Several hundred years ago (ſuppoſe, for inſtance, in old King Alfred's reign) certain ſtraggling ſcholars, who liv'd and ſtudied at Oxford without any regulation, or at moſt only an inconſiderable number of them, not yet incorporated, form'd a ſcheme amongſt themſelves, and offer'd it to the King, in which they propoſed, That if he would grant them ſuch a charter, and ſuch privileges as they deſired for encreaſing their capital ſtock, and for eſtabliſhing a publick nurſery of youth, they would requite his benevolence, by furniſhing his ſubjects with a vaſt quantity of learning, loyalty, good manners, religion, and other uſeful commodities, to the value of ſeveral millions, of which they ſtood grievouſly in need. They repreſented ſeveral advantages which would accrue to the publick by this new ſcheme, which, in thoſe days, was call'd (without intending a pun) the Oxford ſcheme; as th[?] particularly, it would ſave us the great expence, and trouble, and ſcandal of ſending our children abroad for education; that when we had a publick ſeminary of our own, we ſhould export great quantities of academical manufacture to other countries, inſtead of importing it from thence, which was always eſteem'd a beneficial branch of trade; that young men are apt to learn abroad principles incompatible with our conſtitution, and to aſſimilate with the nations amongſt whom they are educated; and ſeveral other reaſons, que nunc perſcribere longum eſt.
On the other ſide, it was ſuggeſted, that it was too great a truſt to be repoſed in ſo mean and contemptible a body of men: that it would be of dangerous conſequence to let them engroſs and monopolize all the learning in the kingdom; that it would put it in their power to inſtil what principles they pleas'd into the minds of youth; and by that means to give to government diſturbance,
