Recapitu la t ion . 31'^ 



stitutions on individuals of distinguished erudi- 

 tion commenced in the twelfth century; when 

 the emperor Lotharius, having found in Italy a 

 copy of the Roman civil law, ordained that it 

 should be publicly expounded in the schools: and 

 that he might give encouragement to the study, 

 he further ordered, that the public professors of 

 this law should be dignified with the title of doc- 

 tors*. Not long afterward the practice of creat- 

 ing doctors was borrowed from the lazvijers by 

 divines, who, in their schools, publicly taught di- 

 vinity, and conferred degrees on tht)se who had 

 made great proficiency in this science f. 



From this period till the beginning of the eigh- 

 teenth century the conferring of literary honours 

 was generally conducted, by the respectable uni- 

 -versities of Europe, in a cautious, discriminating, 

 and judicious manner. And even in the former 

 half of the century under review, these honours 

 were bestowed with much comparative reserve 

 and deliberation J. But in the latter half of this 

 period, the practice of literary institutions in 



* The first person created a doctor, after this ordinance of the 

 emperor, was Bulgarus Hugolinus, who was greatly distinguished 

 for his learning and literary labour. 



f This practice of conferring degrees in divinity was first 

 adopted in the universities of Bologna, Paris, and Oxford.— r- 

 See Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana, b. iv, p. 134. 



X It is remarkable that th^ celebrated Dr. Sanauel Johnson, 

 when he had made great proficiency in literature, could not ob- 

 tain the degree of master of arts from Trinity college, Dublin, 

 though powerful interest wa^ made in his behalf for this purpose- 

 Instances of the failure of applications of a similar kind, made 

 in favour of characters st!?"' mo-e distinguished than Johnson was 

 at that period, are also on record. • 



