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fluence of Cardinal Wolsey. This new movement was sustained chiefly by individual energy. The Eton and Cambridge foundations of Henry VI. and his noble queen had probably the revival of classical learning in view. Corpus Christi College was founded A. D. 1516 by Fox, bishop of Winchester, especially to encourage classical attainments. It was endowed for 20 fellows, 20 stipendiary students, and 3 professorships, Greek, Latin and theology.1 Cardinal College was established by Wolsey in Oxford. The revenues of 22 priories and convents were diverted to it, by papal bulls and royal privileges in 1524 and 1525. Provision was made for 60 canonists and 40 priests, with 10 endowed professorships, besides subordinate situations, stipends, etc., making in all not less than 160 members. Wolsey contributed the first year 8000 pounds from his own princely revenues― and also founded at Ipswich a great Latin school of preparatory education to be connected with it. Wolsey's College after being exposed to destruction by the king was revived by him and further endowed with lectureships and 100 studentships. It is now called Christ's Church College, and has attained an uncontested supremacy over all institutions of the kind.2

Queen Elizabeth was a distinguished patroness of learning. Through her influence those who sought her favor founded the Rugby school and nearly a third of all the endowed schools in England - of which, including Ireland and Wales, there are three or four hundred. In her reign the universities, which for a long time had been frequented chiefly by the sons of the lower classes, began to enjoy the favor of the aristocracy and a degree became the mark of a gentleman. Sons of the gentry in Elizabeth's time, and ever since, have composed the greater part of the academic population, though ecclesiastics have always maintained a leading control, and have occupied most of the Fellowships in the institution.

3

Both the universities have been greatly enriched with new colleges, and increased endowments for the old ones, since the times of Elizabeth. The resources of Christ's Church, Oxford, amount now to over £80,000 a year. It lodges about 400 persons within its walls, having a splendid room and sometimes suites of rooms for each.*

Fellowships in the colleges are of different value. There are some in Oxford which are worth, in prosperous years, not less than £600 or £700 — while others produce an income of not more than £100 — and some in Cambridge are still smaller. But all secure to the foun

1 Huber, Vol. I. p. 231. 2 Ibid, p. 262. Ib. p. 333. Ib. Vol. II. p. 272.

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Trinity College-Endowed Schools.

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dationers board and lodging-and are now tenable for life, unless the holder marries, becomes possessed of large estates, or accepts a more lucrative living elsewhere. The scholarships vary, in annual value from £100 to £80, and even £20 or less, though with some additional advantages in respect to board. There are also in most of the colleges a class of scholars, known as exhibitioners, who receive annual pensions either from the college or from endowed schools of which these scholars were formerly members. Some of the exhibitions are said to be very valuable. The professorships are all established by the crown or by private endowments- though the holders of these offices have little to do except read lectures occasionally. In 1839 there were in Oxford, besides five halls, partially endowed, nineteen endowed colleges. In Magdalen College, for instance, there were on the foundations a president, 40 fellows, 30 demies, schoolmaster, usher, 4 chaplains, 4 organists, 8 clerks, and 16 choristers; Corpus Christi College, a president, 20 fellows, 20 scholars, 2 chaplains, and 4 exhibitioners; St. John's College, a president, 50 fellows and scholars, chaplain, etc. There were in all 557 fellowships, 26 university scholarships, 2 university fellowships, 399 college scholarships, exhibitioners, etc., 8 university benefices valued at £2,400; 445 college benefices valued at £136,500, besides college prizes, university prizes, etc. The total revenue at Oxford for officers, fellows, scholarships, etc., was as follows: colleges, £152,670, university, £22,000; in all £174,670. Cambridge has not quite so many fellowships, but nearly twice as many scholarships, exhibitioners, etc. The value of its benefices is considerably less than of Oxford. The whole number on the books considered as belonging, in some capacity or other, to the institution is a little larger at Cambridge than at Oxford Cambridge 5,575, Oxford 5,264.1 Indeed, the one institution is the counterpart of the other, Cambridge being the twin sister of Oxford, or the same theme with variations.

The University at Dublin sustains the same general character with the foregoing, though in all respects of much humbler dimensions. The universities of London, founded 1836, and of Durham, 1837, are of too recent origin to be of importance to our present purpose.

There are numerous endowed schools in England for preparatory education. The school at Westminster contains from 300 to 350 boys in eight classes. They are divided into town's boys and king's scholars. The king's scholars are always forty in number, and are

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chosen from the upper half of the school, chosen after severe examinations, chosen solely from merit. Being placed on a foundation is thus esteemed an honor and is a preparation for a foundation at Christ's Church in Oxford or Trinity College, Cambridge. At Eton, on the contrary, boys are admitted on the foundation at their first coming without examinations, without special regard to merit, but chiefly because of indigent circumstances. Hence what is esteemed an honor at Westminster is considered a degradation at Eton. The foundation scholars at the latter school are, moreover, as a general thing, inferior to their fellow pupils of the same age and standing.1 These facts are instructive especially in reference to the best manner of bestowing charity upon students who need help.

Reviewing the English universities in connection with the education and supply of Christian ministers, it will be readily seen, that there has been at no time any serious want of pecuniary means for preparing a sufficient number of men for the sacred office. "Down to the middle of the reign of Henry VIII," says Macaulay, "no line of life bore so inviting an aspect to ambitious and covetous natures as the priesthood." And though a reverse in the condition of the inferior clergy bore heavily upon a portion of the order towards the end of the seventeenth century, yet on the whole the clerical profession in the established church has been full of invitations at least to serious and intelligent youth down to the present time. They may acquire an education, though indigent, in a highly honorable way, be sure of a comfortable living and standing in the best society as Fellows of a college till some beneficed parish is open for them—and there in a situation secured to them for life, enjoy learned leisure, opportunities for doing good, and the respect and friendship of the first classes in the country.

Church livings are also inviting to the educated younger sons of the nobility, who flock in great numbers to the church as a means of easy, honorable support and usefulness. Especially will this be the case while lucrative and easy situations are so numerous. Besides wealthy benefices which demand more or less labor and the enormous incomes of the high Episcopal dignitaries, according to a late Parliamentary return it appears that in England and Wales there are no less than 51 sinecure benefices, of which 18 are in the diocese of Norwich, their value varying from £10 to £1,125 a year, some of them even without any church whatever. Valuable livings are also

1 Edinburgh Review, March 1831. 2 Macaulay, Hist. Eng. Vol. I. p. 303. & Boston Christian Advocate and Christian Witness, Oct. 25, 1850.

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Dissenting Schools in England.

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accessible to clerical aspirants in the extensive colonies of the British Dominions. When, in these situations, the clergy cannot derive their support from a parish or diocese over which they are placed, an ample allowance is afforded them out of the immense church revenues which are under the direction of the crown in connection with the ecclesiastical commission. Faithful service for a brief period in these remoter stations, entitles the missionary to a support at home for the rest of his life. We are informed, for example, on unquestionable authority, that the gentleman sometime since appointed bishop of Southern Africa, after spending ten years abroad, will be entitled to a discharge from further duty, and to receive a pension of £2000 a year, in his native country for the rest of his days.

Moreover, the nature of the education which these universities especially propose, and which clerical situations require, is peculiarly attractive to a class of people with which England more than any other country in the world, abounds, to minds of intelligent dignity, conservative Christianity and tasteful seriousness. These universities undertake, not so much to form scholars, as gentlemen in the largest acceptation of the term-gentlemen to sustain the honors of a noble descent, clerical gentlemen to preserve and adorn the religion of the state, and school teachers of all grades who may educate the rising generation of gentlemen. "Sound common sense," says Huber, quoting a passage from Kültner, who, he thinks, gives a just account of the best side of things, "a knowledge of the world and mankind, respectability and dignity of manners, with an understanding of the rules and ordinances of the church, are looked upon as the best Pastoral Theology." These are traits of character which, among other still higher qualifications, all right-minded Christians would wish to see in the clergy, and which doubtless are promoted by the generous manner in which beneficiary aid is bestowed upon the youthful scholar preparing for his office while the character of the preparatory education, and the duties of the profession, as thus defined, attract many of the first minds in the land to the sacred offices of the church.

DISSENTERS.

The Dissenters of England are not equally favored in all these respects, with their brethren of the established order. Shut out from Oxford absolutely, by the ordinance which requires subscription to the Thirty Nine Articles, before matriculation; and from Cam

1 Huber, Vol. II. p. 341.

bridge virtually by the rule which requires the same conformity for a degree, the Dissenters were for a time "in an evil case." They soon, however, founded seminaries of learning for themselves, some of which are in a highly flourishing condition at this day. Alexander Bowers, in his history of the University of Edinburgh, published in 1817, says, "that the history of the education of English dissenting clergymen is little known" in Scotland, and has never been properly investigated even in England. The best account of these institutions with which we are acquainted, has been written since the above date, and published in the A. Q. R. VIII. IX. and subsequent volumes. The articles were compiled by Rev. B. B. Edwards, now Professor in Andover, from original materials obtained, partly in manuscript, from Rev. Drs. Reed and Matheson, and other distinguished Dissenters. The original Dissenters had, many of them, been educated as churchmen, in the English universities, and were thrown into the ranks of dissent, by the Bartholemew Act of 1662, which ejected 2000 of the best ministers in England from their offices and livings. Their immediate successors were educated in Scotland, Holland, and by private ministers. Public academies were soon opened chiefly for theological students. The Orthodox Congregationalists established Highbury for the express purpose of preparing young men for the ministry. This institution, we are informed, has quite recently been amalgamated with Homerton and Coward Colleges. Homerton College existed, though in different places and with various fortunes, for more than a hundred years. It was under the patronage of a society for the education of pious young men for the ministry. Its object was to support twenty such men of good talents, and educate them for the stations they were to hold. The evangelical institution at Newport Pagnel had its origin in the plans and liberality of such men as Newton, Thornton and Cowper. Its object was to prepare pious young men for the sacred office. Hackney Theological Seminary is under the patronage of the Evangelical Association for spreading the Gos pel in England, and was founded A. D. 1803. It has sent out eight or ten foreign missionaries, and ten times as many home missionaries. "Let us continue," says the Society's committee, "to select men of decided and eminent piety, able to endure labor, men possessed, too, of mental energy; apt to acquire and communicate divine wisdom; let us do the best we can to educate them for our purpose; let us use our best endeavors to place them in useful spheres of action; let us encourage them by every means in our power; pray for them," etc. Blackburn Independent Academy is of a similar character. Most

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