New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-29

OXFORD'S ORIGIN.

Not on,v were most Of the Italian universities
formed by migrations from Bologna, and those
of France and Central Europe from Paris out
Mr. Rashdan maintains in defiance OF tradition
that the two great English universities original
ed in a similar way He treats with good
natured contemp. all those theories which con-
meet the University Of Paris with the Palatine
schools of Charlemagne, and Oxford with the
educational enterprises Of Alfred, or makes
Cambridge to be anything more than the on
airing of oxford by migration. Abiding to the
myth Of Alfred and to recent Investigations.
which he Gays have given It a final and fatal
stroke. he adds that 1.-The whole story with the
vast cycle of legenl Of which II is the nucleus
the foundation by King Mempric, a contem-
porary of David the Greek professors who came
over with Brute. the Trojan, after the fall OF
TROY and were established In Greeklode
Cricklode, in Wiltshire. and the subsequent re-
moyal OF the university to Oxford-may now be
abandoned to students OF comparative mythol-
ogy and the pathology Of the human mind"
His own opinion is that Oxford owes It's origin
TO the historic quarrel between Henry II and
Thomas Beckett. He points out. after relating
the history Of all the great universities out OF
England, that those which developed without
the help Of migration from some earlier studium
are invariably found in connection with a ca
thedral or great collegiate church. never in con-
nection with a monastery. But oxford had no
cathedral or great church. and it's masters
when they first appear in history as such. seem
to be independent Of ecclesiastical control In
fact almost their first achievement Is to defeat
the supervisory ambitions Of the Bishop Of
Lincoln. II there was migration. 1t must
have been from Paris for II was in Paris that
most English ecclesiastics were educated He
calls attention to the remark Of twelfth cen.
fury writer that in 1167 alien scholars were ex-
PEELED from France, and links II with an ordi-
nance Of Henry ii forbiddng any "clerk' to go
from the Continent to England, or from England
to the Continent. without leave Of the King
who may have been in France at the time or
his tustcinr in England. At another time
probably somewhat later. the sheriffs of the
English counties were required to summon all
clerks who had revenues to return from abroad
under penalty Of losing their property.
IT should be said that there is a discrepancy OF
year or SO in dates But this is not serious mat
ter IN an argument which only aims at probabili-
ties. In any case there was year in the course
of the contest between the King and the Prmate
OF England when scholars who were In the coun-
try could not leave 1t. What" the author asks
became Of this repulsed scholastic host? No
body who knows anything at all OF the habits Of
the medieval scholar will doubt that somewhere
OF other-in one town or in several-at least a
portion OF these scholars would be sure to congre-
gate under their old masters. and transfer TO
English soil their old studies. their old discipline
and--so far as altered circumstances permitted
their old organization. As matter OF fact we
hear Of no such congregation OF scholars except
at Oxford" A few years later there Is recorded
evidence that the scholars at Oxford were numer-
Gus. that one OF them came all the way from York.
shire and that the town had among its nhabi-
tanta bookhindara. illuminatoTs. scribes and