admitted on dation. youth of the the time of sion. more easily enforced. The standard for admission varied CHAP. IV. from a moderate knowledge of Latin to an acquaintance with the whole of the trivium. It was necessary that those Certain elected should have been born in lawful wedlock, be of good necessary character, nor could a single county furnish more than a the founcertain proportion. Admission to some foundations was not accorded until the scholar had passed through a probationary test for one year: the oath of obedience to the college statutes was administered to all, and it was regarded as an unpardonable breach of fidelity if any divulged the 'secrets of the house. Once admitted, the student's anxieties as to ways and means appear to have been, for a time, at an end. It is a proof of the youth of those generally admitted, that Extreme although a certain amount of previous attainment was indis- majority at pensable, the average age was such as to call for the dis- their admiscipline of the schoolboy. The 'boys,' as they were termed, Their were never permitted to go beyond the college gates unless accompanied by a master of arts; they were distributed through the college in threes or fours as joint-occupants of a single room, which served both as dormitory and study: if convicted of any infringement of the college rules they were soundly birched in the hall or the court. With the period of bachelorhood they entered upon a stage more nearly corre- Bachelors, sponding to that of the modern undergraduate. The bachelor would be permitted to occupy a room jointly with a senior fellow,-association with one of graver years being supposed to be more likely to prove productive of order. The room, Rooms. scantily furnished, would always be comfortless and in winter often scarcely tenable. There was no fireplace and no stove, this luxury being reserved for the hall alone'. The wind whistled shrewdly through the crevices of the ill-made case 1 Bucer, the German reformer, who resided at the university from 1549 to his death in 1550, found this form of hardship almost insupportable. Edward vi, hearing of his ill health, presented him with a German stove. Zurich Letters, 11 550. Even in the college hall a fire appears to have been very sparingly indulged in. We are told of the lady Mil dred Burghley, who died in the latter treatment library. CHAP. IV. ment and the dim flame of the oil-lamp flickered fitfully, as the student kept his vigils, intent upon some greasy parchment page over which amanuensis and reader had alike laboured with painful toil. The volume over which he pored was probably from the college library, and it was one of the most envied privileges of the collegian that he had access to The college such aids as these. The library was accessible to all the members of the college, but only fellows were permitted to take away volumes to their own rooms; and an inspection of one of our earliest library catalogues, that of Peterhouse, affords interesting evidence, in the different proportions of the number of volumes thus withdrawn in each class of literature, of the comparative popularity of different branches of study'. If from such stray facts as have reached us we were to endeavour to form an idea of one of these ancient hiding-places of learning, we should generally find rising before our mental vision a long, dark, damp room little better than a hayloft, reached by a staircase composed of blocks of timber, placed one above another, with rows of rudely constructed bookstands where the volumes lay chained, and where the young scholar might commence his acquaintance with Bonaventura or Aquinas. If the volumes were too numerous for the shelves they were stowed away in chests, and sometimes exposed for sale. Description of a college library of these times. The allowance for the maintenance of a fellow never exceeded the weekly sum', expressed in modern money, of from sixteen to eighteen shillings; in some colleges it was much less. Lever, the master of St. John's, in an oft quoted passage, Description describes the scholars of his college, then the poorest it is to be observed in proportion to its numbers in the whole university, as going to dinner at ten o'clock, content with a penny piece of beef among four, having a little 'porage' made of of student life by a master of St. John's in the year 1550. The volumes, as entered in the catalogue, are distinguished as cathenati and divisi inter socios: the libri logice divisi inter socios are 29, those cathenati, also 29; the libri theologie cathenati, 137, assignati sociis, 41; the libri juris civilis cathenati, 9, divisi inter socios, 15; the libri juris canonici cathenati, 17, divisi inter socios, also 17; libri naturalis et moralis philosophie cathenati, 156, divisi inter socios, 75; libri medicine cathenati, 13, divisi inter socios, 3. 2 The 'communæ,' or commons, were the expenses of maintenance: all meals being at that time taken in the common hall. tion refers to tional state the broth of the same beef, with salt and oatmeal, and CHAP. IV. nothing else.' After this slender dinner, he continues, 'they be either teaching or learning until five of the clock in the evening, when as they have a supper not much better than their dinner. Immediately after the which, they go either to reasoning in problems or unto some other study, until it be nine or ten of the clock, and then being without fire are fain to walk or run up and down half an hour, to get a heat in their feet when they go to bed'.' It is to be observed that this description, given in the middle of the sixteenth century, describes an exceptional state of affairs, when, owing to the This descriprapacity of courtiers and nobles, the college had been reduced an excepto the lowest ebb of its fortunes, and, to use Lever's own of affairs. words, scholars were unable to remain 'for lack of exhibition and help.' The speaker, moreover, was addressing a wealthy congregation at Paul's Cross, and endeavouring to awaken their sympathy on behalf of the universities. We have however other evidence which may be taken without qualification. Other eviThere is abundant indirect proof that Oxford was at this open to experiod considered by far the more luxurious university; and yet we find that, compared with the scale of living among the better classes of the time, Oxford fare was considered to rank somewhat low. Sir Thomas More, after the great reverse of his fortunes, in discussing with his family plans of future economy, says, 'But my counsel is, that we fall not to the lowest fare first, we will not therefore descend to Oxford fare, nor to the fare of New Inn, but we will begin with Lincoln's Inn diet.' In hall and in college generally the use Use of Latin of the Latin language in conversation was imperative: but conversation, in some of the earlier statutes, given at the time when French occasionally was the language of the legislature, the use of the latter 1 Lever's Sermons, ed. Arber, p. 122. This account conveys perhaps to most readers an impression of greater hardship than it really implies. The penny in the sixteenth century was quite equal in value to the shilling of our own day. Meat, on the other hand, was then far cheaper when compared with other provisions, and a 'penny piece' was probably not less than two lbs. Then it will be ob served that the dinner at five o'clock 2 Peacock, Observations, p. 4, App. dence less ception. required in but French spoken. quired to be creasing in to the num CHAP. IV. tongue was occasionally permitted. An Oxford statute of this period enjoins that grammar students shall construe their author into both English and French, in order that the latter language may not be forgotten'. It is evident that the scholar or fellow was always presumed to be in residence, Fellows re- and if in residence to be studying. If he absented himself, in residence. unless upon business of the college, the allowance for his weekly expenses was stopped. In the course of time he was permitted to be absent if he could shew good reason: the supervision of a parish, or an engagement as tutor in a noble family, appears to have been accepted as a valid excuse; but the time of absence was always defined, and his return at its expiration, or a renewal of leave, was indispensable to the retenColleges in- tion of his fellowship. If the property of the house increased wealth to add in value, this increase was to be applied to the creation of new fellowships, not to be distributed among those already on the foundation. Lectureships were held in rotation, and as each lecturer retired he was supposed to apply himself to Autocracy of a new line of study. On the other hand the master of the college appears to have enjoyed unrestricted freedom of action, a fact which partly explains the mismanagement that often characterises the rule of some of the earlier foundations. Though the election, or rather the nomination to the office, was vested in the fellows, and to be made from their own number, this privilege was often set aside by episcopal authority or by royal letter, and an entire stranger placed in authoThe office of rity over the society. In addition to this he was capable quently com- of holding other emoluments, sometimes even at another college. Thus John Sickling, the last master of God's House, held at the same time a fellowship at Corpus; Shorton, the ber of their fellowships. the master. master fre bined with other pre ferments. 1 Munimenta Academica, p. 438. Mr Anstey conjectures that this statute, which is without date, is at least as early as the thirteenth century. It is, I presume, by a misprint that he is made to speak of it in the preface (p. lxx), as 'not one of the ancient statutes on grammar schools,' for the whole statute evidently relates to grammar students, and his marginal summary clearly implies that such is the case. 2 The earliest instance that has come under my notice of such leave of absence is that of Richard Whitford, the wretch of Sion,' who on the 23rd of March, 1497, received from the master and fellows of Queens' College, of which he was a fellow, five years' leave of absence that he might attend upon Lord Mountjoy in foreign parts.' Knight's Life of Erasmus, p. 64. |