4 D, J. Cunningham, 



There is some doubt as to the precise date at which the Univer- 

 sity of Bologna took origin. One writer considers that it is the lineal 

 descendant of a learned institute, which existed when Bologna was an 

 Etruscan City, called Felsina. With more modesty, but with little 

 more truth, the foundation of the University is ascribed to Theodo- 

 sius IL, in the year 447. 



The date which has been fixed by the University authorities 

 themselves is 1088, but there is no documentary evidence to show 

 that this is correct. All that is known is that somewhere about this 

 time a private school of law sprang into existence. Pepo and Irnerius, 

 the illustrious expounder of Roman Law, are the teachers whose names 

 are especially associated with the origin of the Studium ^). 



Soon the fame of this self-instituted school began to be noised 

 abroad, and before long students thronged to it from every quarter 

 of Europe. I do not exaggerate when I say that they came in thou- 

 sands. In consideration of this, and of the fact that the common 

 language employed in teaching and writing was Latin, well might 

 Carducci, in his striking commemoration address, exclaim — "0 Italy, 

 beloved country! in the miseries of thy bondage thou didst delight in 

 imagining the eagles of victory again flying forth from the Seven Hills 

 over all nations; but, perchance, thy true glory, thy noblest revenge, 

 were to be sought for at Bologna, where, with the tongue of the 

 ancient empire, thou didst proclaim to the very nations who had 

 oppressed thee the new gospel of civilisation, and didst teach them to 

 throw off the yoke of barbarism and again become Roman" ^)! 



Gradually other branches of learning were added to law, and the 

 Bolognese University gained new celebrity as a centre of philosophy 

 and letters, knd finally came medicine, but not until the thirteenth 

 century. Thus Tiraboschi, in his History of Italian Literature, tells 



^) Among other ancient Universities may be mentioned Paris, founded in 1107; 

 Modena in 1150; Oxford in 1200; Cambridge in 1250. Compared with these, Trinity 

 College, Dublin, is comparatively speaking recent. It was founded in 1591, but it 

 did not make a fair start until 1594. In six years, therefore, its ter-centenary will 

 be reached. 



*) This passage is taken from the admirable translation of Professor Carducci's 

 address, which is given in Professor Kirkpatrick's little book entitled "The Octo- 

 cenienary Festival of the Bologna university." 



