UNIVERSITY. 



They are called umiierjutes, or univerfal fchools, becaiife 

 the four faculties arc fuppofed to make the i^rand world, or 

 whole compafs of (ludy ; or rather, hecaufe they form one 

 whole out of many individuals. 



In the eye of the law, an univerfity is held a mere lay 

 body, or community ; though, in reality, it be a mixed 

 body, compofed partly of laymen, and partly of eccle- 

 fiaftics. See Cohpokation. 



The definition of the term un'tverptas, by foreign civi- 

 lians, anfwers nearly to our common law term of body po- 

 litic or corporate ; and fuch towns as had this appellation in 

 Germany, &c. might hold lands and rents in common, and 

 do all other afts as one aggregate body. And in this fenfe, 

 the word umverjittis came to be applied to fuch academics 

 for learning as were incorporated, which archbifhop Ulher 

 thinks began about the year 1250. 



UnivL-rfities had their firft rife in the twelfth and thirteenth 

 centuries. Thofe of Paris and Bologna pretend to be the 

 firft that were fet on foot ; but then they were on a very dif- 

 ferent footing from the univerfities among us. 



The univerfity of Paris is faid to have commenced under 

 Charlemagne, and to owe its rife to four Englifhmen, difci- 

 ples of Venerable Bede, who, going to that city, made a 

 propofal to fet up and fell learning, and accordingly held 

 their firft leftures in places affigncd them by that prince : 

 fuch is the account given by Gaguin, Gilies, De Bauvais, 

 &c. Though the authors who wrote in thofe days, as 

 Eginhard, Aimon, Rcginon, Sigebert, &c. make not the 

 leaft mention of this memorable faft. 



Add, that Pafquier, Du Tillet, &c. declare openly 

 againft the opinion ; and affert, that the firft foundations 

 were not laid till the time of Lewis the Young, and Phihp 

 Augufte, in the twelfth century. The earliclt mention we 

 find made of the univerfity of Paris, is in Regordus, who 

 lived in that age, and who was contemporary with Peter 

 Lombard, the maftcr of the fentences, the great glory of 

 that univerfity ; in memory of whom an anniverfary has been 

 long obferved by that body in the church of St. Marcel, 

 where he lies buried. 



But it is certain it was not eftablifhed all at once ; it ap- 

 pears to have been at firft no other than a public fchool in 

 the cathedral churcli ; from which it grew, by little and 

 little, under the favour and proteAion of the kings, into a 

 regular body. 



Our own univerfities, Oxford and Cambridge, fecm inti- 

 tled to the greateft antiquity of any in the world ; and Uni- 

 verfity, Baliol, and Mcrton colleges in Oxford, and Peter's 

 in Cambridge, all made colleges in the thirteenth century, 

 may be faid to be the firft regular endowments of this kind 

 in Europe. 



For though Univerfity college in Oxford had been a 

 place for (Indents ever fince the year 872, yet this, like 

 many of the other ancient colleges beyond fea, and Leyden 

 to this day, was no proper college ; but the ftudents, with- 

 out any diftinftion of habits, lived in citizen's houfcs, having 

 only meeting-places to hear Icftures, and to difpute. 



In after-times, there were houfes built for the ftudents to 

 live in fociety ; only each to be at his own charge, as in the 

 inns of court. Thefe, at firft, were called inns, but now 

 halls. 



At laft plentiful revenues were fettled on fcveral of thefe 

 halls, to maintain the ftudents in diet, apparel, &c. and 

 thefe were then called colleges. 



The univerfities of Oxford and Cambridge are governed, 

 next under tiie king, by a chancellor, who is to take care of 

 the government of the whole univerfity, to maintain its 

 liberties, £cc, 



Under the chancellor is the liigh-fteward, whole ofHce is to 

 afilft the chancellor, and other officers, when required, in 

 the execution of their offices, and to hear and determine 

 capital caufos, according to the laws of the land, and the 

 privileges of the univerfity. See Umveijtly Court. 



Tfie next officer is the vice-chanco'llor, who officiates for 

 the chancellor in his abfence. 



In the univerfity of Oxford there arc four pro -vice-chan- 

 cellors : in the univerfity of Cambridge, the vice-chancellor, 

 and five others, conftitute the caput, which every univerfity 

 grace mull pafs before it can be introduced into the fenate. 



There are alfo two proftors, who affift in the government 

 of the univerfity, particularly in the bufinefs of ichool-exer- 

 cife, the taking up degrees, punifliing violators of the fla- 

 tutes, &c. 



In the univerfity of Cambridge there are alfo two mode- 

 rators, two fcrutators, and two taxors. In this univerfity 

 there are nineteen profefTors, befides lady Margaret's 

 preacher : in that of Oxford there are twenty-one profef- 

 fors, including the readers in anatomy and chemiftry. Add 

 to thefe a public orator, keeper of records, librarians, regif- 

 ter, efquire and yeoman beadles, clerk, and verger. See 

 College. See alfo Camishidge and Oxford. 



For the degrees taken up in each faculty, with the exer- 

 cifes, &c. requifite to them, fee Degree. 



The univerfities of Scotland are four, -viz. that of St. An- 

 drew's; that of Glafgow, that of Aberdeen, and that of Edin- 

 burgh. See each place refpeftively, and alfo Scotland. 



In noticing the different European univerfities, under the 

 names of the refpeftive cities and towns in which they are 

 eftabliflied, we have detailed tlie hiftories and prominent 

 events of each. Under the prefcnt head it was our intention 

 to have inquired into the progrefTive and prefent ftate of 

 claffical learning and fcience, as thefe have been oftenfibly 

 influenced by the univerfities ; and at the time of writing 

 the account of Oxford, for a previous volume, it was our 

 wiili to have inveiligated, with caution and candour, the 

 ftate of difciphne and tuition of the moft eminent univer- 

 fities of Europe. The fubjeft is certainly of intereft and 

 importance ; and it is rather fingular, that in the vaft range 

 of literary inquiry and difquifition which charaAerizes 

 the prefent age, we have not a work devoted to a compara- 

 tive view and impartial elucidation of the pradlical fyftems 

 of the national fchools. For fome centuries paft thefe have 

 been regarded as effential to complete the itudies of the 

 fcholar and gentleman : to thefe nearly all the national efta- 

 blifhments, and even the legiflative afferablies, have looked 

 with refpetl bordering on reverence. Laws have conferred 

 on them many important dignities, privileges, and immum- 

 ties ; their riches and influence have progrelfively incrcafed ; 

 and their powers of direftiiig the minds and talents of their 

 rofpettive pupils, and confequently the countries in which 

 they are placed, are of the higheft refpoiifibility. To elu- 

 cidate thefe fafts with any degree of fatisfaction, would oc- 

 cupy a large volume. We mull defpair of effecting it in a 

 work like the prefent, and therefore content ourfelves with 

 a few remarks and references. Dy examining the confti- 

 tutioiis of the Britifii univerfities, and the flatutes of the 

 different colleges, we fliall ohferve that a laudable and liberal 

 fpirit adlnated the original founders ; and we ni.ili alfo readily 

 perceive that they have produced great and good etieCls on 

 the morahs and literature of the louiitry. But it will .-Jfo 

 .ij)pear, that many of tlieir ordir unces an I laws, having been 

 adapted to an age and ftate of fociety very diffi-reiit from the 

 prefent, are now become either obfukte, ulelels, or, what 

 is much worle, injurious. Thefe (hould be remodelled : for 

 as the natural tendency of mankind is to advance in know- 



10 ledge. 



