16 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [University.
passing from the pretended act of their pretended
Arcuh?y, unless it. were passed from as an act wanting
all manner of foundation.??
On the 5th of May, 1703, the magistrates, flushed
with triumph, ordained that Mr. Scott?s class
should be publicly graduated, as of old, in the
public hall of the university, which was accordingly
done, without consulting that professor or any other
member of the Senatus Academicus.
A memorial, however, signed by the former and
the other professors, so far succeeded in soothing
the irate Provost and bailies, that they ultimately
granted him that which he had so earnestly
wished-a private graduation of his students ; but
while doing so, they took the opportunity of loftily
and sternly prohibiting the other professors, ?upon
their peril, to graduate any in time coming but
such as took out a certificate or diploma with the
town?s seal, and poor scholars to have it gratis;
and order that all certificates make honowabk mention
of the magistrates and Council of Edinburgh
as Patrons of the CoZZege.?
Some curious matters of detail occurred about
this time, when the Rev. William Carstares was
principal, in connection with the museum of
? Rarities belonging to the College,? on the state
of which the Council appointed a commission to
report how far the said ?rarities ? in the drawers
corresponded to the inventory thereof.
Among other things, the commission reported
that the wire-work in the presses was so wide that
studeots and others visiting the museum, ??by
putting their fingers into the holes, did disorder
(the contents), and possibly might embezzle, some
of them ; particularly there was wanting a coraline
substance growing upop a piece of silver, much like
unto a Spanish cob.?
To remedy these mischances it was proposed
that the wires should be more close. Of two
cabinets they found that one contained the Materia
Medica in three drawers ; and as to the other, they
knew not what was in it, as it had no keys, and
they had never seen it opened. The commission
offered the further suggestion that ?the Rarities
purchased in the time of Mr. Henderson?s father,
such as the woman?s horn rei with siZver, and the
skeleton, Src., be registrated and cataIogued by
themselves.?
The keyless cabinet was ordered to be broken
open, and found to contain only a quantity ?of
atheistical books, which the late principal, Dr.
Gilbert Rule, had caused to sequestrate from the
others.?
These were delivered to the librarian, with
orders that no one should be permitted to read them
?
without the express permission of the Town
Council.
The Humanity Class, as a separate professoiship,
was founded by the Faculty of Advocates,
who, on being voted a sum of money for the endowment
of a chair connected with their own profession,
devoted it in the first instance to the cultivation of
Latin, as the language in which the most valuable
legal knowledge was to be found; and John Ray
was the first professor, in 1597.
In 1707, on the Treaty of Union with England,
there was ratified by Parliament and in the Act of
Security an Act of 1621, bf which the Scottish
Parliament defined in ample form the rights,
immunities, and privileges of the university.
It was not until 1708 that a separate professorship
of Greek was appointed. For some twenty
years before that period the proposal to that effect
had been made, and a master actually named, who
was to teach within the college, without the rank
or salary of professor. But in the year above
named, on the 16th of June, the Town Council,
?considering that as a knowledge of the Greek
tongue is a valuable piece of learning, and much
esteemed in all parts of the world where letters and
science do flourish, so they, being willing to contribute
their utmost endeavour to advance the
knowledge of that language, do judge that nothing
can more effectually promote the said end than
the fixing of a Professor of Greek in this burgh.?
Consequently, William Scott, one of the regents,
was appointed.
Following Bower?s ? History,? we may give the
following condensed view of the course of study
which was introduced by Principal Rollock in
In the beginning of October the session commenced,
and lasted till about the end of the ensuing
August, when an examination of the students
took place before the Town Council and the senior
members of the college. As the younger men were
prepared for the perusal of the higher order of Latin
Classics, the most of their time was passed in reading
the most approved Roman authors, particularly
Cicero, who in those days was in the greatest
repute among the learned.
Translations from English into Latin, and nice
versa, were a regular exercise throughout the whole
session, and the ? common theme,? as it was called,
was prescribed by the principal towards its closei.
e., the subject of a brief essay to be written in
pure Latin, affording each student an opportunity
of displaying his attainments in that language, and
knowledge of the general principles of composition.
The appointment of this subject was evidently
1583.
