PART II. CEN T. their learned labours in illustrating the canon law XIII. of the Greeks. The principal Syrian writer, which this century produced, was GREGORY ABUL FARAI, primate of the Jacobites, a man of true genius and universal learning, who was a judicious divine, an eminent historian, and a good philosopher [a]. GREGORY ELMACIN, who composed the history of the Saracens, was also a writer of no mean reputation. The progress of the west. II. The sciences carried a fairer aspect in the Learning in western world, where every branch of erudition was cultivated with assiduity and zeal, and, of consequence, flourished, with increasing vigour, from day to day. The European kings and princes had learned, by a happy experience, how much the advancement of learning and arts contribute to the grandeur and happiness of a nation; and therefore they invited into their dominions learned. [a] See BAYLE's Dictionary, at the article ABULPHARAGE; as also Jos. SIM. ASSEMANNI Biblioth. Oriental. Vatican. tom. ii. cap. xlii. p. 244. ABULPHARAGIUS, or ABUL FARAI, was a native of Malatia, a city in Armenia, near the source of the river Euphrates, and acquired a vast reputation in the east on account of his extensive erudition. He composed An Abridgement of Universal History, from the beginning of the world to his own times, which he divided into ten parts, or dynastics. The first comprehends the history of the ancient Patriarch from Adam to Moses. The second, that of Joshua and the other judges of Israel. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth, contain the history of the kings of Israel, of the Chaldean princes, of the Persian Magi, and of the Grecian Monarchs. The seventh relates to the Roman history; the eight to that of the Greek emperors of Constantinople. In the ninth he treats concerning the Arabian Commanders; and in the tenth concerning the Moguls. He is more to be depended upon in his history of the Saracens and Tartars, than in his accounts of other nations. The learned Dr EDWARD Pocock translated this work into Latin, and published his translation in 1663: together with a supplement, which carries on the history of the oriental princes, where ABUL FARAI left it. The same learned translator had obliged the public, in 1650, with an abridgement of the ninth dynasty under the following title: "Specimen Historia Arabum; sive "Georgii Abulfaragii Malatiensis de origine et moribus Ara“bum succinctą narratio.” XIII. learned men from all parts of the world, nourished C E N T. the arts in their bosom, excited the youth to the PART II. love of letters, by crowning their progress with the most noble rewards, and encouraged every effort of genius, by conferring upon such as excelled, the most honourable distinctions. Among these patrons and protectors of learning the emperor FREDERIC II. and ALPHONSUS X. king of Leon and Castile, two princes as much distinguished by their own learning, as by the encouragement they granted to men of genius, acquired the highest renown, and rendered their names immortal. The former founded the academy of Naples, had the works of ARISTOTLE translated into Latin, assembled about his person all the learned men whom he could engage by his munificence to repair to his court, and gave many other undoubted proofs of his zeal for the advancement of the arts and sciences [b]. The latter obtained an illustrious and permanent renown by several learned productions, but more especially by his famous Astronomical Tables [c]. In consequence then of the protection that was given to the sciences in this century, academies were erected almost in every city, peculiar privileges of various kinds were also granted to the youth that frequented them, and these learned societies acquired, at length, the form of political bodies; that is to say, they were invested with a certain jurisdiction, and were governed by their own laws and statutes. GIAN [b] BOULAY, Hist. Acad. Paris. tom. iii. p. 115. NONE, Hist. de Naples, tom. ii. p. 497. Add to these the observations of Jo. ALB. FABRICIUS, Biblioth. Latin. medii ævi, tom. ii. p. 618. [e] NIC. ANTONII Bibliotheca vetus Hispan. lib. viii. c. v. P. 217. JO. DE FERRERAS, Histoire d'Espagne, tom. iv. p. 347. XIII. of the Eu demies. CENT. III. In the public schools or academies that PART II. Were founded at Padua, Modena, Naples, Capua, Thoulouse, Salamancha, Lions, and Cologn, the The state whole circle of the sciences was not taught, as in ropean aca- our times. The application of the youth, and the labours of their instructors, were limited to certain branches of learning, and thus the course of academical education remained imperfect. The academy of Paris, which surpassed all the rest both with respect to the number and abilities of its professors, and the multitude of students by whom it was frequented, was the first learned society which extended the sphere of education, received all the sciences into its bosom, and appointed masters for every branch of erudition. Hence it was distinguished, before any other Me academy, with the title of an UNIVERSITY, to denote its embracing the whole circle of science; and, in process of time, other schools of learning were ambitious of forming themselves upon the same model, and of being honoured with the same title. In this famous university, the doctors were divided into four colleges or classes, according to the branches of learning they professed; and these classes were called, in after-times, faculties. In each of these faculties, a doctor was chosen by the suffrages of his colleagues, to preside during a fixed period in the society; and the title of dean was given to those who successively filled that eminent office [d]. The head of the university, whose inspection and jurisdiction extended to all branches of that learned body, was dignified with the name of chancellor, and that high and honourable place was filled by the bishop of Paris, to whom an assistant was afterwards joined, who shared the administration with him, and was cloathed with an extensive autho year rity. 1260. See [d] This arrangement was executed about the XIII. rity [e]. The college set apart for the study of ENT. divinity was first erected and endowed, in the pART II. year 1250, by an opulent and pious man, whose name was ROBERT DE SORBONNE, a particular friend and favourite of St LEWIS, whose name was adopted and is still retained by that theological society [f]. 12.3 demical course. IV. Such as were desirous of being admitted The acaprofessors in any of the faculties, or colleges of this famous university, were obliged to submit to a long and tedious course of probation, to suffer the strictest examinations, and to give, during several years, undoubted proofs of their learning and capacity, before they were received in the character of public teachers. This severe discipline was called the academical course; and it was wisely designed to prevent the number of professors from multiplying beyond measure, and also to hinder such as were destitute of erudition and abilities from assuming an office, which was justly looked upon as of high importance. They who had satisfied all the demands of this academical law, and had gone through the formidable trial with applause, were solemnly invested with the dignity of professors, and were saluted masters with a certain round of ceremonies, that were used in the societies of illiterate tradesmen, when their company was augmented by a new candidate. This vulgar custom was introduced, in [e] See HERM. CONRINGII Antiquitates Academica, a work, however, susceptible of considerable improvements. The important work mentioned in the preceding note, and which is divided into six volumes, deserves to be principally consulted in this point, as well as in all others that relate to the history and government of the university of Paris; add to this CLaud. HeMERAI Liber. de Academia Parisiensi. qualis primo fuit in insula et episcoporum scholis, Lutet. 1637. in 4to. [f] See Du BOULAY, Histor. Acad. Paris. tom. iii. p. 223. -DU FRESNE'S Annotations upon the Life of St LEWIS, written by JOINVILLE, p. 36. XIII. CEN T. in the preceding century, by the professors of law PARTI in the academy of Bolonia, and, in this century, it was transmitted to that of Paris, where it was first practised by the divinity-colleges, and afterwards by the professors of physic and of the liberal arts. In this account of the trial and installation of the professors of Paris, we may perceive the origin of what we now call academical degrees, which, like all other human institutions, have degenerated sadly from the wise ends for which they were at first appointed, and grow more insignificant from day to day [g]. The state of litera V. These public institutions, consecrated to ture or hu- the advancement of learning, were attended with manity. remarkable success; but that branch of erudition, which we call humanity, or polite literature, derived less advantage from them, than the other sciences. The industrious youth either applied themselves entirely to the study of the civil and canon laws, which was a sure path to preferment, or employed their labours in philosophical researches, in order to the attainment of a shining reputation, and of the applause that was lavished upon such as were endowed with a subtile and metaphysical genius. Hence the bitter complaints that were made by the pontifs and other bishops, of the neglect and decline of the liberal arts and sciences; and hence also the zealous, but unsuccessful efforts they used to turn the youth from jurisprudence and philosophy, to the study of humanity and philology [b]. Notwithstanding [g] Besides the writers above-mentioned, see Jo. CHR. ITTERUS, De Gradibus Academicis.--JUST. HENN. BOHMERI Præf. ad jus Canonicum, p. 14.—ANT. WOOD, Antiquit. Oxoniens. tom.i. p. 24.-BOULAY, Histor. Academ. Paris, tom. ii. p. 256. 682. 684, &c. [b] BOULAY, Hist. Acad. Paris. tom. iii. p. 265. where there is an epistle of INNOCENT III. who seems to take this matter seriously to heart.-ANT. WOOD, Antiq. Oxon. tom. i. p. 124. -IMOLA in Dantem in Muratori Antiquit. Ital. medü ævi, tom. i. P. 1262. |