One learns from an undated
statute, which, however, is probably of the thirteenth century, that
grammar scholars were expected to construe in both English and French,
the object being that the latter language might not be utterly
forgotten. When we recall that our ancient pleadings were in
Norman-French, and that a sensible proportion of the students embraced
that most conservative of professions, the law, the wisdom of this
course is at once evident.
The grammar schools may be regarded as the nursery of the University,
but not a few of the scholars, educated in monastic and other local
schools, arrived with a knowledge of Latin sufficient to dispense them
from preliminary instruction in that language, for that is what is meant
by "grammar." It is not perhaps quite clear whether a schoolmaster's
house ranked as a hall, but, as soon as a scholar was equipped with an
adequate stock of Latin to enter upon his Artist's career, he would
naturally move to one of the halls tenanted by his equals in learning,
thus making room for another and younger person more strictly _in statu
pupillari_. The age at which students began their academic course in
earnest averaged from twelve to fifteen--needless to say, much earlier
than at present. They were required to devote four years to qualifying
for the degree of bachelor; and during the former part of this period
they went by the curious name of "general sophist.
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