every morning and evening faid prayers in the common hall; to which was joined an expofition of fome chapters of the old teftament, which the ftudents read out of Hebrew into Greek in the morning and in the evening fome part of the New Teftament out of English into Greek. He alfo preached upon Sunday upon what fubjects he judged moft proper in the church in Cambridge, where the ftudents had a gallery allotted them, and where they ufually attended. The fellows refident were alfo tutors in the college; who, after they had taught the ftudents Hebrew, inftructed them in the liberal arts, before the first four years were expired. During this time they had their weekly declamations, and difputes, in the college hall, every Friday, where either the prefident or the fellows acted as moderators. Such as ftood candidates for degrees, were obliged to attend in the hall for certain hours, on Mondays and on Tuesdays, for three weeks together, in the middle of June. These were called vifitation weeks, when all who pleased, might afk them any questions, and examine them concerning their skill in the languages, or the fciences, which they profeffed grants, by us or any other of our progenitors or predeceffors, to the forefaid Governour and Companie before this time made, in thefe prefents is not made, or any ftatute, act, ordinance, provifion, proclamation or reftraint to the contraty thereof heretofore had, made, published, ordained or provided, or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrarie thereof in any wife notwithstanding. In witnefs whereof we have caufed these our letters to be made patent. Witness ourselves at Westminster, the fourth day of March in the fourth yeare of our reigre. This is a true copy of fuch let- Loc. 1644. profeffed to understand. On this occafion, it was com mon for fome of the overfeers, while they were fitting folftice, as it was called, to vifit them, with a defign of feeing their improvement. When the time of commencement began, which was at first, the fecond Tuesday, of Auguft, but afterwards the first Wednesday of July, thofe who were to proceed batchelors, held their act publicly in Cambridge, where both the magiftrates, and minifters, attended, to confer honour upon their exercifes. Thefe exercifes were, befides an oration delivered by the prefident, orations delivered by the commencers, wherein fuitable compliments were paid to the audience, according to their characters, dignities, and offices. Thefe academical orations were made not only in latin, but fometimes in Greek and Hebrew. But the principal exercises were difputations upon queftions, where the refpondents exhibited a thefis which might be impugned by any who pleafed. In conclufion, the prefident delivered a book into the hands of the candidates, and gave them their first degree. Thofe who were admitted to the degree of Master of Arts, were obliged to undergo a new trial, and difpute upon fome queftion fuited to the time they had ftudied. When this was finished, they received their degree with the fame formality as in the firft. Such diligence and ftrictness. could not but have great influence in promoting learning, and preventing many from wafting their time idly, as happens in many European univerfities, where fuch difcipline is not obferved. Whether this order is still obferved, I will not pretend to fay; but according to the laws and ftatutes of the college, it ought to be kept up. The ftatutes are so express, that they muft expofe themfelves greatly, to depart from them. There There are twenty-three rules in their ftatutes very exprefs, and strong, that would be thought rather too fevere for either of the two univerfities in Old England. Satutes and Privileges of the Harvard College. 1. Such as are capable to read II. All that are admitted into What the direction of the fenior tutors in their turns. V. No ftudent under any pretence whatever, fhall keep company with perfons of loose and corrupt morals. VI. No ftudent, without leave from the prefident and tutors, fhall go out of the town; nor fhall any one, whatever be his rank and degree, be allowed to eat and drink in taverns or ordinaries, unless called by his parents, guardians, or fuch like near relations. VII. No fcholar, without the approbation of his parents, guardians or tutors, fhall give away, fell, or lend any thing. If he does he fhall be fined by the prefident and tutors, according to the nature of the offence. VIII. All scholars must wear decent apparel, and abftain from gaudy drefs, nor muft any go out of the college without his gown or cloak. IX. Every scholar who is not & graduate, fhall only be called by his own name unless he is a fellow commoner, the eldeft fon of a knight, or of some noble family. X. Every commoner shall pay five pounds for the conftant ufe, of the college before he is admit ted. XI. Every ftudent, in the condi tion of a pupil, fhall pay two pounds to his tutor every year; but if he is a commoner, he shall pay three pounds. XII. None of the older ftudents, except the tutors or fellows fhali be allowed to force any of the younger ones to go errands, or do What ever might be the errors and abfurdities in the conduct of these colonists, it must be allowed that they were at great pains, both to fupport learning and religion; do any other thing by threatenings, words, or blows. If any one, not a graduate, break this rule, he shall be punished by bodily correction, expulfion, or otherwife as the prefident and fellows fhall think fit. XIII. None of the ftudents fhall be allowed to play at cards, dice, or any kind of game for money, under the penalty of twenty thillings, as often as he fhall offend, if he is a graduate, if he is not, he fhall be fined according to the pleasure of the prefident and tutors. XIV. If any ftudent is abfent from the prayers or leffens, without being obliged by neceffity, or having obtained leave from the prefident or tutors, he shall be admonished according to the wisdom of the prefident or tu-. tors, and if he offend more than once a week, he fhall be liable to punishment. XV. No ftudent for any cause whatever, unless first given notice of, and approved by the prefident and mafter, fhall be abfent from the ftated ftudies and exercises of the college, except an half hour at breakfast, and an hour and an half at dinner; at nine o'clock at night they shall be called to fupper. XVI. If any ftudent tranfgrefs any divine law, or rule of the college willfully, or through mere negligence, after being twice admonished, he shall be corrected by feverer punishments, according as the wisdom ⚫ of the prefident and mafters fhall think proper. But for atro cious crimes, the punishment fhall be more fummarily executed. XVII. Every fcholar who, upon trial, can interpret the Holy Scriptures from the original text into Latin, and understands logic, natural and moral philofophy, and is blameless in his converfation, may, by the confent of the prefident, at fome public meeting, be admitted to the first degree. Otherwife, not till af-. ter three years and ten months. XVIII. Every ftudent who has a common place and fynopfis of logic, natural or moral philofophy, arithmetic, geometry, or aftronomy, fhall exhibit and defend his own Thefis, and also being found fkilled in the original tongues, provided his morals are good, and he is approved by the college, fhall be judged worthy of the fecond degree. XIX. It is ordained, that if any ftudent fhall apply himself to the ftudy of divinity before he has taken a bachelors degree, he fhall take a degree of mafter of arts, and apply carefully to the ftudy of divinity and Hebrew, which he shall study seven years, during which time, he fhall difpute against a bachelor of divity, and once be a refpondent, he fhall preach once in Latin, and once in English, either in the church, or in the college hall; and provided he has made fufficient progrefs, he fhall be made a bachelor by a folemn inauguration; with this provifo, that no one fhall be admitted to this privilege before he has ftudied five religion; and many perfons, eminent both for learning and abilities, were brought up and tutored among them. Their churches were filled with learned and religious minifters, and their chief magiftrates were men of great abilities, and of good character. The greatest number of both their magiftrates and clergy, in the reign of King William, had been bred in the Harvard college, and were perfons of no mean character in their country. A lift of thofe who had taken degrees in the Harvard college from 1641 to 1696, and of their churches and their pastors may be seen in the notes *. five years from the time that he he has taken his degree of mạfter of arts. XX. It is ordained, that such as fhall defire the degree of doctor in divinity, fhall study divinity five years from the time of taking the bachelors degree, an d before he be admitted to this. privileges, he fhall once be opponent and once refpondent, in fome Theological questions, and if poffible, to a doctor in divinity. He fhall preach once in Latin and once in English, either in fome church, or in the college hall: he must fix times read and expound fome portion of Scripture, and within an year after a folemn introduction, he muft propofe a queftion, the doubts and difficulties thereof he muft This refolve in the college hall publicly. XXI. It is ordained, that besides those exercises to be performed. for degrees in divinity, fuch as fhall become a candidate for a a degree of bachelor in divinity fhall be obliged to publish fome tract, according to the direction of the mafters of the college, against fome grofs error or herefy, for the benefit of the church. XXII. The academical degrees, formerly conferred by the prefident and mafters of the Harvard college, are to be held valid and fufficient. XXIII Every scholar fhall procure a copy of these laws, figned by the prefident, and fome of the tutors, before he is admitted into the college. A Catalogue of Gentlemen who had taken degrees in the Harvard Col lege, from 1642 to 1698. |