Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/139

cxxi ARAGON. cxxi was registered in the academic archives ; and the section ° . . 11. fortunate troubadour, greeted with a magnificent prize, was escorted to the royal palace amid a cor- tege of minstrelsy and chivalry ; " thus manifesting to the world," says the marquis, " the superiority which God and nature have assigned to genius over dulness." ^' The influence of such an institution in awak- ening a poetic spirit is at best very questionable. Whatever effect an academy may have in stimula- ting the researches of science, the inspirations of genius must come unbidden ; " Adflata est numine quando Jam propiore dei." The Catalans, indeed, seem to have been of this opinion ; for they suffered the Consistory of Torto- sa to expire with its founder. Somewhat later, in 1430, was established the University of Barcelona, placed under the direction of the municipality, and endowed by the city with ample funds for instruc- tion in the various departments of law, theology, medicine, and the belles-lettres. This institution survived until the commencement of the last cen- tury. ®' During the first half of the fifteenth century, 91 Mayans y Siscar, Origenes, losophy ; four of grammar ; one of torn. ii. pp. 325 - 327. rhetoric ; one of surgery ; one of 92 Andres, Letteratura, torn. iv. anatomy ; one of Hebrew, and an- pp. 85, 86. — Capmany, Mem. de other of Greek. It is singular, that JBarcelona, tom. ii. Apend. no. 16. none should have existed for the — There were thirty -two chairs, or Latin, so much more currently professorships, founded and main- studied at that time, and of so tained at the expense of the city ; much more practical application al- six of theology ; six of jurispru- ways, than either of the other an- dence ; five of medicine ; six of phi- cient languages. VOL. I. V