OXFORD IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
Oxford, 4th December 1850. SIR—It may not be uninteresting to your readers, in reference to the ques- tion of admitting within the walls of the Universities a number of undisci- plined students, to present some idea of the state of society in Oxford's Golden Age, when thirty thousand scholars are said to have been domiciled within its precincts. I select a few passages at random from Anthony Wood. (Annals of the University of Oxford.) 1231. 15th and 16th Henry III. "The King, understanding that the University was filled with a multitude of people that came from beyond and within the seas for to study and procure learning—which he took very kindly, because that thereby no small honour and example would accrue to him and his kingdom, and profit in particular to the inhabitants of, this place—sent out his breve, dated at Oxford, May 3 this year, to the Mayor and Burghers thereof, commanding them not to overrate their houses.: :,which command the inhabitants observing to the utmost of theirpower, the University continued flourishing, and the burghers enlarged their territories for the receiving of more students, making every depopulated cottage habitable ; so that by their kindness to strangers—whom we cannot but imagine chiefly to be the French nation, besides the Irish, Scotch, and other nations which were there be- fore—the number of scholars drew to be above 30,000, which by authors is said to have been in this century. But amongst them, a company of varlets, who pretended to be scholars, shuffled themselves in, and did act much vil- lainy in the University, by thieving, whoring, quarrelling &c. They lived under no discipline, neither had they tutors, but only for fashion's sake would sometimes thrust themselves into the schools at ordinary lectures."
1234. "As by this taillage [levied by Henry the Third] our burghers found themselves to be grieved, so also the scholars especially in another respect, namely, by the prohibition they received from their accompanying concu- bines : for whereas divers complaints were made to the King, how corrupted the youth were in that respect by example, as 'tis thought, of the French who continued yet in the University, the King sent out his writ for the banishment of them hence : but the town being very populous, they were not easy to be found out." 1238. The scholars murdered one of the attendants of Otho the Pope's Legate. 1244. " In the beginning of this year happened a grievous discord between the scholars and the Jews. The former broke open their houses in the Jewry, and robbed them of much money; of which fact great complaints being made, were forty-five clerks sent to prison."
1248. One of the scholars being murdered in an affray with the towns- people, the town was laid under an interdict.
1249. "In the beginning of this year, in the time of Lent, arose upon a small account a great discord between the scholars and burghers of Cambridge ; which being prosecuted by both parties, followed spoilings, breaking open of houses, woundings, murders," &c. 1252. A discord happened which Wood says was doubtless very dangerous. "Now therefore, seeing that such quarrels did happen between the Irish and Northern scholars, we cannot but imagine that multitudes of other nations studied at Oxford also and had their respective engagements against each other."
1255. Great multitudes of clerks and other persons being now in Oxford, and therefore many outrages and discompoaures happened, which the officers of the University could not well manage or decide : therefore," &c. 1258. About this time fell out a sad dissension between the scholars of divers nations studying in the University, namely, between the Scotch, Welsh, Northern and Southern English. The Northern and Welsh joined together against the Southern, and had banners and flags among them to distinguish each division. They also pitched their field near Oxford, (in that of Beaumont, as it seems,) where each party trying their valour, fell together in such a confusion with their warlike array, that in condusion_divers on both aides were slain and pitifully wounded. 1263. An affray happened between the townspeople and the clerks. "The clerks, finding none to oppose them, went about the streets, broke open many houses, spoiled and took away divers goods, and did what pleased them with- out any opposition. At length they went to the house of Jeffrey de Henk- sey, one of the Provosts of the town, and burnt it. Then," &a. &c. 1267. "No sooner were the scholars settled in their ancient seat, but they, whether for want of action or that they were a vast body as to number, and therefore could not be well governed, fell to quarrelling among them- selves." Then follow discord, blows, and set battles.
The next few years appear to be occupied with commotion between the Masters and the preaching Friars.
1274. "The University was now out of order by strifes and factions be- tween them of divers countries that were students therein ; that is to say, between the Southern, those of the Marches of Wales, Irish and Welsh, on the one part, and the Northern and Scotch scholars on the other part. 1295. " rest was the number at this time of clerks, and greater therefore was the charge of the Magistrates of the University to govern them being grown to such a height of insolence that nothing but the force of arms could awe them. Many sons of perdition, and such that were unmindful of their salvation, were suspended and excommunicated by the Chancellor and his Deputies."
1296. A certain number of clerks going to a solemnity at Eynsliam—" Some perverse varlets, glorying in malice, killed some, wounded others, and the rest being molested with injuries fled to Oxford with great terror." 1297. A great riot and affray between the townspeople and the clerks, in which some were killed, some wounded, and the town was laid under an in- terdict. The townsmen alleged that three thousand clerks or more attacked them.
The history of the University in those days, when numbers of students were admitted without discipline, appears to be little else than a continued narrative of riot and bloodshed.
It would seem as if her Majesty's Commissioners had it in contemplation to propose a revival of Oxford past-times. H.
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