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 On the night of the 31st of October, 1607, a company oft/ 
 graduates and undergraduates were collected in the Hall of 
 St. John's College to celebrate All Saints' Eve. The scene was a 
 riotous one, because although the object of the meeting was to 
 witness divers sports in preparation for Christmas, there appeared 
 to be no clear arrangement what the sports should be or by 
 whom they should be represented. The seniors were content 
 to be onlookers ; second-year men, called " Poulderlings," were 
 anxious to exhibit their ability ; but the freshmen, " Funics of 
 the first year," were not remarkable for their patience, or their 
 consideration for those whose superior years should have inspired 
 respect. So great was the tumult, that no sports could on that 
 night be held at all. The feast of All Saints on the following 
 day brought a truce to these quarrels, owing to the happy 
 suggestion made by the more thoughtful of the collegiate body, 
 that they should appoint a Prince of the Revels, who should 
 serve as a Christmas lord to superintend all the forthcoming festi- 
 vities for the months of December and January. A "Christmas 
 Prince ' was an institution which had been derived from the older 
 ceremony of a " Boy Bishop." On the feast of St. Nicholas, or 
 Holy Innocents' Day, it was not unusual in cathedral churches 
 to permit some one of the boys of the . choir to assume the 
 title and state of a bishop. The childish prelate ari'ogated to 
 himself all the duties of his august office with the single exception 
 of performing the Mass ; and it is well known that Edward I., on 
 his way to Scotland in the year 1 299, allowed one of these Boy- 
 Bishops to say Vespers before him in his Chapel at Heton, near 
 Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The feast of the Boy-Bishop was put 
 down by Henry VHI., revived by Queen Mary at the restoration 
 of the Catholic religion, and finally interdicted by Queen 
 
By Car and by Cowcatcher. "*55- 
 
 diillX^hina blue. About five miles farther on Castle Mo/ntain is 
 before\is, standing a sheer precipice 5000 feet high-^a giant's 
 " keep," with turrets, bastions, and battlements como^te, reared 
 against the^<y. 
 
 As we rise iDward the summit, near Stephen, al^ut thirty-five 
 miles farther oH. the railway's grade gets stej^er, tall forests 
 gather round us, aod a curious effect is prodi^d by glimpses of 
 snowy spurs and cre^s peeping through tha^rees, and of which, 
 though apparently neat us, we see no bare. This conveyed to 
 me an idea of our elevadon, and it was delightful to think of 
 oneself as hidden away anw)ng thos^solitary mountains, even 
 for a few short hours, with alr>±he trgnbles and worries of life left 
 in noisy bustling cities far awaysl 
 
 At the Laggan Station, monK than thirty miles from the 
 summit, a huge engine, — in curiou^ black contrast to a small 
 white house near by, — stoq^ on abiding with -all steam up, 
 waiting for our train. I yfhen learned that this monster is 
 necessary for the steep gnades, both ascei^iing and descending, 
 over which we have to 
 
 The General Superii^endent (whom I hav^lready mentioned 
 
 as having joined our party at Winnipeg — My E. ) in an 
 
 unlucky moment suggested I should walk forwarX examine this 
 big " mountain "Engine, and see its heavy proporntos and fine 
 machineiy. I/ay " unlucky," because from the instM± my eyes 
 rested on tl^e broad shining surface of its buffer-bbam and 
 cowcatcher,/ver which a bright little flag waved from a\;loss)' 
 brass pol^I decided to travel there and nowhere else for the 
 remaining 600 miles of my journey ! 
 
 Agnes Macdonald. 
 
 (To be concluded next tiiottth.) 
 
Old Oxford Revels. 237 
 
 Elizabeth. The Christmas Prince was the lay brother of the 
 Boy-Bishop. He was elected to be a sort of master of the 
 ceremonies in Christmas festivities of all kinds, whether in 
 the King's palace or the homes of the nobility, in the Inns of 
 Court or at the Universities. He was a " Lord of Misrule," 
 or "Master of Merry Disports," taxing all his friends with a 
 royal hand, and holding an acknowledged and undisputed sway 
 till the Puritans came and swept all these pleasant diversions 
 away. 
 
 When, then, the members of St. John's College in Oxford 
 determined in 1607 to set up a Christmas Prince, they were not 
 only following the example of Gray's Inn in 1 594, but a precedent 
 of their own in 1577. The appointment was not made without 
 some trouble. Grave uncertainty prevailed as to whether they 
 should choose a graduate or an undergraduate, and the only way 
 of meeting the difficulty was to hold a formal election, in which 
 each member of their society should be allowed to give his vote. 
 At the High Table were seated the Vice-President and the 
 Dean, while at the end of the Hall some of the more junior men, 
 as is the manner of freshmen, amused themselves by shouting 
 out the names of those whom they thought least able to fill the 
 post. In the sequel a certain Mr. Thomas Tucker was elected, a 
 worthy man who in subsequent life obtained the third stall in the 
 Cathedral Church at Bristol. One of those who took part in the 
 proceedings is the author of a manuscript, which describes the 
 whole affair and is preserved in the Library of St. John's College ;* 
 he was a gentleman named Griffin Higgs, who appears to have 
 distinguished himself in the exercise of proctorial duties, being a 
 man, as an old chronicler says, " of little stature, but abundant 
 courage." 
 
 Mr. Thomas Tucker, who was fortunate enough to obtain the 
 dignity of a Christmas Prince, was careful to avoid the over- 
 zealous enthusiasm of his supporters. On hearing the cries which 
 announced his election he instantly hid himself, and, when the 
 surging crowd had passed his lodging, managed to get secretly 
 back to his college room. There at last the ambiguous honours 
 were thrust upon an unwilling head, and more by violence than 
 any will of his own he was carried down to the Hall, as the Prince 
 elect for the forthcoming Christmas. Perhaps he was not in 
 every sense the most suitable man for the post. Mr. Griffin 
 Higgs, though anxious to excuse some of the events of his reign, 
 * Printed in 1816, and published by Triphook, Old Bond Street, London. 
 
238 Old Oxford Revels. 
 
 cannot forbear to state, that he had some weaknesses which did 
 much to prejudice his state, " whereof the chiefest were his 
 openness and familiarity with all sorts, being unwilling to dis- 
 please any, yet not able to please all." His formal title ran as 
 follows : " The most magnificent and renowned Thomas, by the 
 favour of Fortune, Prince of Alba Fortunata, Lord St John's, 
 High Regent of Y^ Hall, Duke of St. Giles's, Marquesse of Mag- 
 dalen's, Landgrave of y° Grove, County palatine of y" Cloisters, 
 Chief bailiff of y° Beaumonts, High Ruler of Rome, Master of the 
 manor of Waltham, Governor of Gloucester Green." These titles 
 were of course not chosen at random. " Alba Fortunata " alludes 
 to the name of the Founder of the College, Sir Thomas White ; 
 St. Giles's and Magdalen are the parishes which border on St. 
 John's ; the Grove and the Cloisters are part of the home domain ; 
 Beaumonts is the name of some lands belonging to the College 
 on which stood originally the Palace of the Beaumonts, built by 
 King Henry L and still surviving in the name of Beaumont 
 Street ; Rome was the name of a piece of land on the north side 
 of Oxford, near a walk which used to be called Non Ultra. The 
 manor of Waltham or Walton also belonged to the College, 
 whilst Gloucester Green at that time was literally a meadow close 
 to Gloucester Hall, from which it derived its name. The elected 
 King's first task was to provide himself with money, and a rate 
 was levied on all the members of the College according to their 
 ability, the President being taxed to the extent of forty shillings, 
 and Mr. Laud, who was none other than the future Archbishop 
 of Canterbury, furnishing on two separate occasions sums of ten 
 shillings. Naturally enough the Prince and his retinue were 
 always falling short of funds, and not only were old members 
 taxed for his support, but also the tenants of the College were 
 requested to furnish various subsidies for the maintenance of the 
 Royal state. Mr. Higgs, who tells the tale, himself contributed 
 five shillings. 
 
 The public installation of the Prince took place on the evening 
 of St. Andrew's Day. The first play \\2lS produced with the title 
 of Ara Fortunes, or Fortune's Altar. It ^^■as not an unmixed 
 success. The Hall was so crowded, that it was with great diffi- 
 culty that room could be cleared for the performance of the 
 play. At the second burst of applause the canopy which over- 
 hung the Altar of Fortune suddenly collapsed, and the Prince's 
 Fool, sitting down clumsily at his monarch's feet, had the ill-luck 
 to break his staff in two. The next performance took place 
 
Old Oxford Revels. 239 
 
 on Christmas Day, when Prince Tucker sat down at the High 
 Table in the Vice-President's place, and was served with a 
 magnificent banquet, including the customary Christmas Boar's 
 Head. The royal dish was brought in, to the accompaniment of 
 the following song : — 
 
 1. The Boare is dead ! 
 Loe heare is his head ; 
 
 What man could haue done more 
 Than his head of to strike, 
 Meleager like. 
 
 And bring it as I doe before ? 
 
 2. He livinge spoyled 
 Where good men toyled. 
 
 Which made kinde Ceres sorrye ; 
 But now dead and drawne 
 Is very good brawne. 
 
 And we have brought it for y". 
 
 3. Then sett down ye Swineyard, 
 The foe to -f Vineyard ; 
 
 Lett Bacchus crowne his fall. 
 Lett this Boares-head and mustard 
 Stand for Pigg, Goose & Custard, 
 
 And so y" are welcofne all. 
 
 Musicians, hired from Reading, " because our own town-music 
 had given us the slip, as they use to do," played all dinner- 
 time ; and the evening ended with an interlude, consisting of 
 Saturnalia which were eminently successful, " because," says the 
 narrator, " there were no strangers to trouble us." 
 
 Special efforts were made for the performance of a tragedy 
 called Philomela. The carpenters were, however, by no means 
 ready with the stage, and the Prince himself, who was to play 
 the part of Tereus, had got an extremely bad cold in the head. 
 He managed, however, to play his part ; and the performance 
 seems to have gone off on Dec. 29 without more than the 
 usual accidents. An entertainment on the evening of New 
 Year's Day was less successful. The attempt was made to 
 represent a show called Time's Complaint. At first the cere- 
 mony began auspiciously. The Prince and his suite passed 
 through the Quadrangle, honoured by three successive volleys 
 of shot from fifty or threescore guns ; but no sooner was the 
 
340 
 
 Old Oxford Revels. 
 
 play begun than the tale of misfortunes commenced. The 
 ' prologue,' who had only six lines to say, clean forgot them all, 
 and after a long stage -wait abruptly went behind the scenes. 
 One of the comic characters was the Goodwife Spigott. Un- 
 fortunately she came on the boards before her proper time, and 
 had to fill in the interval by some meaningless babble, which 
 was not well appreciated by the audience. The low comedian 
 in acting the part of Humphrey Swallow, a drunken cobbler, 
 used his opportunities with a gusto which was anything but 
 pleasing to the company at large. Like many amateur come- 
 dians, he had been so successful in the rehearsals that his head 
 was apparently turned, and, when the eventful night came, he so 
 emphatically over-acted his part that he delayed the action of 
 the scene and only produced disgust. It must be added that 
 the assembled company had so overfilled the stage, that it was 
 almost impossible for the play to proceed. Mr. Griffin Higgs 
 gets very melancholy over the ill-success of the venture. " We 
 should be ashamed," he says, " to insert Tint^s Complaint, if we 
 thought it would please no better in the reading than it did in 
 the hearing. To speak the truth without boasting, we ourselves 
 thought not so ill of it as others ; neither will future times, we 
 hope, judge it so vile as the present did. We were all so dis- 
 couraged, however, that we could have found in our hearts to 
 have gone no further." The treasury was by this time ex- 
 hausted,* and a new tax was decided upon. Nothing is more 
 
 * The following are some of the items in the bill of expenses : 
 
 Imprimis for 40 dozen of linkes . 
 
 Item for ID dozen of torches 
 
 Item for one dozen of great waxe tapers 
 
 Item for a shute of tawny tafety for the prince 
 
 Item for a goune for Philomela . 
 
 Item for 80 yards of flannel for the guardes' coates 
 
 Item for buckarum to make Jackets for lackeys and other neces- 
 saries to the number of 40 yardes 
 
 Item for two long womans hey res 
 
 Item for beardes and mens heades of heyre 
 
 Item for fethers, spangles, roses, etcaet. 
 
 Item for a coate for Itys .... 
 
 Item for 4 thousand of pinnes ... 
 
 Item for a sett of musitians entertayned for the 12 dayes 
 
 Item to the Carpenters for setting up the stage-scaffolds twise, and 
 lending boardes, etcett. ....... 
 
 Item for butter beere at severall times ..... 
 
 Item for taking downe glass windoes and mending others 
 
 Item pay'd to labourours for removing the snow, for stuffing the 
 hall windoes, and such like offices 
 
 c 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 4 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 IS 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 I 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 & 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 o i6 
 
Old Oxford Revels. 241 
 
 remarkable than the readiness with which every one seemed to 
 respond to the call. The Prince himself promised to pay all 
 sums lent him, — when the Greek Calends arrived, or at the end 
 ■of the next great Platonic year, — and a lucky venture with their 
 next performance revived somewhat the spirits of the players. 
 
 On Sunday evening, January 10, being properly the last day 
 of the Vacation, it occurred to some merry spirits to produce a 
 mock play, called The Seven Days of the Week, in order to 
 provide occupation for those whose voices and persons would 
 not allow them to appear with credit in public. As it turned 
 out, The Seven Days of the Week was one of the most suc- 
 cessful performances during the reign of the Christmas Prince ; 
 and although it was privately performed, the report came to the 
 ears of the Vice-Chancellor and Lord Clifford, at whose desire 
 the play was subsequently presented with greater publicity. It 
 is perhaps the most sprightly and the most unlaboured of all the 
 productions of the College wits. The Clerk of St. Giles's appears 
 in the opening scene, in order to introduce his actors who are 
 named after the days of the week. Each day describes himself 
 in fitting and appropriate terms, and finally Sunday brings 
 general criticisms on all his predecessors. One or two quota- 
 tions will give an idea of the whole. The Clerk of St. Giles's 
 opening speech runs thus :— 
 
 " I am the poore, though not unlettered, Clarke, 
 And these yo' subjects of St Gyles his parishe. 
 Who in this officious season would not sharke, 
 But thought to greet your highnesse with a mortice, 
 Which since my riper judgement thought not fitt, 
 They haue lay'd downe their wisedomes to my witt. 
 
 And that you might perceive (though seeminge rude) 
 
 Wee savour somewhat of the Academic, 
 
 Wee had adventur'd on an enterlude. 
 
 But then of actors we did lack a manye ; 
 Therefore we dipt our play into a showe, 
 Yet bigg enough to speake more than wee knowe. 
 
 The subject of it was not farr to seeke. 
 Fine witts worke mickle matter out of nifles ; 
 Nam'de it I haue Ye Seaven Dayes of y° Weeke, 
 Which though perchaunce graue heads may judge a trifle. 
 Yet if their action answeare but my penninge, 
 You shall heare that, that will deserve a hemminge. 
 VOL. I. — NO. II. R 
 
242 Old Oxford Revels. 
 
 To tell the argument, were to forstale 
 And soure y° licquour of our sweate conceate ; 
 Here are good fellowes that will tell you all 
 When wee begin once, you shall quickely ha' te, 
 Which if your grace will grace with your attention, 
 You shall soone sounde the depth of our invention." 
 
 He then introduces his actors, one by one, the whole play irre- 
 sistibly recalling the " Pyramus and Thisbe " which Bottom and 
 his companions try to represent in Midsummer Night's Dream. 
 
 The following is Monday's introductory speech — 
 
 " I Munday am, not he sumam'd the blacke, 
 
 But any ordinarye one besyde ; 
 
 Who though I carry Sunday on my backe. 
 
 Think not that I am to his girdle tyed. 
 
 For though his cost as myne I had as leefe use, 
 Yet Munday cannot live with Sundayes refuse. 
 
 Hither I come, directed by my paper. 
 To tell my name, and that's already ended : 
 Then to sitt downe (which is as little labour) 
 I would that each man here were so befrended : 
 This oft my part is, but a little crumme 
 You shal heare more, when as more actors come. 
 
 \Sedet cum Inccrna, <s^cy 
 Friday apologises for himself thus — 
 
 " I would not haue you load my backe %vith mocks 
 Though I come lade with river and sea fishes, 
 Perchaunce you had rather haue each eele an oxe, 
 And so would I, but 'twill not come with wishes : 
 I am leane Friday, brought up in a CoUedge, 
 That hever made good meale vto my knowledge.'' 
 
 And the Clerk adds an Epilogue in the following fashion : — 
 
 " Great Prince and mighty monarch of this place. 
 The very capp of curtesy and kindnesse, 
 Thinke not we come to prayse you to your face, 
 For we would say as much were you behinde us. 
 If we haue moov'd offence, I say, that If, 
 Let not your princely choller stand too stiff. 
 ***** 
 
 But if the lanthorne of yo" Lordshipp's love 
 Should light us home through y" mist of reprehension, 
 From y° distaffe of o' duety we will proove 
 To draw a threed of a more fine invention : 
 
Old Oxford Revels. 243 
 
 And when your brayne, feeles any payne, 
 
 With cares of state & troubles, 
 We' el come in kindnesse to put your highnesse 
 
 Out of y' mumble fubbles." 
 
 On Monday, the i ith of January, the Term should have begun, 
 but the cold had been so extreme and the frost so continuous, 
 that the President of St. John's decided that the College vacation 
 should last for another week. The actors too had a comedy in 
 preparation which they were anxious to produce, and the Hall 
 was still encumbered with the stage and scaffoldings. Some of 
 the senior members of the College thought it would be wiser to 
 play nothing more, partly because of their utter failure in Times 
 Complaint, partly because of the general misery caused by the 
 severity of the weather. It gives us some idea of an old-fashioned 
 winter to read the comment of Mr. Griffin Higgs on this subject. 
 " The season," he says, " was so severe and tempestuous with wind 
 and snow, which had continued some days without ceasing, and 
 the complaint was so grievous for want of wood and meat, whichs 
 by this time were grown very scant and dear, that the President 
 and seniors urged that it was a time rather to lament and weep^. 
 than make sports in. Whereupon a straight inhibition was sent 
 out from the officers, that no man should think of playing that 
 night or any time after till the weather should break up and be 
 more temperate. For they thought it no way fit publicly to revel 
 at a time of such general woe and calamity." Doubtless great 
 disappointment was caused by this decision ; but, fortunately for- 
 the actors, the weather shortly afterwards changed, a thaw set 
 in, and on January the 15th Philomathes was presented with 
 considerable success. The Term appears to have commenced on 
 Monday, January the i8th, after a performance on the Sunday 
 night previous of The Seven Days of the Week, at the President's, 
 lodging, in the presence of the Vice- Chancellor and many august 
 doctors. 
 
 In the first week of Term the Prince and his fellow-actors, who 
 had had such a chequered career at St John's College, were 
 themselves invited by the Canons of Christ Church to witness a 
 rival entertainment, called Yule- Tide. The opportunity seems to 
 have been taken to indulge in some witty pleasantries against the 
 august Prince Tucker. Yule Tide was a medley of Christmas 
 sports of all kinds, in the course of which such dignitaries as 
 Christmas Princes were much laughed at. The histrionic mind 
 is hot very patient of criticism, and so much irritation was 
 
 R 2 
 
244 Old Oxford Revels. 
 
 produced that the Dean of Christ Church himself, who was then 
 Vice- Chancellor, sent for Prince Tucker, and did his best to 
 satisfy him that nothing ill-natured was really meant. The 
 revels, however, at St. John's College were by no means terminated. 
 The Prince, who was to have laid down his dignity on Candlemas 
 night, was not yet ready to submit to this degradation, and in- 
 stead of a form of abdication, a Vigilate was produced at which 
 every member of the College was required to be present. Some 
 were contumacious enough to go to bed : on these vengeance 
 was taken in the following summary fashion. The marshals 
 were sent to knock at the chambers of those who were absent : 
 if no answer was returned, they had full authority to break open 
 the door, to seize the delinquents in their night-shirts, and to 
 carry them down in state to the Hall. The procession was most 
 august and formal. The marshals walked first, with lights in 
 their hands ; two squires followed, one bearing the gown and the 
 other the hat of their captive ; then came two other squires 
 carrying his doublet and breeches. Next followed the prisoner 
 himself carried in a chair and covered with a blanket, and the 
 procession was ended by a last squire carrying his shoes and 
 stockings. Whether the severity of these regulations caused 
 discontent or no, certain it is that the night did not end without 
 at least one dangerous brawl. Towards the end of supper two 
 gentlemen at the second table fell out, from words they came to 
 blows, and one of them stabbed the other in the arm with his 
 knife. The offender was promptly seized, and we are told " was 
 put into my lord's stocks, where he lay most part of that night 
 with shame and blame enough." 
 
 The Prince's resignation, which had been for some time 
 expected, was not realised until February 9th, Shrove Tuesday, 
 when the great stage was again set up in the Hall and the 
 scaffolds were erected for the performance of the final scene. 
 As the reign of the Prince had been introduced by a play 
 dedicated to Fortune, so also was its close commemorated by an 
 exhibition entitled Ira seu Tumulus Fortunm, to designate the 
 final term of Fortune's dynasty. All the officers who surrounded 
 the monarch were represented in the play, together with certain 
 general critics, such as Momus, Cynicus, and Philosophus. At the 
 close of the performance, which appears to have gone off most 
 successfully despite an overwhelming crowd of spectators, the 
 Prince, who was now but a Prince in name, was conducted to 
 his own private chamber in a solemn funereal procession. First 
 
Old Oxford Revels. 24.^ 
 
 came attendants bearing lights and torches, followed by scholars 
 who bore on their shoulders a tomb, adorned with scutcheons 
 and devices appertaining to the Prince's dignity. The next 
 figure in the procession was the Prince himself alone in his 
 scholar's gown and hood as the chief mourner, after whom 
 walked the rest of his Council, likewise attired in gowns and in 
 deep mourning, to accompany their quondam lord to his last 
 resting-place. But like many other mundane things, however 
 difficult it might have been in starting, this Christmas celebration 
 had still greater difficulty in finishing, and one more entertain- 
 ment was imperatively demanded by the scholars of St. John's 
 College, who had by this time become accustomed to every kind 
 of dramatic license. An English tragedy, notwithstanding the 
 fact that Lent had commenced, was produced on February 1 3th, 
 entitled Periander, the Tyrant of Corinth. Mr. Tucker himself 
 played the part of Periander, as a final exhibition of his own 
 versatility, and received a distinguished compliment from one 
 of the audience. A certain gentlewoman, we are told, sent him 
 the following lines at the conclusion of the tragedy — 
 
 " If that my hand or heart him life could give 
 By hand and heart should Periander live." 
 
 Periander himself, although his own life was so much desired, 
 came very near to depriving one of his fellow-actors of 
 existence ; for in pretending to kill his daughter Eugenia he 
 by accident drove his dagger through her clothes, but fortunately 
 avoided any vital part. Such was the final scene in which the 
 Christmas Prince took a share, after which he seems to have 
 .subsided into his former position of equality with his fellow 
 graduates. 
 
 That England was a merry England before the Puritan came 
 and swept all such joys away ; that even so solemn a place as 
 Oxford felt the contagion of the general Yuletide sports— these 
 facts are tolerably familiar to most historians ; but the most 
 surprising feature, in such a narration as that which Mr. Griffin 
 Higgs has left for us, is the marvellous fecundity of the College 
 wits. No less than eight Plays were written and produced in 
 the course of some twelve weeks, all of them of native growth 
 and hastily composed to suit the occasion. At no other time 
 than in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James, could 
 such a happy vein of dramatic activity have been possible or 
 explicable. At that period all England was dramatic, and the 
 
246 Old Oxford Revels. 
 
 academic intelligence felt the charm no less than the civic rabble 
 of the towns. While Marlowe and Shakespeare strove to satisfy 
 the greedy appetite of London, Canons of Christ Church and 
 Proctors of the University had to make the best shift they could 
 to appease similar aspirations within the University. But the 
 gentleman who has left this curious picture of a past age has no 
 such feelings of pride at the wealth of imagination and invention 
 which he is describing. He is more concerned to leave a touching 
 moral behind him, as a solemn warning to all those who should 
 attempt the like in future years. " We intended," he says in 
 his concluding pages, "in these exercises the practice and 
 audacity of our youth, the credit and good name of our College, 
 the love and favour of the University ; but instead of all these 
 (so easy a thing it is to be deceived in a good meaning) we met 
 with peevishness at home, perverseness abroad, contradictions 
 everywhere ; some never thought themselves entreated enough 
 to their own good and credit : others thought themselves able to 
 do nothing if they could not thwart and hinder something ; 
 most stood by and gave aim, willing to see much and do nothing, 
 nay perchance they were ready to procure most trouble, which 
 would be sure to yield least help. And yet we may not so 
 much grudge at faults at home as we may justly complain of 
 hard measures abroad : for instead of the love and favour of the 
 University, we found ourselves (we will say justly) taxed for any 
 the least error (though ingenious spirits would have pardoned 
 many things, where all things were intended for their own 
 pleasure) but most unjustly censured, and envied for that which 
 was done (we dare say) indifferently well : so that, in a word, 
 we paid dear for trouble, and in a manner hired and sent for 
 men to do us wrong. 
 
 " Let others hereafter take heed how they attempt the like, 
 unless they find better means at home, and better minds abroad. 
 And yet we cannot complain of all, some meant well and said 
 well, and those took goodwill for good payment, good endeavours 
 for good performance, and such (in this kind) shall deserve a 
 private favour, when others shall be denied a common benefit. 
 
 " ' Seria vix recte agnoscit, qui ludicra nescit.' " 
 
 W. L. CoURTN^EY. 
 
3 1924 081 271 367