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Seven years seem anciently to have been, all over Europe, the

usual term established for the duration of apprenticeships in the

greater part of incorporated trades. All such incorporations were

anciently called universities, which, indeed, is the proper Latin

name for any incorporation whatever. The university of smiths,

the university of tailors, etc. are expressions which we commonly

meet with in the old charters of ancient towns. When those

particular incorporations, which are now peculiarly called

universities, were first established, the term of years which it

was necessary to study, in order to obtain the degree of master

of arts, appears evidently to have been copied from the term of

apprenticeship in common trades, of which the incorporations were

much more ancient.