Your Lordship means at the _Revolution_; and, as the generous
principles of liberty, on which the Revolution was founded,
had received but little countenance from the Universities, this
consideration, you will say, afforded the best pretence for attempting
their reformation. But wise men saw, that the credit which those
learned bodies had drawn to themselves, and indeed deservedly, by
their late conduct, notwithstanding their speculative systems and
conclusions, was at that time too high, to suffer a rigorous inspection
to be made into their statutes and constitutions: they saw, in that
convulsion of the state, it would be impossible to carry on a design
of this nature, without endangering the new settlement, or exposing it
at least to many odious and inconvenient imputations: and they saw,
besides, that the spirit of liberty, which had prevailed so far as to
reform the state itself, would insensibly extend its influence to all
subordinate societies.
In a word, the close and immediate connexion, which the Universities
have with the church, made it natural and highly reasonable to expect
that both should have shared the same fate at the _Reformation_: but
the necessity was not so urgent, or so visible at least, that the
Universities should be new-modelled, at the _Revolution_.
However, my Lord, what the wisdom of _either_ age omitted, or was
unable to do, time, and that desuetude which attends upon it, will
gradually bring about; not to say, has in some measure accomplished.
And, to take matters as they now are, the studies and discipline of the
Universities are not without their use, and should not be too violently
declaimed against and degraded.
The elements of literature are reasonably well taught in those places.
At least, the familiarity, which men have with the learned languages
(the proper foundation, as I dare say your Lordship holds, of all real
learning and politeness) is very much owing to the lectures of our
colleges. And, though I am sensible what exceptions are to be made in
other respects, yet, on the whole, religion, and good morals, receive
an advantage from their institutions, and the regularity of their
discipline.