Volume 1

The history and antiquities of the University of Oxford ... / by Anthony ä Wood. Now first published in English ... by John Gutch.

  • Anthony Wood
Date:
1792-1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history and antiquities of the University of Oxford ... / by Anthony ä Wood. Now first published in English ... by John Gutch. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    beftowed on thofe not judged fit to execute them, not at all refpedting in fo doing that good faying of a worthy Doftor (i) whofe memory was pre- cious among them, going thus—‘ Illi dant officia qui nihil in dando quse- runt nifi habilitatem recipientis, non autem lucrum et utilitatem recipien- tis.’ But for thefe their adtions which proved a fcandal to the Univerfity they were rewarded thus, that is to fay, that though for the prefent time they got an inconfiderable nothing, yet when they were about to procure preferment, they were commonly fet afide, and others that had little or no education in the Univerfity (admitted into Holy Orders through the ava- rice of Bifhops’ Officers) were promoted. This was fo common in th|^fe times, th^t the Members of the Univerfity did, without any regard hac^ to their corrupt adtions, write a folemn Epiftle (2) to Thomas Bouchier Archbifhop of Canterbury, defiring him that forafmuch that he and moft of the Bifhops of the Church in England did fpring from, and had their education in the Univerfity of Oxon, that he and they would feek means to be a comfort to it and the Members thereof by preventing the faid cor- ruptions. Notwjthftanding all which, and that they at prefent obtained their defires that none in the Province of Canterbury fhould be admitted into Holy Orders without a teftimony of the Archdeacon of that place wherein he abode, or of the Chancellor or Commiffary of that Univerfity wherein he had received his education, yet within few years after by the corrupt dealings of Officers to whom fees were due, that Order or Confti- tution was very often broken. Had learning been encouraged, it would without doubt have fiourifhed more, whereas now in England and other places in Chriflendom it was overcafl with pedantry and barbarous fophiflry. In Italy it was much complained of (3) and lamented by wife men, the which Pope Nicholas V perceiving, built a fumptuous Library in Vatican, revived literature with great diligence and appointed fiiipends for learned men to read to and teach Novices : But alas fuch encouragements were now deficient in Eng- land and filthy lucre much fought after: public fpirits were laid afide, men retired to their pleafures, and would not afford an hand to revive the dying Mufes almofl in defpair. Why I pray did the Parifians forbear about this time to communicate with us in Degrees and Sciences as in one of our Epiftles (4) to a Nobleman ’tis mentioned, only as may be fuppofed for (1) Rob. Grofiteft in opere fuo fuper Ef. B. ^ (3) Baleus de Vitis Pontificum Rom. in Pauli 2 Cor. cap. 9. Nic. V. [p. 45 i.] (2) In F fol. 112, b, Ep. 241. (4) In F fol. 100, b. Ep. 225. our