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118 ANNUAL REGISTER
ship, that the sacred canons had commanded, that a knowledge of the Greek tongue should not be wanting in public seminaries of education. The university of Oxford was rent into factions on account of these attempts; and the defenders of the new erudition, from disputations, often proceeded to blows with the rigid champions of the schools. But these animosities were soon pacified by the persuasion and example of Erasmus, who was about this time a student in St. Mary's college at Oxford, opposite to New-Inn. At Cambridge however, which, in imitation of Oxford, had adopted Greek, he found greater difficulties. He tells us himself, that at Cambridge he read the Greek grammar, of Chrysoloras to the bare walls: and that having translated Lucian's dialogue called Icaro-Menippus, he could find no person in the university able to transcribe the Greek with the Latin. His edition of the Greek testament was entirely proscribed there: and a decree was issued in one of the most considerable colleges, ordering, that if any of the society was detected in bringing that impious and fantastic book into the college, he should be severely fined.
One Henry Standish, a doctor in divinity, and a mendicant friar, afterwards bishop of St. Asaph, was a vehement opponent of Erasmus in his heretical literature; calling him in a declamation, by way of reproach, Graeculs istes, which afterwards became a synonimous term for an heretic. But neither was Oxford, and for the same reasons, entirely free from these contracted notions. In 1519, a preacher at St. Mary's church harangued with much violence against these pernicious teachers, and his arguments occasioned no small ferment among the students. But Henry the eighth, who was luckily a favourer of these improvements, being then resident at the neighbouring royal manor at Woodstock, and having received a just state of the case from Pace and More, immediately transmitted his royal mandate to the university, ordering that these studies should not only be permitted but encouraged. Soon afterwards one of the king's chaplains preaching at court, took an opportunity to censure the new, but genuine, interpretations of scripture, which the Grecian learning had introduced. The king, when the sermon was ended, which he heard with a smile of contempt, ordered a solemn disputation to be held, in the presence of himself; at which the preacher opposed and sir Thomas More defended, the use and excellence of the Greek tongue. The divine, instead of answering to the purpose, fell upon his knees, and begged pardon for having given any offence in the pulpit. After some little altercation, the preacher, by way of decent submission, declared that he was now better reconciled to the Greek tongue, because it was derived from the Hebrew. The king, amazed at his ignorance, dismissed him, with a charge that he should never again presume to preach at court. In the grammar-schools established in all the new cathedral foundations of this king, a master was appointed with a competent skill not only in the Latin, but likewise in the Greek language. This was an uncommon qualification in a school-master. At length ancient absurdities universally gave way to these encouragements:

For the YEAR 1772. 119
ments: and at Oxford in particular, these united efforts for establishing a new system of rational and manly learning were finally consummated in the magnificent foundation of Wolfey's college, to which all the learned of Europe are invited.
But these auspicious improvements in the state of learning did not continue long. A change of the national religion soon happened, and disputes with the Lutherans ensued, which embroiling the minds of learned men in difference of opinion, disunited their endeavours in the cause of literature, and diverted their attention to other enquiries. Many of the abuses in civil society are attended with some advantages. In the beginnings of reformation, the loss of these advantages is always felt very sensibly; while the benefit resulting from the change, is the slow effect of time, and not immediately perceived or enjoyed. Scarce any institution can be imagined less favourable to the interests of mankind than the monastic. Yet a great temporary check given to the progress of literature at this period, was the dissolution of the monasteries. For although these seminaries were in general the nurseries of illiterate indolence, and undoubtedly deserved to be destroyed, yet they still contained invitations and opportunities to studious leisure and literary pursuits. On this important event therefore, a visible revolution and decline in the state of learning succeeded. Most of the youth of the kingdom betook themselves to mechanical or other illiberal employments, the profession of letters being now supposed to be without support and reward. By the abolition on the religious houses, many towns and their adjacent villages were utterly deprived of their only means of instruction. What was taught in the monasteries was perhaps of no great importance, but still it served to keep up a certain degree of necessary knowledge. Hence provincial ignorance became almost universally established. Nor should we forget, that several of the abbots were persons of public spirit: by their connection with parliament, they became acquainted with the world; and knowing where to choose proper objects, and having no other use for the superfluity of their vast revenues, encouraged, in their respective circles, many learned young men.
It is generally thought, that the reformation of religion, the most happy and important event of modern times, was immediately succeeded by a flourishing state of learning. But this, in England at least, was by no means the case; and for a long time afterwards an effect quite contrary was produced. Yet, in 1535, the king's visitors ordered lectures in humanity to be founded in those colleges at Oxford where they were yet wanting: and these injunctions were so warmly seconded and approved by the scholars in the largest colleges, that they seized on the venerable volumes of Duns Scotus, and other irrefragable logicians, and tearing them in pieces, dispersed them in great triumph about their quadrangles, or gave them away as useless lumber. The king himself also established some public lectures, with large endowments. Notwithstanding, the number of students at Oxford daily decreased: insomuch that in 1546, there were only ten inceptors in the arts, and three in jurisprudence and
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