renounced all the rights of which the
College had succeeded in robbing all Doctors of other Colleges
not included in its ranks. The candidate then gave a lecture or
exposition of the two prepared passages: after which he was
examined upon them by two of the Doctors appointed by the
College. Other Doctors might ask supplementary questions of
Law (which they were required to swear that they had not
previously communicated to the candidate) arising more
indirectly out of the passages selected, or might suggest
objections to the answers. With a tender regard for the
feelings of their comrades at this 'rigorous and tremendous
Examination' (as they style it) the Statutes required the
Examiner to treat the examinee as _his own son._

But, knowing what we do of parental discipline in the Middle
Ages, we need not take this to enjoin a weak excess of leniency.

The Examination concluded, the votes of the Doctors present
were taken by ballot and the candidate's fate determined by the
majority, the decision being announced by the Archdeacon.

(2) Let us pass to the great and famous University of Paris. At
Paris

In 1275, if not earlier, a preliminary test (or 'Responsions')
was instituted to ascertain the fitness of those who wanted to
take part in the public performance. At these 'Responsions'
which took place in the December before the Lent in which the
candidate was to determine, he had to dispute in Grammar and
Logic with a Master. If this test was passed in a satisfactory
manner, the candidate was admitted to the _Examen
Baccalariandorum,_ Examination for the Baccalaureate, which
was conducted by a board of Examiners appointed by each Nation
for its own candidates. The duty of the Examiners was twofold,
firstly to ascertain by inspecting the _schedules_ given by
his Masters that the candidate had completed the necessary
residence and attended Lectures in the prescribed subjects, and
secondly to examine him in the contents of his books. If he
passed this Examination, he was admitted to determine.

Determination was a great day in the student's University
life. It retained much of its primitive character of a
student's festivity. It was not, it would seem, till the middle
of the fifteenth century that the student's Master was required
to be officially present at it. The Speech-day of a Public
School if combined with considerably more than the licens