Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 1.djvu/146

 country, who being desirous to have his son instructed in the principles of philosophy, would intrust him to the discipline of any other than a Scottish master; of whom they were no less proud than Philip was of Aristotle, or Tullius of Cratippus. And if it occurred (as very often it did,) that a pretender to a place in any French university, having, in his tenderer years, been subferulary to some other kind of schooling, should enter in competition with another aiming at the same charge and dignity, whose learning flowed from a Caledonian source, commonly the first was rejected and the other preferred." It nevertheless appears that Robert Balfour prosecuted the study of philology, as well as that of philosophy, with considerable success. His edition of Cleomedes, published at Bourdeaux, in 1605, "Latine versa, et perpetuo commentario illustrata," is spoken of in the highest terms of praise by the erudite Barthius. Other works by Balfour are, "Gelasii Cyziceni Commentarius Actorum Nicæni Concilii, Roberto Balforeo interprete, 1604, folio,"—"Commentarius. R. Balforei in Organum Logicum Aris totelis, 1616, 4to,"—and, "R. Balforei Scoti Commentariorum in lib. Arist de Philosophia, tomus secundus, 1620, 4to."  , king of Scotland, was the son of John de Baliol, of Bernard's Castle in the county of Durham, a man of great opulence, being possessed of thirty knights' fees, (equal to £12,000 of modern money,) and who was a steady adherent of Henry III., in all his civil wars. The mother of Baliol was Devorgilla, one of the three daughters and co-heiresses of Allan, Lord of Galloway, by Margaret, eldest daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of Malcolm IV. and William the Lion, kings of Scotland. The first of the English family of Baliol was a Norman noble, proprietor of the manors of Baliol, Harcourt, Dampat, and Horne in France, and who, coming over with the Conqueror, left a son, Guy, whom William Rufus appointed to be Lord of the forest of Teesdale and Marwood, giving him at the same time the lands of Middleton and Guiseford in Northumberland. Guy was the father of Bernard, who built the strong castle on the Tees, called from him Bernard's Castle. Eustace, son of this noble, was the father of Hugh, who was the father of John de Baliol, John de Baliol has distinguished himself in English literary history, by founding one of the colleges of Oxford, which still bears his name. As this institution is connected in more ways than one with Scotland, the following account of its foundation, from Chalmers' History of Oxford, may be read with interest. "The wealth and political consequence of John de Baliol were dignified by a love of learning, and a benevolence of disposition, which, about the year 1263 (or 1268, as Wood thinks,) induced him to maintain certain poor scholars of Oxford, in number sixteen, by exhibitions, perhaps with a view to some more permanent establishment, when he should have leisure to mature a plan for that purpose. On his death, in 1269, which appears from this circumstance to have been sudden, he could only recommend the objects of his bounty to his lady and his executors, but left no written deed or authority: and as what he had formerly given was from his personal estate, now in other hands, the farther care of his scholars would in all probability have ceased, had not his lady been persuaded to fulfil his intention in the most honourable manner, by taking upon herself the future maintenance of them.&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;The first step which the Lady Devorgilla took, in providing for the scholars, was to have a house in Horsemonger Lane, afterwards called Canditch (from Candida Fossa) in St Mary Magdalene's parish, and on the site where the present college stands; and being supported in his design by her husband's executors, continued the provision which he allotted. In 1282, she gave them statutes under her seal, and appointed Hugh de Hartipoll and William de Menyle as procurators or governors of her scholars.&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;In 1284, the Lady Devorgilla purchased a tenement of a citizen of Oxford, called Mary's Hall, as a perpetual settlement for the principal and scholars of the House of Baliol. This edifice, after receiving suitable repairs and additions, was called New Baliol Hall, and their former residence then began to receive the name of Old Baliol Hall. The same year, she made over certain lands in the county of Northumberland, the greater part of which was afterwards lost. The foundation, however, was about this time confirmed by Oliver, bishop of Lincoln, and by the son of the founder, who was afterwards king of Scotland, and whose consent in this matter seems to entitle him to the veneration of the society.&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;*&emsp;&emsp;The revenues of the college were at first small, yielding only eight-pence per week to each scholar, or twenty-seven the father of the king of Scotland. 