IV.— EXETER COLLEGE.
LOWLY though surely the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries witnessed
a great effort to improve the education given at Oxford. Hitherto that
education had been largely in the hands of the Monks and Friars who
were so numerous in the place. Augustinian Canons were settled at the
famous Monastery of S. Frideswide, and at Osney, the P'ranciscans
in S. Ebbes, the Dominicans in the Jewry, S. John's Hospital
stood where Magdalen College was one day to stand, the Augustinian
Friars held the future site of Wadham ; besides these there were
Carmelites and the Friars de Penitentia. But Walter de Merton,
who was Chancellor of England, as well as Bishop of Rochester,
founded Merton in 1264 to train students for the service of God in
Church and State, on a plan which excluded the monastic influence
altogether. No 'religious' person, i.e. monk or friar, was to be
admitted on his foundation at all. Merton's aim was to establish ' a
constant succession of scholars devoted to the pursuits of literature ;
bound to employ themselves in the study of arts or philosophy,
theology or canon law,' the students in canon law however being
limited to four or five. To remedy the prevailing ignorance of
grammar, which Roger Bacon so emphatically laments, one of the
fellows is ordered to devote himself to the study. It is directed that
he shall be provided with all the necessary books, and shall regularly instruct the younger students, while the
more advanced students are to have the benefit of his assistance when occasion may require. It is to be noted
that English as well as Latin enters into his province of instruction. As the learned professions then practically
belonged to the ranks of the clergy, most lawyers, doctors, etc., being at least in the lower orders, the
clerical obligation at Merton, as far as it existed, was not at all a narrow limitation : in fact it cannot be held
to have excluded any of those professions that possess a curriculum at either Oxford or Cambridge at the present
day. The earlier statutes of Balliol, University, Oriel, Peterhouse (the earliest college at Cambridge), all borrow
more or less from those of Merton. By the statutes of Exeter, the fourth college in order of foundation, only one
fellow was required to be in orders. It is clear that the education of the laity was now thought to be as important
as that of the clergy.
In 1314 Walter de Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter, founded Stapeldon Hall at Oxford for scholars from Devon and Cornwall ; but the ground in and near Hart Hall, which he had bought for this purpose, not proving large enough, he removed the students to S. Stephen's Hall, and gave them the rent of Hart Hall that their rooms might be rent free and kept in repair. Their new abode was at first also called Stapeldon Hall, but was soon better known as Exeter College.
Bishop Stapeldon was one of the leading men of his time. He was the son of William and Mabilla de Stapeldon, and was born about the year 1260 at Annery in Monkleigh, Devon ; his birthday was the 1st of February. Stapeldon soon rose to distinction, became professor of canon law at Oxford, and at the time of his election to the See of Exeter, 13th Nov., 1307, he was precentor of Exeter cathedral, rector of Aveton Giffard (since 1297), and chaplain to Clement V. — the Pope who removed the Papal See to Avignon, suppressed the Templars, and added the 'Clementines ' to the canon law. As Bishop he succeeded Thomas de Bitton, who made several bequests to him. He was consecrated 13th Oct., 1308, and zealously pushed on the rebuilding of his cathedral. The Fabric Rolls shew that he was a benefactor to the amount of ^1800, an immense sum in those days. He soon obtained high place, was sent by Edward I. to France 6 June, 1306, was one of those who elected the Lords Ordainers in March, 1310, and was much trusted by Edward II., was treasurer 18th Feb., 1319-20, and again after an interval of rest, granted at his own request, 9th May, 1322. In 1324 he was ordered to hold Cornwall for the King against the chance of a French invasion, and his Register contains
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