The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-02-17

who used to flock to the universities.
They were now told that the present
were the days of light and learning.
The fact was that at Oxford today
not OF course during war-time-there
were $500 students, and at Cambridge
1000 or 5000, and Englishmen point
ed with pride to the flourishing uni
versities; but Catholics and those not
of the Catholic Church ought to know
that in the year 1851 there were 10000
students at Oxford University, and
they should remember, too, that in
those days the number of the popula-
ton was something like twentieth
or thirtieth part of what it is now.
If the same proportion was to be OBJ
served, there should now be something
like 100000 students at Oxford Why,
in Ireland in the twelfth century, at
Armagh alone, there were 1000 stu
dents in the University.
Just after the Reformation writ
er complained of the state of affairs in
Oxford and Cambridge
and said there was now no zeal for
learning and that there were scarcely
any students. They were also told
that twenty-five years after the Ref
ormation there were only two men in
Oxford who knew Greek. People were
keen on intellectual progress nova
days, but where was the enthusiasm
among the people that characterized
those of the Middle Ages? In the early
days it was quite common for the or
binary people to flock to the univer-
stiles to listen to the lectures of the
professors. In these days people could
not be driven even to the evening con-
tinuation schools or the higher educa-
ton schools.
"a further feature of the Church in
those early days was the Catholicity
of the universities. People of all ma
lions were welcomed, and had their
national colleges. Two things were
the outcome of that state of affairs.
First, they had the general diffusion
of knowledge. If there was one mis-
chievous thing about modern learning
it was the way professors and stu
dents shut themselves up in one par
ticular department. They would find
scientists who knew nothing else but
science, and mathematician who
could not recite single line from the
poets; and on the other hand liter
airy men who knew nothing whatever
about science. In these days learning
was far too much shut up in water
tight compartments.
"a further result of the training in
olden days was the fraternity that
existed. There was brotherhood
among men. Men knew one another
because they were brothers in re-
ligion and in life. Scientists prom
ised that when the war ceased there
would come a great peace, and that
they should begin a society founded
on the diffusion of knowledge and
Brotherhood of Mankind
but that was the state of affairs when
the Church'S voice was heard and
obeyed throughout Europe.
mo wonder that in those days,
when holy monks were learned and
learned men were sanity, science,
learning and religion walked hand-n-
hand throughout Europe. No wonder
that in those days the people thought
that the Kingdom of God which they
had daily prayed for had come down
in their midst or that Protestant and
non-Catholic writer's, and rationalists
not of the stupid and ignorant order
-lamented the state of affairs which
was brought about during the time
of the Reformation when the Uni
versties, especially Oxford and Cam
bridge, were spoiled of their goods,
when the orders were driven forth,
institutions demolished, and above all
when the poor were sent away.
England had never recovered from
the day that the poor were turned
out of the universities, and until that
state of affairs could be remedied
England would always feel the loss
The universities were built for the
poor and for their use. The moneys
were left by pious founders, and the
sons of the people came there to gath
err wisdom.
"They found now that the univer-
stiles had become the perQuisites of
the few. The presence now of the
son of a poor man in either of the
universities was as rare as rare could
be. One of the greatest crimes which
the Reformation committed against
the social life of the people was the
closing of the doors of these national
institutions to the sons of TOLL