Part 4 (1/2)

1538[48]

John Heron, a Kentish man born, near of kin to Sir John Heron, knight.

? ab. 1520 Edward Seymoure, son of Sir John Seymoure, or St Maure of Wolf-hall in Wilts, knight, was educated in trivials, and partly in quadrivials for some time in this university. He was Jane Seymour's brother, and afterwards Duke of Somerset, and was beheaded on Jan. 22, 1552-3.

1534 John Philpot, son of Sir Pet. Philpot, knight of the Bath. Fellow of New Coll.

ab. 15-- Henry Lord Stafford (author of the _Mirror for Magistrates_), the only son of Edward, Duke of Bucks, 'received his education in both the universities, especially in that of Cambridge, to which his father had been a benefactor.'

1515 Reynold Pole (the Cardinal), a younger son of Sir Rich. Pole.

? ab. 1530 Anthony Browne, son of Sir Weston Browne, of Abbesroding and of Langenhoo in Ess.e.x, knight.

ab. 1574 Patrick Plunket, baron of Dunsary in Ireland, son of Rob. Plunket, baron of the same place.

ab. 1570 Philip Sidney (the poet), son of Sir Henry Sidney.

John Smythe, son of Sir Clem. Smythe.

(Peter Levens or Levins, our _Manipulus_ or Rhyming-Dictionary man, became a student in the university, an. 1552, was elected probationer-fellow of Mag. Coll. into a Yorks.h.i.+re place, 18 Jan.

1557, being then bach. of arts, and on the 19th Jan. 1559 was admitted true and perpetual fellow. In 1560 he left his fellows.h.i.+p. _Ath. Ox._ p. 547, col. 2.)

? ab. 1570 Reynolde Scot, a younger son of Sir John Scot of Scotshall, near to Smeeth in Kent.

1590 Hayward Townshend, eldest son of Sir Henry Townshend, knight.

ab. 1587 Francis Tresham (of Gunpowder Plot notoriety), son of Sir Thomas Tresham, knight.

The number of friars and monks at the Universities before the Reformation, and especially at Oxford, must have been large. Tanner says,

In our universities ... were taught divinity and canon law (then, t. Hen. III., much in vogue), and the friers resorting thither in great numbers and applying themselves closely to their studies, outdid the monks in all fas.h.i.+onable knowledge. But the monks quickly perceived it, and went also to the universities and studied hard, that they might not be run down by the friers.[49]

And as the friers got houses in the universities, the monks also got colleges founded and endowed there[50] for the education of their novices, where they were for some years instructed in grammar, philosophy, and school divinity, and then returning home, improved their knowledge by their private studies, to the service of G.o.d and the credit of their respective societies. So that a little before the Reformation, the greatest part of the proceeders in divinity at Oxford were monks and Regular canons.

[Headnote: FAVOURITISM OF THE RICH IN THE UNIVERSITIES.]

By Harrison's time, A.D. 1577[51], rich men's sons had not only pressed into the Universities, but were scrooging poor men's sons out of the endowments meant only for the poor, learning the lessons that Mr Whiston so well shows our Cathedral dignitaries have carried out with the stipends of their choristers, boys and men. ”_Les gros poissons mangent les menus._ Pro. Poore men are (easily) supplanted by the rich, the weake by the strong, the meane by the mighty.”[52] (Cotgrave, u.

_manger_.) The law of ”natural selection” prevails. Who shall say nay in a Christian land professing the principles of the great ”Inventor of Philanthropy”? Whitgift for one, see his Life of Strype, Bk. I. chap.

xiii. p. 148-50, ed. 1822. In 1589 an act 31 Eliz. c. 6, was pa.s.sed to endeavour to prevent the abuse, but, like modern Election-bribery Acts with their abuse, did not do it.

[Headnote: BAD EXAMPLE OF RICH MEN AT COLLEGE.]

”at this present, of one sort & other, there are about three thousand students nourished in them both (as by a late serveie it manifestlie appeared). They [the Colleges at our Universities]

were created by their founders at the first, onelie for pore men's sons, whose parents were not able to bring them up unto learning: but now they have the least benefit of them, by reason the rich do so incroch upon them. And so farre hath this inconvenence spread itself, that it is in my time an hard matter for a pore man's child to come by a fellows.h.i.+p (though he be neuer so good a scholer & worthie of that roome.) Such packing also is used at elections, that not he which best deserveth, but he that hath most friends, though he be the worst scholer, is alwaies surest to speed; which will turne in the end to the overthrow of learning.

That some gentlemen also, whose friends have been in times past benefactors to certeine of those houses, doe intrude into the disposition of their estates, without all respect of order or statutes devised by the founders, onelie thereby to place whome they think good (and not without some hope of gaine) the case is too too evident, and their attempt would soone take place, if their superiors did not provide to bridle their indevors. In some grammar schooles likewise, which send scholers to these universities, it is lamentable to see what briberie is used; for yer the scholer can be preferred, such briberye is made, that pore men's children are commonly shut out, and the richer sort received (who in times past thought it dishonour to live as it were upon almes) and yet being placed, most of them studie little other than histories, tables, dice & trifles, as men that make not the living by their studie the end of their purposes; which is a lamentable bearing. Besides this, being for the most part either gentlemen, or rich men's sonnes, they oft bring the universities into much slander.[53] For standing upon their reputation and libertie, they ruffle and roist it out, exceeding in apparell, and hanting riotous companie (which draweth them from their bookes into an other trade). And for excuse, when they are charged with breach of all good order, thinke it sufficient to saie, that they be gentlemen, which grieveth manie not a little. But to proceed with the rest.

”Everie one of these colleges haue in like manner their professors or readers of the tongs and severall sciences, as they call them, which dailie trade up the youth there abiding privatlie in their halles, to the end they may be able afterwards (when their turne commeth about, which is after twelve termes) to show themselves abroad, by going from thence into the common schooles and publike disputations (as it were _In aream_) there to trie their skilles, and declare how they have profited since their coming thither.

”Moreover in the publike schooles of both the universities, there are found at the prince's charge (and that verie largelie) five professors & readers, that is to saie, of divinitie, of the civill law, physicke, the Hebrew and the Greek tongues. And for the other lectures, as of philosophie, logike, rhetorike and the quadriuials, although the latter (I mean, arithmetike, musike, geometrie and astronomie, and with them all skill in the perspectives are now smallie regarded in either of them) the universities themselves do allowe competent stipends to such as reade the same, whereby they are sufficiently provided for, touching the maintenance of their estates, and no less encouraged to be diligent in their functions.”