THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 

 MONTHLY 



LIBRARY; 



JANUARY, 1908 



THE INSTITUTE OF FEANCE AXD OTHER LEARNED 

 SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES 



By Dr. EDWARD F. WILLIAMS 

 CHICAGO, ILL. 



II 



Great Educational Institutions in Paris, Literary 



and Scientific 



The College of France 



One of the more noted of these institutions is the College of France. 

 This college has filled a large place in French history, and contributed 

 not a little to French culture. It is as flourishing to-day as ever. Its 

 history is interesting. In 1529, yielding to the desire of William 

 Bude, provost of the merchants, a scholar as well as a merchant, and 

 especially fond of Greek;, Francis I. began the college by founding two 

 chairs, one for Greek and one for Hebrew. Fearing heresy if such 

 studies as these were encouraged, .or even permitted, Noel Budn. syndic 

 of the theological faculty of the University of Paris, sought to dissuade 

 the king from his purpose. In this he signally failed. In 1530 a 

 second chair was added for Hebrew, a second for Greek also and one 

 for mathematics. Not long after this instructors were provided in 

 Latin eloquence, philosophy and medicine. Poor Buck's cup was full. 

 But he was powerless. Charles IX. established a chair of surgery, 

 Henri III. one for Arabic, while Henri IV. added chairs for botany 

 and astronomy and completed, as he thought, the work which Francis I. 

 had so wisely begun. At that time there were about 500 students in 

 the college. Its work, always excellent, remained essentially the same 

 for many years. August 1619, the year the Pilgrims were preparing 

 to leave Holland for America, Louis XIII. laid the corner-stone of a 

 new building, and enriched the course of study by founding fellow- 

 ships of common law and Syriac. Louis XY. introduced the study of 



