Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

ST. THOMAS CANTILUPB. 247
given up to God from his earliest years. After the
fashion of the times he went both to Oxford and to
Paris. At Oxford he studied at the house of the
Black Friars, and there is reason to believe that he
received an earlier training from Robert Kilwardby.
His university days
v
throw light upon the times when
a sudden quarrel between a legate's brother and a
student could lead to blood-shedding, the legate
abruptly leaving Oxford, and threatening the Uni-
versity with excommunication. The evil was averted
by the mediation of Eobert Grossetete, who wras
Oxford's father and protector.
Again, under the chancellorship of Thomas, we are
introduced to a strange scene at Oxford. During the
civil disturbances of Henry's reign, a visit from
Prince Edward or his approach, 1263, was not viewed
as an honour. The Mayor ordered the city gates to
be fast closed. " At dinner time the big bell of St.
Mary's was tolled. All left their meat and ran to
their swords, bows, slings, and bills ; gathering together
in a body, they fought most courageously,
wounded many of the townspeople, and forced the
rest to fly. The Provost's house was burnt; William
the Espycer's was broken up, with all the spicery
itself, from one den to the other, and most of the
goods therein spoiled. At the house of the Mayor,
who was a vintner, they drank as much wine as they
could, and wasted the rest."l
Charity to poor scholars was a characteristic of St.
1 Life of St. Thomas of Hereford^ Supplement, p. 221.