LOUVAm 3!
nationalities, c. g., the Geiman nation, the Braluntine Diition, etc.
In the ancient university the faculty of law ciccu- pied a dominant position. Its course of studies, how- ever, offers no features characteriaiic of that period. Founded at the time when Roman law viae be^nning to assert its supremacy in Europe, the faculty of Lou- vain remaine<l a stanch exponent of ito principles. Here as iii France, it is possible t« distinguish various periods, but the ivsction brought about in IJiat coun- try by the school of Cuja.'* was not equally strong in Bel^um with Mudde and his disciples in the sixteenth century. Roman law reigned almost suptvmc in the lecture-halls; even during the formation of national law, while the up-buildinR of this law Wiis everywhere
in process, it found no place in the teaching of the uni-
versity. It was only in exceptional cases that certain
subjects succeeded in obtaining recognition. The
junsts of Lou vain, however, exercised a tremendous
influence. Indeed they soon nUcd the tribunals and
the councils. Admimstration and judiciary drew
their jurisprudence from the sources in the university;
mogistratcH and officials studied under the teachers at
Louvain, and sometimes the teachers themselves were
called to tliese high positions. And thus the bw de-
veloped under their mspiration. When the period of
compilations (such as those of customary and princely
Uwb) began in the seventeenth century, the jurists i^
Louvain la vished on the work the i^csuft of their learn-
ing and experience. The perpetual edict on the re-
form of justice isjiucd in iiill, murks a memorable
epoch in this respect. The situation liecame still more
tense when in 1617 a rule was adopted lequiring for
eligibility to nieinlwrsliip in the councils of justice, and
even for adcnission io the bar, the completion of a
course of studies in a university of the Netherlands.
In this Mcbcitic, the tencliing of Roman law had a large
place; it was re>E:iriled as the scicniilic clement, hut
It Ben'itl in iiraetice to mould and cimnlinate, not to
destniy tliP li^iiiK law of ii:iti.Hial inisU.rii. Wliile one
prvserviil the tlieoretical priiuney, the other was in
xciaai conlnA, and it is from tliiiir union realized in
12 LOUVAIN
studies and edicts that the written national Ian' came forth. Influential in all that pertained to law as such, the jurists of Louvain had also a strong political influence. Under the old regime justice and admin- istration were not divided. Then, the highest govern- mental offices were almost always entrusted to ex- perienced jurists who held diplomas from Louvain.
The jurisla of Louvain, brought up in the spirit of Byiantme law, were somewhat imbued with royalist theories; however, although aerving the prince, they showed a decided preference for the limited monarchy. They certainly consoUdated and enlarged the princely power, but they did not favour an aljsolute monarchy. The national opposition to the royal power, which had become too foreign in character, undoubtedly met among the leasts adversaries so far as these helped powerfully to create the mechanism of the princely Btate;but if anumber were hostile to the old privileges of the provinces, the theory of absolute royalty found Qo representative among them even in the seventeenth century. It is only in the eighteenth century that royalist conceptions took on greater importance at Louvain, without, however, becoming predominant. The history of these conceptions has been sketched in a volume of the faculty of law indicated below. If the faculty of law exercised a far-reaching influence in the inner ufe of the university, the faculty of arts shetl a more brilliant light. There we find the illustrious group of Humanists whofora century and a half give Louvain an international fame; it t>ecomes one of the scientific centres of the litcrar}- Renaissance which so largely developed the knowledge of letters and history and gave a new impetus to many branches of learning, but which was also marked by the ferment of many dangerous germs and hasardouB ideas. I'Ouvain isin the very heart of this literary movement, and, apart from the subtle trifling with ideas which endangered orthodoxy, reference must be made, and often with well-deserved praise, to the brilliant phalanx of lin- guists, jihilotogists, and historians gathered at the university. There we find a succession of names which adorn the literary annals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the history of which has been written in part by Fflix NSve ("La Renais- sance des lettres en Belgique", Louvain, 1K90), a work which is being gradually brought Xa completion, especially by the writings of Professor Roersen, of Ghent. The ancient languages ruled over this do- main, theOrientalandGra.-co-Latinstudies occupying a prominent place. It is particularly through this faculty that Louvain stied its lustre beyoiiil the Netherlands. If its jurists were well knowii, its phi- lologists were even more famous. Besides, literary Humanism formed a vast international association for fine cultural study, and intercourse l)etween teachers was supplemented by the journeys of their disciples. Louvain hail a distinguished reputation in this world of letters; it was the Athens of Bel- gium. The English Catholic Humanists, such as Thomas More, found tlicre a hapny refuge during the persecution. At the end of the eixtecntli cen- tury, the name of Justus Lipsius, poor as a philos- opher and statesman, but great as a philologist, sums up this prestige of classical lore, of which he stands out as the culminating point, forming with Caaaubon and Scaliger the "triumvirate" of European Humanism. Distin^ished names abound, but that of CWnard, the ,\rabLst, is entitled to special mention. Thomiaaen and Roeisch have written the life of this indomitable scholar. Moreover, the study of Icttera permeated the other sciences and the professors of law were Humanists as well.
But, as we know, the faculty of arts does not con- sist wholly of linguistic anil pbilolo^cal studies; it in- cludes the natural and inatheiiiatical sciences in close connexion with philosophy. Without attempting to treat its tiistor}' and controversies, it may suffice to
