for learning, could only gratify it by
making their way to some university, where between begging, singing,
teaching, receiving doles, earning rewards in encounters of wit and
learning, doing menial services and using all manner of shifts, they
contrived to live a hard life, half savage on the one side, highly
intellectual upon the other. They would suck the marrow of one
university, and then migrate to another; and the rank they had gained in
the first was available in the second, so that it was no means uncommon
for them to bring away degrees from half the universities in Europe, all
of which formed one general system--all were like islands of one country,
whose common language was queer Latin, and whose terms, manners, and
customs were alike in all main points.

Scotland contributed many of her sons to this curious race of vagabond
students, when she herself was without any university to satisfy the
cravings of her thoughtful and intellectual people. 'No country without
a Scot or a flea' was an uncomplimentary proverb due to the numerous
young clerks, equally fierce for frays and for lectures, who flocked to
the seats of learning on the Continent, and sometimes became naturalized
there, sometimes came home again, to fight their way to the higher
benefices of the Church, or to become councillors of state.

It was true that Malcolm was an Oxford scholar, or rather bachelor, and
that Oxford and Cambridge were almost the only universities where Scots
were not--their place being taken by multitudinous Irish; yet not only
were all universities alike in essentials, but he had seen and heard
enough of that at Paris to be able to personate a clerk from thence.

It was no small plunge for one hitherto watched, tended, and guarded as
Malcolm had been, to set forth entirely alone; but as he had approached
manhood, and strengthened in body, his spirit had gained much in courage,
and the anxiety about his sister swallowed up all other considerations.
Even while he entreated the prayers of the Abbess, he felt quite sure
that he had those of Esclairmonde; and when he had hunted out of his
mails the plain bachelor's rabbit-skin hood and black gown--which,
perhaps, was a little too fine in texture for the poor wanderer--and
fastened on his back, with a leathern thong, a package containing a few
books and a change of linen, his pale and intellectual face made him look
so entirely the young clerk, that Patrick hardly believed it was