contained men of excellent mind by the side of the most equivocally disposed. Catholicism however had without doubt the most celebrated literary talents in its ranks. Even in Theology, the Protestant party might have been the weaker, had it not received foreign support; while certainly in the Classics they had none who could compete with the school of Erasmus and of Wolsey. This school, for the most part looked upon the Reformation, at least as conducted in England, as a misfortune to the Universities: and contended against it to the extent of their opportunities. Yet neither had the Catholics any internal unanimity. The controversy indeed between the old Scholastics and the new Classics was but recently hushed; and might have broken out afresh, had not the Vandalism of the Reformation united them in a common resistance.

144. Indigence of the Scholars.

To these elements of intellectual hostility, was superadded another impediment to a prosperous state of study; namely, physical want. The distress among the scholars, consequent on the abolition of the Monasteries, was now at its highest pitch. Indigent academicians were still wandering about the Universities as beggars; and with the influx of the precious metals from America, the money-value of all necessaries kept increasing.

Moreover, the Visitors (in 1549) had done away with numerous stipends, previously paid for Church ceremonies, especially for Masses to the dead; and although the money was nominally applied to academic purposes, much of it practically went in other ways. Nor were even the greater institutions free from alarm. In those days none could guess what might be the next acts of Power; and the Visitors had received unlimited authority to fuse several Colleges into one,-a measure which assuredly would have been attended with no little spoliation. That no use was made of this authority, speaks favorably for the Visitors; yet the Colleges might well be in suspense and fear. Added to this, the Town Authorities were more and more elated with the hope of setting aside the privileges of the Universities, and gaining the management of its property for other uses. Lecture-rooms, in par

ticular, had been built by various Monasteries, as by that of Osney; and after the dissolution of these bodies, had fallen into the hands of laymen. They were in part pulled down without farther scruple, in part used by tradespeople for common purposes.

145. The Reformers begin a direct persecution.

We need not speculate what consequences would have followed from free enquiry and discussion, for the reforming authority soon took to other weapons.

Originally indeed the controversy had been allowed

to take its own course. the prowess of its champions, and the Protestants anticipated a speedy extinction of Romanism by self-decay. But when time began to show that this was too sanguine a hope, shorter methods were sought for, and this Visitation (of 1549) was agreed upon. The Catholic Theologians knew before long, that they fought as it were with the rope round their necks: for the Royal Commissioners, who honored the solemn discussions with their presence, had full powers to expel, or to punish academically, all offensive members of the University and Colleges. Moreover, the old armories of criminal legislature were stored with deadly weapons. Scarcely thoughts, much less words or deeds, which seemed dangerous or hurtful to the holders of power, could be considered safe. It is not therefore wonderful that the most prominent of the Papal advocates, with many of their friends, held their peace or left the University, and saved the need of expelling them: while disgust, alarm or extreme want drove others away. The places hereby vacated in the Colleges or Universities were filled by the Visitors with their own adherents, in entire neglect of the Statutes, and without any pretence of justice. But when the field of contest was thus abandoned to one party, it will hardly be supposed that any satisfactory scientific results were likely to be produced.

Each party had exulted in

§ 146. Honorable exception of Peter Martyr.

Yet justice must be done to the memory of the eminent Peter Martyr. Our accounts of his behaviour are drawn especially from Wood, who with evident impartiality, details the solemn disputations upon the Last Supper, held in 1549 by Peter Martyr, against Smith, Tresham, Cheadsey and Morgan. The Protestant Theologian appears throughout alike able and honorable; nor is there room for a suspicion that in this contest of mind, he sought, wished or wanted the aid of physical force. But we must add, that (setting aside the merits of their cause) he met with opponents of equal worth.

§ 147. The Protestants become alienated from the Universities.

However, this refractory opposition of so strong a party in the Universities, greatly alienated the Protestant rulers, who began to look on them as noxious institutions. According to Wood, the delegates named them Asses' stalls-Brothels of the whore of Babylon; and the schools, Idol shrines of demons. Classical studies, on account of their Heathenism, now came-in for the same condemnation from the ultra-Protestant which they had not

long back encountered from the ultra-Catholic. In fact, the rising Puritan zeal against these lusts of the world and the flesh, outdid in virulence the old Catholic hostility. It is not wonderful, that a rapid decline in the studies of the University ensued. Wood is especially distressed at the fact, that the laundresses of the town hung up their linen to dry in the ancient Lecture-rooms. The Royal visitors found one thousand and fifteen members of the University, when they came to Oxford; but most of them appear soon to have left. In 1550, the number who passed to their degree was but fifteen, with three Bachelors of Divinity, and one Doctor of Civil Law. At Cambridge, (according to Fuller,) there were seventeen Masters of Arts, twenty-six Bachelors of Arts, and nine Bachelors of Divinity. This gives us to suppose that Cambridge was not so badly off as Oxford; probably because the Protestant majority formed itself more quickly there.

148. The benefits of the Reformation are not to be looked for in its influence on the Universities.

Whether the victorious party would after a time earn for the Universities a more tranquil and prosperous state, the course of events did not allow to be tried. The Catholic reaction under Mary crushed this possibility in the bud. One fact only