“Moreover in the publike schooles of both the universities, there are found at the prince’s charge (and that verie largelie) five professors & readers, that is to saie, of divinitie, of the civill law, physicke, the Hebrew and the Greek tongues. And for the other lectures, as of philosophie, logike, rhetorike and the quadriuials, although the latter (I mean, arithmetike, musike, geometrie and astronomie, and with them all skill in the perspectives are now smallie regarded in either of them) the universities themselves do allowe competent stipends to such as reade the same, whereby they are sufficiently provided for, touching the maintenance of their estates, and no less encouraged to be diligent in their functions.” On the introduction of the study of Greek into the Universities, Dr S. Knight says in his _Life of Colet_: “As for _Oxford_, its own _History_ and _Antiquities_ sufficiently confess, that nothing was known there but _Latin_, and that in the most depraved Style of the _School-men_. _Cornelius Vitellius_, an _Italian_, was the first who taught _Greek_ in that University[54]; and from him the famous _Grocyne_ learned the first Elements thereof. “In _Cambridge_, _Erasmus_ was the first who taught the _Greek Grammar_. And so very low was the State of Learning in that University, that (as he tells a Friend) about the Year 1485, the Beginning of _Hen._ VII. Reign, there was nothing taught in that publick Seminary besides _Alexander’s Parva Logicalia_, (as they called them) the old _Axioms_ of _Aristotle_, and the _Questions_ of John Scotus, till in Process of time _good Letters_ were brought in, and some Knowledge of the _Mathematicks_; as also _Aristotle_ in a new Dress, and some Skill in the _Greek_ Tongue; and, by Degrees, a Multitude of _Authors_, whose _Names_ before had not been heard of.[55] “It is certain that even _Erasmus_ himself did little understand _Greek_, when he came first into _England_, in 1497 (13 _Hen._ VII.), and that our Countryman _Linacer_ taught it him, being just returned from _Italy_ with great Skill in that Language: Which _Linacer_ and _William Grocyne_ were the two only Tutors that were able to teach it.” Saml. Knight, Life of Dr John Colet, pp. 17, 18. The age at which boys went up to the University seems to have varied greatly. When Oxford students were forbidden to play marbles they could not have been very old. But in “The Mirror of the Periods of Man’s Life” (? ab. 1430 A.D.), in the Society’s _Hymns to the Virgin and Christ_ of this year, we find the going-up age put at twenty: Quod resou{n}, in age of .XX. ȝeer, Goo to oxenford, or lerne lawe[56]. This is confirmed by young Paston’s being at Eton at nineteen (see below, p. lvi). In 1612, Brinsley (_Grammar Schoole_, p. 307) puts the age at fifteen, and says,