The Student Rows of Oxford.
735
THE STUDENT ROWS OF OXFORD, WITH SOME HINTS OF THEIR SIGNIFICANCE. II. BY Louis C. CORNISH. BEFORE taking up the several more im I be hanged by the neck 'in contempt of Ec portant town and gown riots, we should clesiastical liberty.' Whereupon the Scholremember that the two contending forces! ars of the University being much displeased were engaged in a life and death struggle. I at this unworthy act, they, to the number of The University was fighting out the prob three thousand left Oxford, so that not one lem of a corporate existence within itself,, remained behind, but either went some to the problem that was involved in its passing Cambridge, some to Reading, and others to from a mere gathering of unruly men to a Maydestone in Kent, to make a further pro property-holding, infhience-weilding insti gress in their studies." - . tution, and at the same time it was fighting News of these events was sent to the to keep its place within the city walls. Bishop of Lincoln, aqd finally to the Pope Meanwhile the Town was bent on making who "did forthwith interdict the Town, that all it could from the University, it granted is commanded religious Service to cease, no right to these hundreds of students Church doors to be shut up, none to be bur which they did not wrest from it, and at the ied in consecrated ground, none to have the same time it was seeking to preserve its Sacrament administered to them, etc." And ancient liberties entire. With such widely we can readily believe the old record, which •divergent interests, serious friction betwesn adds that "this dispersion of students was a Town and Gown was inevitable. great stop to the progress of Literature, The first considerable row happened in and the more, because that such that lived 1209. A most unfortunate and unhappy remote and beyond the seas never returned accident fell out at Oxford," Wood tells us, again. "which was this. A certain clerk, as he But if the University suffered, its troubles was recreating himself, killed by chance a were as nothing in comparison with the woman:1 which being done, he fled away punishment inflicted upon the Town. Five for fear of punishment. But the fact being years after the riot, in 1214, we have a let soon spread throughout the Town, the ter from the Papal Legate imposing the Mayor and several Burghers made search penalties. Half the rent payable for the after him, and having received intel halls occupied by students was remitted for ligence in what Hall he was resident, ten years, or the halls were to rent for as made their repair thither, and finding there much "as the Clerkes thought fit to pay in three other Clerks laid hold on them, and conscience. Fifty-two shillings was to be though innocent yet cast them into prison. paid annually by the Town for the support After certain days, King John, nogreat lover of poor scholars, and every year on St. of the Clergy, being then in his Manor of Nicholas' Day a hundred poor students Woodstock, commanded the three sd Schol were to be fed. The Town also had to ars to be led out of the Town, and there to pledge itself to furnish the University with provisions at a reasonable price. Then fol 1 Authorities differ as to the cause. Some lowed a condition which struck at the root claim the wonjan was assaulted, etc., Lyte, p. 16; others that she was killed "by a scholar prac tising archery;" Heber I., p. 88.
2 Wood, Annals. I., p. 82.
