Part 4 (2/2)

On the introduction of the study of Greek into the Universities, Dr S. Knight says in his _Life of Colet_:

”As for _Oxford_, its own _History_ and _Antiquities_ sufficiently confess, that nothing was known there but _Latin_, and that in the most depraved Style of the _School-men_. _Cornelius Vitellius_, an _Italian_, was the first who taught _Greek_ in that University[54]; and from him the famous _Grocyne_ learned the first Elements thereof.

”In _Cambridge_, _Erasmus_ was the first who taught the _Greek Grammar_. And so very low was the State of Learning in that University, that (as he tells a Friend) about the Year 1485, the Beginning of _Hen._ VII. Reign, there was nothing taught in that publick Seminary besides _Alexander's Parva Logicalia_, (as they called them) the old _Axioms_ of _Aristotle_, and the _Questions_ of John Scotus, till in Process of time _good Letters_ were brought in, and some Knowledge of the _Mathematicks_; as also _Aristotle_ in a new Dress, and some Skill in the _Greek_ Tongue; and, by Degrees, a Mult.i.tude of _Authors_, whose _Names_ before had not been heard of.[55]

”It is certain that even _Erasmus_ himself did little understand _Greek_, when he came first into _England_, in 1497 (13 _Hen._ VII.), and that our Countryman _Linacer_ taught it him, being just returned from _Italy_ with great Skill in that Language: Which _Linacer_ and _William Grocyne_ were the two only Tutors that were able to teach it.” Saml. Knight, Life of Dr John Colet, pp.

17, 18.

The age at which boys went up to the University seems to have varied greatly. When Oxford students were forbidden to play marbles they could not have been very old. But in ”The Mirror of the Periods of Man's Life”

(? ab. 1430 A.D.), in the Society's _Hymns to the Virgin and Christ_ of this year, we find the going-up age put at twenty:

Quod resou{n}, in age of .XX. ?eer, Goo to oxenford, or lerne lawe[56].

This is confirmed by young Paston's being at Eton at nineteen (see below, p. lvi). In 1612, Brinsley (_Grammar Schoole_, p. 307) puts the age at fifteen, and says,

”such onely should be sent to the Vniuersities, who proue most ingenuous and towardly, and who, in a loue of learning, will begin to take paines of themselues, hauing attained in some sort the former parts of learning; being good Grammarians at least, able to vnderstand, write and speake Latine in good sort.

”Such as haue good discretion how to gouerne themselues there, and to moderate their expenses; which is seldome times before 15 yeeres of age; which is also the youngest age admitted by the statutes of the Vniuersity, as I take it.”

[Headnote: FOREIGN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.]

4. _Foreign University Education._ That some of our n.o.bles sent their sons to be educated in the French universities (whence they sometimes imported foreign vices into England[57]) is witnessed by some verses in a Latin Poem ”in MS. Digby, No. 4 (Bodleian Library) of the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century,” printed by Mr Thomas Wright in his _Anecdota Literaria_, p. 38.

Filii n.o.bilium, dum sunt juniores, Mittuntur in Franciam fieri doctores; Quos prece vel pretio domant corruptores, Sic praetaxatos referunt artaxata mores.

An English _nation_ or set of students of the Faculty of Arts at Paris existed in 1169; after 1430 the name was changed to the German nation.

Besides the students from the French provinces subject to the English, as Poictou, Guienne, &c, it included the English, Scottish, Irish, Poles, Germans, &c. --_Encyc. Brit._ John of Salisbury (born 1110) says that he was twelve years studying at Paris on his own account. Thomas a Becket, as a young man, studied at Paris. Giraldus Cambrensis (born 1147) went to Paris for education; so did Alexander Neckham (died 1227).

Henry says,

”The English, in particular, were so numerous, that they occupied several schools or colleges; and made so distinguished a figure by their genius and learning, as well as by their generous manner of living, that they attracted the notice of all strangers. This appears from the following verses, describing the behaviour of a stranger on his first arrival in Paris, composed by Negel Wircker, an English student there, A.D. 1170:--

The stranger dress'd, the city first surveys, A church he enters, to his G.o.d he prays.

Next to the schools he hastens, each he views, With care examines, anxious which to chuse.

The English most attract his prying eyes, Their manners, words, and looks, p.r.o.nounce them wise.

Theirs is the open hand, the bounteous mind; Theirs solid sense, with sparkling wit combin'd.

Their graver studies jovial banquets crown, Their rankling cares in flowing bowls they drown.[58]

Montpelier was another University whither Englishmen resorted, and is to be remembered by us if only for the memory of Andrew Borde, M.D., some bits of whose quaintness are in the notes to Russell in the present volume.

Padua is to be noted for Pace's sake. He is supposed to have been born in 1482.

Later, the custom of sending young n.o.blemen and gentlemen to Italy--to travel, not to take a degree--was introduced, and Ascham's condemnation of it, when no tutor accompanied the youths, is too well known to need quoting. The Italians' saying, _Inglese Italianato e un diabolo incarnato_, sums it up.[59]

[Headnote: MONASTIC AND CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS.]

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