OXFORD. 
dangerous levity - manners, that tumults were continually 
breaking out, and caufed great alarm and difquiet in the 
town. had fometimes even the audacity to interfere 
in political matters en prince Edward marched to- 
a ales, after ‘his return ‘re a rance, the sel a 
having forbid him entrance into wn, on account of 
the difturbed ftate of the realm, the fcholars aoa anded to 
be Jet out to meet and falute him at his quarters without the 
walls. But this being denied by the bailiffs, they armed 
themfelves and broke open one of the gates, when a furious 
{cuffle enfued, and terminated in the complete rout of the 
townfmen. In confequence of this the king, who was on 
the eve of holding a parliament at Oxford, required the 
ftudents to retire from the town until the parliamentary 
fitting was concluded. The chief part of them therefore 
repaired to Northampton; and here they became implicated 
in a more ferious affair than that which had eagancin their 
the 
ir 
would have 
proceeded againft them with the utmo i 
furrender, had his vengeance not beer reftrained by pruden- 
tial motives, 
n fuch i alee i as we have defcribed, it may 
of the age, which was coe beeen with the fubtleties 
of the Ariftotelian spot ae ae the mytteries of theo- 
logical belief. The no » however, will be al- 
ways memorable in ae ene of the univerfity, on account 
an important acquifition of private patronage which pre- 
Previous to that period the 
s one gfeat 
umerous quarrels which were conftantly 
between them eo teksty ne tia as well 
n rit modi 
and at length fupplanted that which had fo long prevailed 
for the foundation of religious houfes, the nurferies of fu- 
perftition and fcholaftic fophiftry 
reign 0 ward I. is aarked with no very intereft. 
eee had little er ae to attend to the a 
learning. Some privileges, ponibai were conferred on the 
univerfity i in his time; and towards the conclufion of his 
reign a violent difpute arofe laa the univerfity, for fuch 
the {chool eftablifhments here had now really become, and the 
bifhop of Lincoln, in whofe diocefe Oxford was then in- 
cluded. This difpute related to the limits of the bifhop’s 
jurifdiGion in univerfity matters, and ultimately led to the 
total emancipation of the learned bedy from ‘ecclefiattical 
authority, under the fanction of a papal bull, granted by 
pope Boniface in kes year 1301 
dward II. ted many a adits ional privileges to the 
univerfity, and A ae all the grants of his predeceffors. 
made Ns both fides to the 
pope, ee rather Geka to favour the friars, granted them 
an exemption from the chancellor’s jurifdi@ion. But the 
king, at the interceffion of the univerfity, decreed that this 
deed fhould be held as void, and ordered that fuch of the 
friars as refufed to acknowledge the chancellor’s authority 
within the precin¢ts of the univeriity, fhould be punifhed with 
the utmof rigour. In this monarch's reign /elures were firft 
inftituted in the Hebrew language. The original = 
John de Briftol, a converted Jew, ts faid to have eae: man 
of greater {cience and erudition than was common ane age, 
and his le€tures were received with the ees pene 
wonder to fucceeding ages, hjs vaft and capacious mind did 
not forget the interefts of literature. He effeéted many re- 
gulations in the police of the town, highly ufeful, and calcu- 
lated to promote the health and comfort of the numerous 
ftudents by which it was frequented. While he added pro- 
greflively to the power of 
verfity, he was equally careful to increafe the confequence 
and fecurity of the fcholars. He took the moft decided 
fures to root out the ancient animolity arifing from differ. 
ence of country as to north and fouth, which had given birth 
to many dangerous tumults, and endeavoured to turn the 
current of jealoufy into the channel of emulation. The ftate 
of fociety, however, had not yet advanced far enough to 
teach men to reftrain their ardour in debate within the bounds 
Among the more celebrated of the dissents at ‘he period, 
ormer was the 
pope himfelf by the influence of his oratory. He was 
y his holinefs the Invincible Doétor, and his antagonifl 
the ead Doétor 
plague, which occurred in 1349, nearly ruined the 
nee ity 3 all t colleges and halls having been deferted 
and fhut up dace its prevalence. When its rage ceafed, 
however, the fcholars began to return, and by flow degrees 
their ftudies were again refumed,. nrham college was 
founded fhortly after this eis and ae Edward, in order 
to reftore the univerfity to its ancient folendour, confirmed 
all the former charters, and grant nted fome new privileges 
The reign of Richard IL. is diftinguifhed by the appear- 
ance at this univerfity, of one of ihe brighteft luminaries that 
had hitherto enlightened the religious hemifphere. We allude 
to Dr. John boar aman whofe name is yet defervediy 
venerated by all who regard the reformation as an occurrence 
fa ale ae to ens a of Chriftianity, and to the pro- 
giefs of the hum This eminent chara¢ter was ie 
eft warden of Cintetay college; and itwas at Oxfor 
ee 
