Tbe politico-religious disturbances of the Reform-
ation period gave such prominence and importance
to the jests of the terrm-filii that their existence has
been erroneously said to have originated in the
timea when religious innovators encouraged sub-
ordinate persons to exhibit contempt for their official
superiors. Speaking of the academic mountebanks,
Ayliife observes ; * This manner of sportive wit had
its origin at the time of the Reformation, when the
gross absurdities and superstitions of the Romish
Cliurch were to be exposed, and should have been
restrained to things, and not have reached men's
persons and characters; yet it has since become
very scandalous and abusive, and in nowise to be
tolerated in an university, where nothing might
appear but religion, learning, and good manners.'

But thoTOgh the origin of the terra-Jtlii must
be sought for in times long prior to tbe Reformation,
the academic jesters are far less conspicuous in the
annals of Catholic Oxford than in the records which
make up the history of the university from Ehza-
beth's accession to William the Third's arrival in
England. In 1591 John Hoakyns, who subse-
quently attached himself to Sir Walter Raleigh,
and assisted that gallant scholar in producing the
History of the World, came to signal grief through



byGOOQiC



FOOM PUNISHED FOR THEIR FOLLY. 215

the intliscretiona which he comraitted whilst o£S-
ciating as terrcE-Jtlius, afler he had taken his
master's degree. For eatirical utterances, exceeding
the license of his office, this most unfortunate of
scholastic buffoons was deprived of his fellowship in
New College, expelled from the univermty, and
thrown upon the world to sustain himself as he
best could by the wit which he had exhibited so
offensively to the Oxonian authorities. Another
terrcB-jUius, who had cause to rue the day when
v&nity inspired him to don the jester's belled cap
and turn his betters to ridicule, was Mr. Masters,
who in 1638, when Oxonian dons were unusually
disposed to severity, and bestirred themselves to
maintain academic discipline by rigid enforcement of
the Caroline code, was banished from Oxford on
account of his slanderous reflections on divers heads
of houses.
