A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
The French Resident visited Whitelocke, and, seeing him ready to go take
the air, offered him his company, which Whitelocke could not refuse. They
went together to the Library of this University, where there are many
good books, for the most part brought out of Germany; but it is not
extraordinary, nor exceeding the public libraries in England and
elsewhere. One of Whitelocke's gentlemen held it not exceeding his
lord's private library at his own house in England, as he affirmed to
some of the scholars here, who were not pleased therewith, nor would
easily believe that the English Ambassador's library in his private house
was to be compared to that of their University.
The keeper of this library is one Doctor Lovenius, there present, a
learned and civil person, who hath published several books in print,
touching the laws and government and antiquities of his country, in good
Latin; and both himself and his works are worthy of esteem. He was
attending upon Whitelocke all the time of his being in the library and in
the public places of the University, and informed him of such things as
he inquired touching the same; and, to gratify their civility, Whitelocke
sent them twenty of his own books which he had in his house, all of them
English authors, as the Primate of Armagh's works, Sir Henry Spelman,
Selden, and others; which was a present very acceptable, and kindly
received by the University from him.
[SN: University of Upsal.]
They affirm this University to be very ancient; but there are no colleges
or public houses for the maintenance of the scholars, or public revenue
belonging to them; so that they do not live together in bodies or
companies by themselves, but every one severally as he can agree or find
for his convenience. But here are divers public rooms or schools where
the professors and scholars use to meet and perform their exercises
openly; and the rooms of their library are three, about twenty foot
square apiece.
There are all sorts of professors for the arts and sciences, who are
promised good salaries, but they complain that they are not well paid;
and though some of them be very learned, yet they take not much pains; it
may be according to the proverb, "mal paye mal servi"--he that is ill
paid doth but ill service. Some counted the number of scholars to be
about three hundred, which is not more than may be found in one college
in England. They make great preparation by printing their theses and
publishing them, and inviting the grandees to their disputations, where
the Queen in person is sometimes present, though the exercise is only the
art of well disputing, except in some of their professors and eminent
persons.