PART II. The Teutonic gradu illy have already noted that the English nation' at Paris was CHAP. III, known after the year 1430 as the German 'nation'; but within ten years from that time the German 'nation' had in turn become temporarily defunct, for neither master nor student remained'. The new universities, it is true, were constituted at a trying period, when scholasticism was beginning to yield before the new learning, and an age of revolution was not that in which young institutions, conceived in conformity with old traditions, were likely to find steady and continuous developement. But, notwithstanding, they element each exerted more or less influence over a certain radius, withd cawn and the students attracted to each new centre were, in considerable proportion, diverted from the schools of Paris; others again were driven from France into Germany by the persecutions which Louis XI revived against the nominalists; and the professors of the Sorbonne and of Navarre, as they scanned the once densely crowded lecture rooms, could scarcely have failed to be aware that the representatives of the Teutonic races were gradually disappearing from their midst,— perhaps sometimes recalled, not without misgiving, how largely the teachers whom that race had given to their uni sur les deux Premiers Siècles de l'Université de Louvain, par le Baron de Reiffenberg. Bruxelles, 1829. None of these fifteenth century universities shew any advance in their conception upon the traditional ideas. Leipzic, founded in 1409, adopted in the first instance the course of study at Prague (founded 1348) with scarcely any modification. See Die Statutenbücher der Universität Leipzic, aus den Ersten 150 Jahren Ihres Bestehens. Von Friedrich Zarncke, p. 311. Item die et loco, quibus supra, placuit magistris pro tunc facultatem repraesentantibus, quod libri pro gradibus magisterii et baccalariatus in universitate Pragensi similiiter hic permanere debeant sine addicione et diminucione ad annum. Quo finito possit fieri mutacio, addicio vel diminucio juxta placitum facultatis. Et idem placuit de parvis loycalibus Maulfelt pro exerciciis et ordinario servandis ad idem tempus et postea juxta voluntatem facultatis The ulterius continuandis vel immutandis Thurot, De l'Organisation de from Paris. PART II. CHAP. III. versity had contributed to her ancient fame. In the decline that thus befel the university of Paris the English universities undoubtedly shared; the cessation of their former interchange of thought was a loss to both nations; and not least among the disadvantages that resulted to Oxford and Cambridge is the fact that Gerson's remarkably able exposition of the Aristotelian nominalism appears to have altogether failed to arrest the attention of our countrymen, and that nearly two centuries elapsed before philosophy in England resumed the thread of speculation as it had fallen from the hands of the great chancellor of Paris. The action of the Statute of Provisors to the universities. Besides the forcible suppression of Wyclif's doctrines, prejudicial and isolation from the continent, a third cause affected yet more closely the material prosperity of Oxford and Cambridge, the action of the statute of Provisors. That statute, after having been repeatedly confirmed, was found to be so inimical in its operation to the interests of learning that it began to be regarded with disfavour. Even so early as the year 1392, the council of state had advised some relaxation of its enactments, their recommendation being expressly urged with a view to the relief of the universities. In the year 1400 the house of commons is found petitioning the new monarch with a like object; and in the year 1416 we are confronted by the somewhat startling fact, that the depressed state of the clergy and the rise of 'great and intolerable heresies' are attributed by the same assembly to the operation of the same statute'. Patronage, it had been 1 Item suppliount tres humblement voz Communes, que come jadys la Clergie de la Roialme fuist cressant et flourant et profitant en voz Universitees d'Oxenford et Cantebregge, p Doctours en Divinitee, en les Leyes Canon et Civill, et pour autres de meyndre degree, a graund confort, consolation, et haut profit de toute Seinte Eglise, et votre poeple Cristian d'Engleterre environ, a ore en contraire d' einsy, que l'estatuit de Provision et encountre Provisours fuit fait par Parlement, la Clergie en les ditz Universitees lamentablement est extincte, et en plusours parties despise, a graunt anientisment de Seinte Esglise, et sur ces pur defaut que les diz Clerkes etudiantz en les voz ditz Universitees, ne sonnt pas avaunciez, promotz, et nuricez, en leur emprise honeste et vertue, et si pur taunt que la dite Clergie n'est comforte et nuricee, grauntz et intollerables Errours et Heresyes envers Dieu, et Homme, et rebellion et obstinacie encountre Vous, tres soverain Sg". entre les commune ple de votre Roialme sount nadgairs ensurdez, encountre auncien doctrine de noz Seintz Piers, et determination a tout Seint Esglise; et si l'avaunt ditz Universities ount mys en hautz PART II. Papal less injurious patronage. found, could be as much abused in England as at Rome; and CHAP. III. its exercise by their fellow-countrymen had proved specially disastrous to students. The prevalent indifference to learn- patronage ing shewed itself in the nomination of uneducated men to than home valuable benefices; while the claims of those trained at Oxford and Cambridge were altogether passed by. The papal patronage had rarely been characterised by partiality so unjust foreigners had indeed been generally appointed to the more valuable benefices, but when the election lay between Englishman and Englishman, the pope had rarely failed to shew some appreciation of merit, though it might be only that of the civilian and the canonist'. But at home nepotism, or yet more mercenary motives, prevailed over all other considerations, and the predilections of the English patron proved but a poor exchange for those of Rome and Avignon: while preferments fell all around the universities, they, like Gideon's fleece, remained unvisited by the refreshing shower'. Precisely similar had been the experience of the university of Paris. In the year 1408, we find Charles VI recognising by royal letter the inefficient working of home Paris. patronage. It had been determined that a thousand benefices should be set apart for the university, and four prelates had been selected to recommend, from time to time, those graduates whom they might deem most worthy. But throughout the country those on whom it directly devolved to carry out these recommendations had for the most part treated them with contempt, and presented ignorant and unfit persons. A like complaint was urged in the latter part of the century, when it was alleged that the Pragmatic Sanction had utterly failed to secure a fair consideration of the claims of graduates to church preferment. This very noteworthy Similar ex perience of the university of CHAP. III. phase of the religious history of the fifteenth century has PART II. been but lightly treated or wholly slurred over by most of our recent historians, but the comment of Huber places it appreciation in its true light:-'It is not,' he says, 'to be inferred that Huber's criticism contains a just of the facts. church patronage was any the better bestowed when confined to native holders and native clergy; and it is certain that the universities in particular gained nothing by the anti-Romish system. In fact, after the end of the fourteenth century, their complaints against the Præmunire are still more frequent and violent than they had been against the papal provisions; insomuch that they occasionally extorted from the king exceptions in their own favour. These were mere temporary alleviations; but at the time of the great assemblies of the Church the grievance was urged so forcibly, that the king and prelates, not choosing to open the way again for Rome, sought for another remedy. In the convocation of 1417, the patrons of livings were ordered to fill up their appointments in part from university students, according to a fixed arrangement. In practice however the universities were the first to object to the working of the system; nor did the patrons adhere to the rule prescribed. The same orders were re-enacted by the prelates in 1438, but without effect; which is not strange, considering the political aspect of the times. The universities gained no relief, and continued to reiterate their complaints. Thus both the Romish and the national systems failed to co-operate aright with the academico-ecclesiastical institutions; and whichever system was at work appeared by far the more oppressive of the two. From this criticism we are enabled to understand more clearly how it was that the university les bénéfices qui estoient et seront 1 Huber, English Universities, I presentation was invaded by the papal claims, had originally provoked the complaints which the reader has so frequently noticed, and now were ready to submit to a minor sacrifice, rather than allow the repeal of the statutes which secured to them the influence of patronage, and shielded them from the interference of the pontiffs.' Hist. of England III 539. PART II. of Paris, following in the steps of Gerson, re-enacted the CHAP. III. Pragmatic Sanction; while the English universities led by the Ultramontane party sought to set aside the statute of Provisors. At Cambridge indeed there can be no question Ultrathat the influence of that party predominated throughout tendencies at the century, and of this another proof is afforded by the celebrated Barnwell Process in the year 1430. montanist Cambridge. WELL PRO authority of Ely reassert ed over the We have already seen that one of the earliest measures The BARNascribed to Hugh Balsham had for its object the more Cess, 1430. accurately defining the jurisdiction respectively claimed by his own archdeacon, by the Magister Glomeric, and the chancellor of the university. The equitable spirit in which his decision was conceived bore fruit in the comparative absence at Cambridge of disputes like those which harassed the university of Paris; and indeed throughout the history of our universities the absence of vexatious interference on the part of the diocesan authorities is a noticeable feature. If we admit the pretensions Diocesan asserted by the university, the immunity was founded upon the bishops of ancient and indefeasible rights'; but occasionally a bishop university by of Ely appeared who called these rights in question, and Arundel, endeavoured to establish his own right of interference. In this manner, during the tenure of the see by Arundel, the question of the allegiance of the chancellor of the university to the bishop of the diocese, had been raised by the refusal of John de Donewyc, who had a second time been elected chancellor, to take the oath of canonical obedience to the bishop. Arundel was not the man to submit to any abatement of his authority without a struggle, and he cited the chancellor to take the oaths on a specified day. The dispute was finally carried before the Court of Arches and decided in the bishop's favour. It is probably as the result |