Among the Portsmouth papers in the University Library at Cambridge³³ 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.

“A Monitor to note those who miss lectures, and give their names to the Humanity Lecturer, who shall punish them, not by pecuniary mulcts, but by [247] tasks [,such as] by making verses, themes, epistles, or getting anything without book. All pecuniary mulcts of Undergraduates to be abolished; and exercises, admonitions, recantations, and expulsions (according to the nature of the crime) to succeed in their room.

“In the Long Vacation, between the Commencement and Michaelmas, the Tutor shall take care that his Pupils read over all the last year’s lessons again by themselves, and at the end of the vacation they shall be examined again, and those, who are at any time found not fit to go on, turned down to the lectures of the year below, that they do not retard the Lecturer and be an ill example to others.

“The Lecturers to be chosen every three years, and the elections after the first institution to be on this manner. All those who have at any time been Lecturers shall choose four out of their number, one for each office, and the Master and Seniors of the College shall choose other four who have not yet executed the office, and those eight with the Master shall, by balancing, choose four out their number. [There shall be] no regard to seniority or anything but merit. The Lecturers to choose yearly a Public Tutor, and to reprehend or displace him if there be reason. This Tutor without a new election to take none but those admitted in his year of office until their course of lectures be gone through. No Private Tutor to take two years together. All [248] sizars, poor scholars, and scholars of the House to be under Public Tutors, except Westminster scholars of Trinity College when the Tutor is of another school.

“For encouraging able and fit men to accept of the Readers’ places, their fellowships during their office shall be doubled by the addition of four other fellowships kept vacant for the purpose, one, for each, unless some other competent provision be made for any of them. And because the Philosophy and Mathematic Lecturers’ office is laborious, for encouraging them to diligence none shall be compelled to come to their lectures, but all that will be auditors shall offer each of them a quarterly gratuity; suppose of 10s. the sizar, 12s. or 15s. the pensioner, and 20s. or 25s. the fellow-commoner. And to encourage auditors those shall be preferred to scholarships and fellowships which are best skilled in all sciences, caeteris paribus, and shall have seniority of those that come not to lectures. This institution to begin in the greater colleges, and be carried on in the rest as men qualified and revenues can be had. In smaller colleges the Mathematic Lecturer may be omitted, and only a power granted the College of instituting one when they can. Also the Greek Lecturer’s office may be supplied by the Humanity Lecturer when it shall be thought fit. A gratuity to be given by all the first year to the Greek and Humanity Lecturers.

[249]
“For securing the Tutor and making his office desirable by fit persons, every student at his admission to deposit caution money in the hands of the bursar of the College; suppose £10 or £12 the sizar, £16 or £20 the pensioner, and £30 or £40 the fellow-commoner. And in case any pupil at the end of any quarter be in his Tutor’s debt, and do not discharge it within six weeks after his receipt of the quarter bill, the Bursar to discharge it, and return back the residue upon demand, and the Tutor forthwith upon pain of forfeiting his office, to send home the pupil. Yet may the pupil be received again with a new supply of money. This institution to be universal. The Master and Seniors to regulate the expenses of all under tuition by certain limits common to them all, and the Senior Dean to read over and sign all their quarter bills. Extravagant pupils, after one admonition, to be sent away.

“Fellow-commoners to perform all exercises in their courses, and to be equally subject to their Tutors and Governors with other scholars and alike punishable by exercises, and those who are resty or idle to be sent away lest they spoil others by their bad example. They shall read geography, chronology, and mathematics the first year.

“All students who will be admitted to lectures in natural philosophy to learn first geometry and mechanics. By mechanics I mean here the demonstrative [250] doctrine of forces and motions, including hydrostatics. For without a judgment in these things a man can have none in philosophy.

“Whenever the major part of the Mathematic Lecturers in the University shall desire [it] a Master [shall be appointed] to teach fellow-commoners and others arithmetic and designing. The University shall allow him £10 yearly out of their Common Chest, and he shall observe the orders of the Mathematic Lecturers and be placed or displaced by the major part of them at pleasure.

“All graduates without exception found by the Proctors in taverns or other drinking houses, unless with travellers at their inns, shall at least have their names given in to the Vice-Chancellor, who shall summon them to answer it before the next Consistory.

“The Deans to visit the chambers of all undergraduates once at least every week, upon pain of forfeiting 10s. to the Lecturers for every omission.

“Fasting nights have a shadow of religion without any substance. ’Tis only supping more pleasantly out of the public hall. And this does great mischief by sending young students to find suppers abroad, where they get into company and grow debauched. Whether would it not be better to license undergraduates to sup together in such places as the Dean shall appoint, with a Monitor to note the names of the absent?

[251]
“All these lectures to consist in extemporary explications of books in such an easy, short, and clear manner as may be most profitable to the auditors. And if any Lecturer or other person shall compose any treatise which shall be preferred and used by the major part of the Mathematic or Philosophic Lecturers, the University shall give the author either £20, or if those Lecturers request it, £30, £40 or £50, out of their Common Chest.

“Commissioners to be appointed for some years to set on foot, inspect, and amend the institution.

“No oaths of office to be imposed on the Lecturers. I do not know a greater abuse of religion than that sort of oaths: they being harder to be kept than the Jewish Law, so that yearly absolutions have been instituted. The papists, who believe such absolutions, might be excused for instituting such oaths, but we have no such doctrine, and yet continue their practices. Admonitions and pecuniary mulcts for neglect of duty are less cruel punishments than the consequence of perjury, and may be as effectual.”