The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03

OF what they have written. misleading
Tho fact is, according 10 Dr. Gasquet, that
around the real history Of the Reformation move
mcnt in England there has grown up a mass Of
legends from which it Is often difficult 10 dlscn.
tanglc the truth. II has been suggested, for in
stance that the period which preceded the adven,
Of the new religious ideas was, TO say tic least,
period Of stag alton; that together with the liph,
of what is called the Gospel came the era of ma.
, tional prosperity. and tLat the golden nge Of
literature and art was the fruit Of the freedom
Of spirit which itself was the distinct product Of
the Protestant Reformation. What are the factst
Was the age Immediately antcccdent 10 the 70
lgous uphcaval Of the sixteenth century 60 black
MS Il has been painted and was II the genius of
Luther which OWNED how 10 call forth the llh,
out Of the void and empty darkness? Our au-
thor summons Luther himself TO tell us his opinion
Of the century preceding the rise Of Professionalism
ANY ono reading the Chronicles wrote Luther,
will find that since the birth Of Christ there 70
, nothing that can be compared with what has hap
pencd in our world during the last hundred years
Never in any country have people seen so much
building. go much cultivation OF the soil Never
has such good drink. such abundant ard delicate
food been within the reach Of so many Dress
has become 50 rich that II cannot In this resi- cct
be improved. Who has ever heard Of commerce
such az we sec IL today II circles the globe u
embraces the whole world Painting engraving,
all tho arts, have progressed, and are still advnnc-
ing. More Than a We have mcn so capable and
so learned that their wit penctratcs everything in
auch why that nowadays a youth Of twenty
knows moro than twenty doctors did in days gone
by" Here VIC have the testimony of the German
reformer him'tH that the eve Of the Reformation
was IN no sense period of stngnation Tho
world wa fully awake and the light Of learning
ppi M hnd already ha "a cd M nm tbe ar.b
then, can the progress Of commerce and The prov
perity Of peoples be attributed 10 the religious re-
volt II tie sixteenth century?
There is evidence 10 Prove that Luthcr's picture
Of Germany is a. correct for England a; the snme
period. There is abundant testimony that learn.
ing In the fifteenth century found corgenial 'ul
In the last named country IL Is further TO Le noted
that, in its origin, rs well as in its progress, the
English revival Of letters which may be acrI.
ratcly gauRed by the renewal Of Greek studies,
found its chief patrons in the fifteenth ard early
sixteenth centuries among tie clergy and tho
most loyal lay IONS of the Church On the other
hand the fears Of Erasmus that the rise Of Luther
anism would prove the dcathl!6w o. solid .tholar-
ship were literally fulfilled In England no less
than in Germany amid the religious conr,ycr-
rcs ard the consequent social Disturbances,
learning, EXCEPT In 80 far as IL Icryed 10 cid tho
cxgcncics Of lolcrics meet the contruy1r, iAl
needs ~ the hour dCCln'd for wtll nigh century;
10 IA from The Reformation arording Tic favor.
able ground upon which scholarship and letters
nUurlshcd II was. in reality. 10 use Erasmuss
expression about the movement, a "catnsirot he.
in which wa overwhelmed the substantial Irog-
rrSs n the previous century. The state Of tho
universities Of oxford and Cambridge before ard
nftcr ihc rc'"d Of the religious fange hears
tcstimou" {" It's effect on learning In general while
to whic! the Reformation gave rise at once put a
stop 10 the International character Of the foreign
universities English names forthwith disap-
pcarcd from the students lists at the great centres
Of lca-inE in France and Italy. and the schools
opened by The Reformed churches ri Germany Ivy
no means afforded comI cnsation. II should
lie remembered that only through the assistance
receive! from monaSt.c and conventuhl houses
hal lace rForo-,!o1 = English students been
enabled 10 receive unworthy training.
Tho Episcopal registers bear witness TO this
useful function % the old religious corporations
The service rendered in this way may be admitted
without any irphcd approval Of the monns,ic
system as il existed. Tie condition NJ Oxford
a!cr the ,ipprt Ssion Of the mUEas,eres is attescd
by the degree lists In the year 1547 and. aEein.
in tic year 1850 not single student graduated.
aud the historian Of the university has described
the lamcntablc state 10 which The schools vero
reduced. Ina 'taion preached in Queen Marys
reign, Roger Egbcr, appeals for charity for the
pNor students At the two national universities.
Very pay" he says, moves me TO eyhort you
10 mercy on the pNor students in the universities
in oxford and Cambridge. They were never
s" fe" in number and yet those that left arc
ready To run abroad into the world and give up
thci! study for very need" AZ early az l545
N" Cambridge scholars pcitioned the King for
an extension Of p-tvileEes on the ground that they
feared the total destruction of learning. To
cUGrayor 10 save oxford. il was ordered that
every clergyman having n bencfcc valued al
500 per annun should cut Of his living, sup
port; least "Ec scholar al the university bishop
Ll'mer. in The reign of Edward VI. looked back
with regret 10 past tines when they helped the
scholar, for, since then. almost no man hclpeth
To- maintain them. Truly he added. 1T is a
p.tliul thing tn 500 the schools SO neglected.
Schools are not maintained, scholars have rot
exhibitions, Very few there are that help poor
scholars. II would pity o mans heart 10 hear
wha, hear Of the state of Cambridge: whatit in
oxford | cannot tell | think there he at this
day CA ID 1850 10000 students less than there
were within these twenty wears" Greek studies
apparently, disappeared IN the religious turmos
which distracted England Upon Mary's ac-
Ccssion some attempt was made 10 rckindle Ito
lamp -! learning. When Sir Thomas Pope To-
founded Durham College atOXford. under The
name of Trinity, he was urged by Cardinal Pole,
10 whom he submitted the draft of his statues
TO ord' Greek 10 bc more Taught there than I
have provided This purpo"c." he says. Il like
well hut fear The times will not bear it row
remember when was young scholar nj Elton.
the Greek tongue was growing apacc. the study
q! which IL nov NJ late much dccaycd"
DIR Gasquc, shows that wha, was true OF learn
ing was also true OF art aud artisans There
never WAS period in which such energy was
displayed in England in the building and adorn-
mcnt OF churches as an the very eve a the Reform
alton, not III one part uf the country only nor IN
regard only 10 the cHthcdralS hut throughout
the length and breadth pi England, the walls
oi almost every little parish church sill bear
testimony 10 The love for Gods House which was
Irl at the period in question Ivy the Eng-sii pco-
pie. II can he proved by existing accounts and
Inventories thai, then more than at any other
period OF Ergand's national existence work
Of the kind mon Toned appealed Ia the people At
large, an was nv them carried out NJ longer
was the building and 'cauuiying Of Gods House
len 10 rolrr i.rCai noble ar rich Landowner lur-
ltN nd thp ,crIN al.