the year 1617.* The only part which remains of this ecclesiastical foundation is the cemetery, used as a place of sepulture by some of the Roman catholic families of Aberdeen.

OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

The Grammar school of Old Aberdeen, which is a modern institution only, has, since the year 1800, been under the charge of Ewen Maclachlan, A. M. who is librarian to the university. The average number of pupils is forty, and the time of attendance about five years. The books taught the first year are the Rudiments, and Adam's Select Lessons; in the second, Eutropius, Mair's Introduction to Syntax, and several lives of Cornelius Nepos; in the third, Cæsar and Ovid; in the fourth and fifth, Sallust, Livy, Virgil, Buchanan's Psalms, and Horace. The Rudiments and Watt's Grammar are alternated in the mornings of the second and third years; after which, lessons on the Rudiments are confined to Saturdays. During the fourth and fifth years, the mornings are devoted to prosody and phraseology. The weekly tasks are repeated on Fridays.

When the pupil has come to Cæsar, he begins versions, and continues them to the end of the course, exhibiting at the rate of four in the week, till the last autumn of his attendance, during which he writes two daily, to qualify him for the college competition, which is held annually on the last Monday of October. The versions are from Mair's Introduction, Crombie's Gymnasium, Buchanan's History of Scotland, and such other authors as presented materials adapted to Mr. Maclachlan's system.

The formation of classes in this seminary is influenced by various contingencies, but that circumstance opposes no bar to the progress of ingenious industry. A pupil of respectable talents, within the period above assigned, will be perfect master of his grammar, apply its rules with facility, and translate into Latin or English, if not Y y 2 with

Acts of Parliament, vol. iv. p. 576.

with classical elegance, at least with a degree of accuracy sufficient to exclude barbarous and solecistic idioms.

The annual visitation of this school by the magistrates and ministers of the city, and by the professors of the college, has a powerful effect in stimulating the exertions of master and scholar; but it is to be regretted that no fund has yet been established for such prizes as are distributed in the Grammar school of Aberdeen, on similar occasions.

Mr. Maclachlan is an eminent classical scholar, and is, besides, distinguished for his acute researches and valuable information regarding the ancient Celtic language. He has, of late, published several poetical pieces, in English, on various subjects.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER III.

SECTION I.

Of the Institution of the University, and Foundation of King's College, by Bishop Elphinston-Grants by King James IV.-Principal Boece-and various other matters, previous to the Reformation.

In the account which has been given of Marischal college, in a former part of this work, we have remarked the origin and introduction of universities into Scotland, and observed, that these were originally of an ecclesiastical nature, or, at least, clerical corporations, founded for the advancement of learning, having many ample privileges and immunities conferred upon them.

The universities established in Scotland previous to the Reformation were instituted, according to the model of Paris and Bononia, under papal authority, and confirmed by the king. The chief design, perhaps, of those seminaries was to afford the means of instruction to ecclesiastics; but their general object, undoubtedly, was to promote the education of youth in the various branches of science, and thereby to diffuse knowledge among a rude and barbarous people. The institution of the university and King's college of Aberdeen, which, in the order of time, was the third in Scotland, was originally designed by William Elphinston, bishop of Aberdeen, who filled the high offices of chancellor and of privy seal of Scotland, successively, under King James IV. and was also distinguished for many acts of benevolence, and for the zeal with which he promoted public and noble works within his diocese. At his solicitation, King James requested and obtained from Pope Alexander VI. a bull,* dated at Rome, February 10th, 1494, for instituting, at the famous city of Old Aberdeen,

* A copy of this bull will be found at the end of the chapter, No. I.

Aberdeen, a university,* or general study, as well in theology, the canon and civil law, as in medicine, the liberal arts, and in every lawful faculty, in the same manner as in the universities of Paris and Bononia. By the apostolical authority, ecclesiastics, laics, masters, and doctors, were ordained to instruct those who came to prosecute their studies, from whatsoever places, in the same manner as in the privileged universities: and the students were to receive their degrees, according to their respective faculties, and their proficiency in their several branches of learning. By the same authority, Bishop Elphinston and his successors, prelates of Aberdeen, were appointed chancellors of the university, and were invested with the power and privilege of conferring degrees of baccalaureat, licentiate, master of arts, and doctor,† in the learned professions. Of the same date with the bull, the pope granted his mandate to the bishops of Aberdeen,

* Clement, who is said to have been a Scotchman, first instituted a school at Paris, under the Emperor Charles the Great, who ascended the throne of his father Pepin, about the year 790; but that institution had no pretensions to the title of a university, till the thirteenth century. For many ages, there were taught in it two branches only of the sciences, the liberal arts and theology. Sometime afterwards, the two faculties of law and medicine were added to it, by which means it was rendered a complete university. In the letter, which was addressed by the members of this seminary, in the year 1253, to all the prelates of the kingdom, against the Jacobins, all the four faculties were mentioned; and thenceforward it obtained the appellation of the university of Paris. Hence the name of university in the Scottish seminaries.-[Professor Thomas Gordon, MS. p. 105.]

+ In the ancient seminaries there were originally no other distinctions but that of masters and scholars, or teachers and those whom they taught; but, afterwards, several degrees were introduced, and a term fixed, both for studying and teaching, before they could be conferred. Pope Gregory the IX. was the first that distinguished them by the titles of baccalaureatus, + (bachelors,) licentiates, and doctors. The bachelors taught publicly, and were divided into classes; one of these read and explained the scriptures; the other were called sententiarii, from their explaining Peter Lombard, archbishop of Paris' book of sentences, which consisted of extracts from the writings of the fathers, without regard to arrangement. After the expiry of the term fixed for their teaching, they were made licentiates, and then preferred to the degree of doctor by the chancellor of the church of Paris.

The chancellors of Saint Genevieve pretended to have the same privilege, and, in fact, enjoyed it for some time; but none of these could confer degrees, except on those who had passed the course of academical studies in the faculties, and had undergone the ordinary examinations.-[Professor Gordon's MS. p. 105.]

According to Dr. Johnson, the most probable derivation of this word seems to be from Bacca-laurus, the berry of a laurel or bay; one who is a promising youth, and takes his first degrees at the university, in any profession.

deen and Dumblane, and to the abbot of Cambuskenneth, or to any one or more of them, to publish the bull; to defend and patronize the doctors, masters, and scholars, in all their privileges and immunities; and to enforce a due observance of the statutes and institutions of the college. The publication of this mandate, however, did not take place till the 25th February, 1496, on which day it was proclaimed in the cathedral church, in presence of the chapter assembled.

The king, in his letter to the pope, gave a most deplorable account of the barbarous state, at that time, of the north or highlands of Scotland. He stated "that the inhabitants were ignorant of letters, and almost uncivilized; that there were no persons to be found fit to preach the word of God to the people, or to administer the sacraments of the church; and besides, that the country was so intersected with mountains and arms of the sea, so distant from the universities already erected, and the roads so dangerous, that the youth had not access to the benefit of education in these seminaries." But, at the same time, the king observed, "that the city of Old Aberdeen was situated at a moderate distance from the highland country and northern islands, enjoyed an excellent temperature of air, abundance of provisions, the conveniency of habitation, and every thing necessary for the comfort of human life."

Although two universities had been deemed sufficient for the whole of England, and two had already been established in Scotland, those circumstances mentioned in the king's letter were powerful inducements to the pope to grant his authority for the institution of a third in the northern part of this kingdom. It was justly remarked in the bull, which seems to have been readily obtained, "that while the distribution of other things lessened their power, science had this distinguishing quality, that the diffusion of it tended not to diminish but to increase and spread the general stock of knowledge."

When Bishop Elphinston was put in possession of the papal authority for enabling him to accomplish what he had so much at heart, he proceeded to the further execution of his plan, and obtained from