tinued according to the pleasure of the cause, in the oath taken by masters of hearers: and that, on the same day, and in arts, they swore to promote peace among the same place, William de Levenax began the four faculties, especially with the faculty a title in the civil law. But we are not of theology. A school of canon law is told how long it pleased the hearers that mentioned as being in disrepair, and to be these lectures should be continued.—In | repaired out of the university purse; and another memorandum we are told, that, on it appears that degrees were conferred both the 23d of March, in the year 1521, Robert in that faculty and in theology. Andreas Lile, bachelor in theology, and prior of the de Garlies, Doctor in Medicinis, was incorconvent of predicant friars in Glasgow,porated in 1469; but his name is never began, pro forma, to read a lecture on the mentioned again, nor anything else that fourth book of the sentences, in the monas- relates to medicine. It is probable, there tery; in presence of the rector, dean of fore that there was no faculty of medicine, faculty, and the rest of the masters; John nor any teaching in that science. Of the Ade, professor of theology, and provincial of teaching in the faculty of arts we have more the order in Scotland, presiding at the time. full information, from two manuscripts in III. Degrees.-A third division was ac- parchment ;-one of which contains the cording to the academical degree of every statutes of that faculty, and its conclusions; member. The highest degree in theology, and the other the minutes of its meetings, canon, and civil law, was that of Doctor; and transactions, from 1451 to 1509, aud and in the arts, that of Master. In some from 1535 to 1555. These manuscripts universities, Masters of Arts are called Doc- were transcribed by order of the University tors of Philosophy; but in most they are in 1769. distinguished by the name of Master, from those who have the highest degree in any of the higher faculties. A master, however, might be chosen to be rector, or a deputatus, as well as doctor. In all the faculties, there were two degrees by which a man rose to the highest: these were Bachelor and Licentiate. The degree of Licentiate, as well as that of Doctor or Master, was conferred only by the chancellor or vicechancellor. The requisites to all the degrees was a certain time of study, and the having heard certain books prelected upon, and certain exercises and examinations: in Bachelors of the Arts fifteen years of age, and in Masters twenty. It was forbidden, undera heavy penalty, to give any man the title of Master, by word or writing, who had not attained that degree; and the penalty was still more heavy if any man took it to himself before he had lawfully obtained it. Academical degrees were considered as of divine institution, (probably because instituted by Popes, who were thought to be nspired by the Holy Ghost); and, therefore, the chancellor or vice-chancellor conferred them authoritate divina, et in nomine Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. IV. Teaching.-The last division we shall mention, is into teachers, and those who were taught. On this part of the constitution, the records that are extant leave us much in the dark. We know that four faculties were established; be * Originally Magister, Doctor, and Professor were convertible terms.-H. The License was originally properly granted by the Chancellor, and usually preceded the highest Degree, or admission to a Faculty, by a year. This aunction of the Chancellor-who, in the older univer. ities was always the Ecclesiastical Ordinary or his mandatory-was the continuance of a right exercised prior to the origin of universities, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.-H. Pædagogium.-Some years after the University was founded, many of the students were young men, to whom tuition, as well as teaching, was necessary; and, therefore, provision was made that they should live and eat in one house, which was called Pelagogium, or the College of Arts; where they were taught and governed by certain masters, who were called Regentes in Arti bus.* This college was at first on the south side of the Rotten-row, and probably was a part of the property of the bishop and chapter; but afterwards a tenement was bequeathed by Lord Hamilton, for the College of Arts, where the college now stands. Regents. At first there were three regents in the arts; to wit, Alexander Geddes, a Cistertian monk; Duncan Bunch; and William Arthurlie. Afterwards, we find sometimes two, and sometimes but one. It seems to have been the most laborious and least coveted office in the University. Besides teaching and presiding in disputa tions omni die legibili, they lived within the College, eat at a common table with the students of arts, visited the rooms of the students before nine at night, when the gates were shut, and at five in the morning, and assisted in all examinations for degrees in arts. In the beginning of every session, they proposed to the faculty the books they intended to prelect upon, and had their *A Regens in Artibus was not a title appropri. ated to a teacher in the pædagogium or college. This was only a house into which certain members of the university were admitted, and where they were maintained; and among these certain graduates, under the condition of there teaching in their faculty. Regere, or regere scholas, meant simply and in gen eral, to teach, and Magister Regens, or Doctor Re gens, denoted a graduate who actually exercised his duty or his privilege of lecturing, &c. There were, at least there might have been, many other graduates "regenting," besides those who had appointments in the pædagogium.-H. permission. There was no salary for this office for many years; and the fees paid by the hearers were very small. Twice we find a regent presented by the chancellor, and one of these he turned off for insufficiency in two or three years. Once, the faculty turned one out for insufficiency, and put two in his place, with power to choose a third, with the consent of the faculty, if they found it proper. All that had this office, excepting two, continued in it but a few years; and very often one who was not a member of the faculty was called to this office, and made a regent immediately upon being incorporated. From these particulars, it is probable that there was no competition either for this office or for the patronage of it; but rather some difficulty to find persons qualified who were willing to take it. Books. The books which students were obliged to hear read, before taking the degree of Bachelor, were prescribed by statute. They were, "Porphirie's Introduction to certain books of Aristotle," and "Petrus Hispanus." The fee to be paid for hearing each was also fixed. When *This fee was called the Pastus It was exigible by all unsalaried graduates for their prelections. But when the custom of giving salaries to certain gradu. ates, i. e. of endowing certain chairs, was introduced, no fee could be legally demanded; the endowment was in lieu of the pastus, a boon to the public and the poor; and it was only after these salaried graduates, who in time came to be called professors, had, by their gratuitous instruction, rendered the lect, les of the graduates at large a profitless vocation-1 say it was only when other lectures were discontinued, competition thus removed, and the whole instruction, and often even the whole regulation, of the university allowed to fall into their bands, that, by slow and imperceptible degrees, fees were again introduced, and in different schools and coun. tries, by different means, sometimes legally, more frequently illegally, raised to the footing of compul. sory exactions. The records of the University of Glasgow shew the progress of the innovation in that institution. In the carlier ages, and when the salaried graduates-the regents of the pædagogiumwere very inadequately provided for, honoraria, or voluntary offerings, by the richer students, were naturally made. These gradually be came customary; were, in time, looked upon as a due; and, by sanction of the Moderators, (not Professors,) a graduated scale was, from time to time, fixed, according to which stu dents of different ranks were expected to contribute. The poorer scholars were always declared free, and those educated for the church being generally of that description, no custom of honoraries was ever intro. duced into the theological classes. The city of Glasgow had been a considerable enefactor of the colTege; and the corporation, till a late period, took care that its citizens should enjoy their original priv. ilege of gratuitous instruction, or, at least, pay only such fees as they themselves deemed reasonable; for, at every new regulation touching "schollages," or "honoraries," it is stated, either that the children of the citizens shall be entitled to gratuitous education, or that they shall be liable in payment only "in such proportions and rates as the Town Co ncil and Moderators, after conference, shall agree upon." At length, since the commencement of the present century, the Professors seem to have taken upon them. selves, to double and treble the previous rate of fees without the sanction of the Modera ors, far less the consent of the city. The ommissioners of Inquiry into the state of the Universities of Scotland anim. advert severely upon the impropriety of the high they had these, and the other requisites, they were presented by their regent to a meeting of the Faculty, which, by statute, was appointed to be held annually the day after All-Saints. Examinations.-When they were found to have all the requisita, or wanted only such as the faculty saw cause to dispense with, four examinators, called temptatores, were elected, to examine them, within ten days. Of the four templatores, two were regents, (when there were two,) and the other two non-regents. The examinators, after examination, wrote, signed, and sealed their report; which contained not only the name of those whom they found worthy, but their order, according to their merit; and, in this order, the dean conferred the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The examinators, when they were chosen, took an oath to make a faithful report, and not to reveal the secrets of the examination. The candidates were also sworn not to reveal the secrets of the examination; nor to shew any resentment, by word or deed, against any fellow-candidate, by whom they had been refuted in the course of the examination. The examination for the degrees of Licentiate and of Master was carried on in the same way. Obligation. In the oath taken by one who took the degree of Master, he came under an obligation de lectura ad biennium ; but this, which implied not only his continuing his studies in the College for two years, but his giving lectures during that time, was very often dispensed with upon paying a fine. amount of fees thus exacted; whereby, in the fac uity of arts, the poor student is obliged to pay as high (and in one class even higher) to the well endowed professors of a provincial university, as he does to those of the metropolitan university, whe enjoy no salaries worth taking into account. But, while commenting on the impropriety of the proceeding, it is singular that the Commissioners have not adverted to its palpable illegality. If the city of Glasgow should vindicate its right of control, this might be exerted not merely as a salutary check on the irregular imposition of fees, but indirectly be employed as a mean of raising the character of the university itself, by extorting a reform in the present mode of its academical patronage-that by self-election. See above, p. 43, à, note *.-H. *This statement is quite correct. This interval was the period of what, in the older universities, was called the necessary regency. I see that this matter is mistaken in the able Report relative to the Univers. ity of Glasgow, by the Commissioners on the Universities and Colleges of Scotland. The phrase is there supposed to mean, only a continuation of study in the Faculty for two years subsequent to the degree of A. M. In the English universities the dis pensation is still in use; and, on the supposition that they are then actually teaching, Masters, during this interval, have certain privileges in the university which they may not afterwards enjoy. he practice was originally universal. In the first place, it was necessary to en-ure instruction in the department of the faculty; and, in the second place, our ancestors knew, it seems, better than we the value of intellectual exercise, and, in particular, that the most ef fective means of learning is to teach. Lectures.-The statutes of this faculty suppose that every master is to give prelections; for they enjoin, that, on the day in which the dean is chosen, the masters, according to their seniority, shall name the book upon which they are to prelect; and that, if two masters choose the same book, the senior be preferred, unless there be so many hearers that both may prelect on the same book, at the same time, in different schools. But, in the minutes of faculty, there is no mention of any such lectures being proposed or given by any master but the magistri regentes.* The manner of teaching and of hearing is, by the statutes, ordained to be the same as in Bononia and in Pisa. In many other things, the practice of some one of the foreign universities is made the rule; but those of England are never mentioned. Discipline. Corporeal punishment was sometimes inflicted upon students in the College of Arts. For some faults, the statutes order the punishment to be inflicted caligis laxatis. Property. It may appear strange that this University was founded without any property in lands, houses, or rents. It came into the world as naked as every individual does. The congregatio universitatis was always held at the cathedral. Sometimes the doctors and masters met at the convent of the Dominicans, or Predicators, as they were called. All the lectures we find mentioned in theology, canon or civil law, were read there. There was an university purse, into which some perquisites, paid at incorporation, and at examinations, and promotions to degrees, were put. From this purse, caps of ceremony were furnished, after some years: but, to defray the expense of a silver rod or mace, to be carried before the rector at certain solemnities, it was found necessary to tax all the incorporated members; and, on that occasion, we are told that David Cadzow, who was then rector, gave twenty nobles. Two or three chaplainries were bequeathed, under the patronage of the university, by some of its first members. The duty of the chaplain was to perform certain masses, at such an altar, for the souls of the founder and his friends; for which he had a small annuity. These chaplainries were commonly given to some of the regents of the college of arts; perhaps because they were the poorest of the sacerdotal order in the university. This patronage and this purse, as far as appears, were all the property which the university ever possessed. Nor does it appear that the faculties of theology, canon or civil law, ever had any property. The individuals had rich livings through all parts of the nation-abbacies, priories, prebends, rectories, and vicarages: but the community had nothing. Its privi leges were the inducement to bring rich ecclesiastics into a society, in which they lived at ease, free of all taxes, and subject to no authority but that of their own rector. The College of Arts, however, being perhaps thought the most useful part of the whole, and entitled to public favour, as entrusted with the education of youth, soon came to have some property. In the year 1459, James Lord Hamilton bequeathed to Mr Duncan Bunch, principal regent of the College of Arts, and his successors, regents, for the use of the said College-a tenement, with the pertinents, lying on the north side of the church and convent of the Predicators, together with four acres of land in the Dow hill. From this time we find the purse of the faculty of arts, which appears, to have been heavier than that of the University, employed in repairing and adding to the buildings of the College; furnishing rooms for the regents and students; and things necessary for the kitchen, and a common table. In the year 1466, another tenement, adjoining to the College, was bequeathed by Mr Thomas Arthurlie. many of the students of arts were the youth By this time, of the nation, whose good education was a matter of importance to the public. They were distinguished, according to their rank, into sons of noblemen, of gentlemen, and of those of meaner rank; and, in the expense of their education, were taxed accordingly. Such, as far as we can learn, was the constitution of the University of Glasgow before the Reformation. There is reason to think, that, when the zeal in favour of a new institution began to cool, the three higher faculties gradually declined into inactivity. Defects. From the year 1490, we find frequent complaints, of masters not attending university meetings; of statutes having fallen into disuse; of bachelors and licenti *In this deed, the regents and students are required, every day after dinner and after supper, to stand up and pray for the souls of James Lord Ham. ilton, founder of the college; of Euphemia his spouse, Countess of Douglass; of his ancestors and successors; and of all from whom he has received any benefit, for which he has not made a proper return. ates not proceeding in their degrees; of the jurisdiction of the University not being respected. Sometimes, at the election of a rector, not one of the nation of Albany was present; and once, none either of Albany or of Teviotdale. There seems only to have been one dean in the University for some time before the Reformation, to wit, the dean of the faculty of arts; and, therefore, it is probable the other faculties had no meetings. In the later minutes of the University he is called Decanus Facultatis, without addition; whereas, more early, he is always Decanus Facultatis Artium.* This style, of Dean of Faculty of the University, which we see was a considerable time before the Reformation, continues to be used to this day; there being only one dean of faculty in that University, who is considered not as the head of one particular faculty, but in the light of an university officer, as the rector is. III. HISTORY AFTER THE REFORMATION. The reformation in religion, established by act of Parliament in the year 1560, brought the University of Glasgow almost to annihilation. The dignitaries of the church and convents, of whom its doctors and masters were composed, were no more. The Chancellor, James Beaton, fled to France, and carried with him the plate of the cathedral, with the bulls, charter, and rights both of the see and of the University, which he deposited partly in the Convent of the Carthusians, and partly in the Scotch College at Paris, (where they lately were,) to be restored when Popery should be reestablished. It ought to be observed, to the honour of that college, that they have always been ready to give extracts from the originals deposited with them, as well as to gratify the curious by the inspection of them. The late Principal Gordon, of that college, made a present to the University of Glasgow of a copy of the chartulary of the Chapter of Glasgow, notorially attested. All that was now to be seen of the University was that small part, called the College of Arts, or Pædagogium;* the least in dignity, though perhaps not the least useful. This small part, with its small propertyprobably much impaired by the confusion of the times, and the loss of rights-re There seem to have been two obvious defects in the ancient constitution of the University. The first, that no salaries were provided for regular lectures in the high faculties. It was not to be expected, that the laborious work of teaching should be performed by those who could not live by it; and who could not, by their industry and eminence in their profession, rise to some degree of respect proportioned to what their talents and learning might have raised them in another line of life. The second defect-mained as a relic of the ancient University, That there was not sufficient power over the University to remedy disorders, when these became general, and infected the whole body. The chancellor had, by his oath already mentioned, divested himself of the power which the Pope's Bull gave him; and neither royal nor parliamentary visitations, so frequent afterwards, were then introduced.+ *This conjecture is confirmed by a notarial instrument of the foundation of a chaplainry, by Mr Thomas Leiss, while he was on a sick-bed, but sound in his mind. This instrument was taken, the 8th day of March, in the year 1529, before respectable witnes es, five of whom signed it with the notary. In it the notarv says-Constituit dominum rectorem Universitatis Glasquensis et decanum facultatis cjusdem, indubitatos patronos. From this, it appears, that only one dean existed at that time in the Uni versity, or was expected to exist; and we know that a dean of the faculty of arts was chosen annually, till the year 1555. [See p. 729, note.-H.] Whatever were the causes of declension in this University before the Reformation, the annals of literature mention very few of its members who made any considerable figure in the learned world. One, however, deserves to be mentioned. William Elphinston, who had been a canon of Glasgow, and had borne the offices both of rector of the University, and dean of the faculty of arts, was eminent in the knowledge both of the canon and civil law. He was made Bishop of Aberdeen, and Chancelier of Scotland; ad was employed in several embassies to foreign courts. He founded the University of Old Aberdeen, in the year 1496; and, either from the experience of what he had seen in the University of Glasgow, or from a deeper knowledge of human nature, he supplied, in his university, both the defects and a seed of a reformed University, dependent for its subsistence and growth on future benefactions. The rich fabric of the Popish hierarchy, in Scotland, was pulled down with more zeal than prudence, by a fierce nation, long oppressed, and little accustomed to regular government. All who had power or interest scrambled for we have observed in that of Glasgow; for he gave salaries (not illiberal for the times) to those who were to teach theology, canon and civil law, medicine, languages, and philosophy, and pensions to a certain number of poor students; and likewise appointed a visitorial power, reserving to himself, as chancellor, and to his successors in that office, a dictatorial power, to be exercised occasionally according to the report of the visiters. James Beaton, the last Popish Archbishop of Glas. gow, deserves also to be mentioned with honour. His fidelity in depositing everything he carried away, that belonged to the Archbishopric or to the Univer sity, in the Convent of the Carthusians, or in the Sco'ch College at Paris, was never questioned. His political ability appears by his having been appointed one of the Scottish ambassadors, at the court of France, for settling the articles of the Queen's mar riage with the Dauphin; his having been again appointed her aml assador at that court, and continuing in that office from the time of the Reformation till her death; and, after that tragical event, his being appointed King James's ambassador at the same court, and holding that office till the time of his own death in 1603, when King James came to be King of England. This archbishop left several monuments of his learning in manuscript, which are preserved in the Scotch College at Paris, to which he bequeathed the greatest part of his effects at his death. *Not synonymous. See above, p. 723, b, note *, -H. the wreck. The crown, the nobility, and the cities, were enriched by it; some crumbs came, by second hand, to the universities. Queen Mary's Charter.-The first who had compassion on the University of Glasgow, in its depressed state, was the famous and the unfortunate Queen Mary. In a charter granted by her, and to which her privy scal is appended, dated the 13th of July 1560, there is the following narrative :-" Forasmuch as, within the citie of Glasgow, ane colledge and universitie was devysit to be hade, &c., of the whilke colledge ane part of the scoles and chalmers being bigget, the rest thairof, alsweil dwellings as provision for the poor bursars and maisters to teach, ceasit, swa that the samyn appeared rather to be the decay of ane university, nor onieways to be reckonit ane establisht foundation." Therefore, for the zeal she bore to letters, &c., she founds five poor children bursars within the said college, to be called, in all times to come, burBars of her foundation; and for their sus tentation, she gives to the Masters of the said college and university the manse and kirk of the Friars Predicators, with thirteen acres of ground adjacent, and several other rents and annuities therein named, which had belonged to the said friars.* Burgh Charter.-The next benefaction made to this college is contained in a charter, granted by Sir John Stewart of Mynto, provost, with the bailies, council, and community of the city of Glasgow, in the year 1572, and ratified by the Parliament the same year. They, considering that, besides other detriment their town sustained, their schools and colleges were utterly ruined; and their youth, who were wont to be trained to probity and good morals, left to be corrupted by idleness and wantonness; and, being earnestly desirous to remedy so great an evil, by the exhortation, counsel, and aid of the most respectable Master Andrew Hay, Rector of the church of Renfrew, and Vice-Superintendent, and Rector for the time, of their University of Glasgow-resolved to restore, renew, and give a new foundation to the Pædagogium Glasguense, quod pro sumptuum inopia pene corruerat, et in quo, pro nimia paupertate, disciplinarum studia extincta jacebant. For this purpose, they annex to the said college, and to the regents and students afternamed, residing within it, being fifteen persons in all, "for their honest and commo *The name of bursar, or bursarius, was anciently given to the treasurer of an university or of a college, who kept the common pur e of the community. We see that, in Queen Mary's time, this name had come to be given to por students, probably because they were pensioners on the common purse. Her gift is the first we have met with, that was destined particularly for the support of a certain number of such 1oor students, whom she appoints to be called bursars of her foundation. dious sustentation, all and sundry the lands, tenements, houses, biggings, kirks, chapels, yards, orchards, crofts, annual-rents, fruits, duties, profits and emoluments, mails, obit-silver, and anniversaries whatsoever, which pertained to whatsoever chappels, altarages, prebendaries, founded in whatever kirk or college within the said city; or of the places of all the friars of the same city, according to the gift made to them by the Queen, under the Great Seal, the 26th March 1566." They likewise will and declare, that the said College, the fifteen per sons before mentioned, and all others who shall be students in the same, and their servants, shall be exempted ab ́omni jurisdictione ordinaria; necnon ab omnibus custumis, et exactionibus pedariis, intra civilatem nostram impositis, vel imponendis. It is understood to be in consequence of this charter, that the magistrates of Glasgow, or a deputation from them, still continue annually to inspect the accompts of the old revenue of the College in which the parti culars of this donation were comprehended," though the greatest part of it, which con sisted of small ground annuals, is now lost. One might think, that, when to the former revenue of the College were added these donations of Queen Mary, and of the city of Glasgow, it must have been com pletely endowed for the maintenance of fifteen persons; yet it was soon found necessary to increase the revenue, and to diminish the number of persons to be maintained by it. For, although the property of the Dominican Friars in Glasgow was certainly very considerable before the Reform. ation, yet all that the College could make effectual of that, and all their funds taken together, amounted only, by their rental, to £300 Scotch money.† A more effectual benefaction was made to this poor society, in the year 1577, by King James VI., in his minority, with the advice and consent of the Earl of Morton, Hence, too, the privilege of the citizens of Glasgow, to which I have alluded in a previous note.-H. The reason why donations, in appeara, ce liberal, turned out to so small account, was, partly, that the Popish ecclesiastics, secular and regular, though their form of worship was totally abolished through the whole nation, continued to enjoy their temporali ties for life, subject to a taxation of a third part to the Crown, out of which the clergy of the reformed church were to be maintained; p rtly, that those incumbents, during their life, practised many arts to alienate their revenues to laymen, either from friendship or for their own profit, by pretended feu contracts, perpetual or long leases, and many other means, which their private interest, their regard to relations, or their hatred of the new religion, sug. gested. Some of these pretended alienations, made to the hurt of the college, were afterwards reduced and annulled by the courts of law, some by arbitration. Probably many more might have been reduced; but that very often the subject was too small to bear the expense of a lawsuit, or the man in possession too powerful to be sued by the college. |