UNIVERSITY OP ST. MARK. 



167 



was transferred from the regular clergy to secular do6lors. 

 Caspar Meneses, do£tor of medicine, and master of arts, was 

 at that time appointed re6lor, under the protection of the 

 viceroy, Don Francisco Toledo, who may be considered as 

 the real founder of this seminary of learning. 



It obtained the name of the university of St. Mark, instead 

 of that of St. Domingo, by which it had been before distin- 

 guished, in 1574, at which time many titular saints having 

 been proposed, the re6lors, masters, and prelates, proceeded 

 to draw the lots. The decision was in favour of St. Mark, 

 who was declared the patron of the establishment. A conve- 

 nient site for the ere6tion of a new building, in a central part 

 of the city, having been made choice of in 1 576, it was be- 

 gun, and has progressively risen to the size and splendour 

 which are admired at the present time. 



The illustrious prote6lor of the academy, Don Francisco 

 Toledo, being desirous that the professorships and courses of 

 public instruction should be permanently established, assigned 

 to them a fund of twenty thousand three hundred and twelve 

 piastres, arising from the tributes paid by the Indians. This 

 fund having been secured, the ledlures which were to be given 

 daily by the professors were regulated as follows : tv/o on 

 grammar ; one on the general Indian tongue, necessary at 

 that time for the propagation of the gospel ; three on philo- 

 sophy ; three on theology ; three on laws ; two on canons ; 

 and two on medicine. 



The above rent being subje6l to the decrease of the numbers 

 of the Indians on whom the contributions were levied, the 

 receipts gradually fell off, until at length it became necessary 

 to seek a more solid and secure fund for the discharge of the 



salaries 



