1851.] University of Paris-French Colleges. 249 UNIVERSITY OF Paris. The oldest universities of Europe sprung up in the twelfth century. Distinguished teachers, like William of Champeaux, and Peter Abelard his disciple, proposed to give public instruction to such as would hear them. In the new stimulus felt by the human mind, multitudes rushed to the seats of learning thus established, and for their benefit suitable charters being obtained, universities were established. That at Paris was chiefly a theological school, and was for several centuries designated the "first school of the church." All its graduates, whether in the faculties of the arts or of divinity, had the power of teaching in the university. Its pupils were exempted from all taxes, customs, personal burdens and the institution received great privi leges and immunities. In 1453 the school at Paris had 25,000 students, and soon after, it is said, 30,000. It was difficult for the scholars, on account of their great number, to find suitable lodgings. Various expedients were adopted to remedy this inconvenience. But the poorer students being still exposed to great hardships, certain benevolent individuals erected buildings for their use, making provisions in them both for free lodgings and free board, to which afterwards stipends were added to defray general expenses. These foundations were first established by the religious orders, for the benefit of students in theology. This department was founded and chiefly endowed as a college by Robert de Sorbonne, and thus derived the name of Sorbonna or Sorbonne, which it has retained.2 Provisions of the same character became afterwards numerous and abundant. A good account of what is now called the University of France may be found in Vol. XI. of the American Quarterly Register, 1836, written by Rev. Dr. Baird, at that time residing in Paris. The old and world-renowned University of Paris was broken up and destroyed in the Revolution, 1792, and has never since been restored on its former plan though the system of higher education in Paris is virtually the same as before. The University of France has reference to the entire school system of the kingdom, including the schools of collegiate and theological education. There are 300 communal colleges supported chiefly by tuition fees of pupils. The Royal Colleges are 40 in number. They are supported by government, which also makes provision for a great number of students at the public expense. The salaries of professors are small, but pensions are granted to the superannuated who have served more than twenty years. 1 Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2 Mosheim, Vol. II. p. 228. There are eight Faculties of theology, six of them Catholic, one Lutheran. In 1815 there were 5,233 theological students. The government gives annually to the Catholic theological seminaries, for the education of young men for the ministry 2,525 bourses, valued at 400 francs each, making in all the enormous sum of $189,375, while to the protestants it grants 30 bourses and 60 demi-bourses, amounting to $4,500,1 The Royal and Communal Colleges are not professional schools, but schools of secondary instruction, corresponding somewhat to the gymnasia of Germany, the Rugby and Eton schools, in England, and our own colleges. Pupils are admitted however at a very early age, sometimes when not more than eight or nine years old, and with very small acquirements.2 The college courses, 1836, are almost entirely Latin and Greek, with a little Geography, History and Rhetoric. Examinations for degrees in arts are confined to these two ancient languages, except that the pupils must answer any questions in philosophy, history, literature and philology suggested by the passages in which they are examined. From these schools they proceed to the study of theology and other professions. The higher schools are excessively stimulated by prizes, competitions, etc. all the way up into society.* Connect the foregoing with the public maintenance of the clergy, and there appears no want of available means in Catholic France for educating a priesthood and filling its ranks to excess. ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES. The English universities and endowed schools next demand our attention. That the gospel was preached in England at a very early period, by apostolic men, if not by an apostle, and with success, there can be no reasonable doubt. It is also probable that Lucius, an English king or nobleman, performed important service in the reviving and extending of British churches, in the second century; and that not long after, efficient measures were taken for the establishment of schools for the education of the clergy. Indeed, it is affirmed that this same Lucius was the founder of the great monastery at Bangor, which flourished so remarkably in the early centuries. It was at first a college of Christian philosophy, or an academy of liberal arts and learned men; but after a time, was changed into a monastery 1 Am. Q. Reg., Vol. XI. 2 Bache's Report on Education in Europe, 1839. 8 Essays by the London Central Society of Education, Vol. I. 4 Bache. 1851.] Early English Schools. 251 under title of apostolic order. The Magdeburg Centuries speak of it as being a most noble college in the reign of Constantine, nourishing more than 2000 men in Christian studies.2 In A. D. 603, Adelfred, king of Bernicia, having laid siege to Chester, twelve hundred and fifty monks went out from this monastery with the Britons, to assist, by their prayers and encouraging exhortations, in the defence. The enraged king sent a detachment who attacked these unarmed monks with such vigor, that only fifty of them escaped. After the surrender of Chester, he took possession of Bangor, and entirely destroyed the monastery, "a building so extensive that there was a mile's distance from one gate of it to another, and it contained two thousand one hundred monks. To Iona, where was the great institution founded by Columban towards the end of the sixth century, we have already alluded. It was for several centuries the principal theological seminary of the Scottish church, and in it most of her clergy were educated. The whole island had been given to the Scotch (Irish) monks by the Picts for preaching the gospel to them. Camden's Brit., Vol. II. 401. An able account of this institution, by Rev. Dr. Pond, may be found in the A. Q. R., Vol. IX. As to the manner in which they were supported, a general remark will apply to this and all similar schools of the times, whether in England or on the continent. They were connected with monasteries. The monks maintained themselves partly by manual labor, on the lands conveyed to the institutions by their founders and patrons, partly by property bestowed upon them by richer members, who, in renouncing the world for the seclusion of a coenobite, had volunteered, according to the custom, to cast their possessions into the common stock, and partly by the contributions and legacies of "the faithful," who were disposed to sustain the cause of Christian learning, or make the sainted anchorites the almoners of their bounty to the poor.5 When Alfred succeeded to the throne of England, A. D. 871, the nation was found deeply sunk in ignorance and barbarism. Dreadful ravages had been made by the Danes, who destroyed the monasteries, burnt the libraries, butchered or dispersed the monks. Such was the ignorance of the times, that Alfred complains that he knew of no one south of the Thames, who could interpret the Latin service. 1 Usher's Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Primordiis, Chap. V. p. 132, etc. 2 Cent. IV. Ch. VII. 3 Hume's Eng. Vol. I. p. 32, Harper's Ed. * Mosheim, Vol. I. p. 381, u. 7. 5 Gib., Vol. IV. p. 384. This prince made great efforts to restore learning, and was formerly reputed the founder of Oxford University, which, according to Mr. Hume, he endowed with privileges, revenues and immunities.1 This statement of the English historian is now generally discredited. But, whoever may have been the founder of the university, there is good evidence that, as early as the end of the ninth century, "Oxford was the seat of a school of the highest intellectual activity then existing." By the end of the eleventh century, it had as good a title to be called a University as Paris. In the thirteenth century, it is said that no less than 30,000 scholars, including young and old, servitors, waiters, etc., were enrolled as connected with it. Allowing for exaggeration, it is certain that this seat of learning was thronged by immense multitudes of pupils. They were not, however, all nor chiefly theological students. The nation at large was waking to life, and thousands flocked to the great fountains of learning to satisfy the thirst for knowledge, and prepare for the various stations which intelligent society should offer. The institution, however, met with reverses, and so lost its popularity, that A. D. 1438, it was said, "out of so many thousand students reputed to have been here at a former time, not one thousand now remains to us."4 Cambridge was raised into a seat of learning first by the monks of England, who maintained their establishment for a time at a place about thirty miles north of that city. We hear of it in the eleventh century. After undergoing various fortunes like its elder sister, both universities, subsequent to the Wickliffite controversy, were abandoned by the people very much to the clergy. Oxford was miserably poor. The only university building of any importance erected before the Reformation, was a theological school, for which the university begged assistance from all quarters. "It still stands as a splendid memorial of the architecture of the reign of Edward IV." pupils were now mostly taken from the poorer classes, "so that in fact few of the academic population could support themselves." Henry VI. founded King's College, and gave many benefactions and stipends to scholars, while wealthy prelates and other great men maintained a certain number of students, at their own expense, and teachers were supported by ecclesiastical endowments and clerical benefices. Indeed, the number of students now greatly depended upon the number of endowments for their support. 6 1 Hume, Vol. I. p. 74. The 2 Huber's Hist. of the Eng. Universities, edited by F. W. Newman, A. D. 1843. 3 Ib. p, 43. 6 Huber, Vol. I. p. 171. 4 Ib. p. 168. 5 Ib. p. 168. 1851.] Revival of Classical Learning. 253 The most effective means employed, in the education of young men, especially for the ministry, was in the founding and endowing of colleges. These were intimately connected with the university, under its general supervision, making a part of it, but having property and rights of their own. They were not intended originally to support graduates, but "to assist clerical students through their course of study," which might last from ten to fifteen years. As a necessary evil, the Fellows were allowed to retain their stipends till they could secure a benefice; the college Fellows thus became gradually, "the actual stem of the university." The college system was originally, briefly this: Benevolent individuals established foundations for indigent scholars, erected buildings in which they lived, and entrusted the affairs of the institution to overseers, who, in their corporate capacity, were called a college. The system begins with 4 magistri who formed University College in Oxford, and proceeds to the 70 Fellows in King's College, Cambridge. Bishop Wykenham founded the first complete college. His endowment was named New College. It was established in the university at Oxford, and contained 70 Fellows, of whom 50 were theologians, 8 canonists, 10 chaplains, 3 choralists and 16 chorister boys. The college had 12 prebendaries as teachers, 270 free admissions for scholars. A Latin school kept at Winchester for preparatory education, was attached to the college.1 "From the first, the endowed members of the colleges either belonged by preference to the ecclesiastical order, or were destined to the church." The foundations were for students, masters of arts being considered students also, only of a higher class. These last being allowed to remain in their places till they could obtain a benefice in the Church, or were otherwise provided for, became in time so numerous as to occupy sometimes all the places, and exclude younger students. Hence, in the fifteenth century, foundations were given chiefly "to furnish a decent and permanent maintenance for poor men of learning of the clerical order," and not as mere stipends for undergraduates. The degree of Master of Arts became gradually a tacit condition of election to a Fellowship. This mode of filling the foundations was the predominating one at the end of the fifteenth century. About this time or a little before, the spirit for classical learning began to revive. Enthusiasm for this species of scholarship reached its highest point during the reign of Henry VIII. and under the in 1 Huber, Vol. I. p. 201. 2 Ibid, 203. 3 Ib. 204. |