psalms, and to pay a mark of silver per annum to the students of the hall peculiarly injured; in addition to which they were, on the recurrence of the same day, to entertain one hundred poor scholars "_honestis refectionibus_," the abbot of Evesham yearly paying sixteen shillings towards the festival expense A part of this ceremony, but without the degrading marks of it, is continued to this day. Henry III. occasionally resided at Oxford, and held there many parliaments and councils: in the reign of this king the university flourished to an unexampled degree, the number of students being estimated at fifteen thousand. Its popularity was about this time also greatly increased from the circumstance of not less than one thousand students quitting the learned institutions of Paris, and repairing to Oxford for instruction; but these foreigners introduced so dangerous a levity of manners, that the Pope deemed it necessary to send his legate for the purpose of reforming " certain flagrant corruptions of the place." The legate was at first treated with much affected civility, but an occasion for quarrel being soon found, he would, in all probability, have been sacrificed upon the spot, had he not hidden himself in a belfry from the fury of the assailants. This tumult was, by the exercise of some strong measures, speedily appeased; but the number of students was at this period infinitely too great to preserve due subordination. They divided themselves into parties, among which the north and south countrymen were the most violent, and their quarrels harassing and perpetual. According to the rude temper of the age, these disputes were not settled by argument, but by dint of blows; and the peace of the city was in this way so often endangered, that the king thought it expedient to add to the civil power two aldermen and eight burgesses assistant, together with two bailiffs. From petty and intestine broils, the students appear to have acquired a disposition for political inter- ference. When Prince Edward, returning from Paris, marched with an army towards Wales, coming to Oxford he was by the burghers refused admittance, "on occasion of the tumults now prevailing among the barons:" he quartered his soldiers in the adjacent villages, and "lodged himself that night in the royal palace of Magdalen," the next morning proceeding on his intended journey; but the scholars, who were shut in the town, being desirous to salute a prince whom they loved so much, first assembled round _Smith-gate_, and demanded to be let into the fields, which being refused by one of the bailiffs, they returned to their hostels for arms and broke open the gate, whereupon the mayor arrested many of them,