Page:Terræ-filius- or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford.djvu/282

 particular places are appointed by the 1tatutes of the univerfity. I doubt not, my reader will be furpriz'd at this, after [ have complained that no qualifications fbr de- gree are required as to the learuling of the candidates and will reaJily ask what more pmdentiaI method could pofiibly be taken to exclude all tquli3'dper- forts, than this is ? But his aaoniment will abate, when he finds that the candidate are fo fir from at- tending, as is riOly required by aatute, upon there leSures, that there are no fuch leOures read in any of the faculties, except mtck and poetry, as hath een obtbrved in a former * paper. And yet, bef6re any perfort can obtain his degree, he ts o&gcd ta fuppttcate b :he effort who ro- po!s hs grce/for a dpe(ation for his non-men- d'ance at there leOure  thch is the modey of th[ DoJs, that they negle& their duty, and oblige the 11ows to ask ?arn, and pay for it. It cannot theretore be argued any where, but the eonvoeati.hou at Oxvo, that a perton 5ryes his degree, becaufe he ought to deferve it; the- te laws, when they come dead letters, aven0 laws and a {ualtion, whi is difpenfd with, i no. taiatiou. Examinagon is the next te required of every didate5 let us therefore fee whether there is an 7 thing more in this, than in the others. Theflatute which enjoins this ceremony, begin with this preamble, "That the congregation of Re- gent-mafiers may be the better apprm d of the learn "ing and proficienc[ in good letters ot all perfon, "who take derees m arts :-- It is cnaed, that "every on% before he ia admitted to fupplicate for', ,t his. Numb, X.

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