Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-13

churchman. led a life Of pow ~
erty. Books were very rare IN A.
and very expensive, and. worst
OF ALL there was strict I'll Etf|t
supervision upon all learning.
Men could not think for them Ia
selves and thought must walk
hand in hand with eccleslas-
tlcal superstition. Then. too, NJ
there was constant disagree
ment between the citizens Of
oxford and the university, or
between Town and Gown" ~
These fights. for they were
oftenbattles which drenched
ttreets with blood, seriously -
endangered the life Of the uni
versity. Often because Of HI
some injustice on the part of ~
the town the university as II M
body left oxford and settled -
in some other spot, only re-
turning upon much persuatlon NV
and the promising OF extra
privileges. Sometimes the
townspeople we're to blame
but, I fear, more often the III
townsmen. The college men OF those
days were a noisy and turbulent iii
crew, many very young, many poor
and all moro or less given to pilfer- =
Ing. The poor villein resented the
robbery OF his hen roost by these despera-
does in cap and gown. and the university
resented the summary punishment which
the exasperated townsfolk often wreaked
upon their tormentors.
Despite these great nandcaps. Oxford
continued to grow and gradually attracted
the interest and money of the prominent
and wealthy. 1t became the fashion for
men OF means to make provision for the
teaching OF a certain number of poor
scholars" Sometimes the church, as a
penance, directed the founding of fund
Tor the benefit of poor boys at Oxford
The foundation OF Balliol college is a case
in point John de Balliol was a Scotch
baron, who fattened upon the cattle Of his
neighbors on the English side of the bor-
der. He was caught on one OF his raids
by bishop. who made him swear that he
would provide a maintenance in perpetulty
for four poor students at oxford. lie kept
his oath and in 1868 rented a house in which
he lodged four boys. This penance cost
the robber baron 81 pence a week. The
beauty and opulence of modern Bauiol is
the oak grown from the acorn Of this
modest foundation. At about the same
time bishop left in his will small sum
chased, and from this munlficent bequest
grew University college, Another bishop.
Walter de Merton. then chancellor of Eng
land, founded Merton college. In the hun
dred, years that followed Exeter, Orlel and
Queens were born. Later, William Of
Wayneflete founded Magdalen and Cardinal
Wolsey Christ Church college. From these
small beginnings Oxford university took its
place in the world as an institution OF
learning which welded an ever increasing
influence both at court and with the ma
tion.
The daily life of the Oxford student in
the middle age was one OF hardship and
privation. He must work hard for every
scrap Of knowledge he could wiring from
the few and insufficient books at his
command. Material comforts were few
and far between. He must rise at o'clock
amidst stygian darkness. His early tub
seems to have been noticeable by its alb
sence, and the medieval oxford man was
as far from being cleanly as he was from
being godly. II he were intent on personal
cleanliness there was a leaden trough
placed outside the hall to facilitate a
quick and probably far from efficacious
dip. The student Of those days went with
out breakfast. for the fashion of break
tasting was nut lheil pI0NdltnI III metric
England. He was permitted, as a great
concession TO comfort, to warm himself
by the fire OF the kitchen, where we can
Imagine he was not above pllfering from
the cooks store for the midday meal Lee
lures began early and the lecture rooms
were unheated. The fur-lined hoods which
are now a part OF full academic Dress in
those days served a more practical pur-
pose.
We can imagine that the call for dinner
was no unwelcome sound. This repast
consisted OF beef, having a few porage
made OF the broth of the same beef wyth
salte and otemeal," washed down with
beer. In those days each college brewed
Its own beer and several do stll. The
college Of Brasenose (Brasenhus) may
have had dts origin in some small college
brewery Strict silence was imposed at
the dinner while some one read an edify-
ing church treatise in Latin. After dinner
the boys remained about the table for dis
putations These were always in Latin,
as a fine OF 1 penny was imposed on any
one who spoke in the vulgar or English
language. After disputations, came hours
devoted to study or to raids the towns
folk. according to individual preference.
The poor scholars spent the afternoon i'm
copying manuscripts Tor the colleges, or
for the rich students who gave themselves
the luxury OF private copies OF the classics.
Sports OF all kinds were forbidden to the
medieval student. and It is no wonder
that town-and-gown rows were the result
OF this bottllng up OF young animal energy.
Many students went about hunting casus
oelli and unlucky the poor wayfarer who
crossed their path The only recreation
which the authorities did NOT han Was that
OF dancing. and though there was dearth
OF female partners. IL stil was popular.
In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales & scholar
dances after the sehole OF Oxenfords."
AT o'clock the hungry horde assembled
Tor supper. This meal was taken ''in hall,s
where the glowing fire was soon surrounded
oy shivering boys. We cannot imagine how
popular this hall fire was unless we under
stand that with the exception OF tbs kitchen
fire II was the only one In the college.
After supper many stayed before the rloV-