English Law and the Renaissance: The Rede Lecture for 1901Maitland, Frederic William
History
English Law and the Renaissance: The Rede Lecture for 1901
Maitland, Frederic William
Law -- England -- History; Renaissance -- England
[Sidenote: _Smith’s inaugural orations. Diplomacy and the civil law. The
rewards for civilians._]
[18] Of Smith’s two orations there is a copy in Camb. Univ. Libr. _Baker
MSS._ XXXVII. 394, 414. Mr Mullinger (_Hist. Univ. Cambr._, vol. II.,
p. 127) has given an excellent summary. The following passage is that
in which the Professor approaches the question whether in England there
is a career open to the civilian. He has been saying that we ought
not to study merely for the sake of riches. ‘Tamen si qui sint qui
hoc requirant, sunt archiva Londini, sunt pontificia fora, forum est
praefecti quoque classis, in quibus proclamare licet et vocem vendere;
est scriptura; singuli pontifices cancellarios suos habent et officiales
et commissarios, qui propter civilis et pontificii iuris professionem in
hunc locum accipiuntur.’ The orator proceeds to ask whether there is any
youth who ungratefully thinks that proficiency in legal science will not
find an adequate reward. ‘In quo regno aut in cuius regis imperio tam
stulta illum opinio tenebit? In hoccine nobilissimi atque invictissimi
nostri principis Henrici octavi regno, cuius magnificentia in bonas
literas, studiumque in literatos, omnium omnis memoriae principum facta
meritaque superavit, cuius ingentia in academias beneficia, licet nulla
unquam tacebit posteritas, tamen omni celebratione maiora reperientur.
Cum strenue laboraveris et periculum ingenii tui feceris, teque non
lusisse operam sed dignum aliquo operae precio et honore ostenderis, cur
dejicies animum? Cur desperatione conflictabis? Cur de tanto fautore
ingeniorum, tam insigni bonae indolis exploratore, tam potenti Rege,
tam munifico, tam liberali et egregio amatore suorum demisse viliterque
sentias?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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