in the evolution of universities.  In the middle ages the whole body of those who sought a liberal education were to be found crowded into the limits of university towns, where alone were teachers to listen to and manuscripts to copy:  the population of such university centres then numbered hundreds where to-day it numbers tens.  The first university extension was the invention of printing, which sent the books itinerating through the country, and reduced to a fraction the actual attendance at the university, while it vastly increased the circle of the educated.  The time has now come to send teachers to follow the books:  the ideas of the university being circulated through the country as a whole, while residence at a university is reserved as the apex only of the university system.

An itinerancy implies central and local management, and travelling lecturers who connect the two.  The central management is a university, or its equivalent; this is responsible for the educational side of the movement, and negotiates for the supply of its courses of instruction at a fixed price per course.[53] The local management may be in the hands of a committee formed for the purpose, or of some local institution—­such as a scientific or literary club or institute—­which may care to connect itself with the universities.  On the local management devolves the raising funds for the university fee, and for local expenses, as well as the duty of putting the advantages of the course offered before the local community.  The widest diversity of practice prevails in reference to modes of raising funds.  A considerable part of the cost will be met by the tickets of those attending the lectures, the prices of which I have known to vary from a shilling to a guinea for the unit course, while admission to single lectures has varied from a penny to half a crown.  But all experience goes to show that only a part of this cost can be met in this way; individual courses may bring in a handsome profit, but taking account over various terms and various districts, we find that not more than two-thirds of the total cost will be covered by ticket money.  And even this is estimated on the assumption that no more than the unit course is aimed at:  while even for this the choice of subjects, and the chance of continuity of subject from term to term are seriously limited by the consideration of meeting cost as far as possible from fees.  University Extension is a system of higher education, and higher education has no market value, but needs the help of endowment.  But the present age is no way behind past ages in the number of generous citizens it exhibits as ready to help good causes.  The millionaire who will take up University Extension will leave a greater mark on the history of his country than even the pious founder of university scholarships and chairs.  And even if individuals fail us, we have the common purse of the public or the nation to fall back upon.