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

When all these things were said. however. there
would still be room for misunderstanding between
a modern and a medieval person. For the WORD
university" was not in early times applied 10
the place where students congregated TO study
nor to the group Of schools, nor to any buildings
erected or set apart for the use OF scholars 1t re
ferred either to an association OF masters or 70
An association Of students or to an association IN
which masters and students were combined II
IN either OF these cases the particular body OF
men known as the university chose to leave one
town and 20 TO another. they carried the uni
versty away with them. But they were forceo
70 leave behind whatever repute the former town
had az . place Of schools and very soon they had
also TO leave behind the legal privilege which the
town had Of announcing itself place OF study.
At first this privilege was merely matter OF Gus
tom that became o: legal value by usage; but later
II took documentary form in a bull issued by pope
or emperor or In charter from king or prince
These documents gave to a town the right to call
,,se,f a studium or to establish some sort OF
studum within its territory If 1t was allowed TO
invite students from everywhere, its studium was
general: II only students from within the King
dom. II was general to that extent; II only STU
dents from its own population. then the studium
was particular using the word In Its mediaeVai
sense The processes by which what alterwaro
came to be known as the University OF boios"a
or the University Of Paris was gradually eVoi'eo
from chaos with a settled order. fixed place Oh
residence a body OF written laws an unbroken
line NJ teachers and all that makes schooi OF
universal learning we're slow and gradual
The absolutely fluid condition OF these uniVer-
stiles OF the old time 10 most clearly SNOW"
IN the ha bit Of migration which was really Kept
up long after the educational system hao 'ake"
definite shape. There never was and proo"oS
navar will be complete harmony between the
citizens of a university town and the teachers
and scholars OF the university itself. Long be-.
fore tho university anywhere had become 8
self.centred thing, this antagonism betweeh
,own and gown was a fixed fact ever present
IN the minds Of those in authority. The ef-
fort to repress II was vain. and in the long
run this was not to be regretted. for the result
was the diffusion Of learning But the con-
troversy between citizens and scholars TOOK OH =
ferent FORMS according to the aspect In winch
the university idea presented itseli. In boioen L
and throughout Italy, with rare EXCEPTIONS the
= university idea was one Of student guilds formed
on the pattern Of the guilds into which all civic
populations were divided The university was
a sort Of student republic. in contrast to Paris.
which might roughly be called an oligarchy or
masters Bolognese students were not Tree. Inc
tyranny OF their corpolations, edch vi WIN" ""S
called a university. as unbending as that
/ OF any medieval guild. But 1t was with them
either tyranny or outlawry. Students who We're.
not Bolognese citizens had as individuals nc,
rights which anybody was bound to respect.
But when all the students of given nationality
combined. they could create for themselves a
mode of existence that was at least endurable.
1t is plain. when Mr. Rashdall points out the.
. fact, that no such organizations would have
been formed by students who were natives OF
Bologna They would have been safe and con-
tent in q cathedral nonastic or municipal school,
such was already known to the Middle Ages,
II was the gathering of strangers that gave tho
first impulse TO the university movement. 1T
is probable" the author adds. that 1t was the
German students who first felt the need of
mutual protection and cooperation; but. at all
events. the guilds were formed by on-Bolognese
students The fact has been slightly obscured
by the circumstance that the universities event,
ually succeeded in asserting some authority
even over the Bolognese scholars. though to the
last they remained exempt from the oath of
obedience to the rector. without vote In the
university congregations. and ineligible for uni
versity Offices"