The Portland daily press., 1895-05-16
THE UNIVERSITIES OF EUROPE,
About 17O the Present Number,

With an Army of Students Numbering
Nearly 100000.
(Rev. Or. T. j. Sawyer in Christian Lead
cry
1t is interesting to observe that as the
dark ages. as they are called, were pass
ing away, institutions of learning, with
more or less light, began to spring up in
Europe and to exert their beneficent in
fiuence in difusing knowledge and re-
forming the world. During the 18th
century three universities were founded
in Europe. The first of these was the
university of Bologna, Italy, which was
beginning of the Reformation 1t is
said. indeed, that this venerable seat
of learning was founded by Theodosius
Hin the fifth century, but if this were
so it had probably fallen into decay. and
was restored OF founded anew in the
early part of the 18th century. by the
middle of the 18th century tho universi-
ty Of Bolonga had attained great popu-
larity andw as a ttended by 10000 stu
dents, larger mum ber than any univer-
sity in Europe can boast today. They
came from all parts of the Christian
world, circumstance which shows how
intense was the desire for learning at
the time. And what is remarkable.
this Oldest and for centuries the most
noted and popular institution of learn
ing in the world, admitted women to it's
halls and allowed them to hold profess
ns5 oI,sr
which I venture to predict will be re-
peated in this country and within less
than half century. There is really no
reason why women should not become
successful teachers, especially in the
languages. ancient and modern, for
which, if I mistake not, they have a
taste and facility in acquisition, and
also in the sciences, certainly some of
them. Give women the same opportuni-
ties, set before them the same honors
and rewards, and why should they not
achieve success and win fame as we'll as
the other sex? Although the university
of Bolonga no longer enjoys the reputa-
tion it once had or attracts throngs of
students as formerly, it still, after SO
many centuries of service, holds repu-
table place among the universities of
Europe, and can boast of having educat-
ed several Popss of the Roman Catholic
church and especially as having had,
first as a student and afterward as pro-
fessor. the Cardinal Mezzfunti, a marvel
of linguists, said to have spoken more
than so languages-5S is, If / rightly
remember, the exact number-but was
remarkable, believe, for nothing else.
The university OF Bologna was founded,
as said. in 11l9. and stood alone in all
Europe for more than half century,
when in AID. 11e0 the university of
Montpelier, France was founded and 20
years later AID. 1900 the university of
Paris sprang into existence and began
it's career of perennial fame. 1t is today
in the mum Der of it's students the largest
university in Europe, having more than
5000.
The WORK of education SO we'll begun
in the 12th century was nobly carrie d
forward in the 18th, during which 10
other universities were founded. among
which were the.two great English uni
versities, Oxford and Camb bridge. It
is difficult to say definitely when these
famous institutions were founded. They
were very small! and unpretentious at
the beginning. They are both the
growths of time. But though so old and
for the number of their students. OK
ford is much the larger of the two, and
yet does not number 1900 students, while
Cambridge, if remem ber has less than
1000 Many universities much younger
aud with less reputation surpass them in
the number of students. Edinburgh for
intanoe though by no means so popular
and famous as either Oxford or Cam
bridge has more students than both of
them taken together. and that too while
Scotland is much smaller than England
and has fewer pc ople. There are indeed
moie than 20 universities in Europe
which are educating more students than
Oxford, and more than SO hose number
of students exceed that of Cam bridge.
Before the close of the 18th century or,
to mark the date more generally, before
the. discovery of this Western world BY
Colu u bus in 1902. and practically before
the Reformation begun by Luther in the
year III, those two great events in his
tory, separated by only a quarter of a
century, more than SO universities had
been created in Europe, fact which
shows that the Roman Catholic church
was not unfriendly to the cause of edu-
cation as it has sometimes been repre-
sented. It is true however that that
church has always wished to have the
control of education and see well to it
that nothing shall be taught that might
endanger its own interests which it nat
ural1y assumed were the interests OF
truth and the welfare of mankind, This
however consistent with all its tradi-
blUus, " ds CcFLdIuly uOG always Wise,
The Christian religion is in world of
thought and action, and necessarily
moves in contact with all kinds of ad-
verse influences and meets all forms of
opposition, and if it is not strong enough
to maintain itself and work it's way in
spite of all warning and resisting forces,
there is nothing for it but sooner or later
to fall or perish. But whoever believes
Christianity believes it to be of divine
origin, and to announce the ultimate
truth in trelation to God and human
duty and destiny and hence it is indes-
tructible.
The $50 universities founded in Europe
during the four centuries prior to the
achievements of Columbus and Martin
Luther have, during the four
centuries since their time, been more
than trebled in number and immensely
augmented in effective educational
power. They mum be, at present about
l70, and are scattered al over Europe.
And in all the better and even more i'm
portant of them, judge, the custom
which long hound them to the exclusive
use of the Latin as "the learned Ian