[244]
]CHAPTER XIV.
ISAAC NEWTON ON UNIVERSITY STUDIES.
Among the Portsmouth papers in the University Library at Cambridge[33] is a memorandum by Isaac Newton, drawn up, I conjecture, towards the close of the seventeenth century, on the organization of the studies and on the discipline of the University.
Conditions then differed so widely from those now in force that the value of the memorandum is only historical, but notwithstanding this, its interest is considerable. I have no reason to suppose that it was formally brought before the regent or the non-regent house, and possibly the plan never got beyond discussion by a few friends. I have modernized the spelling, made the use of capitals uniform, allowed myself to break paragraphs, and sometimes inserted punctuation or altered it—otherwise the paper is as originally written. I give it without further comment.
Newton’s Memorandum.
“Undergraduates to be instructed by a Tutor, a Humanity Lecturer, a Greek Lecturer, a Philosophy Lecturer, and a Mathematic Lecturer.
“The Tutor to read logic, ethics, the globes and [245] ]principles of geography and chronology in order to understand history, unless the Lecturers have time for any of these things.
“The Humanity and Greek Lecturers to set tasks in Latin and Greek authors once a day to the first year, and once a week to the rest; and to examine diligently and instruct briefly; and to punish by exercises such faults as concern lectures; and to appoint the reading of the best historians.
“The Philosophy Lecturer to read first of things introductory to natural philosophy—time, space, body, place, motion and its laws, force, mechanical powers, gravity and its laws, hydrostatics, projectiles solid and fluid, circular motions and the forces relating to them. And then to read natural philosophy, beginning with the general system of the world, and thence proceeding to the particular constitution of this earth and the things therein—meteors, elements, minerals, vegetables, animals, and ending with anatomy if he have skill therein. Also to examine in logic and ethics.
“The Mathematic Lecturer to read first some easy and useful practical things; then Euclid, spherics, the projections of the sphere, the construction of maps, trigonometry, astronomy, optics, music, algebra, etc. Also to examine and (if the Tutor be deficient) to instruct in the principles of chronology and geography.
[246]
]“Several sciences which depend not on one another are all learnt in less time together than successively, the mind being diverted and recreated by the variety, and put more upon the stretch. And therefore divers of these Lecturers may proceed together: suppose the Tutor’s [lectures] after morning chapel, the Greek or Philosophy Lecturer’s two hours after, and the Humanity and Mathematic [Lecturers’] in the afternoon. The Tutor to accompany his pupils to the philosophy and mathematic lectures, and to examine them the next morning both in those lectures and in his own, and make them understand where they hesitate. These two Lecturers to read five days in the week and with the other two [Lecturers] to examine the sixth. Each Lecturer to read the same day successively to two or three years [i.e., to Freshmen, Junior Sophs, or Senior Sophs as the case may be] under [their] several Tutors. Their lectures to begin with [the] Michaelmas Term and continue till the Commencement [i.e. the end of the Easter Term]: the Tutors to begin the Commencement before. The Greek and Humanity Lecturers to set bigger tasks in the vacations than in the reading-time, proportionally to the spare hours of the students.