Page:A Catalogue of Graduates who have Proceeded to Degrees in the University of Dublin, vol. 2.djvu/33

 INTBODUCTION. xxvii NOTES. Note A, Page vi. John Ayliffe. — Ancient and Present State of the University of Oxford, 17 14. Page 2. After citing old documents and seals to show that the word University, and the name of the University of Oxford, were used before Henry III.'s reign, he proceeds thus : " So that these are irrefi-agable proofs that these schools of learn- ing, and even those at Oxford, were honoured with the title of Univer- sities long before the foregoing epoch of time ; but the word University did not at first signify so much the place of study as the society of students therein placed. And in this sense the lawyers use it at this day ; for, by legal grant, all Professors and Students incorporated into a body politick, in the Latin tongue called Universitas, do bear this name, and become hereby a republick of learning. Some persons, in- deed, affirm that these publick schools first received the name of Uni- versities, either from the Universality of sciences taught therein, or if all sciences were not therein read and taught, yet (say they) such as were read and taught there ought to be heard and read, ab universis scholaribus, by all the scholars therein resident. And Erasmus, too, to humour his fancy, will have them styled Universities, because Pro- fessors in the Universal parts of learning read lectures there ; and thus were these august seats of knowledge in the foregoing style called Uni- versities, which style (some say) entirely prevailed from Pope Leo's time to the reign of Kichard II., when the word Academia began to be restored, yet not so as to bring the ancient name of University into disuse." It may here be observed that, in the Year Book of nth Henry IV., fo. 47, pi. 21, it is said that it would be unreasonable to prevent a master from holding his school, " unless it was in case where a Uni- versity was corporate, and Schools founded from ancient time." The law requires ' a place of corporation.' VOL. II. e