The Admirable Crichton #233793

Towards the close Of Wednesday, the 4th of February, 1579, a vast assemblage of scholars was collected before the Gothic gate way of the ancient college of Navarre. SO numerous was this con course, that it not merely blocked up the area in front of the renowned seminary in question, but extended far down the Rue de la Mon tagne sainte-généviéve, in which it is situated. Never had such a disorderly rout been brought together since the days of the uproar in 1557, when the predecessors Of these turbulent students took up arms, marched in a body to the pré-aux-clercs, set fire to three houses in the vicinity, and slew a sergeant of the guard, who vainly endeavoured to restrain their fury. Their last election of a rector, Messire Adrien dfamboise, pater as he is described in his epitaph, when the same body congregated within the cloisters of the Mathurins, and thence proceeded, in tumultu ous array, to the church of saint-louis, in the isle of the same name, — had been nothing to it. Every scholastic hive sent forth its drones. Sorbonne, and Montaigu, Cluny, Harcourt, the Four Nations, and a host of minor establishments — in all, amounting to forty-two — each added its swarms and a pretty buzzing they created! The fair of saint-germain had only commenced the day before; but though its festivities were to continue till Palm Sunday, and though it was the constant resort of the scholars, who committed, during their days of carnival, ten thousand excesses, it was now absolutely deserted.