1797} | Free Con/litution 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A7ARLOUS circumftances of late years 
‘ have led me to obferve the extreme 
ignorance of people in general, not ex- 
cepting a very great part of the acade- 
mics, on the Conftitution of the Univer- 
fities. You would imagine, from their 
converfation, that thefe learned- bodies 
were indebted folely to the crown for 
their exiftence, and were dependent upon 
it for their fupport. But the fae is, 
thac they did not owe their exiftence at 
all to the crown; and their prefent de- 
pendence upon it is an adventitious cir- 
cumftance, in the univerfity of Cam- 
bridge, proceeding partly from artifice 
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and 
partly from the corrupt ftate in thefe 
times, of public’and private principle. 
The univerfities took their rife from 
the independent {chools of learned men: 
by degrees, they were patronized by in- 
dividuals of various defcriptions, kings, 
noblemen, prelates, citizens ; and to the 
Jatter clafs of men they are, perhaps, in- 
debted for as much of their emoluments 
as to either of the former claffes. The 
more independent they were of the court, 
the greater was, in all times, their con- 
fequence ; andthe dignities of chancellor, 
fteward, &c. were then accepted as marks 
of the moft honourable diftinétion, by the 
higheft perfonages in the ftate. 
Queen Elizabeth was zealous at all 
times for the glory of her country; but 
fhe had very imperfeé views of the li- 
berty of the fubject. She faw, with a 
jealous eye, the confequence of the lite- 
rary republic, but knew that it might be 
made an excellent engine of ftate. With 
this view, fhe gave them a new code of 
laws, which fhe had no right to do, and 
curtailed the power of the fenate, by 
making every propofition pafs througi the 
hands of a felect committee, before it 
could be fubmitted to the body at large. 
Tach member alfo of this committee, fix 
in number, had a negative upon every 
queftion. Thus it was-eafy for the court 
to prevent any new law being made, or 
any old law refcirided, without its cou- 
currence. 
This infringement of their rights was 
loudly exclaimed againft by the inde- 
pendent members of the fenate in thofe 
days; but the power of Queen Eliza- 
beth was too great to be refifted ; and 
to this bafe and unfortunate procceding 
in her reign, may be dated the want of 
energy apparent in academical procced- 
jogs. Had the fenate been left to itfelf, 
of the Univerfities. 248 
there would have been made gradual im- 
provements in the ftudies, manners, and 
difcipline of the place. Jts wifhes are 
now checked by a foreign power, incapa- 
ble of judging, and unwilling to pro-- 
mote, what is the true intereft of litera- 
ture. 
ueen Elizabeth would not do things 
by halves. She. was refolved to keep the 
body in complete fubjeétion to her, and 
for this purpofe, it was neceffary that the 
chief men in the place fhould always be 
brought within the view of the court. 
She increafed the power of the heads of 
colleges, and the whole plan is now com- 
pletely developed. An individual mem- 
ber of the univerfity, if independent af 
the court, cannot be of confequente : 
whatever he propofes will be checked by 
the committee ; and if, by means of his 
college, he become a head, the minifter 
fecures him by preferment. It is curi- 
ous that, in thefe times, they think the 
degree of doétor neceffary to the dig-. 
nity of a head, and yet fo firange is the 
modern conception of literature, thefe 
heads are generally exempted from the 
performance of thofe exercifes which 
would difcover their qualifications. 
From thefe caufes, it is in vain to exe 
peét that the reward of real merit fhould 
be preferment, or that the body should 
be capable of great exertions in literature 
and fcience. Yet, unfavourable as the 
univerfity now appears to be to real mee 
rit, there is no reafon why any opportu 
nity fhould be loft of rewarding it. There 
are ftill feveral offices in the gift of thebody 
at large; and, in fuch cafes, when the 
court does not interfere, the beft meme 
bers of the body might be brought for- 
ward to public notice. The conftitu- 
tion of the colleges is very good in this 
refpect : the electors in thefe bodies are 
bound upon oath, by their founders, to 
eleét men of merit only into their fcho- 
larfhips, fellowfhips, and mafterfhips, 
without regard to partiality, kindred, 
affe€tion or enmity. The fame princi- 
ple, 1f adopted by the body,’ would give 
confequence to itfelf, and to the objeéts 
of its choice. But I hear eleétors fre- 
quently faying; ‘the office is of no con- 
fequence ; any body may do the bufi- 
nefs of it. “Lhus I have heard men 
{peak of the office of E{quire Bedel, not 
confidering that the place was once oc- 
cupied by the preient bithop of Uondon; 
and that, by the original inftitution of 
this office, a confiderabie degree of {cho- 
larfhip was thought requifite forthe dif 
charge of the duties annexed to it. “Lo 
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