gladly have seen the same species of reformation introduced and florishing in every other college of the university. This indeed was his favorite scheme; and with respect to it, he observes in his pamphlet, that all the facts which he had briefly stated, and all the reasoning on them, led to this one observation; That the business of education, both of government and instruction, is conducted with more success, as it has been conducted for some ages, under the domestic discipline of each college, than it could be under the direction of the senate.* "Whatever reformation is wanted," he says again, "among our youth, it may easily be introduced in the separate colleges: the master and fellows of each college have all the powers that can be wanted for this purpose." He was strongly opposed to any system which appeared to relax the ties existing between tutor and pupil, by entrusting the direction as well as the reward of studies to examiners chosen annually, and therefore "wholly strangers to most of the students, to their abilities, their previous education, and the professions or stations for which they were designed." "Those," he observes, "who rightly conceive the effects of such a change, will be reminded by it of the architect, who, dissatisfied with our old buildings, proposed, about the middle of the last century, to pull them all down except King's College Chapel, and to erect in their stead one ample and uniform structure, such as it behooveth an academy to be in a FREE AND WELL-ORDERED COMMONWEALTH." Whatever may be the intrinsic merits of Dr. Powell's plan, scarcely any one, who is acquainted with university discipline, will deny its excellence, as an intermediate step, before the in * "An Observation," &c. p. 14. Ib. p. 10. + Ib. p. 13. § Ib. troduction of so great a change as that which was contem→ plated; the utility of which may very fairly be questioned, when we consider the unwieldy machinery by which it was to be effected. On this point I feel happy to confirm my opinion by the recorded sentiments of one, whose zeal in the cause of sound learning never was doubted, whose knowlege of our academical institutions is probably unri valled at the present day, and who was one of the most active promoters of those public examinations, which have at length rescued our Alma Mater from the reproaches to which she was so long exposed. Happening," says this public-spirited individual, "to have lately examined the history and details of Mr. Jebb's proposals, as given by himself, I think it right to avow my opinion, that the resistance made to them by Dr. Powell and others, was not only justifiable, but laudable; since their practical result, had they succeeded, must have been to take all direc tion of education out of the hands of the respective col→ leges, and to place it in those of persons nominated in an order following the cycle of proctors, (and therefore almost excluding the consideration of their fitness) who were to have prescribed the studies of each year. There were several parts of this large machinery, which, unless the university was very differently constituted in the year 1772 than it is at present, could hardly have been turned to any practical benefit. Several different schemes of reform were subsequently proposed by Mr. Jebb, without success; all tending to reduce the whole university into the state of one vast and unwieldy college, but without making any effectual provision for its adminis tration in this altered state. One of these plans, were it to be named at the present day, would meet with loud and unanimous reprobation; I mean, a separation of the noble men and fellow-commoners from the other students, and subjecting them to a different ordeal. My motive for mentioning this piece of academical history, suggested by the course of my argument, is a wish to correct some erroneous notions which prevail respecting the conduct of Dr. Powell, a most able, learned, and public-spirited character; who, from the impulse which he gave to academical study, deserves to be recorded as one of the greatest benefactors, not only of his own college, but the whole university." After the foregoing attestation to Dr. Powell's merits, on this question little more need be said. If the opposition which he made to Mr. Jebb's proposals should still appear to any one illiberal, or his conduct domineering and contemptuous, let it be considered, that he himself was at all events on the safe side of the question; he did not try unknown ground, but advanced, though slowly, yet surely, on the road towards perfection; whilst in the schemes of Mr. Jebb he saw nothing but presumptuous folly and factious innovation. Every thing emanating from such a source must have been viewed by him with more than ordinary alarm: timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes, must have been the sentiment uppermost in the mind of this orthodox Tory, whenever his political opponents sought to make any alteration in the existing order of things. With such sentiments, and those conscientiously entertained, it would have been derogatory to Dr. Powell's character if he had remained inactive, or if he had not taken that station in the contest to which his talents and his rank entitled him. It has been already remarked that his earthly career was cut short, before the conclusion of these academical Letter of Philograntus to John Lord Bishop of Lincoln, p. 37. a writer in newspapers, and a speaker in public meetings. So many eager pursuits seem to have exhausted his constitution; and he died, apparently of a decline, in March, 1786."* The question concerning subscription being now for a time set at rest, Mr. Jebb next turned his attention to the state of discipline and education in Cambridge. He saw the necessity of an essential reform, not only to counteract those early habits of idleness and dissipation which generally prevailed, and particularly among students of the higher ranks; but to diminish that exclusive devotion to scientific knowlege, which seems scarcely compatible with the notion of a university. Accordingly, he brought forward, repeatedly, proposals for an annual public examination, which should include every order of student, and offer adequate encouragement to all the branches of a liberal education, In this design he was supported by many influential persons in the university, particularly by those who had cheered his former labors. In the stormy controversy which ensued, Mrs. Jebb again took an active part, following her spouse to the contest, like another Gildippe-sempre affissa al caro fianco.† After scattering * A less friendly hand has drawn his portrait as follows: "Mr. Jebb, a professed Arian, was the great and busy agitator at Cambridge him the master (Dr. Powell) opposed in all his wild schemes of reformation; and when he found his mischief at Cambridge was so ably counteracted, he reluctantly left the place where he had done more harm by his lectures and activity than one can conceive; and flung off his gown, and publicly avowed his unbelief of the divinity of our Saviour. He now studies physic in London." Cole's Mss. in Lit. Anec. vol. i. p. 571. + Gerusalemme Lib. book i, stanza 57. a few missiles from the Whitehall Post, she published a letter to the author of "An Observation on the Design of establishing annual Examinations at Cambridge," generally ascribed to Dr. Powell; and it must be confessed, that the objections of the Observer and his adherents were repelled with sufficient spirit and acuteness. Some notion of Dr. Powell's inveterate hostility against Mr. Jebb's scheme, may be conceived from the obstruction which he gave to it when first proposed in the Caput. "On the 8th of May," says Dr. Disney,* "Mr. Jebb offered his first grace for an annual examination, which was rejected in the Caput without any reason being assigned for such rejection. On the 12th of the same month, he offered his second grace, and immediately, on the same day, a third and a fourth grace to the same effect; but all of them were rejected. At the offering of the third, Dr. Powell, master of St. John's college, and then a member of the Caput, was inclined to move a grace to prevent Mr. Jebb from offering any other, and even would have undertaken for its success; but, as Mr. Jebb expressed himself in a private letter, dated the next day, "this was such an outrage, that the most furious opposers of my motion declared against it. Yesterday morning, at a meeting of the heads, it was proposed, that I should be censured for publicly denying the paramount authority of the head above the senate. Dr. Law stood resolutely my friend, as I have been told by the Queen's men. The majority of the university were, a week ago, in favor of my scheme; but acts of despotism debase the minds of those who are enthralled: and no sooner did many • Life of Jebb, p. 48. |