Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 221, 30 August 1878, Page 3

RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, DELIVERED BY C C. HOWARD, ESQ, F.R.G.S., AT THE NORMAL SCHOOL, CHRISTCHURCH * .—- Third Course—General Subject : Great Teachers and Systems of Education. Lecture lll.—Subject—The Schools and Educationists of the 13th and 14th Century. Roger Bacon. William of Wykeham. (Concluded.) Universities at this time were rising into importance. Oxford University was powerful in the reign of Henry 111, its rise being very rapid when Cambridge was unimportant. In 1209, A.D., it had 3000 students, and in 1229, owing to a great influx of students from Paris, the attendance rose to 30,000, but in 1263 had again decreased to 15,000. The students had great political power, which was wielded in behalf of democracy, and Henry 111, feeling and dreading this power during his contest with the barons, visited the University, and dismissed 15,000 of them. Mr Howard gave an amusing description of College life at Oxford at this period— the utter lawlessness of the students, the rioting, quarrelling, and rebellion of daily life causing the city to be a perfect pandemonium. The most famous teacher at Oxford at this time was Friar Bacon. Born at Ilchester, in Somersetshire, in 1214, of parents then poor, but who had once been wealthy, at an early age he became an enthusiastic student at Oxford, then went to Paris to complete his studies, and afterwards returned to Oxford as a Professor. He had been the pupil of Rich, an eminent scholar, who, too, had received his early education at Oxford, and had returned to the University to teach for the love of work without fee or reward. He was the first to introduce the study of logic in the University, and was subse quently made Archbishop of Canterbury. Roger Bacon's greatest difficulty lay in procuring books and instruments, writing materials being very scarce and expensive; frequently the papyrus and parchments were written upon over and over again. Bacon, after spending £2000 of his own money in the purchase of books and apparatus for his own use, became disheartened by difficulties, and gave up his studies. At the request of Pope Clement IV he was induced to commit his thoughts to writing, and published them in his work called " Opus Magus, or Hoots of Wisdom," his friends having sold their furniture and valuables to supply him with the necessary means. He considered the chief studies of man should be—lst. Grammatica , 2nd, Mathematics ; and 3rd, Experimental Science. His superior knowledge brought him into disrepute with his Monastic orders, who charged him with being in league with the devil, and he was shut up in prison for ten years. In the next century the most prominent person was William of Wykeham, afterwards Bishop of Winchester. He bad been architect to Henry 111, whom he offended by placing the inscription " Hoc fecit Wykeham " upon one of the colleges at Oxford, but which he cleverly explained to have quite a reverse meaning. He became the founder of Winchester College, upon several parts of which his motto was written " Either learn or depart." The customs of the college still in force, with few alterations of late years, were graphically and amusingly told by the lecturer. The hardy manner in which the students were compelled to live—the bare table, wooden trenchers, black jug of beer, the wooden trough under the pump, substituted by a hand basin within the last 20 years, all depicted in the fullest manner the inner life of the college under Wykeham's stern rule. William of Wykeham spent large sums of money on education in the foundation and support of Winchester and Oxford schools. He held firmly that character is most important, and that moral and mental education, combined with physical development, should be aimed at to produce strong men and women in mind, body, and character.

AKAROA HOSPITAL. WANTED, a NIGHT NURSE, to reside on the premises. For particulars as to duties, &c, apply at the Hospital. JOHN GUTHRIE, M.D.. NOTICE. ALL JUST CLAIMS against Mrs. M. Brough must be sent in before the 10th September next to herself, for Settlement. M. BROUGH. BANKS PENINSULA BUILDING AND INVESTMEMT SOCIETY (PERMANENT). rpHE MONTHLY MEETING of -L the above Association, for the Payment of Subscriptions on Shares, will be held at Garwood and Co.'s Store, on the evening of THURSDAY, September 5. A. I. McGREGOR, Secretary.