Early English Meals and Manners Part 4

1538[48]

John Heron, a Kentish man born, near of kin to Sir John Heron, knight.

? ab. 1520 Edward Seymoure, son of Sir John Seymoure, or St Maure of Wolf-hall in Wilts, knight, was educated in trivials, and partly in quadrivials for some time in this university. He was Jane Seymour's brother, and afterwards Duke of Somerset, and was beheaded on Jan. 22, 1552-3.

1534 John Philpot, son of Sir Pet. Philpot, knight of the Bath. Fellow of New Coll.

ab. 15-- Henry Lord Stafford (author of the _Mirror for Magistrates_), the only son of Edward, Duke of Bucks, 'received his education in both the universities, especially in that of Cambridge, to which his father had been a benefactor.'

1515 Reynold Pole (the Cardinal), a younger son of Sir Rich. Pole.

? ab. 1530 Anthony Browne, son of Sir Weston Browne, of Abbesroding and of Langenhoo in Ess.e.x, knight.

ab. 1574 Patrick Plunket, baron of Dunsary in Ireland, son of Rob. Plunket, baron of the same place.

ab. 1570 Philip Sidney (the poet), son of Sir Henry Sidney.

John Smythe, son of Sir Clem. Smythe.

(Peter Levens or Levins, our _Manipulus_ or Rhyming-Dictionary man, became a student in the university, an. 1552, was elected probationer-fellow of Mag. Coll. into a Yorkshire place, 18 Jan.

1557, being then bach. of arts, and on the 19th Jan. 1559 was admitted true and perpetual fellow. In 1560 he left his fellowship. _Ath. Ox._ p. 547, col. 2.)

? ab. 1570 Reynolde Scot, a younger son of Sir John Scot of Scotshall, near to Smeeth in Kent.

1590 Hayward Townshend, eldest son of Sir Henry Townshend, knight.

ab. 1587 Francis Tresham (of Gunpowder Plot notoriety), son of Sir Thomas Tresham, knight.

The number of friars and monks at the Universities before the Reformation, and especially at Oxford, must have been large. Tanner says,

In our universities ... were taught divinity and canon law (then, t. Hen. III., much in vogue), and the friers resorting thither in great numbers and applying themselves closely to their studies, outdid the monks in all fashionable knowledge. But the monks quickly perceived it, and went also to the universities and studied hard, that they might not be run down by the friers.[49]

And as the friers got houses in the universities, the monks also got colleges founded and endowed there[50] for the education of their novices, where they were for some years instructed in grammar, philosophy, and school divinity, and then returning home, improved their knowledge by their private studies, to the service of G.o.d and the credit of their respective societies. So that a little before the Reformation, the greatest part of the proceeders in divinity at Oxford were monks and Regular canons.

[Headnote: FAVOURITISM OF THE RICH IN THE UNIVERSITIES.]

By Harrison's time, A.D. 1577[51], rich men's sons had not only pressed into the Universities, but were scrooging poor men's sons out of the endowments meant only for the poor, learning the lessons that Mr Whiston so well shows our Cathedral dignitaries have carried out with the stipends of their choristers, boys and men. "_Les gros poissons mangent les menus._ Pro. Poore men are (easily) supplanted by the rich, the weake by the strong, the meane by the mighty."[52] (Cotgrave, u.

_manger_.) The law of "natural selection" prevails. Who shall say nay in a Christian land professing the principles of the great "Inventor of Philanthropy"? Whitgift for one, see his Life of Strype, Bk. I. chap.

xiii. p. 148-50, ed. 1822. In 1589 an act 31 Eliz. c. 6, was pa.s.sed to endeavour to prevent the abuse, but, like modern Election-bribery Acts with their abuse, did not do it.

[Headnote: BAD EXAMPLE OF RICH MEN AT COLLEGE.]

"at this present, of one sort & other, there are about three thousand students nourished in them both (as by a late serveie it manifestlie appeared). They [the Colleges at our Universities]

were created by their founders at the first, onelie for pore men's sons, whose parents were not able to bring them up unto learning: but now they have the least benefit of them, by reason the rich do so incroch upon them. And so farre hath this inconvenence spread itself, that it is in my time an hard matter for a pore man's child to come by a fellowship (though he be neuer so good a scholer & worthie of that roome.) Such packing also is used at elections, that not he which best deserveth, but he that hath most friends, though he be the worst scholer, is alwaies surest to speed; which will turne in the end to the overthrow of learning.

That some gentlemen also, whose friends have been in times past benefactors to certeine of those houses, doe intrude into the disposition of their estates, without all respect of order or statutes devised by the founders, onelie thereby to place whome they think good (and not without some hope of gaine) the case is too too evident, and their attempt would soone take place, if their superiors did not provide to bridle their indevors. In some grammar schooles likewise, which send scholers to these universities, it is lamentable to see what briberie is used; for yer the scholer can be preferred, such briberye is made, that pore men's children are commonly shut out, and the richer sort received (who in times past thought it dishonour to live as it were upon almes) and yet being placed, most of them studie little other than histories, tables, dice & trifles, as men that make not the living by their studie the end of their purposes; which is a lamentable bearing. Besides this, being for the most part either gentlemen, or rich men's sonnes, they oft bring the universities into much slander.[53] For standing upon their reputation and libertie, they ruffle and roist it out, exceeding in apparell, and hanting riotous companie (which draweth them from their bookes into an other trade). And for excuse, when they are charged with breach of all good order, thinke it sufficient to saie, that they be gentlemen, which grieveth manie not a little. But to proceed with the rest.

"Everie one of these colleges haue in like manner their professors or readers of the tongs and severall sciences, as they call them, which dailie trade up the youth there abiding privatlie in their halles, to the end they may be able afterwards (when their turne commeth about, which is after twelve termes) to show themselves abroad, by going from thence into the common schooles and publike disputations (as it were _In aream_) there to trie their skilles, and declare how they have profited since their coming thither.

"Moreover in the publike schooles of both the universities, there are found at the prince's charge (and that verie largelie) five professors & readers, that is to saie, of divinitie, of the civill law, physicke, the Hebrew and the Greek tongues. And for the other lectures, as of philosophie, logike, rhetorike and the quadriuials, although the latter (I mean, arithmetike, musike, geometrie and astronomie, and with them all skill in the perspectives are now smallie regarded in either of them) the universities themselves do allowe competent stipends to such as reade the same, whereby they are sufficiently provided for, touching the maintenance of their estates, and no less encouraged to be diligent in their functions."

On the introduction of the study of Greek into the Universities, Dr S. Knight says in his _Life of Colet_:

"As for _Oxford_, its own _History_ and _Antiquities_ sufficiently confess, that nothing was known there but _Latin_, and that in the most depraved Style of the _School-men_. _Cornelius Vitellius_, an _Italian_, was the first who taught _Greek_ in that University[54]; and from him the famous _Grocyne_ learned the first Elements thereof.

"In _Cambridge_, _Erasmus_ was the first who taught the _Greek Grammar_. And so very low was the State of Learning in that University, that (as he tells a Friend) about the Year 1485, the Beginning of _Hen._ VII. Reign, there was nothing taught in that publick Seminary besides _Alexander's Parva Logicalia_, (as they called them) the old _Axioms_ of _Aristotle_, and the _Questions_ of John Scotus, till in Process of time _good Letters_ were brought in, and some Knowledge of the _Mathematicks_; as also _Aristotle_ in a new Dress, and some Skill in the _Greek_ Tongue; and, by Degrees, a Mult.i.tude of _Authors_, whose _Names_ before had not been heard of.[55]

"It is certain that even _Erasmus_ himself did little understand _Greek_, when he came first into _England_, in 1497 (13 _Hen._ VII.), and that our Countryman _Linacer_ taught it him, being just returned from _Italy_ with great Skill in that Language: Which _Linacer_ and _William Grocyne_ were the two only Tutors that were able to teach it." Saml. Knight, Life of Dr John Colet, pp.

17, 18.

The age at which boys went up to the University seems to have varied greatly. When Oxford students were forbidden to play marbles they could not have been very old. But in "The Mirror of the Periods of Man's Life"

(? ab. 1430 A.D.), in the Society's _Hymns to the Virgin and Christ_ of this year, we find the going-up age put at twenty:

Quod resou{n}, in age of .XX. ?eer, Goo to oxenford, or lerne lawe[56].

This is confirmed by young Paston's being at Eton at nineteen (see below, p. lvi). In 1612, Brinsley (_Grammar Schoole_, p. 307) puts the age at fifteen, and says,

"such onely should be sent to the Vniuersities, who proue most ingenuous and towardly, and who, in a loue of learning, will begin to take paines of themselues, hauing attained in some sort the former parts of learning; being good Grammarians at least, able to vnderstand, write and speake Latine in good sort.

"Such as haue good discretion how to gouerne themselues there, and to moderate their expenses; which is seldome times before 15 yeeres of age; which is also the youngest age admitted by the statutes of the Vniuersity, as I take it."

[Headnote: FOREIGN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.]

4. _Foreign University Education._ That some of our n.o.bles sent their sons to be educated in the French universities (whence they sometimes imported foreign vices into England[57]) is witnessed by some verses in a Latin Poem "in MS. Digby, No. 4 (Bodleian Library) of the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century," printed by Mr Thomas Wright in his _Anecdota Literaria_, p. 38.

Filii n.o.bilium, dum sunt juniores, Mittuntur in Franciam fieri doctores; Quos prece vel pretio domant corruptores, Sic praetaxatos referunt artaxata mores.

An English _nation_ or set of students of the Faculty of Arts at Paris existed in 1169; after 1430 the name was changed to the German nation.

Besides the students from the French provinces subject to the English, as Poictou, Guienne, &c, it included the English, Scottish, Irish, Poles, Germans, &c. --_Encyc. Brit._ John of Salisbury (born 1110) says that he was twelve years studying at Paris on his own account. Thomas a Becket, as a young man, studied at Paris. Giraldus Cambrensis (born 1147) went to Paris for education; so did Alexander Neckham (died 1227).

Henry says,

"The English, in particular, were so numerous, that they occupied several schools or colleges; and made so distinguished a figure by their genius and learning, as well as by their generous manner of living, that they attracted the notice of all strangers. This appears from the following verses, describing the behaviour of a stranger on his first arrival in Paris, composed by Negel Wircker, an English student there, A.D. 1170:--

The stranger dress'd, the city first surveys, A church he enters, to his G.o.d he prays.

Next to the schools he hastens, each he views, With care examines, anxious which to chuse.

The English most attract his prying eyes, Their manners, words, and looks, p.r.o.nounce them wise.

Theirs is the open hand, the bounteous mind; Theirs solid sense, with sparkling wit combin'd.

Their graver studies jovial banquets crown, Their rankling cares in flowing bowls they drown.[58]

Montpelier was another University whither Englishmen resorted, and is to be remembered by us if only for the memory of Andrew Borde, M.D., some bits of whose quaintness are in the notes to Russell in the present volume.

Padua is to be noted for Pace's sake. He is supposed to have been born in 1482.

Later, the custom of sending young n.o.blemen and gentlemen to Italy--to travel, not to take a degree--was introduced, and Ascham's condemnation of it, when no tutor accompanied the youths, is too well known to need quoting. The Italians' saying, _Inglese Italianato e un diabolo incarnato_, sums it up.[59]

[Headnote: MONASTIC AND CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS.]