1801, ] 
As I conceive it impoffible to reconcile 
accounts which vary fo very materially, 
Y Jeave thofe who poffefs better means of 
information on thefe fubjects, to deter- 
mune which approach neareft the truth. 
Your's, &c. 
Lendot, Dec, 4, 1800. .B3 
C oeeeimee etal 
Yo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
VIVAE very extenfive information com- 
4 manicated by your valuable Maga- 
zine on literary purfuits, induces me to 
think that many of your readers will be 
interefted in the late attempt at Oxford 
to revive a {pirit of ftudy in that ancient 
feminary. ‘Their decree to thet purpofe, 
in Latin, contained in eleven quarto pages, 
is now before me, and though it may feem 
to be a little too minute on fome points, 
and not to hold out fufficient excitements 
on others, it cannot be doubted that time 
will meliorate the plan, and perhaps there 
are fufficient grounds for imagining that 
afcer a few years Oxford may vie with or 
even furpafs its filter in the ftrictnefs of 
its examinations. It is well known that 
at Cambridge the examinations for a ba- 
chelor’s degree give a greatcr opportu- 
nity tor young men to diftingvith them- 
{elves than is perhaps to be found in any 
part of the world. The higher men are 
claffed according to their merits, and with 
very great impartiality. This, with the 
exercifes in the fchools for the year pre- 
ceding their degree, gives an energy to 
the minds of the young men, and lays the 
foundation for future promotion. But 
there are fome difadvantages attending 
the Cambridge plan, which I may here- 
after fuggeft to you; for the prefent I 
fhall be content with the notice of the 
chief features of the new {cheme at Ox- 
ford. 
The univerfity has decreed that every 
man fthall be fubject to examinatioa be- 
fore he is admitted to petition for his firft 
ov bachelor’s degree. For this examina- 
tion fix examiners are to be appointed, 
two to be named by the vice-chancellor, 
and two by each of the proctors; and the 
nomination is fubject to the approbation 
of the convocation, with this provifo, that 
there cannot be two examiners from the 
fame college or hall. Of thefe examiner 
three are to go out yearly, and in their 
places are to be fubfticuted three others, 
to be named and approved of ‘as before. 
‘Thefe examiners take an oath on admif= 
fion into their office, that they will per- 
form it with fidelity, and three mutt be 
prefent at each examination. 
On each day of examination, excep 
New Plaw of Examinations at Onfard. £07 
the laft day of term, when a lefs number 
may be admitted, fix under graduates are 
to be examined in the prefence of the 
whole univerfity. And after Hilary term of 
the year 1802, no {cholar is to be admitted 
to be examined unlefs he has, in the year 
preceding the day of his intended exami-' 
nation, been prefent at two examinations, 
- which is to be attefted by two witnefles. 
Me 
The metaphyfical fchool is the place af= 
figned for the examinations ; the days. are 
to be appointed by the fenior proor: 
the time for examination is fixed from 
ten in the morning till one in the afters 
noon. 
The arts and {ciences determined for 
the fubje&ts of examination are the fol= 
lowing: For the degree of bachelor of 
arts, grammar, rhetoric, logic, moral phi- 
lofophy, and the elements of mathematics 
and natural philofophy : 
For-the degree of bachelor of the civil 
law, grammar, rhetoric, logic, moral phi-~ 
lofophy, hiftory, jurifprudence, and the 
elements of mathematics and natural phi- 
lofophy : . 
For the degree of mafter of arts, ma- 
thematics, natural philofophy, metaphy- 
fics, and the Hebrew language. ; 
But it is left to the examiners to exa« 
mine at difcretion each candidate in all or 
in any of the ftudies appointed for each 
degree. 
Befides, every candidate is to be exa« 
mined in the claifics; and three books, at 
leaft, from different Greek and Latin au- 
thors of the beft ages, are to be ufed upon 
this occafion. He is alfo to fhew his 
power of exprefiing his thoughts in La- 
tin, by tranflating fome Enelith bock into 
Latin, or by any other way which the 
examiners may choofe, and the examiners 
may ufe Enghih or Latin in their exami- 
nations. An indifpenfable requifite alfo 
is a knowledge of the rudiments of reli- 
gion and the thirty-nine articles. 
After the examination, all leave the 
{chools except the examiners, three of 
whom muft fign the teftimonial of each” 
candidate; and, if any candidate is un- 
worthy of fuch a teftimonial, he cannot 
apply for another examination till fix 
months have expired. 
In each term the vice-chancellor is to 
be prefent at leaft twice, and the pro@tors 
at leait four: times, at the examinations: 
Each candidate for a degree is to. pay 
tweity fiuilings, and each examiner is to 
receive for each year that he is in office 
fifty pounds. 
‘The examinations above-mentioned are 
matters of neceility, which can be fuper- | 
feded only by others of choice, which ave 
called extraordinary examinations, and are’ 
to be beld in the third week, and the fol- 
2° a lowing 
