medicine, languages, and philosophy, and pensions to a certain number of poor students; and likewise appointed a visitorial power, reserving to himself, as Chancellor, and to his successors in that office, a dictatorial power, to be exercised occasionally, according to the report of the visitors." To work out his great plan of mixed religion and education, Elphinston found qualified persons, for the most part, at home, and probably in his own chapter. Two only he brought from abroad, Hector Boece and William Hay. They were both natives of Angus, and had spent their school-boy days together at Dundee, and afterwards prosecuted their studies at the College Montaigu of Paris, where Boece was lecturing in philosophy, when Elphinstone himself, perhaps of the same College, induced him to undertake the duties of Primarius, or Principal of the infant seminary at Aberdeen. It is not necessary to speak much of a person so well known as the historian of Scotland, and indeed there is little to tell of the events of his life. His estimation, as a teacher, is gathered partly from the tradition of the University, and partly from the list of eminent men whom he enumerates as instructed by him. He seems to have been rather a good Latinist than a scholar embued with the riches of classical study. That he was of the reforming party of the day-the humanists, as they were called in the continental schools-we learn from his own expressions, from his friends and associates, and especially from his profound admiration for Erasmus, with whom he had even the honor of corresponding. As a historian, he was at first admired and followed, and, latterly, condemned, in both cases much beyond reason. His object was, to give a classical dress to his rude native chronicles. One must "Account of the University of Glasgow," nullus pene locus est in Europa adeo inacby Dr. Thomas Reid. cessus ubi non ejus viri decora."-Aberd. Episc. Vita., p. 60. "Nostræ ætatis splendor et ornamentum: doubt whether he really meant his grave readers to credit his stories of Veremund' and Cornelius Campbell,' and the records from Iona. He found, over a large period of his history, bare lists of kings, and he took the pains of dressing them in what he thought suitable characters and actions. Quite unembarrassed by facts, he proposed to treat his subject like an artist, with the proper balancing of light and shadow, and studied to administer among the persons of his drama some sort of poetical justice. Leslie compares him to Livy, and his most fabulous portions are, perhaps, not more romantic than Livy's first decade. The difference lies in the genius of the writers.' A few circumstances, less known, may be collected here concerning Hector Boece. John Jonston, the author of the "Heroes," addresses some Latin verses-Hectori Boetio et duobus fratribus-among which are, Concordes animas, clarissima lumina gentis, Tres paribus studiis, tres pietate pares! MS. Adv. Liber., 19, 3, 24; p. 28. One brother, Arthur, is mentioned with due honor by Hector Boece, in recording his fellow labourers at Aberdeen: "Arthurus Boetius mihi germanus, in pontificio jure doctor, in civico (ut dicunt) licentiatus, vir multæ doctrinæ, plus literarum indies consecuturus, quod studium ei permanet animo indefesso; nobiscum jura pie et scite profitetur. Est in eo vis et gravitas eloquendi a vulgari genere plurimum abhorrens."Aberd. Episc. Vitæ, p. 63. He was reader in Canon Law in the University, Treasurer of the Cathedral of Brechin, a Canon of the Cathedral of Aberdeen, and a Lord of the Session, upon its institution in 1532. The Pollock MS. names, as one of the ambassadors to England in 1532-3, "Mr. Walter Boyis, persone of Snaw," that is, of the "Ecclesia B. Mariæ ad nives" (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 17), supplying, perhaps, the third brother, who was not hitherto known. The name of Boece, in all its varieties of spelling, was common among the vassals and tenants of the Abbey of Arbroath in the fifteenth century.-Reg. de Aberbr. v. 11. The accomplishment of Hector Boece was not confined to Roman literature. He had attained some reputation for his skill in physic. In the last illness of Thomas Crystall, abbot of Kinloss, when other hope had failed, Mr. Hector Boece was called in to prescribe for him-" virum percelebrem M. Hectora Boethium ad se vocavit," etc. (Histor. Abbat. de Kynlos, p. 82.)—where perhaps commenced his acquaintance with John Ferrerius, who was at that time teaching the Abbey School, and who afterwards superintended an edition of Bocce's history, adding a chapter to the work. Hector Boece took his Doctor's Degree in Theology in 1528, when the Council of the Burgh of Aberdeen made him a propine of a tun of wine, or £20 Scots, "to help to buy him bonnets."-Extracts from the Burgh Records. Boece's Lives of the Bishops of Aberdeen was printed at Paris in 1522. The reprint for the Bannatyne Club (1825) has been used in these notes. His History of Scotland Of William Hay, his companion through life, we know little but what we learn from Boece. He records his friend's industry, and was likewise published at Paris, without date, about 1527. A second edition, with a short continuation by Ferrerius, was printed at Lausanne, published at Paris, in 1574. The book was calculated to produce impressions of admiration and distrust; and we may, perhaps, detect a mixture of both feelings in the notice of Paulus Jovius: "a prima origine Scotorum regum historiam Latine diligenter perscripsit, passim veteris chorographiæ memor et moderatæ libertatis nusquam oblitus ita ut magnopere miremur extare de remotis ab orbe nostro Hebridum et Orcadum insulis mille amplius annorum memoriam quum in Italia altrice ingeniorum," etc., cited by D. Buchanan "de Script. Scotis"-not verified. The reader of Boece's history may be pardoned for wishing-if not that he had belonged quite to the opposite party in literature at least, that his classicism had condescended to call common things by common names. He is averse to speak of barbarous native institutions, and when he does, Scotch titles and offices, put with his laborious periphrasis into a Roman dress, are often not recognisable. In this affectation he has been followed by abler historians. Boece is not to blame for the invention of the fabulous antiquity of his University, as Strachan conjectured (panegyricus inauguralis 1631, p. 11). The Historian's words are, speaking of Alexander II.—" Alexander inde Aberdoniam, jam ante a Gregorio, a Malcolmo inde secundo ac postea a Davide Wilhelmi fratre, privilegiis agrisque donatam . . adiens, multis et ipse privilegiis ornat." -Hist. fol. 293, v. This has plainly nothing to do with the University; of which Bocce calls Elphinstone "auctor ac institutor"-(vit. episc. p. 60.) The fable ori ginated with some of the learned and zealous Scots abroad,-with "Bertius," "Junius," or "Clerkius," to whom it is traced by Douglas. (Academiarum Vindiciæ in quibus novantium prejudicia contra academias etiam reformatas averrun cantur.-Aberdonia Jac. Brounus urbis et academiæ typographus, 1659.) David Chalmers takes some credit for forbearing to place the orgin of the University of Aberdeen as high as the Trojan war, but adds-" sufficiet ergo ad Alexandri Scotorum Regis tempora referre. Is enim sub annum Domini 1211 (this recklessness of chronology was then common) multis magnisque illam privilegiis ornavit. Quibusdam antiquior visa est; sed quod diximus est verissimum !" Camerarii de Scot. fortitudine, etc., Parisiis, 1631, p. 56. A rhyming translation of Boece's life of Elphinstone "be Alexander Garden, Aberdone, 1619," is still extant, though not published among the author's poetry. It is in the manner of the worthy Master Zacchary Boyd. His allusion to the Bridge is as follows: "And yet a work als great And necessar much more, Resolved and first intends, Which every man may mark, Free all, incised and shorne; Be both that breaks and byds With ports and prickets four; the pleasure he took in the business of education, with the success which attended their joint labours, in the production in a short time of many well disciplined in theology, canon and civil law, and very many in philosophy-" permulti in philosophia." The merit of his labours must have been acknowledged, since, after filling the office And all alongst rayled is, And battail'd to look our. Which how long 't stands and stayes, Unto the author's praise." Of the College buildings-" a manour for the muses meit"-we have not much : he builds "A statlie structure thair, A strait strong steeple too, A pleasant princelie frame, H. Boece died probably in 1536, for on 22 November, in that year, the King presented John Garden to the rectory of Tyrie, vacant by the death of Mr. Hector Bois. A good deal of misapprehension has existed about the emoluments of the first Principal of the Bishop's College. Dr. Johnson, like all modern English writers, mistook the ancient constitution of Universities, when he spoke of Bocce as "president of the University," and was misled as to the old value of Scotch when he called his "revenue money, of 40 Scottish marks about £2. 4s. 6d. of English money." The depreciation of our currency had indeed begun, but had by no means reached the height here supposed, in the times of James IV. and James V. Without entering on a complicated and difficult enquiry in a note, it may be a sufficient correction of this error to point to one or two ascertained facts. In the year 1365, the coinage of Scotland was ordered by Parliament to be equivalent and conformable to the current money of England. In 1525, the Scotch gold crowns, with an alloy of only a twenty-fourth part, were of the weight of nine to the ounce, and passed for twenty shillings each: the silver groat, proportionably fine, of which eleven weighed an ounce, passed for eighteenpence. Uncoined gold was then bought at £7 by the ounce, and silver for 178.-Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, vol. II. Forty marks, £26. 13s. 4d. Scotch currency, was certainly a better provision in Scotland then, considering the expense of living in the two countries, than £26. 13s. 4d. sterling would have been in England; so trifling was the degradation of our currency in Boece's time. The learned Dr. Irving has also pointed out that this was not the only preferment which Boece enjoyed. He held the rectory of Tyrie as a Canon of the Cathedral. Moreover, in 1527, the year of the publication of his history, King James V. bestowed upon him a pension of £50, which apparently was doubled two years later.-Liber Responsionum in Scaccario. These sources of income considered, there is no reason to doubt that, in emolument, as well as in social position, Hector Boece was greatly above any Principal of a Scotch College of the present day. In his Lives of the Bishops, published in 1522, Boece gives a list of scholars distinguished in theology, law, and philosophy, who had already been educated at Aberdeen. P. 62-3. of Sub-principal for a long period, upon the death of Boece in 1536, he was chosen to succeed his friend as Primarius or Principal of the College.' The only other of Boece's original coadjutors whom he commemorates, is John Vaus the grammaticus, or humanist, as that teacher was afterwards called-"in hoe genere disciplinæ admodum eruditus, sermone elegans, sententiis venustus, labore invictus. Little 'Among the M.SS. in the Library of King's College is a collection from various authors forming a supplement to the commentary of Marsilius de Inghen on the fourth book of the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard, marked several times with W. Hay's name, as its compiler. At the end is this note: "Absolutum utquumque est hoc opus super sacramentum matrimonii et impedimenta ejusdem, in alma Universitate Aberdonensi collectum, promulgatum et publice lectum in magnis scholis Regalis Collegii Aberdonensis, coram theologorum ibidem conuenientium solenni auditorio, per venerabilem virum magistrum Guilermum Hay prefati collegii pro tempore subprincipalem; ejusdemque impensis et sumptibus in hanc publicam lucem redactum per manum sui proprii scribe, viz., fratris Guilermi Scenan Carmelite, cujus labore et industria in ethicis atque plerisque aliisque codicibus per eum collectis usus est prefatus Subprincipalis, A.D. 1535, mensis Julii 23. Regnante Jacobo quinto Scotorum principe invictissimo; venerandoque patre et domino d. Vilelmo Stewart sedem episcopalem Aberdonensem dexterrime moderante." Vit. Episc., p. 66. Vaus has left some interesting grammatical works, though now chiefly valued by the bibliographer. They are extremely rare. His first book-a commentary on the Doctrinale' or rhythmical elements of Latin Grammar of Alexandrinus-is printed by the Ascensii at Paris. It is a small quarto without pagination. The signatures are A-M, each of eight leaves. On M. vii. r. is the colophon, Sub prelo Ascensiano Ad Idus Martias, MD XXII. The introduction, by Iodocus Badius Ascensius, addressed Studiosis Abredonensis Academic philosophis, commends the labour of Vaus, and his courage in venturing through the dangers of pirates and a stormy sea to the press of Ascensius to get his rudiments multiplied. He speaks of him as nostri studiosus et nostræ professionis admirator insignis; and of his own favour for the new University, idque nominibus et multis et gravibus, primo quod ejus proceres et institutores fere ex hac nostra Parisiensi et orti et profecti sunt. Then comes an address by Joannes Vaus himself to his scholars, who all knew, he says, quanta plusculis jam annis et mihi docendi et vobis discendi molestia ac difficultas fuerit ob librorum præsertim penuriam et scribentium dictata nostra negligentiam ac imperitiam. He boasts a little of his courageous journey to Paris-per maxima terrarum et marium discrimina, piratarumque qui injustissimi sunt latrocinia, and acknowledges his obligation to his printer, Ascensius, in re grammatica doctissimus. The volume concludes with an epistle from Robert Gray, who had been a pupil of Vaus, and a Regent at Aberdeen, but dates from Paris ex collegio bonæ curiæ, exhorting the studious youth of Aberdeen to imitate his and their common preceptor, John Vaus |