THE UNIVERSITY IDEAL. 4 6i 



the University of Paris, which is the prototype of our Scottish univer- 

 sities, as of so many others, taught nothing but philosophy in other 

 words, had no faculty but arts for many years. Neither theology, 

 mediciue, nor law had existence there till the thirteenth century. 



Second, the system of conferring degrees, after appropriate trials. 

 These were at first simply a license to teach. They acquired their 

 commanding importance through the action of Pope Nicholas I, who 

 gave to the graduates of the University of Paris the power of teach- 

 ing everywhere, a power that our own countrymen were the foremost 

 to turn to account. 



Third, the organization of the primitive university. Europe was 

 unsettled ; even in the capitals, the civil power was often unhinged. 

 Wherever multitudes came together, there was manifested a spirit of 

 turbulence. The universities often exemplified this fact ; and it was 

 found necessary to establish a government within themselves. The 

 basis was popular ; but, while in Paris only the teaching body was 

 incorporated, in Bologna the students had a voice. They elected the 

 rector, and his jurisdiction was very great indeed, and much more im- 

 portant than speechifying to his constituents. His court had the 

 power of internal regulation, with both a civil and criminal jurisdic- 

 tion. The Scotch universities, on this point, followed Bologna ; and 

 that fact is the remote cause of this day's meeting. 



So started the university. The idea took ; and, in thi*ee centuries, 

 many of the leading towns in Italy, France, the German Empire, had 

 their universities ; in England arose Oxford and Cambridge ; the 

 model was Paris or Bologna. 



Scotland did not at first enter the race of university founding, but 

 worked on the plan of the cuckoo, by laying its eggs in the nests of 

 others. For two centuries, Scotchmen were almost shut out of Eng- 

 land ; and so could not make for themselves a career in Oxford and 

 Cambridge, as in later times. They had, however, at home, good gram- 

 mar-schools, where they were grounded in Latin. They perambulated 

 Europe, and were familiar figures in the great university towns, and 

 especially Paris. From their disputatious and metaphysical attitude 

 they worked their upward way : 



" And gladly would they learn and gladly teach." 



At length, the nation did take up the work in good earnest. In 

 1411 was founded the first of the St. Andrews' Colleges ; 1451 is the 

 date of Glasgow ; 1494, King's College, Aberdeen. These are the pre- 

 Reformation colleges ; but for the Reformation, we might not have 

 had any other. Their founders were ecclesiastics ; their constitution 

 and ceremonial were ecclesiastical. They were intended, no doubt, 

 to keep the Scotch students at home. They were also expected to 

 serve as bulwarks to the Church against the rising heretics of the 

 times. In this they were disappointed ; the first-begotten of them 

 became the cradle of the Reformation. 



