CHAPTER III.

RESIDENCE OF ERASMUS IN FRANCE, BRABANT, AND HOLLAND.

1. General view of Universities and Colleges during the Middle Ages.

2. Erasmus in France.

3. Patronized by the Marchioness of Vere.

4. Frequent excursions; pronounces, at Brussells, the panegyric of Philip the Fair.

1496. t. 29.

1. NOTHING Contributed, in the middle ages, to preserve literature from destruction, or afterwards promoted its restoration, so much as the schools, which, in every æra of them, were established in almost every cathedral and monastery. As soon as towns acquired consistency and order, schools were also established in them, and literature and the arts and sciences were taught.

In these schools, the laity were instructed in grammar: those, who were engaged in the church, or professed in a religious order, or who were designed for either; those too, whose dispositions, not frequent in those times, impelled them to literature, were instructed in philosophy

and theology. Colleges, were an assemblage of schools; Universities, an assemblage of colleges, and generally enjoyed great privileges, particularly a species of internal civil jurisdiction, both over the members of them, and over the scholars by whom they were frequented. The origin of an university is sometimes immemorial: to found a new university has been long considered a royal prerogative; but particular colleges within them, have often been founded by individuals. Sometimes popes founded such schools, or took them under their special protection: these were called "pontifical colleges." By general law, the belles lettres may be taught in every place; divinity and philosophy, only in universities.

In the middle ages, the belles lettres comprised grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy. They were originally taught in two courses: the first comprised grammar, music, and arithmetic, and was called the Trivium; the second comprised the four remaining sciences, and was called the Quadrivium: to the latter, few, without uncommon literary ardour, aspired. A different course of study was introduced by the scholastics in the twelfth century; these divided the circle of science into grammar, logic, metaphysics, physics, morality, politics, law, and theology. All were taught by dictation. Books rendered dictation unnecessary: but, for

1. General view of

Universities and
Colleges in the

Middle Ages.

CHAP III. a long time after the discovery of printing, docuÆ.29. 1469. mentary dictation was unaccountably persisted in, and it yet prevails in many establishments for education. Such is the force of habit, that mankind are often unwilling to reject antient forms and usages for improvements, however obvious and salutary. The Roman numerals long remained in use, after the introduction of the Arabic: they continued, even in our times, to be used in some departments of the Exchequer ; and, perhaps, are not yet altogether disused.

Soon after the revival of letters, the course of science underwent a revolution: It was divided into rudiments, (which included reading and arithmetic), grammar, syntax, poetry, rhetoric, philosophy, and theology; two years were assigned to rudiments; one, to grammar; one, to syntax; one, to poetry; one, to rhetoric; two to philosophy; and four to theology. Thus it required twelve years, to complete, upon this plan, a regular course of study.

2. Such was the ordinary course of instruction, when Erasmus became a student. a student. Foreign writers agree in describing Paris and Boulogn as the most celebrated, at that time, of the universities on the Continent. The former was then particularly renowned at that time, for its schools of philosophy and theology, the latter for its school

2.

Erasmus in

of law. As the great wish of Erasmus was to perfect himself in theology, he was naturally led France, &c. to Paris. A student's place in the college of Montaign in that city, had been obtained for him: he immediately took possession of it. The account, which he gives, of it's dirt, it's foul air, his bad lodging, and unwholesome diet, is disgusting. In consequence of the non-payment of the pension, which the Bishop of Cambray had settled upon him, his pecuniary resources soon failed him; this reduced him to great distress, and, what he thought his greatest misfortune, deprived him of all means of purchasing books. "O! "that I had money!" he exclaims in one of his. letters, "I would first buy books; then raiment." His literary endowments however pierced through every cloud which environed him; great offers were made to him, but the terms, in which they were made, were incompatible with his prosecution of his studies. On this account, he rejected them; but to provide for his subsistence, and to enable him to purchase books, he undertook the instruction of several young Englishmen of rank. Some were ungenerous in their remuneration of his tuition of them; some however paid him liberally. Among these, William Lord Mountjoy, whom our subject will often lead us to mention, should be particularly noticed. The celebrity of Erasmus was augmented by public

CHAP. III.

Æt.29. 1496.

harangues, which he sometimes made in the university; but an increase of bad health compelled him to return to Cambray.

3. About this time he formed an acquaintance with the Marchioness of Vere, the daughter of Wolsard de Borselle, marechal of France, and of Charlotte of Bourbon-Montpensier. The Marchioness was then the widow of Philip, the son of Anthony of Burgundy, a natural son of Philip of Burgundy, generally called The Good Duke. She gave Erasmus a pleasing reception; and Erasmus is eloquent in her praise. "I cannot," he says, "describe in adequate terms, the politeness, the goodness, or the liberality of this "worthy lady." "A suspicion always attends "the amplifications of rhetoricians, particularly "when they cultivate oratory; but I exaggerate "nothing; for the artifice of eloquence is, upon "this occasion, unnecessary; nature never having "collected in one person, so much modesty,

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prudence, candour and goodness. The Marchioness was equally pleased with Erasmus, and settled upon him an annual pension of one hundred florins; we are sorry to be under the necessity of mentioning, that this pension too was seldom regularly paid. Her esteem for Erasmus and her admiration of his literary endowments continued to the last; but she spent much money