cultivated the study of Greek. Between these two parties arose frequent and acrimonious contests, by which the peace of the University was much disturbed. Still, however, the names of Grocyn, Linacre, Latimer, Tunstall, Lilly, and Colet, of the first of whom the learned Erasmus himself is said to have been a pupil, sufficiently prove, that men of sound learning were to be found in the University. The period was that to which belongs the glorious distinction of having fostered the revival of letters; and in the honours of that period the University of Oxford is certainly entitled to claim a participation.

The reign of HENRY VIII. was, upon the whole, propitious to the University. Henry was himself ambitious of being esteemed a learned Prince; and his example rendered learning, or at least an appearance of learning, fashionable among the nobility. On two very momentous points also the sanction of the University was of extreme importance to Henry. The first of these was his pro

jected divorce from Catherine of Arragon; and the other, his assumption of the supremacy of the church. On both these questions the sense of the Academic body was expressed in favour of the royal intentions, a circumstance doubtless very gratifying to Henry, who, during the whole of his long reign, proved a liberal and steady friend to the University P. But the King's designs with regard to the plunder of that church, of which he had recently declared himself Head, soon became fully apparent, and an end was of course put to all voluntary acquiescence, on the part of the University, in such of the royal measures as had reference to any farther changes in the ecclesiastical establishment. The apprehended blow was nevertheless

P When, after the suppression of monasteries, a plan for the dissolution of Colleges was laid before the King, Henry is said to have expressed great indignation, and to have replied, that, in his judgment, "no "land in England was better bestowed than that "which had been given to the Universities, since, by "their maintenance, the Realm should be well go"verned when he was laid in the grave."

quickly struck; and, although the fears that had been entertained of Henry's seizing upon College estates, were proved to have been groundless; yet, so lamentably were the interests of Oxford, as a learned seminary, affected by the injuries inflicted upon the church, that, according to Sir John Peshall, there were, in the year 1546, only ten inceptors in Arts, and three in Divinity and Law: the University held not a Convocation from February to September, nor afforded Clergy enough for the care of the churches. As a contrast to the melancholy statement here given, it is pleasing to observe, that, in this reign, three noble Colleges were added to the educational establishments of Oxford; and when it is considered, that in the same reign classical learning was first made an essential

4 The number of Monasteries suppressed was 645; of Collegiate Establishments 90; of Chantries and Free Chapels 2374; of Hospitals 110. The annual revenues of all these, estimated at 160,000l. were seized for the King's use; as were also the riches, in some cases immense, found in the immediate possession of the different Societies!

branch of the academical course, and a proper direction was first given to academical studies in general; our previous assertion that it was a reign, propitious, on the whole, to the University, may perhaps appear to have been not ill founded.

The third year of EDWARD VI. was distinguished, with respect to Oxford, by a measure, which, as it was carried into effect, bore a character of equal harshness, injustice, and impolicy. This was a visitation, for the purpose of reforming the University in point of religion, executed by delegates appointed by royal commission. In this visitation the form of University government was arbitrarily changed, and many deserving men were ejected from their places. At the same time most of the College Libraries, together with the Public Library, suffered irreparable injury in the loss of a prodigious number of MSS. many of them of inestimable value, and in a great proportion of which, according to A. Wood, no superstitious doctrines whatever could have been found, but which were taken

d

by the visitors and committed to the flames; while other MSS. the exquisite illuminations and other ornaments of which were accounted superstitious, underwent the most barbarous mutilation and defacement. The severity of this treatment caused numbers of Students, of whom there appear to have been in all but 1015, indignantly to quit the University; and, at the following season of Lent, the Schools, we are told, possessed only sixteen determining Bachelors.

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During the reign of MARY, the University was also in a melancholy state. "The ingenious "arts," says Wood, were held in contempt. "For sermons, scarcely one in a month. Pub"lic Lecturers seldom performed their offices. "The Greek tongue fell into its old decay; " and, in general, there was such a contempt and disuse of learning, that there was no appearance of, nor was there any way left to, "the miserable arts. For six years there

were only three inceptors in divinity, eleven " in civil law, in physic six.-Masters of Arts