, for on May 13, 1447, two persons feigning to be scholars
and guilty of violence, having been summoned according to law throughout
the schools and not appearing, were banished. The form of banishment was
as follows: "_A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, frequently convicted of a monstrous
disturbance of the peace, and, according to the manners and forms
accustomed to be observed in this University, duly cited, publicly
cried, lawfully awaited, and in no wise appearing, but contumaciously
refusing to obey the law, alike on account of their contumacies and
offences we do ban from this University, and from neighbouring places,
admonishing firstly, secondly, and thirdly, peremptorily, that none do
receive, cherish, or protect the aforesaid _A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, on pain
of imprisonment and the greater excommunication to be fulminated not
unjustly against all who contravene."

Matriculation involved nothing more than an oath to keep the peace,
which oath had to be taken also by the servant of the scholar, supposing
him to have one. If the scholar chose a non-graduate teacher, he was
compelled to enter his name in the books of some master of arts, and
neglect to fulfil this requirement subjected the delinquent to the loss
of the protection and privileges of the University _tam morte quam in
vita_. At the commencement of every term as well as at the end, and at
other times, when need was, the grammar masters held a _convenite_ for
the purpose of arranging the course of study. Each of them had to obtain
a licence, and, as a test of his qualifications, he submitted to an
examination in versification, dictation, and so forth, lest, as the
statute quaintly expresses it, the language of Isaiah should be
verified--_Multiplicasti gentem, non auxisti laetitiam_.

The masters were charged with the training of their scholars in religion
and morals--an onerous duty in too many cases imperfectly performed.
This is shown not only by the lawlessness prevalent in the University,
but by the low views and low practices that characterized methods of
instruction in secular subjects. The term "lecture," as commonly
understood in the Middle Ages, implied or included a catechetical system
of teaching, in which the master asked and the scholar answered a series
of questions. This laborious but effective mode of ascertaining and
accelerating progress in knowledge was left irksome by both parties, and
"ordinary" lectures--or, as we should term them, lessons--were
threa