ILLUMINATE. To interline with a translation. Studentsilluminatea book when they write between the printed lines a translation of the text.Illuminatedbooks are preferred by good judges to ponies or hobbies, as the text and translation in them are brought nearer to one another. The idea of calling books thus preparedilluminated, is taken partly from the meaning of the wordilluminate, to adorn with ornamental letters, substituting, however, in this case, useful for ornamental, and partly from one of its other meanings, to throw light on, as on obscure subjects.
ILLUSTRATION. That which elucidates a subject. A word used with a peculiar application by undergraduates in the University of Cambridge, Eng.
I went back,… and did a few more bits ofillustration, such as noting down the relative resources of Athens and Sparta when the Peloponnesian war broke out, and the sources of the Athenian revenue.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 51.
IMPOSITION. In the English universities, a supernumerary exercise enjoined on students as a punishment.
Minor offences are punished by rustication, and those of a more trivial nature by fines, or by literary tasks, here termedImpositions.—Oxford Guide, p. 149.
Literary tasks calledimpositions, or frequent compulsive attendances on tedious and unimproving exercises in a college hall.—T. Warton, Minor Poems of Milton, p. 432.
Impositionsare of various lengths. For missing chapel, about one hundred lines to copy; for missing a lecture, the lecture to translate. This is the measure for an occasional offence…. For coming in late at night repeatedly, or for any offence nearly deserving rustication, I have known a whole book of Thucydides given to translate, or the Ethics of Aristotle to analyze, when the offender has been a good scholar, while others, who could only do mechanical work, have had a book of Euclid to write out.
Longimpositionsare very rarelybarberized. When college tutors intend to be severe, which is very seldom, they are not to be trifled with.
At Cambridge,impositionsare not always in writing, but sometimes two or three hundred lines to repeat by heart. This is ruin to the barber.—Collegian's Guide, pp. 159, 160.
In an abbreviated form,impos.
He is obliged to stomach theimpos., and retire.—Grad. adCantab., p. 125.
He satisfies the Proctor and the Dean by saying a part of eachimpos.—Ibid., p. 128.
See BARBER.
INCEPT. To take the degree of Master of Arts.
They may nevertheless take the degree of M.A. at the usual period, by putting their names on theCollege boardsa few days previous toincepting.—Cambridge Calendar.
The M.A.inceptsin about three years and two months from the time of taking his first degree.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 285.
INCEPTOR. One who has proceeded to the degree of M.A., but who, not enjoying all the privileges of an M.A. until the Commencement, is in the mean time termed an Inceptor.
Used in the English universities, and formerly at Harvard College.
And, in case any of the Sophisters, Questionists, orInceptorsfail in the premises required at their hands … they shall be deferred to the following year.—Laws of 1650, in Quincy's Hist. Harv. Univ., Vol. I. p. 518.
The AdmissioInceptorumwas as follows: "Admitto te ad secundum gradum in artibus pro more Academiarum in Angliâ: tibique trado hunc librum unâ cum potestate publice profitendi, ubicunque ad hoc munus publicè evocatus fueris."—Ibid., Vol. I. p. 580.
INDIAN SOCIETY. At the Collegiate Institute of Indiana, a society of smokers was established, in the year 1837, by an Indian named Zachary Colbert, and called the Indian Society. The members and those who have been invited to join the society, to the number of sixty or eighty, are accustomed to meet in a small room, ten feet by eighteen; all are obliged to smoke, and he who first desists is required to pay for the cigars smoked at that meeting.
INDIGO. At Dartmouth College, a member of the party called theBlues. The same as a BLUE, which see.
The Howes, years ago, used to room in Dartmouth Hall, though none room there now, and so they made up some verses. Here is one:—
"Hurrah for Dartmouth Hall!Success to every studentThat rooms in Dartmouth Hall,Unless he be anIndigo,Then, no success at all."The Dartmouth, Vol. IV. p. 117.
INITIATION. Secret societies exist in almost all the colleges in the United States, which require those who are admitted to pass through certain ceremonies called the initiation. This fact is often made use of to deceive Freshmen, upon their entrance into college, who are sometimes initiated into societies which have no existence, and again into societies where initiation is not necessary for membership.
A correspondent from Dartmouth College writes as follows: "I believe several of the colleges have various exercises ofinitiatingFreshmen. Ours is done by the 'United Fraternity,' one of our library societies (they are neither of them secret), which gives out word that theinitiationis a fearful ceremony. It is simply every kind of operation that can be contrived to terrify, and annoy, and make fun of Freshmen, who do not find out for some time that it is not the necessary and serious ceremony of making them members of the society."
In the University of Virginia, students on entering are sometimes initiated into the ways of college life by very novel and unique ceremonies, an account of which has been furnished by a graduate of that institution. "The first thing, by way of admitting the novitiate to all the mysteries of college life, is to require of him in an official communication, under apparent signature of one of the professors, a written list, tested under oath, of the entire number of his shirts and other necessary articles in his wardrobe. The list he is requested to commit to memory, and be prepared for an examination on it, before the Faculty, at some specified hour. This the new-comer usually passes with due satisfaction, and no little trepidation, in the presence of an august assemblage of his student professors. He is now remanded to his room to take his bed, and to rise about midnight bell for breakfast. The 'Callithumpians' (in this Institution a regularly organized company), 'Squallinaders,' or 'Masquers,' perform their part during the livelong night with instruments 'harsh thunder grating,' to insure to the poor youth a sleepless night, and give him full time to con over and curse in his heart the miseries of a college existence. Our fellow-comrade is now up, dressed, and washed, perhaps two hours in advance of the first light of dawn, and, under the guidance of aposse comitatusof older students, is kindly conducted to his morning meal. A long alley, technically 'Green Alley,' terminating with a brick wall, informing all, 'Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther,' is pointed out to him, with directions 'to follow his nose and keep straight ahead.' Of course the unsophisticated finds himself completely nonplused, and gropes his way back, amidst the loud vociferations of 'Go it, green un!' With due apologies for the treatment he has received, and violent denunciations against the formerpossefor their unheard-of insolence towards the gentleman, he is now placed under different guides, who volunteer their services 'to see him through.' Suffice it to be said, that he is again egregiously 'taken in,' being deposited in the Rotunda or Lecture-room, and told to ring for whatever he wants, either coffee or hot biscuit, but particularly enjoined not to leave without special permission from one of the Faculty. The length of his sojourn in this place, where he is finally left, is of course in proportion to his state of verdancy."
INSPECTOR OF THE COLLEGE. At Yale College, a person appointed to ascertain, inspect, and estimate all damages done to the College buildings and appurtenances, whenever required by the President. All repairs, additions, and alterations are made under his inspection, and he is also authorized to determine whether the College chambers are fit for the reception of the students. Formerly the inspectorship in Harvard College was held by one of the members of the College government. His duty was to examine the state of the College public buildings, and also at stated times to examine the exterior and interior of the buildings occupied by the students, and to cause such repairs to be made as were in his opinion proper. The same duties are now performed by theSuperintendent of Public Buildings.—Laws Yale Coll., 1837, p. 22.Laws Harv. Coll., 1814, p. 58, and 1848, p 29.
The duties of theInspector of the College Buildings, atMiddlebury, are similar to those required of the inspector atYale.—Laws Md. Coll., 1839, pp. 15, 16.
IN STATU PUPILLARI. Latin; literally,in a state of pupilage. In the English universities, one who is subject to collegiate laws, discipline, and officers is said to bein statu pupillari.
And the short space that here we tarry,At least "in statu pupillari,"Forbids our growing hopes to germ,Alas! beyond the appointed term.Grad. ad Cantab., p. 109.
INTERLINEAR. A printed book, with a written translation between the lines. The same as anilluminatedbook; for an account of which, see under ILLUMINATE.
Then devotes himself to study, with a steady, earnest zeal,And scorns anInterlinear, or a Pony's meek appeal.Poem before Iadma, 1850, p. 20.
INTERLINER. Same as INTERLINEAR.
In the "Memorial of John S. Popkin, D.D.," a Professor at Harvard College, Professor Felton observes: "He was a mortal enemy to translations, 'interliners,' and all such subsidiary helps in learning lessons; he classed them all under the opprobrious name of 'facilities,' and never scrupled to seize them as contraband goods. When he withdrew from College, he had a large and valuable collection of this species of literature. In one of the notes to his Three Lectures he says: 'I have on hand a goodly number of these confiscated wares, full of manuscript innotations, which I seized in the way of duty, and would now restore to the owners on demand, without their proving property or paying charges.'"—p. lxxvii.
Ponies,Interliners, Ticks, Screws, and Deads (these are all college verbalities) were all put under contribution.—A Tour through College, Boston, 1832, p. 25.
INTONITANS BOLUS. Greek, [Greek: bolos], a lump. Latin,bolus, a bit, a morsel. English,bolus, a mass of anything made into a large pill. It may be translateda thundering pill. At Harvard College, theIntonitans Boluswas a great cane or club which was given nominally to the strongest fellow in the graduating class; "but really," says a correspondent, "to the greatest bully," and thus was transmitted, as an entailed estate, to the Samsons of College. If any one felt that he had been wronged in not receiving this emblem of valor, he was permitted to take it from its possessor if he could. In later years the club presented a very curious appearance; being almost entirely covered with the names of those who had held it, carved on its surface in letters of all imaginable shapes and descriptions. At one period, it was in the possession of Richard Jeffrey Cleveland, a member of the class of 1827, and was by him transmitted to Jonathan Saunderson of the class of 1828. It has disappeared within the last fifteen or twenty years, and its hiding-place, even if it is in existence, is not known.
See BULLY CLUB.
INVALID'S TABLE. At Yale College, in former times, a table at which those who were not in health could obtain more nutritious food than was supplied at the common board. A graduate at that institution has referred to the subject in the annexed extract. "It was extremely difficult to obtain permission to board out, and indeed impossible except in extreme cases: the beginning of such permits would have been like the letting out of water. To take away all pretext for it, an 'invalid's table' was provided, where, if one chose to avail himself of it, having a doctor's certificate that his health required it, he might have a somewhat different diet."—Scenes and Characters in College, New Haven, 1847, pp. 117, 118.
JACK-KNIFE. At Harvard College it has long been the custom for the ugliest member of the Senior Class to receive from his classmates aJack-knife, as a reward or consolation for the plainness of his features. In former times, it was transmitted from class to class, its possessor in the graduating class presenting it to the one who was deemed the ugliest in the class next below.
Mr. William Biglow, a member of the class of 1794, the recipient for that year of the Jack-knife,—in an article under the head of "Omnium Gatherum," published in the Federal Orrery, April 27, 1795, entitled, "A Will: Being the last words of CHARLES CHATTERBOX, Esq., late worthy and much lamented member of the Laughing Club of Harvard University, who departed college life, June 21, 1794, in the twenty-first year of his age,"—presents thistransmittendumto his successor, with the following words:—
"Item. C—— P——s[41] has my knife,During his natural college life;That knife, which ugliness inherits,And due to his superior merits,And when from Harvard he shall steer,I order him to leave it here,That't may from class to class descend,Till time and ugliness shall end."
Mr. Prentiss, in the autumn of 1795, soon after graduating, commenced the publication of the Rural Repository, at Leominster, Mass. In one of the earliest numbers of this paper, following the example of Mr. Biglow, he published his will, which Mr. Paine, the editor of the Federal Orrery, immediately transferred to his columns with this introductory note:—"Having, in the second number of 'Omnium Gatherum' presented to our readers the last will and testament of Charles Chatterbox, Esq., of witty memory, wherein the said Charles, now deceased, did lawfully bequeath to Ch——s Pr——s the celebrated 'Ugly Knife,' to be by him transmitted, at his college demise, to the next succeeding candidate; ———— and whereas the said Ch——s Pr——s, on the 21st of June last, departed his aforesaid college life, thereby leaving to the inheritance of his successor the valuable legacy which his illustrious friend had bequeathed, as an entailed estate, to the poets of the university,—we have thought proper to insert a full, true, and attested copy of the will of the last deceased heir, in order that the world may be furnished with a correct genealogy of this renownedJack-knife, whose pedigree will become as illustrious in after time as the family of the 'ROLLES,' and which will be celebrated by future wits as the most formidableweaponof modern genius."
That part of the will only is here inserted which refers particularly to the Knife. It is as follows:—
"I—I say I, now make this will;Let those whom I assign fulfil.I give, grant, render, and conveyMy goods and chattels thus away;Thathonor of a college life,That celebratedUGLY KNIFE,Which predecessor SAWNEY[42] orders,Descending to time's utmost borders,Tonoblest bardofhomeliest phiz,To have and hold and use, as his,I now present C——s P——y S——r,[43]To keep with his poetic lumber,To scrape his quid, and make a split,To point his pen for sharpening wit;And order that he ne'er abuseSaid ugly knife, in dirtier use,And let said CHARLES, that best of writers,In prose satiric skilled to bite us,And equally in verse delight us,Take special care to keep it cleanFrom unpoetic hands,—I ween.And when those walls, the muses' seat,Said S——r is obliged to quit,Let some one of APOLLO'S firing,To such heroic joys aspiring,Who long has borne a poet's name,With said Knife cut his way to fame."SeeBuckingham's Reminiscences, Vol. II. pp. 281, 270.
Tradition asserts that the original Jack-knife was terminated at one end of the handle by a large blade, and at the other by a projecting piece of iron, to which a chain of the same metal was attached, and that it was customary to carry it in the pocket fastened by this chain to some part of the person. When this was lost, and the custom of transmitting the Knife went out of fashion, the class, guided by no rule but that of their own fancy, were accustomed to present any thing in the shape of a knife, whether oyster or case, it made no difference. In one instance a wooden one was given, and was immediately burned by the person who received it. At present the Jack-knife is voted to the ugliest member of the Senior Class, at the meeting for the election of officers for Class Day, and the sum appropriated for its purchase varies in different years from fifty cents to twenty dollars. The custom of presenting the Jack-knife is one of the most amusing of those which have come down to us from the past, and if any conclusion may be drawn from the interest which is now manifested in its observance, it is safe to infer, in the words of the poet, that it will continue "Till time and ugliness shall end."
In the Collegiate Institute of Indiana, a Jack-knife is given to the greatest liar, as a reward of merit.
See WILL.
JAPANNED. A cant term in use at the University of Cambridge, Eng., explained in the following passage. "Many … step … into the Church, without any pretence of other change than in the attire of their outward man,—the being 'japanned,' as assuming the black dress and white cravat is called in University slang."—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 344.
JESUIT. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., a member of JesusCollege.
JOBATION. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., a sharp reprimand from the Dean for some offence, not eminently heinous.
Thus dismissed the august presence, he recounts thisjobationto his friends, and enters into a discourse on masters, deans, tutors, and proctors.—Grad. ad Cantab., p. 124.
JOBE. To reprove; to reprimand. "In the University of Cambridge, [Eng.,] the young scholars are wont to call chiding,jobing."—Grad. ad Cantab.
I heard a lively young man assert, that, in consequence of an intimation from the tutor relative to his irregularities, his father came from the country tojobehim.—Gent. Mag., Dec. 1794.
JOE. A name given at several American colleges to a privy. It is said that when Joseph Penney was President of Hamilton College, a request from the students that the privies might be cleansed was met by him with a denial. In consequence of this refusal, the offices were purified by fire on the night of November 5th. The derivation of the word, allowing the truth of this story, is apparent.
The following account ofJoe-Burningis by a correspondent from Hamilton College:—"On the night of the 5th of November, every year, the Sophomore Class burn 'Joe.' A large pile is made of rails, logs, and light wood, in the form of a triangle. The space within is filled level to the top, with all manner of combustibles. A 'Joe' is then sought for by the class, carried from its foundations on a rude bier, and placed on this pile. The interior is filled with wood and straw, surrounding a barrel of tar placed in the middle, over all of which gallons of turpentine are thrown, and then set fire to. From the top of the lofty hill on which the College buildings are situated, this fire can be seen for twenty miles around. The Sophomores are all disguised in the most odd and grotesque dresses. A ring is formed around the burning 'Joe,' and a chant is sung. Horses of the neighbors are obtained and ridden indiscriminately, without saddle or bridle. The burning continues usually until daylight."
Ponamus ConviviumJosephiin locumEt id uremus.Convivii Exsequiæ, Hamilton Coll., 1850.
JOHNIAN. A member of St. John's College in the University ofCambridge, Eng.
TheJohniansare always known by the name of pigs; they put up a new organ the other day, which was immediately christened "Baconi Novum Organum."—Westminster Rev., Am. ed., Vol. XXXV., p 236.
JUN. Abbreviated for Junior.
The target for all the venomed darts of rowdy Sophs, magnificentJuns, and lazy Senes.—The Yale Banger, Nov. 10, 1846.
JUNE. An abbreviation of Junior.
I once to Yale a Fresh did come,But now a jollyJune,Returning to my distant home,I bear the wooden spoon.Songs of Yale, 1853, p. 36.
But now, when no longer a Fresh or a Soph,Each blade is a gentlemanJune.Ibid., p. 39.
JUNE TRAINING. The following interesting and entertaining account of one of the distinguishing customs of the University of Vermont, is from the pen of one of her graduates, to whom the editor of this work is under many obligations for the valuable assistance he has rendered in effecting the completeness of this Collection.
"In the old time when militia trainings were in fashion, the authorities of Burlington decided that, whereas the students of the University of Vermont claimed and were allowed the right of suffrage, they were to be considered citizens, and consequently subject to military duty. The students having refused to appear on parade, were threatened with prosecution; and at last they determined to make their appearance. This they did on a certain 'training day,' (the year I do not recollect,) to the full satisfaction of the authorities, who did not expectsucha parade, and had no desire to see it repeated. But the students being unwilling to expose themselves to 'the rigor of the law,' paraded annually; and when at last the statute was repealed and militia musters abolished, they continued the practice for the sake of old association. Thus it passed into a custom, and the first Wednesday of June is as eagerly anticipated by the citizens of Burlington and the youth of the surrounding country for its 'training,' as is the first Wednesday of August for its annual Commencement. The Faculty always smile propitiously, and in the afternoon the performance commences. The army, or more euphoniously the 'UNIVERSITY INVINCIBLES,' take up 'their line of march' from the College campus, and proceed through all the principal streets to the great square, where, in the presence of an immense audience, a speech is delivered by the Commander-in-chief, and a sermon by the Chaplain, the roll is called, and the annual health report is read by the surgeon. These productions are noted for their patriotism and fervid eloquence rather than high literary merit. Formerly the music to which they marched consisted solely of the good old-fashioned drum and fife; but of late years the Invincibles have added to these a brass band, composed of as many obsolete instruments as can be procured, in the hands of inexperienced performers. None who have ever handled a musical instrument before are allowed to become members of the band, lest the music should be too sweet and regular to comport with the general order of the parade. The uniform (or rather themultiform) of the company varies from year to year, owing to the regulation that each soldier shall consult his own taste,—provided that no two are to have the same taste in their equipments. The artillery consists of divers joints of rusty stove-pipe, in each of which is inserted a toy cannon of about one quarter of an inch calibre, mounted on an old dray, and drawn by as many horse-apologies as can be conveniently attached to it. When these guns are discharged, the effect—as might be expected—is terrific. The banners, built of cotton sheeting and mounted on a rake-handle, although they do not always exhibit great artistic genius, often display vast originality of design. For instance, one contained on the face a diagram (done in ink with the wrong end of a quill) of thepons asinorum, with the rather belligerent inscription, 'REMEMBER NAPOLEON AT LODI.' On the reverse was the head of an extremely doubtful-looking individual viewing 'his natural face in a glass.' Inscription,—'O wad some pow'r the giftie gie us To see oursel's as others see us.'
"The surgeon's equipment is an ox-cart containing jars of drugs (most of them marked 'N.E.R.' and 'O.B.J.'), boxes of homoeopathic pills (about the size of a child's head), immense saws and knives, skeletons of animals, &c.; over which preside the surgeon and his assistant in appropriate dresses, with tin spectacles. This surgeon is generally the chief feature of the parade, and his reports are astonishing additions to the surgical lore of our country. He is the wit of the College,—the one who above all others is celebrated for the loudest laugh, the deepest bumper, the best joke, and the poorest song. How well he sustains his reputation may be known by listening to his annual reading, or by reference to the reports of 'Trotwood,' 'Gubbins,' or 'Deppity Sawbones,' who at different times have immortalized themselves by their contributions to science. The cavalcade is preceded by the 'pioneers,' who clear the way for the advancing troops; which is generally effected by the panic among the boys, occasioned by the savage aspect of the pioneers,—their faces being hideously painted, and their dress consisting of gleanings from every costume, Christian, Pagan, and Turkish, known among men. As the body passes through the different streets, the martial men receive sundry testimonials of regard and approval in the shape of boquets and wreaths from the fair 'Peruvians,' who of course bestow them on those who, in their opinion, have best succeeded in the object of the day,—uncouth appearance. After the ceremonies, the students quietly congregate in some room in college tocountthese favors and to ascertain who is to be considered the hero of the day, as having rendered himself pre-eminently ridiculous. This honor generally falls to the lot of the surgeon. As the sun sinks behind the Adirondacs over the lake, the parade ends; the many lookers-on having nothing to see but the bright visions of the next year's training, retire to their homes; while the now weary students, gathered in knots in the windows of the upper stories, lazily and comfortably puff their black pipes, and watch the lessening forms of the retreating countrymen."
Further to elucidate the peculiarities of the June Training, the annexed account of the custom, as it was observed on the first Wednesday in June of the current year, is here inserted, taken from the "Daily Free Press," published at Burlington, June 8th, 1855.
"The annual parade of the principal military body in Vermont is an event of importance. The first Wednesday in June, the day assigned to it, is becoming the great day of the year in Burlington. Already it rivals, if it does not exceed, Commencement day in glory and honor. The people crowd in from the adjoining towns, the steamboats bring numbers from across the lake, and the inhabitants of the town turn out in full force. The yearly recurrence of such scenes shows the fondness of the people for a hearty laugh, and the general acceptableness of the entertainment provided.
"The day of the parade this year was a very favorable one,—without dust, and neither too hot nor too cold for comfort The performances properly—or rather _im_properly—commenced in the small hours of the night previous by the discharge of a cannon in front of the college buildings, which, as the cannon was stupidly or wantonly pointedtowardsthe college buildings, blew in several hundred panes of glass. We have not heard that anybody laughed at this piece of heavy wit.
"At four o'clock in the afternoon, the Invincibles took up their line of march, with scream of fife and roll of drum, down Pearl Street to the Square, where the flying artillery discharged a grand national salute of one gun; thence to the Exchange, where a halt was made and a refreshment of water partaken of by the company, and then to the Square in front of the American, where they were duly paraded, reviewed, exhorted, and reported upon, in presence of two or three thousand people.
"The scene presented was worth seeing. The windows of the American and Wheeler's Block had all been taken out, and were filled with bright female faces; the roofs of the same buildings were lined with spectators, and the top of the portico of the American was a condensed mass of loveliness and bright colors. The Town Hall windows, steps, doors, &c. were also filled. Every good look-out anywhere near the spot was occupied, and a dense mass of by-standers and lookers-on in carriages crowded the southern part of the Square.
"Of the cortege itself, the pencil of a Hogarth only could give an adequate idea. The valorous Colonel Brick was of course the centre of all eyes. He was fitly supported by his two aids. The three were in elegant uniforms, were handsomely mounted, rode well and with gallant bearing, and presented a particularly attractive appearance.
"Behind them appeared a scarlet robe, surmounted by a white wig of Brobdinagian dimensions and spectacles to match, which it is supposed contained in the interior the physical system of the Reverendissimus Boanerges Diogenes Lanternarius, Chaplain, the whole mounted upon the vertebræ of a solemn-looking donkey.
"The representative of the Church Militant was properly backed up by the Flying Artillery. Their banner announced that they were 'for the reduction of Sebastopol,' and it is safe to say that they will certainly take that fortress, if they get a chance. If the Russians hold out against those four ghostly steeds, tandem, with their bandy-legged and kettle-stomached riders,—that gun, so strikingly like a joint of old stove-pipe in its exterior, but which upon occasion could vomit forth your real smoke and sound and smell of unmistakable brimstone,—and those slashed and blood-stained artillerymen,—they will do more than anybody did on Wednesday.
"The T.L.N. Horn-et Band, with Sackbut, Psaltery, Dulcimer, and Shawm, Tanglang, Locofodeon, and Hugag, marched next. They reserved their efforts for special occasions, when they woke the echoes with strains of altogether unearthly music, composed for them expressly by Saufylur, the eminent self-taught New Zealand composer.
"Barnum's Baby-Show, on four wheels, in charge of the great showman himself, aided by that experienced nurse, Mrs. Gamp, in somewhat dilapidated attire, followed. The babies, from a span long to an indefinite length, of all shapes and sizes, black, white, and snuff-colored, twins, triplets, quartettes, and quincunxes, in calico and sackcloth, and in a state of nature, filled the vehicle, and were hung about it by the leg or neck or middle. A half-starved quadruped of osseous and slightly equine appearance drew the concern, and the shrieking axles drowned the cries of the innocents.
"Mr. Joseph Hiss and Mrs. Patterson of Massachusetts were not absent. Joseph's rubicund complexion, brassy and distinctly Know-Nothing look, and nasal organ well developed by his experience on the olfactory committee, were just what might have been expected. The 'make up' of Mrs. P., a bright brunette, was capital, and she looked the woman, if not the lady, to perfection. The two appeared in a handsome livery buggy, paid for, we suppose, by the State of Massachusetts.
"A wagon-load of two or three tattered and desperate looking individuals, labelled 'Recruits for the Crimea,' with a generous supply of old iron and brick-bats as material of war, was dragged along by the frame and most of the skin of what was once a horse.
"Towards the rear, but by no means least in consequence or in the amount of attention attracted, was the army hospital, drawn by two staid and well-fed oxen. In front appeared the snowy locks and 'fair round belly, with goodcottonlined' of the worthy Dr. Esculapius Liverwort Tarand Cantchuget-urlegawa Opodeldoc, while by his side his assistant sawbones brayed in a huge iron mortar, with a weighty pestle, much noise, and indefatigable zeal, the drugs and dye-stuffs. Thigh-bones, shoulder-blades, vertebræ, and even skulls, hanging round the establishment, testified to the numerous and successful amputations performed by the skilful surgeon.
"Noticeable among the cavalry were Don Quixote de la U.V.M., Knight of the patent-leather gaiters, terrible in his bright rectangular cuirass of tin (once a tea-chest), and his glittering harpoon; his doughty squire, Sancho Panza; and a dashing young lady, whose tasteful riding-dress of black cambric, wealth of embroidered skirts and undersleeves, and bold riding, took not a little attention.
"Of the rank and file on foot it is useless to attempt a description. Beards of awful size, moustaches of every shade and length under a foot, phizzes of all colors and contortions, four-story hats with sky-scraping feathers, costumes ring-streaked, speckled, monstrous, and incredible, made up the motley crew. There was a Northern emigrant just returned from Kansas, with garments torn and water-soaked, and but half cleaned of the adhesive tar and feathers, watched closely by a burly Missourian, with any quantity of hair and fire-arms and bowie-knives. There were Rev. Antoinette Brown, and Neal Dow; there was a darky whose banner proclaimed his faith in Stowe and Seward and Parker, an aboriginal from the prairies, an ancient minstrel with a modern fiddle, and a modern minstrel with an ancient hurdy- gurdy. All these and more. Each man was a study in himself, and to all, Falstaff's description of his recruits would apply:—
"'My whole charge consists of corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, where the glutton's dogs licked his sores; the cankers of a calm world and a long peace; ten times more dishonorable ragged than an old-faced ancient: and such have I, that you would think I had a hundred and fifty tattered prodigals lately come from swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way and told me I had unloaded all the gibbets and pressed the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scarecrows.'
"The proceedings on the review were exciting. After the calling of the roll, the idol of his regiment, Col. Martin Van Buren Brick, discharged an eloquent and touching speech.
"From the report of Dr. Opodeldoc, which was thirty-six feet in length, we can of course give but a few extracts. He commenced by informing the Invincibles that his cures the year past had been more astounding than ever, and that his fame would continue to grow brighter and brighter, until eclipsed by the advent of some younger Dr. Esculapius Liverwort Tar Cant-ye-get-your-leg-away Opodeldoc, who in after years would shoot up like a meteor and reproduce his father's greatness; and went on as follows:—
"'The first academic that appeared after the last report was thedesideratum graduatere, or graduating fever. Twenty-seven were taken down. Symptoms, morality in the head,—dignity in the walk, —hints about graduating,—remarkable tendency to swell,—literary movement of the superior and inferior maxillary bones, &c., &c. Strictures on bleeding were first applied; then treating homoeopathicallysimilis similibus, applied roots extracted, roots Latin and Greek, infinitesimal extracts of calculus, mathematical formulas, psychological inductions, &c., &c. No avail. Finally applied huge sheep-skin plasters under the axilla, with a composition of printers' ink, paste, paper, ribbons, and writing-ink besmeared thereon, and all were despatched in one short day.
"'Sophomore Exhibition furnished many cases. One man hit by a Soph-bug, drove eye down into stomach, carrying with it brains and all inside of the head. In order to draw them back to their proper place, your Surgeon caused a leaf from Barnum's Autobiography to be placed on patient's head, thinking that to contain more true, genuinesuctionthan anything yet discovered.
* * * * *
"'Nebraskacancershave appeared in our ranks, especially in Missouri division. Surgeon recommends 385 eighty-pounders be loaded to the muzzle, first with blank cartridges,—to wit, Frank Pierce and Stephen A. Douglas, Free-Soil sermons, Fern Leaves, Hot Corn, together with all the fancy literature of the day,—and cause the same to be fired upon the disputed territory; this would cause all the breakings out to be removed, and drive off everybody.'
"The close of the report was as follows. It affected many even to tears.
"'May you all remember your Surgeon, and may your thoracic duck ever continue to sail peacefully down the common carrotted arteries, under the keystone of the arch of the aorta, and not rush madly into the abominable cavity and eclipse the semi-lunar dandelions, nor, still worse, play the dickens with the pneumogastric nerve and auxiliary artery, reverse the doododen, upset the flamingo, irritate thehigh-old-glossus, and be for ever lost in the receptaculum chyli. No, no, but, &c. Yours feelingly,
'Dr. E.L.T.C.O., M.D.'
"Dr. O., we notice, has added a new branch, that of dentistry, to his former accomplishments. By his new system, his customers are not obliged to undergo the pain of the operations in person, but, by merely sending their heads to him, can have everything done with a great decrease of trouble. From a calf's head thus sent in, the Doctor, after cutting the gums with a hay-cutter, and filing between the teeth with a wood-saw, skilfully extracted with a pair of blacksmith tongs a very great number of molars and incisors.
"Miss Lucy Amazonia Crura Longa Lignea, thirteen feet high, and Mr. Rattleshanks Don Skyphax, a swain a foot taller, advanced from the ranks, and were made one by the chaplain. The bride promised to own the groom, butprotestedformally against his custody of her person, property, and progeny. The groom pledged himself to mend the unmentionables of his spouse, or to resign his own when required to rock the cradle, and spank the babies. He placed no ring upon her finger, but instead transferred his whiskers to her face, when the chaplain pronounced them 'wife and man,' and the happy pair stalked off, their heads on a level with the second-story windows.
"Music from the Keeseville Band who were present followed; the flying artillery fired another salute; the fife and drums struck up; and the Invincibles took their winding way to the University, where they were disbanded in good season."
JUNIOR. One in the third year of his collegiate course in anAmerican college, formerly called JUNIOR SOPHISTER.
See SOPHISTER.
2. One in the first year of his course at a theological seminary. —Webster.
JUNIOR. Noting the third year of the collegiate course in American colleges, or the first year in the theological seminaries.—Webster.
JUNIOR APPOINTMENTS. At Yale College, there appears yearly, in the papers conducted by the students, a burlesque imitation of the regular appointments of the Junior exhibition. These mock appointments are generally of a satirical nature, referring to peculiarities of habits, character, or manners. The following, taken from some of the Yale newspapers, may be considered as specimens of the subjects usually assigned. Philosophical Oration, given to one distinguished for a certain peculiarity, subject, "The Advantage of a Great Breadth of Base." Latin Oration, to a vain person, subject, "Amor Sui." Dissertations: to a meddling person, subject, "The Busybody"; to a poor punster, subject, "Diseased Razors"; to a poor scholar, subject, "Flunk on,—flunk ever." Colloquy, to a joker whose wit was not estimated, subject, "Unappreciated Facetiousness." When a play upon names is attempted, the subject "Perfect Looseness" is assigned to Mr. Slack; Mr. Barnes discourses upon "Stabilityof character, or pull down and build greater"; Mr. Todd treats upon "The Student's Manual," and incentives to action are presented, based on the line "Lives of great men all remind us," by students who rejoice in the Christian names, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Jackson, Charles James Fox, and Henry Clay.
See MOCK PART.
JUNIOR BACHELOR. One who is in his first year after taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
NoJunior Bachelorshall continue in the College after the commencement in the Summer vacation.—Laws of Harv. Coll., 1798, p. 19.
JUNIOR FELLOW. At Oxford, one who stands upon the foundation of the college to which he belongs, and is an aspirant for academic emoluments.—De Quincey.
2. At Trinity College, Hartford, a Junior Fellow is one chosen by the House of Convocation to be a member of the examining committee for three years. Junior Fellows must have attained the M.A. degree, and can only be voted for by Masters in Arts. Six Junior Fellows are elected every three years.
JUNIOR FRESHMAN. The name of the first of the four classes into which undergraduates are divided at Trinity College, Dublin.
JUNIOR OPTIME. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., those who occupy the third rank in honors, at the close of the final examination in the Senate-House, are calledJunior Optimes.
The third class, or that ofJunior Optimes, is usually about at numerous as the first [that of the Wranglers], but its limits are more extensive, varying from twenty-five to sixty. A majority of the Classical men are in it; the rest of its contents are those who have broken down before the examination from ill-health or laziness, and choose the Junior Optime as an easier pass degree under their circumstances than the Poll, and those who break down in the examination; among these last may be sometimes found an expectant Wrangler.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d p. 228.
The word is frequently abbreviated.
Two years ago he got up enough of his low subjects to go on among theJunior Ops.—Ibid., p. 53.
There are only two mathematical papers, and these consist almost entirely of high questions; what aJunior Op.or low Senior Op. can do in them amounts to nothing.—Ibid., p. 286.
JUNIOR SOPHISTER. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., a student in the second year of his residence is called Junior Soph or Sophister.
2. In some American colleges, a member of the Junior Class, i.e. of the third year, was formerly designated a Junior Sophister.
See SOPHISTER.
KEEP. To lodge, live, dwell, or inhabit. Tokeepin such a place, is to have rooms there. This word, though formerly used extensively, is now confined to colleges and universities.
Inquire of anybody you meet in the court of a college at Cambridge your way to Mr. A——'s room, you will be told that hekeepson such a staircase, up so many pair of stairs, door to the right or left.—Forby's Vocabulary, Vol. II. p. 178.
He said I ought to have asked for his rooms, or inquired where hekept.—Gent. Mag., 1795, p. 118.
Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary, cites this very apposite passage from Shakespeare: "Knock at the study where they say he keeps." Mr. Pickering, in his Vocabulary, says of the word: "This is noted as an Americanism in the Monthly Anthology, Vol. V. p. 428. It is less used now than formerly."
To keep an act, in the English universities, "to perform an exercise in the public schools preparatory to the proceeding in degrees." The phrase was formerly in use in Harvard College. In an account in the Mass. Hist. Coll., Vol. I. p. 245, entitled New England's First Fruits, is the following in reference to that institution: "The students of the first classis that have beene these foure yeeres trained up in University learning, and are approved for their manners, as they havekept their publick Actsin former yeeres, ourselves being present at them; so have they latelykept two solemn Actsfor their Commencement."
To keep chapel, in colleges, to attend Divine services, which are there performed daily.
"As you have failed tomake up your numberof chapels the last two weeks," such are the very words of the Dean, "you will, if you please,keep every chapeltill the end of the term."—Household Words, Vol. II. p. 161.
To keep a term, in universities, is to reside during a term.—Webster.
KEYS. Caius, the name of one of the colleges in the University ofCambridge, Eng., is familiarly pronouncedKeys.
KINGSMAN. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., a member of King'sCollege.
He came out the winner, with theKingsmanand one of our three close at his heels.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 127.
KITCHEN-HATCH. A half-door between the kitchen and the hall in colleges and old mansions. At Harvard College, the students in former times received at thekitchen-hatchtheir food for the evening meal, which they were allowed to eat in the yard or at their rooms. At the same place the waiters also took the food which they carried to the tables.
The waiters when the bell rings at meal-time shall take the victuals at thekitchen-hatch, and carry the Same to the several tables for which they are designed.—Laws Harv. Coll., 1798, p. 41.
See BUTTERY-HATCH.
KNOCK IN. A phrase used at Oxford, and thus explained in the Collegian's Guide: "Knocking inlate, or coming into college after eleven or twelve o'clock, is punished frequently with being 'confined to gates,' or being forbidden to 'knock in' or come in after nine o'clock for a week or more, sometimes all the term."—p. 161.
KNOCKS. From KNUCKLES. At some of the Southern colleges, a game at marbles calledKnucksis a common diversion among the students.
[Greek: Kudos]. Greek; literally,glory, fame. Used among students, with the meaningcredit, reputation.
I was actuated not merely by a desire after the promotion of my own [Greek: kudos], but by an honest wish to represent my country well.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, pp. 27, 28.
LANDSMANNSCHAFT. German. The name of an association of students inGerman universities.
LAP-EAR. At Washington College, Penn., students of a religious character are calledlap-earsordonkeys. The opposite class are known by the common name ofbloods.
LATIN SPOKEN AT COLLEGES. At our older American colleges, students were formerly required to be able to speak and write Latin before admission, and to continue the use of it after they had become members. In his History of Harvard University, Quincy remarks on this subject:—
"At a period when Latin was the common instrument of communication among the learned, and the official language of statesmen, great attention was naturally paid to this branch of education. Accordingly, 'to speak true Latin, both in prose and verse,' was made an essential requisite for admission. Among the 'Laws and Liberties' of the College we also find the following: 'The scholarsshall never use their mother tongue, except that, in public exercises of oratory or such like, they be called to make them in English.' This law appears upon the records of the College in the Latin as well as in the English language. The terms in the former are indeed less restrictive and more practical: 'Scholares vernaculâ linguâ,intra Collegii limites, nullo pretextu utentur.' There is reason to believe that those educated at the College, and destined for the learned professions, acquired an adequate acquaintance with the Latin, and those destined to become divines, with the Greek and Hebrew. In other respects, although the sphere of instruction was limited, it was sufficient for the age and country, and amply supplied all their purposes and wants." —Vol. I. pp. 193, 194.
By the laws of 1734, the undergraduates were required to "declaim publicly in the hall, in one of the three learned languages; and in no other without leave or direction from the President." The observance of this rule seems to have been first laid aside, when, "at an Overseers' meeting at the College, April 27th, 1756, John Vassall, Jonathan Allen, Tristram Gilman, Thomas Toppan, Edward Walker, Samuel Barrett, presented themselves before the Board, and pronounced, in the respective characters assigned them, a dialogue inthe English tongue, translated from Castalio, and then withdrew,"—Peirce's Hist. Harv. Univ., p. 240.
The first English Oration was spoken by Mr. Jedediah Huntington in the year 1763, and the first English Poem by Mr. John Davis in 1781.
In reference to this subject, as connected with Yale College,President Wholsey remarks, in his Historical Discourse:—
"With regard to practice in the learned languages, particularly the Latin, it is prescribed that 'no scholar shall use the English tongue in the College with his fellow-scholars, unless he be called to a public exercise proper to be attended in the English tongue, but scholars in their chambers, and when they are together, shall talk Latin.'"—p. 59.
"The fluent use of Latin was acquired by the great body of the students; nay, certain phrases were caught up by the very cooks in the kitchen. Yet it cannot be said that elegant Latin was either spoken or written. There was not, it would appear, much practice in writing this language, except on the part of those who were candidates for Berkeleian prizes. And the extant specimens of Latin discourses written by the officers of the College in the past century are not eminently Ciceronian in their style. The speaking of Latin, which was kept up as the College dialect in rendering excuses for absences, in syllogistic disputes, and in much of the intercourse between the officers and students, became nearly extinct about the time of Dr. Dwight's accession. And at the same period syllogistic disputes as distinguished from forensic seem to have entirely ceased."—p. 62.
The following story is from the Sketches of Yale College. "In former times, the students were accustomed to assemble together to render excuses for absence in Latin. One of the Presidents was in the habit of answering to almost every excuse presented, 'Ratio non sufficit' (The reason is not sufficient). On one occasion, a young man who had died a short time previous was called upon for an excuse. Some one answered, 'Mortuus est' (He is dead). 'Ratio non sufficit,' repeated the grave President, to the infinite merriment of his auditors."—p. 182.
The story is current of one of the old Presidents of Harvard College, that, wishing to have a dog that had strayed in at evening prayers driven out of the Chapel, he exclaimed, half in Latin and half in English, "Exclude canem, et shut the door." It is also related that a Freshman who had been shut up in the buttery by some Sophomores, and had on that account been absent from a recitation, when called upon with a number of others to render an excuse, not knowing how to express his ideas in Latin, replied in as learned a manner as possible, hoping that his answer would pass as Latin, "Shut m' up in t' Buttery."
A very pleasant story, entitled "The Tutor's Ghost," in which are narrated the misfortunes which befell a tutor in the olden time, on account of his inability to remember the Latin for the word "beans," while engaged in conversation, may be found in the "Yale Literary Magazine," Vol. XX. pp. 190-195.
See NON PARAVI and NON VALUI.
LAUREATE. To honor with a degree in the university, and a present of a wreath of laurel.—Warton.
LAUREATION. The act of conferring a degree in the university, together with a wreath of laurel; an honor bestowed on those who excelled in writing verse. This was an ancient practice at Oxford, from which, probably, originated the denomination ofpoet laureate.—Warton.
The laurel crown, according to Brande, "was customarily given at the universities in the Middle Ages to such persons as took degrees in grammar and rhetoric, of which poetry formed a branch; whence, according to some authors, the term Baccalaureatus has been derived. The academical custom of bestowing the laurel, and the court custom, were distinct, until the former was abolished. The last instance in which the laurel was bestowed in the universities, was in the reign of Henry the Eighth."
LAWS. In early times, the laws in the oldest colleges in the United States were as often in Latin as in English. They were usually in manuscript, and the students were required to make copies for themselves on entering college. The Rev. Henry Dunster, who was the first President of Harvard College, formed the first code of laws for the College. They were styled, "The Laws, Liberties, and Orders of Harvard College, confirmed by the Overseers and President of the College in the years 1642, 1643, 1644, 1645, and 1646, and published to the scholars for the perpetual preservation of their welfare and government." Referring to him, Quincy says: "Under his administration, the first code of laws was formed; rules of admission, and the principles on which degrees should be granted, were established; and scholastic forms, similar to those customary in the English universities, were adopted; many of which continue, with little variation, to be used at the present time."—Hist. Harv. Univ., Vol. I. p. 15.
In 1732, the laws were revised, and it was voted that they should all be in Latin, and that each student should have a copy, which he was to write out for himself and subscribe. In 1790, they were again revised and printed in English, since which time many editions have been issued.
Of the laws of Yale College, President Woolsey gives the following account, in his Historical Discourse before the Graduates of that institution, Aug. 14, 1850:—
"In the very first year of the legal existence of the College, we find the Trustees ordaining, that, 'until they should provide further, the Rector or Tutors should make use of the orders and institutions of Harvard College, for the instructing and ruling of the collegiate school, so far as they should judge them suitable, and wherein the Trustees had not at that meeting made provision.' The regulations then made by the Trustees went no further than to provide for the religious education of the College, and to give to the College officers the power of imposing extraordinary school exercises or degradation in the class. The earliest known laws of the College belong to the years 1720 and 1726, and are in manuscript; which is explained by the custom that every Freshman, on his admission, was required to write off a copy of them for himself, to which the admittatur of the officers was subscribed. In the year 1745 a new revision of the laws was completed, which exists in manuscript; but the first printed code was in Latin, and issued from the press of T. Green at New London, in 1748. Various editions, with sundry changes in them, appeared between that time and the year 1774, when the first edition in English saw the light.
"It is said of this edition, that it was printed by particular order of the Legislature. That honorable body, being importuned to extend aid to the College, not long after the time when President Clap's measures had excited no inconsiderable ill-will, demanded to see the laws; and accordingly a bundle of the Latin laws—the only ones in existence—were sent over to the State-House. Not admiring legislation in a dead language, and being desirous to pry into the mysteries which it sealed up from some of the members, they ordered the code to be translated. From that time the numberless editions of the laws have all been in the English tongue."—pp. 45, 46.
The College of William and Mary, which was founded in 1693, imitated in its laws and customs the English universities, but especially the University of Oxford. The other colleges which were founded before the Revolution, viz. New Jersey College, Columbia College, Pennsylvania University, Brown University, Dartmouth, and Rutgers College, "generally imitated Harvard in the order of classes, the course of studies, the use of text-books, and the manner of instruction."—Am. Quart. Reg., Vol. XV. 1843, p. 426.
The colleges which were founded after the Revolution compiled their laws, in a great measure, from those of the above-named colleges.
LEATHER MEDAL. At Harvard College, theleather Medalwas formerly bestowed upon thelaziestfellow in College. He was to be last at recitation, last at commons, seldom at morning prayers, and always asleep in church.
LECTURE. A discourseread, as the derivation of the word implies, by a professor to his pupils; more generally, it is applied to every species of instruction communicatedvivâ voce. —Brande.
In American colleges, lectures form a part of the collegiate instruction, especially during the last two years, in the latter part of which, in some colleges, they divide the time nearly equally with recitations.
2. A rehearsal of a lesson.—Eng. Univ.
Of this word, De Quincey says: "But what is the meaning of a lecture in Oxford and elsewhere? Elsewhere, it means a solemn dissertation, read, or sometimes histrionically declaimed, by the professor. In Oxford, it means an exercise performed orally by the students, occasionally assisted by the tutor, and subject, in its whole course, to his corrections, and what may be called hisscholia, or collateral suggestions and improvements."—Life and Manners, p. 253.
LECTURER. At the University of Cambridge, England, thelecturersassist in tuition, and especially attend to the exercises of the students in Greek and Latin composition, themes, declamations, verses, &c.—Cam. Guide.
LEM. At Williams College, a privy.
Night had thrown its mantle over earth. Sol had gone to lay his weary head in the lap of Thetis, as friend Hudibras has it; The horned moon, and the sweet pale stars, were looking serenely! upon the darkened earth, when the denizens of this little village were disturbed by the cry of fire. The engines would have been rattling through the streets with considerable alacrity, if the fathers of the town had not neglected to provide them; but the energetic citizens were soon on hand. There was much difficulty in finding where the fire was, and heads and feet were turned in various directions, till at length some wight of superior optical powers discovered a faint, ruddy light in the rear of West College. It was an ancient building,—a time-honored structure,—an edifice erected by our forefathers, and by them christened LEMUEL, which in the vernacular tongue is calledLem"for short." The dimensions of the edifice were about 120 by 62 inches. The loss is almost irreparable, estimated at not less than 2,000 pounds, avoirdupois. May it rise like a Phoenix from its ashes!—Williams Monthly Miscellany, 1845, Vol. I. p. 464, 465.
LETTER HOME. A writer in the American Literary Magazine thus explains and remarks upon the custom of punishing students by sending a letter to their parents:—"In some institutions, there is what is called the 'letter home,'—which, however, in justice to professors and tutors in general, we ought to say, is a punishment inflicted upon parents for sending their sons to college, rather than upon delinquent students. A certain number of absences from matins or vespers, or from recitations, entitles the culprit to a heartrending epistle, addressed, not to himself, but to his anxious father or guardian at home. The document is always conceived in a spirit of severity, in order to make it likely to take effect. It is meant to be impressive, less by the heinousness of the offence upon which it is predicated, than by the pregnant terms in which it is couched. It often creates a misery and anxiety far away from the place wherein it is indited, not because it is understood, but because it is misunderstood and exaggerated by the recipient. While the student considers it a farcical proceeding, it is a leaf of tragedy to fathers and mothers. Then the thing is explained. The offence is sifted. The father finds out that less than a dozen morning naps are all that is necessary to bring about this stupendous correspondence. The moral effect of the act of discipline is neutralized, and the parent is perhaps too glad, at finding his anxiety all but groundless, to denounce the puerile, infant-school system, which he has been made to comprehend by so painful a process."—Vol. IV. p. 402.
Avaunt, ye terrific dreams of "failures," "conditions," "letters home," and "admonitions."—Yale Lit. Mag., Vol. III. p. 407.
The birch twig sprouts into—letters homeand dismissions.—Ibid., Vol. XIII. p. 869.
But if they, capricious through long indulgence, did not choose to get up, what then? Why, absent marks andletters home.—Yale Banger, Oct. 22, 1847.
He thinks it very hard that the faculty write "letters home."—Yale Tomahawk, May, 1852.
And threats of "Letters home, young man," Now cause us no alarm.Presentation Day Song, June 14, 1854.
LIBERTY TREE. At Harvard College, a tree which formerly stood between Massachusetts and Harvard Halls received, about the year 1760, the name of the Liberty Tree, on an occasion which is mentioned in Hutchinson's posthumous volume of the History of Massachusetts Bay. "The spirit of liberty," says he, "spread where it was not intended. The Undergraduates of Harvard College had been long used to make excuses for absence from prayers and college exercises; pretending detention at their chambers by their parents, or friends, who come to visit them. The tutors came into an agreement not to admit such excuses, unless the scholar came to the tutor, before prayers or college exercises, and obtained leave to be absent. This gave such offence, that the scholars met in a body, under and about a great tree, to which they gave the name of thetree of liberty! There they came into several resolves in favor of liberty; one of them, that the rule or order of the tutors wasunconstitutional. The windows of some of the tutors were broken soon after, by persons unknown. Several of the scholars were suspected, and examined. One of them falsely reported that he had been confined without victuals or drink, in order to compel him to a confession; and another declared, that he had seen him under this confinement. This caused an attack upon the tutors, and brickbats were thrown into the room, where they had met together in the evening, through the windows. Three or four of the rioters were discovered and expelled. The three junior classes went to the President, and desired to give up their chambers, and to leave the college. The fourth class, which was to remain but about three months, and then to be admitted to their degrees, applied to the President for a recommendation to the college in Connecticut, that they might be admitted there. The Overseers of the College met on the occasion, and, by a vigorous exertion of the powers with which they were intrusted, strengthened the hands of the President and tutors, by confirming the expulsions, and declaring their resolution to support the subordinate government of the College; and the scholars were brought to a sense and acknowledgment of their fault, and a stop was put to the revolt."—Vol. III. p. 187.
Some years after, this tree was either blown or cut down, and the name was transferred to another. A few of the old inhabitants of Cambridge remember the stump of the former Liberty Tree, but all traces of it seem to have been removed before the year 1800. The present Liberty Tree stands between Holden Chapel and Harvard Hall, to the west of Hollis. As early as the year 1815 there were gatherings under its branches on Class Day, and it is probable that this was the case even at an earlier date. At present it is customary for the members of the Senior Class, at the close of the exercises incident to Class Day, (the day on which the members of that class finish their collegiate studies, and retire to make preparations for the ensuing Commencement,) after cheering the buildings, to encircle this tree, and, with hands joined, to sing their favorite ballad, "Auld Lang Syne." They then run and dance around it, and afterwards cheer their own class, the other classes, and many of the College professors. At parting, each takes a sprig or a flower from the beautiful wreath which is hung around the tree, and this is sacredly preserved as a last memento of the scenes and enjoyments of college life.
In the poem delivered before the Class of 1849, on their Class Day, occur the following beautiful stanzas in memory of departed classmates, in which reference is made to some of the customs mentioned above:—
"They are listening now to our parting prayers;And the farewell song that we pourTheir distant voices will echoFrom the far-off spirit shore;
"And the wreath that we break with our scattered band,As it twines round the aged elm,—Its fragments we'll keep with a sacred hand,But the fragrance shall rise to them.
"So to-day we will dance right merrily,An unbroken band, round the old elm-tree;And they shall not ask for a greener shrineThan the hearts of the class of '49."
Its grateful shade has in later times been used for purposes similar to those which Hutchinson records, as the accompanying lines will show, written in commemoration of the Rebellion of 1819.
"Wreaths to the chiefs who our rights have defended;Hallowed and blessed be the Liberty Tree:Where Lenox[44] his pies 'neath its shelter hath vended,We Sophs have assembled, and sworn to be free."The Rebelliad, p. 54.
The poet imagines the spirits of the different trees in the College yard assembled under the Liberty Tree to utter their sorrows.
"It was not many centuries since,When, gathered on the moonlit green,Beneath the Tree of Liberty,A ring of weeping sprites was seen."Meeting of the Dryads,[45] Holmes's Poems, p. 102.
It is sometimes called "the Farewell Tree," for obvious reasons.
"Just fifty years ago, good friends,a young and gallant bandWere dancing round the Farewell Tree,—each hand in comrade's hand."Song, at Semi-centennial Anniversary of the Class of 1798.
See CLASS DAY.
LICEAT MIGRARE. Latin; literally,let it be permitted him to remove.
At Oxford, a form of modified dismissal from College. This punishment "is usually the consequence of mental inefficiency rather than moral obliquity, and does not hinder the student so dismissed from entering at another college or at Cambridge."—Lit. World, Vol. XII. p. 224.
Same as LICET MIGRARI.
LICET MIGRARI. Latin; literally,it is permitted him to be removed. In the University of Cambridge, England, a permission to leave one's college. This differs from the Bene Discessit, for although you may leave with consent, it by no means follows in this case that you have the approbation of the Master and Fellows so to do.—Gradus ad Cantab.
LIKE A BRICK OR A BEAN, LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE, LIKE BRICKS. Among the students at the University of Cambridge, Eng., intensive phrases, to express the most energetic way of doing anything. "These phrases," observes Bristed, "are sometimes in very odd contexts. You hear men talk of a balloon going uplike bricks, and rain coming downlike a house on fire."—Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 24.
Still it was not in human nature for a classical man, living among classical men, and knowing that there were a dozen and more close to him reading away "like bricks," to be long entirely separated from his Greek and Latin books.—Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 218.