The first thing, after the Reformation in Scotland, was to purge the Universities of the inflexible adherents of the old faith.  Then came the question of amending the Curriculum, not simply with a view to Protestantism, but for the sake of an enlightened teaching.  The right man appeared at the right moment.  In 1574, Andrew Melville, then in Geneva, received pressing invitations to come home and take part in the needed reforms.  He was immediately made Principal of Glasgow University, at that time in a state of utter collapse and ruin.  He had matured his plans, after consultation with George Buchanan, and they were worthy of a great reformer.  He sketched a curriculum, substantially the curriculum of the second University period.  The modifications upon the almost exclusive Aristotelianism of the first period, were significant.  The Greek language was introduced, and Greek classical authors read.  The reading in the Roman classics was extended.  A text-book on Rhetoric accompanied the classical readings.  The dialectics of Ramus made the prelude to Logic, instead of the three treatises of the old Logic.  The Mathematics included Euclid.  Geography and Cosmography were taken up.  Then came a course of Moral Philosophy on an enlarged basis.  With the Ethics and Politics of Aristotle, were combined Cicero’s Ethical works and certain Dialogues of Plato.  Finally, in the Physics, Melville still used Aristotle, but along with a more modern treatise.  He also gave a view of Universal History and Chronology.

This curriculum, which Melville took upon himself to teach, in order to train future teachers, was the point of departure of the courses in all the Universities during the second period.  With variations of time and place, the Arts’ course may be described as made up of the Greek and Latin classics, with Rhetoric, Logic, and Dialectics, Moral Philosophy, or Ethics, Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy.  The little text-book of Rhetoric, by Talon or Talaeus, was made up of notes from the Lectures of Peter Ramus, and used in all our Colleges till superseded by the better compilation of the Dutch scholar, Gerard John Voss.

Melville had to contend with many opponents, among them the sticklers for the infallibility of the Stagyrite.  Like the German Reformers, he had accepted Aristotelianism as a basis, with a similar process of reconciliation.  So it was that Aristotle and Calvin were brought to kiss each other.

[MELVILLE DEFEATED ON THE REGENTING.]

ATTEMPT TO ABOLISH REGENTING.

Melville’s next proposal was all too revolutionary.  It consisted in restricting the Regents each to a special group of subjects; in fact, anticipating our modern professoriate.  He actually set up this plan in Glasgow:  one Regent took Greek and Latin; another, his nephew, James Melville, took Mathematics, Logic, and Moral Philosophy; a third, Physics and Astronomy.  The system went on, in appearance at least, for fifty years; it is only in 1642, that we