the obligation of Catholic schools, to be conducted by the clergy living in common with the Bishop. The Council of Mayence, in 813, ordered the clergy to admonish parents under their charge, that they should send their children to the schools established "either in monasteries or in the houses of the parochial clergy. We gather from this and many similar enactments, that schools were established not only at the Cathedral, but also near the parochial churches, and in the monasteries. The synod of Orleans, in 800, enacted, that the parochial clergy should erect schools in towns and villages, in order to teach little children the elements of learning: "let them receive," this Council adds, “and teach these little children with the utmost charity, that they themselves may shine as the stars forever. Let them receive no remuneration from their schools, unless what the parents, through charity, may voluntarily offer."+ As early as 529, the Council of Vaison had strongly recommended the erection of similar schools. A cotemporary writer of the life of Bishop Meinwercus, represents the school of Paderborn as "flourishing in both divine and human learning." The princes of the earth assisted the authorities of the Church, in carrying out these benevolent intentions. Charlemagne, in one of his Capitulars, ordered the erection of schools at every Cathedral Church throughout his vast dominions, which extended over more than half of Europe. His successor, Lothaire I., in 823, promulgated a law, that public schools should be established in eight of the principal Italian Cities, "in order that opportunity may be given to all, and that there may be no excuse drawn from poverty, and the difficulty of repairing to remote places." Half a century later, Alfred the Great enacted similar laws in England. Thus, during the Catholic times, the Church and the State Bishops and Kings-vied with each other in zeal for the erection of schools. They all felt that this was the best, if not the only remedy, for European society, then torn by civil wars, and just emerging from the confusion caused by barbarian invasion. And if their good intentions were not always carried into effect, the impartial judge will admit, that it was surely not their fault, but the fault of the evil times on which they had fallen. But for these noble efforts to restore learning, what would have saved Europe from hopeless barbarism? Even with all those efforts, the struggle between Christian civilization and northern barbarism, was long and doubtful--what would have been the result, without those noble exertions? We have seen the action of Provincial and National Councils on the erection of schools: we will now show, that General Councils, representing the whole Church, made similar enactments. A Canon of the third General Council of Constantinople, in 680, commands priests to open schools in country places, • Concil Moguntinum, Can. x. 1. v. † Concil. Aurelianse Au. 800, can. xx. Digby's Ages of Faith, vol. II. pp. 112-3-where many similar facts are related (We cite this work, according to the beautiful stereotype edition of Cincinnati.) and to receive gratis, all children who could be induced to frequent them.— The third General Council of Lateran was convened in 1179, by Alexander III, one of the greatest Pontiffs of the Middle Ages. It passed the following Canon: "Since the Church of God, like a tender mother, is bound to provide for the poor, both in those things which appertain to the aid of the body, and in those which belong to the advancement of the soul; lest the opportunity for such improvement (agendi et proficiendi) should be wanting to those poor persons who cannot be aided by the wealth of their parents; let a competent benefice be assigned in each Cathedral church to a teacher, whose duty it shall be, to teach the clerks and poor scholars of the same church gratuitously, by which means the necessity of the teacher may be relieved, and the way to instruction may be opened to learners. Let this practice be also restored in other churches and monasteries, if, in times past, any thing was set apart in them for this purpose. But let no one exact a price for granting permission to teach.”* Another great Pope of the Middle Ages, Innocent III., renewed this decree in 1215, and extended the law to parochial churches. Honorius III., and other Pontiffs, followed his example. Thus, free schools were established throughout Christendom by the authority of Roman Pontiffs and of General Councils. The Church promoted learning, both in her distribution, and in her collective. capacity. And be it ever remembered, that all the schools above mentioned, were established chiefly for the benefit of the common people and of the poor. In France alone, during those ages, there were more than two hundred such schools and colleges.† The monasteries were powerful auxiliaries in the cause of education.— Wherever they were established, the most barren waste was made to smile with verdure. Their retired situation, remote from the confusion and corruption of cities, adapted them in a peculiar manner to the purposes of education. The youth could there, far away from the turmoil of the world, drink to satiety of the pure waters of sacred and profane learning. His health was invigorated by the mountain or country air-his morals were preserved by the example and watchfulness of the monks-and literature and Religion became lovely in his eyes. In those troublous times of civil feud and bloodshed, the monasteries were asylums for learning--green spots on the surface of creation--which the foot of the spoiler seldom profaned. Who, that has read the history of the Middle Ages, has not felt refreshed in mind, as he revisited in spirit, the monasteries of Cluny and Clairvaulx--of Corbie and Bec-of Fulda and Bobbionot to mention a hundred other bright and favoured spots! The shades of St. Bernard, of Peter the Venerable and of the Abbot Hugo, seem still to hover over those holy sanctuaries, and to hallow them by their presence! See Cabassutius-Notitia Concil. in locum. Digby (vol. 2, p 114) gives an imperfect synopsis of the decree, which however is marked as a translation of the Canon. Besides, the marginal reference is incorrect, and without meaning. For proof of this, see Annales de la Philos. Chretienne, Sup. Art. 7. There were schools in all the principal monasteries. Some of these were for primary, and others for higher instruction. In the former, boys were taught the "Our Father," the Creed, the Psalms, plain chaunt, Arithmetic and Grammar. In the latter, the more elevated branches of learning were taught-music, mathematics, poetry, and the oriental languages-the Greek, Hebrew and Arabic. At that period, Grammar had a more extended meaning than at present. It embraced, though perhaps in less perfection, what was afterwards denoted by the term humanities—a full course of instruction in, at least, the Latin language, which was, during the greater part of the Middle Ages, the language of the people—at least of all the educated-as well as of the Church and of the State. The laws and ordinances of France were in Latin until the sixteenth century. Till the beginning of the thirteenth century, most of the famous monasteries of Europe were of the Benedictine Order, whose services to literature cannot be calculated. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the monastic orders of St. Dominic and St. Francis covered Europe with schools, which were chiefly for the benefit of the poor. And there is no doubt, that these last named Orders greatly promoted the rise of letters, and the advancement of civilization. Besides schools for the people, there were others, chiefly in the monasteries, for the special education of the children of the nobility and of kings. Meibom, a Protestant historian, assures us of this fact. "During the age of the Charles', of the Othos and of the Henrys, the children of kings and dukes, at a tender age, were placed in the schools of the canons and of the monks, that they might acquire a knowledge of the liberal arts, and of the languages."* The chronicler of St. Requier, who lived under the Carlovingian dynasty, tells us that in that abbey were educated one hundred youths, from the principal noble families of the Empire. Charles Martel founded the college of Richenon for a similar purpose. The kings and princes of the Middle Ages, were not so ignorant as they are usually represented to have been. Charlemagne and Alfred were both not only scholars, but magnificent patrons of learning. They were the Medici of the Middle Ages. The fact that many of the ancient diplomas and other public documents are signed by the cipher, instead of the name of a prince, is no conclusive evidence that the signer could not write his own name. This practice was often a matter of Court etiquette, originating in the idea more or less common at that time, that a prince should write with no other instrument but his sword. These warlike nobles, clad in steel, did not relish the old advice—cedant arma toga. When king Lewis d'outre mer, laughed at Foulk of Anjou, for having sung in the choir with the other canons, ⚫ See Ziegelbauer opp. Tom. 1. "Sub ævo Carolorum, Othonum, et Henricorum, regum ducumque liberi tenelli adhuc in Canonicorum aut monachorum collegia amandabantur ut liberalium artium et linguarun cognitioni assuefierent." See-Nouveau Traite de diplomatique p. 361,-a lerned work by the Benedictines. The same Foulk answered bluntly: "an illiterate king is a crowned ass. was said to Henry 1st. of England by his father, the bluff William the Conqueror. This fact proves that ignorance was deemed disgraceful in a prince of the Middle Ages. In the 10th century, St. Stephen of Hungary had his people taught the Latin language, which is still the vernacular tongue of that country. The following fact may serve to show that ladies of rank, also, cultivated learning during that period. In the 11th century, Ingulph, who was reared in the Court of Edward the Confessor of England, informs us, that on returning every day from school, the Queen Egitha used to examine him in Grammar and Logic; and to encourage his progress by frequent presents. The nunneries did for girls, what the Cathedral, parochial, and monastic schools did for boys: and every class, and both sexes were thus provided with ample means of education. The Latin Language was generally understood by the Religious ladies of the convent: their rules were all in that language; and many small works written in Latin by nuns of those ages are still extant. They also frequently cultivated the study of the Greek Language, and of Philosophy. Some nuns of England, with their Abbess Liobe, a near relative of St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, carried their learning into the latter country, and established schools there for the education of their own sex.§ In the tenth century, Hroswetha, a nun of Gandersheim, wrote Latin poems, still extant, on the foundation of her convent, and on the life of the Emperor, Otho the Great; besides six dramas on Ecclesiastical History, in imitation of France. Though not so classical as the ancient models, yet these poems are of respectable merit, and prove, that in the institutions for learning at that day-even in the 10th century, classical literature was extensively and successfully cultivated, by women as well as by men. Not only religious women, but ladies of the world also were often well educated. They received their education in the convents. St. Bernard, in the twelfth century, wrote letters in Latin to the wives of counts and barons. The convent of Roncerai at Angiers was distinguished by the number of young princesses who were there educated. It was in this school that Heloise learned Latin and Philosophy. St. Gertrude of Saxony, (13th and 14th centuries) extended her studies to the classics, to which she was so strongly attached, as to feel scruples of conscience. She has left many pious historical works. The Abbess Herrada of Alsace (12th century) wrote an extensive Encyclopedia, which is still preserved in manuscript. • Rex illiteratus est asinus coronatus.-(Martene Collect. Ampliss. v. 987. The Annales de la Philosophie Chret. has a special article (vi) replete with interesting details on the learned females of the Middle Ages. See Historie Litter. de France, Tom. Ix. p. 129 seqq. Many other similar facts might be alleged to illustrate female education in the Middle Ages: but these must suffice. Pass we now to the Universities of the "dark" Ages, which sprang up in the twelfth century, and which were so numerous and flourishing in that and the following Ages, as to excite our admiration and astonishment, even at this day of boasted enlightenment. The schools and colleges erected in the larger cities gradually swelled into Universities, which had special charters of privileges from Popes and Princes. These soon became foci of learning, which radiated the light of literature through every country of Europe. Their great number, and the vast multitudes of youths from every part of Europe, who flocked to them, prove most conclusively, how great was then the thirst for learning. Italy pioneered the way. The Universities of Rome and Bologna soon became famous. Padua, Naples, Pavia and Perugia, also had their Universities. After the discovery of the Pandects of Justinian by the Amalfites, in the eleventh century, the study of the Civil Law was revived in Italy. The University of Bologna became, under Werner, the great law-school of christendom. Thousands of students from the remotest parts of Europe crowded its halls. Besides Italian youths, there were at this University no less than ten thousand foreign students at a time! Padua, the Alma Mater of Christopher Columbus and of Amerigo Vespucci, had at one time no less than eighteen thousand students. The other Italian Universities were also in a flourishing condition. The other countries of Europe had also their Universities, which rivaled those of Italy. England had her Oxford and her Cambridge. The flourishing schools, founded in these two cities in the ninth and tenth centuries, grew to be Universities towards the close of the twelfth century. The reign of Henry II., was the Augustan Age of English medieval literature. Anthony Wood, the Protestant historian of the Oxford University, informs us that, during Henry's reign, it counted thirty thousand students!+ Spain was not behind the other Catholic States of Europe. She improved on the scientific discoveries of the Arabs, who during their long rule over her most beautiful provinces, had established many flourishing schools, and made many improvements in Medicine and Mathematics. To them all Europe was much indebted for the impulse, which their example and successful industry gave to those studies. The literary boon which they bestowed on Europe was not, however, without its poison. They paid at least as much attention to the study of alchemy, of necromancy and of astrology, as to that of the useful sciences. They wasted as much time and labor on the discovery of the philosopher's stone, as they spent in the sciences of Arithmetic, Medicine and Astronomy. To their influence, we have no doubt, Europe was mainly indebted for the importance attached to these foolish studies by many of her christian * See Eustace's "Classical Tour" through Italy, 4 vols. 8 vo. † Athenæ Oxonienses. The famed school of Athens never had so many scholars! |