THE FRITILLARY.
MARCH, 1917.
Editor MISS ELLIS-FERMOR,
Somerville College.
Committee: Miss
IVELAW-CHAPMAN,
Lady Margaret Hall.
MISS SCHENZINGER, Somerville College. Miss JONES, St. Hugh's College. Miss NICHOLLS, St. Hilda's Hall. MISS TWEMLOW, Oxford Home Students.
treasurer: MISS CHAPPEL,
St. Hugh's College.
MARCH.
No. 70.
1917.
CONTENTS. PAGE
PAGE EDITORIAL A SMALL BOY AND NO OTHERS') PRIZE FRAGMENT OF GREEK DRAMA : THE BIRTH OF PARIS' PRIZE CHARACTER SKETCH PRIZE EPIGRAM POEM: ' THE JESTER ' POEM : 'A FRAGMENT OF PAGANI SM ' THE FOOL IS INSTRUCTED REPORTS0.W.S.S.W.S.
99 100 101 102 102 102 102 103
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Ebitortal. The results of last Term's competitions are :I. A Character Sketch.—E. Stopford, St. Hilda's Hall. II.
A Lost Fragment of Greek Drama.—
H. McM. Buckhurst, Somerville College. III. A Social Satire (no entries). IV.
An Original Epigram in any Litnguage.—
M. S. Byrne, Somerville College (temporarily nonresident).
The general standard of the entries was far higher this Term ; a large quantity of material was received, nearly all of it good enough to require second consideration. As some technical discussions were involved in awarding the prizes, they claim an explanation here. The character sketches were numerous and ranged from real ' individual ' studies such as ' A Small Boyd' to type sketches, also good of their kind, such as ' The Fourth Year Student.' Most of them freed themselves very well from the weaknesses found in the worst work of this class, though one study showed signs of the sentimentalreminiscent cast of thought. The rest, however, erred on the side of dryness rather than of prolixity—always a venial sin. E. Stopford's and M. S. Byrne's were decidedly the best, and of the two the Committee originally awarded the prize to M. S. Byrne. But finding that she obtained the prize for the epigram without any other entry approaching hers, and taking into consideration the fact that she perhaps derived some advantage over the average competitors by her temporary nonresidence, they decided to award the Epigram ' prize to her and the ' Character Sketch prize to •
RE PORI SUNITED HOCKEY 0.S. L.c. HUNDRED MOOT 0.S. D.S. HALL NOTICES :LADY MARGARET HALL SOMERVILLE COLLEGE ST. HUGH'S COLLEGE ST. HILDA'S HALL OXFORD HOME STUDENTS
104 104 1O4 104
105 1o6 107
lo8 109
E. Stopford (S.H.H.). There was no specific rule to meet this contingency—other than the impression that we still cannot give a decision on ' anything which relates . . . to human concerns on a simple view of the object, as it stands, stripped of every relation, in all the nakedness and solitude of metaphysical abstraction.' . . . So both character sketches will be printed. In the second entry, again, there were several excellent pieces of work which stood very close together. But the nature of their merits varied considerably ; there was one good Swinburne imitation which, though pleasing in itself, failed to give so full an impression of Greek poetry as did the ' Birth of Paris.' Another, From the Classical Review for March, had a brilliant piece of editorial fiction for preface, but fell lower in intrinsic merit. Only one competitor really came to grief, and she has the author of Festus ' with her ; Shelley's Prometheus ' has never yet been successfully adapted. H. McM. Buckhurst's Birth of Paris ' united these qualities, technical and literary, better than any other, and the prize was awarded to her. There were no entries for the Social Satire,' which is, perhaps, a tribute to the judgment of the potential competitors. But in the fourth division there were plenty of entries, no two of which fell under exactly the same heading, and only one under the generally accepted sense of the word ' epigram.' What an epigram really is, is a vexed question upon which dogmatism ought to be avoided. But in awarding a prize a certain amount of dogmatism is necessary and just. The committee, therefore, accepted generally Lessing's conception of the epigram, though far vaguer definitions might possibly be supported. The epig-t
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should first awaken the reader's attention by some statement of general interest, and then satisfy in an unexpected way the curiosity so aroused. Hence, to exist at all, an epigram proper must have a certain degree of its own peculiar merit ; anything which falls below this standard is not an epigram, but a pun, a motto or a neatly termed statement. So such entries as the following were rejected : Intravit vero, sed solus, ceteris non secutis. "Les conversations, ce sont les vetements dont on cache la beaute nue de la vie.' Here is a fair example of the epigram as Martial wrote it, and this would translate (allowing for the greater diffuseness of English) into something nearly as good as the original : Semper pauper eris si pauper es, Aemiliane. Dantur opes nulli nunc nisi divitibus.' Or, again, in the more modern style, is Boileau : Ton oncle, dis-tu, l'assassin M'a gueri d'une maladie ! . . . La preuve qu'il ne fut jamais mon medecin C'est que je suis encore en vie. . . . ' It has not been impossible, from time to time, to hit something nearly as good as either of these in English. One of the smartest of Pope's is this on Lord Coningsby : ' Here lies Lord Coningsby—be civil : The rest God knows—so does the devil . . . ' or Rochester's famous lines on Charles the Second : Here lies our sovereign lord the King Whose word no,man relies on ; Who never said a foolish thing, Nor ever did a wise one . . ' A prize of los. is offered for each of the following :— I. A Short Essay after Goldsmith. II. A Description of any piece of sculpture or any picture in the Ashmolean Museum. III. A Burlesque, not exceeding 250 words. IV. A Rondeau in any modern language. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of our contemporaries, The Girton Review, Igdrasil, and The. S. Leonard's School Gazette. Miss N. J. Edwards, of Lady Margaret Hall, has been elected Sub-Editor for Trinity, 1917, and will become Editor in Michaelmas, 1917.
Zt Small 33oV (anb no `Otbers'). I think it must have been his large brown eyes, and his bare knees . . . small boys with bare knees are always the most peculiarly attractive. He stared with frank curiosity, and just a suspicion of hostility, the first day we met ; very soon, though, it was replaced by the friendliest of smiles. He is ten years old, or, as he frequently tells
me, practically eleven.' He is of the size that is usually characterised as three ha'porth of coppers,' pale and fair-haired, and has still got chubby baby hands which he thrusts into his pockets with the most perfect nonchalance imaginable. His name is Mervyn Macbeth. Wild horses would not drag from me the formal surname by which I daily address him. I often wonder if they call him Mervyn Macbeth at home ; very small people with large names seem frequently to suffer in that way ; I knew a young lady •of his age, once, who was never saluted by anything less impressive than Lydia Grace. Mervyn Macbeth is a Scot—he never knows ' anything, he only thinks ' he knows it. He is very wise : he saw through me long ago, and sized up my weak points in the first few weeks of our acquaintance. For instance, he laughs wholeheartedly and with the most flatteringly helpless abandon at all my jokes. Well, . . . naturally one likes to have one's jokes appreciated . . . and the young scoundrel knows it ! And its not put on,' either : he really is amused : I have seen him lay his yellow head on his desk and chuckle, like a little old man at a good story ; but not too loudly— he knows I do not like laughter that can be calculated to disturb the next room ! Daily he escorts me home on an absurd little bicycle, which has a loop of thick dirty string round each hub. In my unwisdom I once inquired the reason of these strings. Don't you know? '—and from his tone I realised the melancholy truth that I had fallen from my unsteady pedestal of omniscience—' it keeps the hubs clean ! ' His discourse on the way is grave and dignified, obviously suited, albeit, as I think, unconsciously to my station in life. Mervyn Macbeth would adapt himself to the company of an emperor or an Eskimo in five minutes. On the subject of sisters he is emphatic : they are No Good. He also speaks his mind on Holidays ; ' What I say is, holidays are holidays !' Another time I overheard his just indignation at my own iniquity : I don't know what we come to school for when they give us all this homework.' He is a master of the •` retort courteous.' Unwarily I reproved him for grumbling—it was a question of Dates—and rattled off ten-sixty—six to ten-eighty-seven, ten-eighty-seven to elevenhundred.' Oh yes,' was the reply, perfectly polite,—he is always polite—' that's allright . . . but look at all the years you've had to learn it in !' He is something of a dandy, too : that is to say, he flourishes a large show ' pocket handkerchief with a patriotic border, and pictures of the famous in the four corners. It did duty for quite two months : lately it has been replaced by one of khaki silk.
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He is, as I have said,- a Scot, and essentially a man of affairs : he owns a dictionary, and consults it on all •occasions : nor is the encyclopdia unknown to him. There is only one little thing that gives him away, and by it have I tracked him down. 0, Mervyn Macbeth, you are a sad dreamer ! How often have you done penance at 4 o'clock for it ! How oft hereafter will you do it again ! You wear a little mother-of-pearl button in your button-hole, and not all the tortures of the Inquisition nor all the riches of Golconda will persuade you to reveal its peculiar significance. The threat of confiscating it keeps you quiet when all else has failed. Dreamer ! I taunt you, and blush inwardly at the same time, for what would I not give to know the secret of your little Secret Society of one? And then I remember how he heaped coals of fire on my head by presenting me with a caramel wrapped up in his returned ' French exercise.... but that is another story. M. S. BYRNE' (Som. Coll.)
Vri3e fragment of (Brea Mranta: 'Ube Eirtb of Vats.' Being the second play of a trilogy dealing with the story of Kassandra. The scene is laid among the hills round Ilion. A rude hill-altar occupies the centre of the stage. The sun has just risen. APOLLO and KASSANDRA are present.
: Apollo ! Mercy ! For I saw a flame That lapped around the city's topmost tower ! APOLLO: Whence came this mighty devastating fire? Did thy prophetic insight show thee this? KASSANDRA : It issued from the mouth of the fair babe That lay within my mother's loving arms. APOLLO : Didst thou not cry unto thy mother then, And bid her slay the child who brought this woe? KASSANDRA : Ah wretched me ! I shrieked and cried aloud, So that the babe in terror started up And wailed with me : but woe, ah, woe is me ! My father gazed upon me pityingly, And said :--` Her madness seizes her again ! What evil can an infant bring on us? Poor girl ! she raves. 'Twere well if she were dead !' And meanwhile fiercer grew the raging flames, And through the glare the gleam of swords I saw KASSANDRA
I0I
And louder grew the cries of agony That rent the reeking air ! And then I saw A woman, lovelier than the naked dawn Crouching in terror by the altar stone While over her, with stern set face and pale A mailed warrior stood, drawn sword in hand, And from the blade and from his hands dripped blood— Then came a darkness, and I knew no more. APOLLO : I gave thee love, and thou didst give to me Falsehood—a lying troth : and now thy love To city, father, mother, brethren, all Is turned to bitterness. Thy prophecies Seem unto them as false as that false oath Which thou didst swear to me, and I believed. Hadst thou been true, the city would be safe And the babe Paris slain. But he will live To wed with Helen, and to be thy bane. 'Tis thou hast brought the city to its doom. ;APOLLO goes out, leaving KASSANDRA crouching by the altar. Enter Chorus of Mountain Shepherds. CHORUS.
Strophe a. At the womb of the world, at the heart
of things, A priestess sits in a cavern grey ; And a God aye teareth her wild heart-strings, Ceaselessly, night and day. Thou dost unfold to her frenzied sight The mighty, things that must be— God of the oracle, God of the light, Master of prophecy ! Antistrophe a. To another the spirit of fire thou
didst give, But added in wrath a curse thereto, That all that she uttered, where'er she might live, No man should hear as true. The gift once given in love, thou didst turn To a curse when she lied to thee — God of the bowstring, avenger stern, Master of prophecy ! Strophe b. Apollo ! Apollo ! To thee we cry,
Here in the dawning hour ; When, drunk with the draught of the dewfall's shower, Thy steeds speed forth o'er the pearl-grey sky, Urged by thy mighty power ! Hear us, god of the silver bow ! Hear when we cry to thee— As thy sunbeams glance upon Ida's snow, Scattering light in the dales below ; God of the dawning and sunset glow, Master of prophecy ! CAETERA DESUNT.
H. Mc. M. BUCKHURST (SOM. Coll.)
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1PO3e Cbaracter Sketch. He strode along, his head high in the air, his black hair hanging in snaky locks from beneath a round fur cap. His trousers were ragged and his coat was buttoned to the neck to conceal the absence of a shirt. His whole appearance was wild and unkempt, but in his lean dirty face shone an almost superhuman energy. As he walked, muttering strangely and waving long hands in the air, he seemed to explain some knotty point to an invisible listener. Over his shoulders hung a grimy sack, but what that sack contained no mortal had ever discovered. Once, on a twilight afternoon, he had stopped at a corner and unslung the sack from his shoulders as though to open it, but suddenly, with a torrent of angry unintelligible words, had hastily lifted his burden once more and continued his rapid, tireless walk. Whence did he come? Nobody knew. He seemed a creature of October mists born out of the Lon-don fog and smoke. On bright summer days he was never seen, but when the shadows were deepening and the damp autumn air seemed to shiver with apprehension, his tall thin form would suddenly appear, striding along as though he had never ceased from his feverish pilgrimage. Where was he going? Who could say. That eager tread betokened no mean destination, those flashing eyes peered into space as if some bright vision awaited them beyond the horizon. Children ran away at his approach. One bold urchin jeered as he passed but at a single glance from those burning eyes the child fled in terror. The only creatures to whom the pilgrim showed any human feelings were cats. He would talk to them in a low crooning voice, and stroke them tenderly with his long bony hands. They would purr and rub against his legs, and would even follow him along the street. Rumour whispered that this affection had a sinister motive. Did that explain the fur cap? What if the mysterious sack had proved a sepulchre to many a guileless feline I But no. That upright carriage, that vivid glance, denoted loftier aims than mere brutality. He had been observed to take papers from the pocket of his ragged coat and to examine them keenly but as if their contents were well known to him. Perhaps they were state-documents of a forgotten kingdom ; perhaps they were cyphers telling the resting-place of buried treasure which he ever sought ; perhaps they were the letters of someone fair and gracious who had stirred his heart in the days when he still lived among his fellow men ! No one will ever know, for he has vanished as mysteriously as he appeared, as completely as though he had melted away into the yellow gloom of London fog. Is his mission accomplished? Has the weary traveller reached at length the desired country? These questions must remain un-
answered till the final solution of life's problems, but who can forbid the hope that in a land more kindly than this, his papers safely delivered, the sack at his feet, he sits surrounded by purring cats, awaiting in contentment the final summons ! E. STOPFORD (St. Hugh's Coll.)
1 ri3e Epigram. A life without desire Is a hearth without a fire : But who desires too well Fries in the fires of Hell. M. S. BYRNE (SOM. C011.)
poem: 'tin 3ester: Look you, ladies, here is a jester ! Look you, lords, I am here for your mirth ! And the King will laugh with me—only his jester, Yet merriest fellow on God's good earth. Envy me, ladies ; I slander at will— I, the King's jester— Envy me, lords, for my flatterer's skill. Look you, ladies, here is a jester Clad in fantastical yellow and green. Grant him a laugh, the reward of the jester ; Think not at all what his folly may mean. Laughter is laughter all the world through— (Hark ! the King's jester !)So take it not ill if I ridicule you. Look you, ladies, here is a jester— Look you, lords—when the lights are down And the court is abed, save only the jester, Revelling late in the sleep-locked town. See, it is I who am pacing the street— I, the King's jester— Ashen of face and aweary of feet. • Look you, ladies, see the King's jester Parched with his mirth, though the night be wet. Would I were aught on the earth but a jester !... See, I can weep—but my lips laugh yet. Pity me, ladies, a slave to my part— I, the King's jester— Pity me, lords, for the drought at my heart !
poem:
'la fragment of Paganism.'
Is it the Mary Mother that I seek Kneeling beneath this window, or her face? The soothing darkness of the sun at setting Slanting athwart her garments? That red streak More healing to the soul than all the grace Of painful, pious praying ; that gold light Half-fading on the mellowed walls, regretting (There, in the mingling blue) the swift advance of night?
THE FRITILLARY. Mary is beautiful exceedingly, Sweet Mary-Mother in her window high ; Young for a mother . . . Saints ! how. I'm forgetting ! I should be in a holy reverie Instead of musing on her wondrous eye. Mother of Christ, forgive me, I beseech ! It is a trick the sun has at his setting, To make thy robe of flame, thy hair of copperbeech. D. WALLACE (Som. C011.) .
'Tax fool is 3nstructeb.' The Fool was wandering in a state of some perplexity. He came across the Temple of Modern Arts, and entered, not without trepidation, the surrounding groves. Here he encountered a woman whom he knew to be the High Priestess of Poetry. ' I am glad to meet you,' he said, stammering a little, I have been reading some verses—I was confused—you must forgive me as, I am afraid, I am a Fool—they did not seem quite intelligible.' The High Priestess smiled. Masterfully she led the Fool to a stone bench, and they sat down together. I shall be very happy to explain things to you,' she said. I am so glad you found our poetry unintelligible—that is its first merit. Does that surprise you? Will you try and follow if I explain? You are, perhaps, aware that Homer and Vergil have been held in universal judgment as great poets. They were barbarians, and it is the congealed barbarism of the minds of men afraid to suffer the testing of their own ignorance that has hitherto hoaxed the world with this cult of the obvious. But we—a chosen few—have burst our fetters. It has been given to us to know that not only is man no longer the simple animal he was when the classical writers drew his picture, but that we have been given insight for his deepest interpretation. What is it then that we have achieved for the world's progress?' I do not know,' said the Fool. We have discovered and revealed the innate complexity of human nature. Your Raphaels and your Shakespeares saw the shell, we have found the kernel. They showed what the eyes of the vulgar themselves could descry : we .have got above, behind, inside. Human nature cannot be portrayed narrativefashion. It is a mystic battlefield where the emotions surge about the squares of rationalism ; where the ideals, flying like light squadrons, are pursued and pilloried by the bandits of cynicism ; while, ever and anon, like a recurrent earthquake, the whole sphere is shaken in the grip of external reality. The deepest thought of man is not consecutive; its essence is irrelevance. It is like an opalescent globe, full of moving lights ; sudden
103
shadows blur it, swift illuminations burst and vanish ; it is a thing of side-lights, of interchanging gleamings. It might surprise you to learn that some of my vestals spend their lives gazing, in ecstatic analysis, at the kaleidoscopic complexity of their own minds.' It does surprise me,' said the Fool. The High Priestess smiled indulgently. Ah well ! it is not given to everyone to do pioneer work in the discovery of the enigmatical anarchism of human suggestibility. That is our high calling. You might care to hear, by way of illustration, a little verse I was composing when we met. It contains some of the qualities I have indicated.' I should be most grateful,' said the Fool. The High Priestess drew a scrap of paper from her dress and read these lines :-I stood, the hours went panting past the door ; (You heard the raindrops falling, falling light). Thus Life—' you said, and I ' Love is not poor And there are stars full blazing in the night.' The clock struck tenderly, you sighed, and caught your breath, (Upstairs the servants moved. You heard them tread). The world throbbed round us, imminent as Death, The tears have burned away your eyes,' I said. Then Truth came suddenly, magnifical. In frenzy we emasketed our vow, (The fire crashed in, and, like a little Hell). Only the wind gasped Now, and now, and now ! ' The Priestess paused : I think I shall call it "There were giants in those days," or perhaps, "Clothilde smiles " would be more suitable. Well?' The Fool had risen from the bench. He stammered again as he spoke : I am afraid the old superstition that true greatness lies in simplicity still clings about me. But, though I cannot understand you, your cleverness makes me feel how great a fool I am.' `That,' said the Priestess, is a most important sensation. Farewell ! ' M. F. PERHAM (St. Hugh's Coll.)
iRePOrtS. 0. W. S. S. W. S. The Terminal Meeting was held on Feb. 6th in St. Hilda's Hall. Professor Gilbert Murray spoke to the Society on The First Work before Women in Politics.' A small Meeting has been arranged for March znd, when Mrs Garrett (Editor of the Common Cause) will speak about the Common Cause.'
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UNITED HOCKEY CLUB. Captain—Miss K. M. THOMAS (L. M. H.). Secretary—Miss CHAPPEL (S.H.C.) Miss Campbell's resignation of the Captaincy at the beginning of Term was keenly regretted ; and United has missed her both as Captain and as Right Back. Owing to the weather, practices have been very irregular this Term, and it is really impossible to make any criticism of the players. One match was played, against the Etceteras, on Thursday, Feb. 1st, and was lost, 4-5. It was a fast game, and at half-time Oxford was leading; but during the second half our defences proved less successful in marking and tackling the Etceteras' forward line. The team was as follows : Goal—Miss Fry (L. M. H) • Backs—Miss Cole-Baker (L. M. H), Miss Baker (S.H.C.); Halves—Miss Dodd (S.C.), *Miss Thomas (L.M.H.), *Miss Varley (S.H.C.); Forwards—Miss Pett-Smith (L.M.H.) *Miss Lyne (S.C.), *Miss Chappell (S.H.C.), Miss Pat' terson (S.H.C.), Miss Gonner (S.C.). We hope to play a return at the end of the Term. It has been decided not to play the annual match against Cambridge this year, but if possible to arrange a match—not for the Cup— with ' London ' teams. •
O. S. L. C. Captain—A. M. UPJOHN. Secretary—U. K. WEBB. Treasurer—J. WRIGHT. Owing to frosts and snow we have not been able to have more than three practices this Term. All matches have been scratched—including the Oxford and Cambridge, as we could not make up a team from members of the club who live in London. The reason of this is, of course, to prevent unnecessary railway travelling. At the beginning of the Term, Somerville College played Lady Margaret Hall and beat them, 7-4. Lady Margaret Hall hopes to have a return match later on. THE HUNDRED MOOT. A Meeting was held last Term, at which Prof. Egerton very kindly consented to speak on ' The Future of the British Empire as a Political System.' He adopted an inspiringly optimistic outlook and expressed his conviction that the present War, in making for unity of spirit throughout the dominions had overcome the only dangerous obstacle to federation. The lecture was followed by an unusually animated discussion. 0. S. D. S. [THE EDITOR apologises to the Committee of 0.S.D.S. for the omission of the Report for Michaelmas, 1916. It arrived too late for publication
in the Michaelmas issue and cannot now be reproduced.] HILARY TERM, 1917. President—Miss THOMAS (L. M. H.). Secretary—Miss JoNEs (S.H.C.). Junior Treas.—Miss CHAPPEL (S. H. C. ). At the time of writing two Debates have been held this Term. The first took place on Tuesday, Jan. 3oth. The Motion before the House was ' That in the opinion of this House, Consistency is a doubtful Virtue.' The First Speaker, Miss Carter (L.M.H.), opened the debate in a clear speech, maintaining that rigid consistency led to stagnation, as all possibility of growth was ruled out. Common ground of mutual inconsistencies was moreover necessary, on which dissimilar people could meet one another. The Hon. Opposer, Miss Pritchard (S.H.C.), held that inconsistency involved an absence or neglect of any guiding principles in life, and could not therefore be entitled a virtue. She denied that consistency entailed barren conservatism. Miss Hobbing (S.C.), who spoke third, made a weighty speech, contrasting the influence of Reason and Instinct in human nature. Instinct led, rightly and of necessity to inconsistencies. The speaker was inclined to rely too excessively on her notes. Miss Oakley-Hill (O.H.S.) cited Bacon as a glaring example of inconsistency. Public discussion was lame. The best attack on the motion was made by Miss Carter (ex-President, S.H.C.) who proved, what several other speakers seemed to regard as self-evident, that consistency was quite compatible with development. The motion was lost by a considerable majority. The second debate was held on Tuesday, Feb. i3th, on the motion : ' That this. House advocates the nationalisation of capital in any scehme of industrial reconstruction.' The First Speaker, Miss Cox (S.H.C.), pointed out the waste and over-lapping where free competition among private capitalists was allowed to prevail. She made her points well, but would probably have been more effective if she had addressed the House more freely. The Hon. Opposer, Miss Sturt (S.C.), spoke well, and with little reference to her notes. She admitted the unsatisfactory nature of present social conditions, but denied that any scheme of Collectivism would prove a panacea. Industrial initiative and efficiency were better ensured by individual enterprise, than they would be by the direction of a Government Department. Miss Gibberd (S.H.H.) showed the increasing influence of State control that had already grown •
THE FRITILLARY. up, and urged..that Collectivism was a gradual process that would take place. Miss John (L.M.H.) spoke with vigour and conviction, and maintained that the nationalisation of capital would be neither possible nor desirable. Public discussion brought forward several isolated points, but nothing in the nature of a speech. Neither side was supported with any great enthusiasm. The motion was lost by a fair majority.
105 HOCKEY CLUB.
Captain—E. R. COLE-BAKER. Secretary—A.
LAWRENCE.
,
ibatt 1Rotices. LADY MARGARET HALL. Last Term the students. of Lady Margaret Hall nominated seven of their number to go to the •Lady Margaret Hall Settlement, Lambeth, at the beginning of the vacation, for three days' study of Local Government. The Warden kindly arranged a very comprehensive programme which included lectures on the Poor Law, the Municipal Organisation of London, the work of a Poor Law Guardian, and visits to the Workhouse, the Lambeth Public Baths and Wash-houses the CleansAn ing Station, and the Milk Supply pot. be interesting report was given by the students who went to the other members of the Hall at the beginning of the Term. Miss Powell, formerly Senior Student of Lady Margaret Hall, now Oxford Gilchrist Scholar is living in the Hall this Term while she is doing research work. The Rev. A. H. Johnson and the Rev. Dr. Rashdall have kindly come to preach to us on Sunday evenings this Term. The Library has been greatly improved by the addition of another permanent bookcase, one more bay in the original design thus being completed. It has been decided to devote a part of the garden to the cultivation of vegetables by the members of the Hall and a piece of land near the Rhea bathing• place has been secured for the same purpose.
BOAT CLUB. Boating has not been possible this Term as the river has been frozen since the first week. The following members were qualified last Term :— Punting-1. Wright. Canoeing, Half—M. Gross. Miss Buckle's name should have been included in the list of punting captains last time, but was unfortunately omitted. S. E. ABRAM.
First XI: Forwards—*C. Crosskey, *J. Barbour, *A. Lawrence, *J. Orr Ewing, *J. Pell Smith ; Halves—*M. Stevens Guile, *K. Thomas, M. Laufs ; Backs—*E. Cole-Baker, *B. Wood; Goal—*J. Fry. Second XI: Forwards—*A. R. Sausmarez, *E. French, *J. Bishop, *B. Rowe, *E. Whitehead; Halves—*M. Gross, *P. Gibbon, B. Ockenden ; Backs—*R. Wild, K. Leys ; Goal—*B. Bagshaw. The above is the formation of the Eleven up to date, but is still subject to alteration. The weather, which has prevented our playing 'for over a fortnight, is responsible both for the uncertainty with regard to the elevens and for the lack of matter to report. What practices we have had have been fairly satisfactory, but it is impossible to judge the First XI as a whole. Individual members have improved since last Term, but there is still room, for improvement in combination. * Colours.
DEBATING SOCIETY
President—Miss M. E. Secretary—Miss
SMITH.
JOHN.
So far there have been only two meetings of this Society this Term—the first a sharp practice when the House discussed the advantages of a fourth year, and its own past history. The motion of the next debate was, that the only genuine and important history is contemporary history. The Hon. Proposer, Miss Cole-Baker, maintained that contemporary documents were the only reliable authorities to be consulted by a student of history ; she was opposed in a very able manner by Miss Joscelyn. Public discussion showed rather too much tendency to generate into a series of isolated remarks. There are still a large number of members• who attend without joining in the debate.
ESSAY CLUB. On Wednesday, Jan. 3ist, Miss Burrows read a most interesting and amusing paper on 'Themistocles, a Greek Lloyd George.' In February Miss Bradshaw will read a paper on Masefield,' and at the last meeting a paper will be read by Miss N. Edwards. M. E. SMITH (Pres.).
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io6
SOMERVILLE COLLEGE.
PARLIAMENT.
COLLEGE REPORT.
Speaker—Miss JEBB. Prime Minister—M. E. SCOTT.
This Term has been particularly rich in interesting lectures. Mrs. Routledge, Old Somervillian, very kindly came to give us a lecture on her experiences in Easter Island, including an account of her archwological and anthropological discoveries. It was illustrated by lantern slides, and we were very grateful to the X Club for the loan of its lantern. We were most fortunate in securing two such authorities as Mr. Heath and Mr. Mansbridge to tell us about Settlement and W.E.A. work, and both these lectures were very much appreciated. The War and Peace Society has also had a lecture from Prof. Gilbert Murray on Foreign Policy in War Time.' We are pleased to welcome Miss Stonedale this Term as Bursar; her work, we fear, becomes increasingly difficult.
Parliament was held in St. Mary's Hall on Feb. 16th, when the Prime Minister brought in a Bill for the. Prohibition of Intoxicating Liquors. The measure was very well supported by Miss Whitham, who pointed out the need for economy of the nation's resources. Miss Purdie and Miss E. Proctor proved an able opposition in proposing a scheme for State Purchase in place of Total Prohibition, pointing out that such a scheme would fall less heavily on the ' middle man.' The Cabinet and several private members contested this view, but the majority in the House was in favour of it, and finally the Bill was lost. The set speeches were of a higher average than usual, but the general debate would have been more interesting if more private members had spoken. M.E.S.
BOAT CLUB.
President—U. ELLIS-FERMOR. Secretary—M. GANZ. Treasurer—D. WADHAM. The Club has hardly anything to record this Term as the severest interruption of its functions that has been known for some years occurred in the three weeks' frost in the first half of the Term. Several people showed considerable promise during the first week, but it is impossible to give any but a general statement of the condition of the sculling. Punting and canoeing have been completely suspended from the beginning of the Term. The usual half-term halves' test has been postponed. It will either be amalgamated with the end of term test or held in the sixth week. No new captains have yet been made, but it is hoped that there will be one or two to record by the end of the Term. The keenness of the Club will be greatly increased by this enforced absence from the river.
WAR AND PEACE SOCIETY.
Last Term in our Study Circles we discussed the possibility of Imperial Federation. Early this Term we were fortunate enough to get Professor Murray to speak to us on ' Foreign Policy in War Time ' ; he spoke chiefly on the difficult problems connected with our unavoidable interference with the commerce of Neutrals on the High Seas, emphasising the necessity of certain extensions of International Law owing to the unprecedented conditions of warfare. Professor Murray's subject aroused much interest, as we all felt it to be the one on which very little had hitherto been said. We have also to thank Professor Murray for his assistance in planning our Study Circles this Term : we hope that the propaganda of the ' League of Nation's Society ' and the ' League to enforce Peace ' will prove fruitful and suggestive. F. T. SCHENZINGER (Sec.). SOMERVILLE BRANCH
SOMERVILLE HOCKEY CLUB.
There is little to report this Term. The state of the field has made it impossible for practice to be held. Owing to restrictions on travelling we decided to scratch both Bedford and Reading matches. We have been drawn against St. Hilda's for the first round of the Cup matches. Matches. First XI v. Etceteras, lost 7-2. Second XI v. St. Hugh's Second XI, won 5-2. M. G. LYNE (Capt. ).
OF
THE WOMENS '
UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT.
Miss King of the Womens' University Settlement, spent a week-end at Somerville in the Michaelmas Term. She was able to meet many of the members of W.U.S. and also spoke at a well attended meeting on ' Present Labour Conditions,' telling us many interesting things about the conditions of apprenticeship to-day and particularly about the work of the Juvenile Advisory Committee. On Dec. 3oth the annual children's party was held, at which over too children of the Blackfriars
THE FRITILLARY. School were entertained. A few members were able to go to Southwark to help ebtertain the children, and the party was a great success. The Somerville Scholarship was granted this year to a member of the W.U.S. Committee—who spent some time at the Settlement during the Christmas Vacation—and was able to see, and to some extent to share in, the various activities of settlement work. In the first week of the Hilary Term, a meeting was held, partly under the auspices of W.U.S., at which Mr. J. St. G. Heath, of Toynbee Hall, gave a fine address on The Changing Outlook in Social Reform.' M. M. BARBER.
107
New Student : E. J. D. Staveley, St. Helen's School, Blackheath.
WAR SAVINGS ASSOCIATION.
President—Miss
JOURDAIN.
Secretary—Miss
BULLEN.
Treasurer—MIss EVANS. The War Savings Association has a membership of 48, including members of the Senior and Junior Common Rooms and of the Household Staff. Over 70 Certificates have been purchased, and it is hoped that members will be able to maintain their present rate of subscriptions.
TUB-THUMPER S.
President—L. S. McLEon. Secretary—D. P. TOWNSHEND. Last Term six new members were elected to Tub-Thumpers, bringing the membership to its maximum of seventeen. The third meeting for the Term was held on Nov. 22nd, in St. Mary Hall. Miss Hodgson opened the discussion on Should Polar Expeditions be State Subsidised?' The fourth meeting was opened by Miss Sturt on ' The Future of the Co-operative Movement.' There has only been one meeting this Term so far. On Feb. 7th, Miss O'Connor led a debate on The Relations of the State and the Individual.' The lively discussion which followed turned chiefly on the problem, ' What is the State? ' At the open meeting fixed for Feb. 21st, the subject will be The Censorship of the Press.' ST. HUGH'S COLLEGE. The Term has so far been an uneventful one as far as the College is concerned, though there have been an unusual number of outside lectures open to women students. To the last announced of these, the address by the Minister of Education, we are looking forward with lively interest. The weather has prevented much boating this Term, but many students have taken advantage of the unusually good opportunities for skating. At a Sociable in the third week of Term, Miss Moore and Miss Napier Jones played scenes from Macbeth,' and the former produced a play 'Aunt Jane sees it through ' which gained the enthusiastic applause usually accorded to her dramatic productions. We should like to offer our best congratulations to Miss Mary Ramsay on her Doctorate of the University of Paris, awarded on a Thesis on English Metaphysical Poetry. Examination Results : E. M. Butterworth— Certificate in Regional Geography.
BOAT CLUB.
Captain—MISS
FORREST.
Secretary—Miss
SAVORY.
There has been no boating this Term.
HOCKEY
NOTES.
Captain—E.
VARLEY.
Vice-Captain—M.
PERHAM.
Secretary—G. HURRY. The weather has been so bad this Term that we have been able to have very few practices, consequently there is nothing particular to report about the Term. The 1st Eleven are : Davis, Coller, Baker, Cox, Hurry, Varley, Bolter, Paterson, Chappel, RhysDavids and Perham. The left-wing has not yet been chosen. Matches played this Term are :January 27th, 1st XI v. Dons and Graduates, won 6—t. February 3rd, 2nd XI v. The High School, won February i4th, znd XI v. Somerville, lost
2-5.
ARCHIEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
President—Miss ADY. Secretary—Miss Treasurer—Miss
EVANS. PARR.
The Society had the pleasure of going over All Souls, under Mr. Grant Robertson's guidance, on February i3th, and hopes to be able to make an expedition to New College later in the Term.
THE FRITILLARY.
io8
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
President—M.
MOORE.
We are discussing some ethical problems this Term, and have already held two meetings. At the first meeting, Miss Beames gave us an account of Hedonism ; at the second, Miss Jourdain read a paper on Functions. We are most grateful to the philosophers among us for their skill and kindness in directing the thought.
Verona' has been read, and it is hoped that ' Julius Caesar ' may also be finished in the re maining meetings. BROWNING SOCIETY.
President—D.
WETHE RED.
This Society has met regularly this Term. At the first meeting it was decided that instead of reading one long poem, each member should in turn choose a short one to read, and the plan seems to have met with general approval.
DEBATING SOCIETY.
President—D. KEB LE. Secretary—M. JONES. Up-and-Down Girl—M. MACNEILL. Debates this Term have been vigorous and animated. The set speeches have been pointed and well thought out, claiming the full attention of the house, but there is a tendency to pay too much attention to irrelevant details rather than to the point in dispute. At the first meeting the late officers proposed and opposed the motion that ' The characteristics of which the English nation is most proud are its most serious defects.' Public discussion was well sustained. The second meeting took the form of a Sharp Practice, at which members spoke with much personal feeling in the subject, ' That a student's room is the truest index to her character.' In the third week Miss Moorhouse proposed ' That men of thought have done more for the world than men of action.' Miss Varley opposed the motion in a speech in which width of thought and skilful manipulation of facts were happily combined. LITERARY SOCIETY.
President—E. BEANIES. Secretary—M. JONES. So far this Society has met twice, both times with great success. At the first meeting Miss Sinclair read an interesting paper on ' The Men of '48,' and at the second Mr. Barker gave us the sequel to the paper which he read last Term on Social Problems after the War.' It was the most delightful paper yet read to the Society, and was followed by animated discussion.
SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY.
President—MISS
PAUL.
The meetings of the Society this Term have been very well attended. ' Two Gentlemen of
ST. HILDA'S HALL. The inclemencies of the weather this Term have altered, and to a certain extent interrupted, the course of our activities. Skating has supplanted hockey, and a paperchase in the snow was planned, which was unfortunately prevented by the. thaw. Gardening has, of course, been impossible. Our other war work continues. We roll bandages, and send a weekly contingent to the Army Ordnance at Didcot, help at local clubs, and on Sundays assist Mr. Johnson by singing hymns during his services at the Schools. In aid of the Prisoners of War Fund we are • organising this Term a series of group entertainments. The first was an impromptu concert. On February loth. Acts I and II of Shaw's ' Arms and the Man ' were performed, and on the 17th a public performance was given, when a collection was made. We hope, later in the Term, to arrange a concert for the Cumnor Home for the Feeble-minded. At the end of last Term we were able to give them an entertainment, which was much appreciated. NEW STUDENT.
Miss Hallam, Ecole Vinet, Lausanne. BOAT CLUB.
President—Mis s TODD. Captain—Miss WOODTHORPE. Vice-Captain--Miss HUGHES. Owing to the frost, there has been no boating this Term. Rowing has been impossible for the first few weeks, but now we have begun again, and hope to send out a four regularly three times a week. Now that the thaw has come, it is hoped that people will practise as much as possible in preparation for the Summer Term. Miss Macy qualified as boat half-captain at the end of the Michaelmas Term.
THE FRITILLARY.
109
HOCKEY CLUB.
LITERARY SOCIETY.
Captain—Miss VERINI.
President—Miss DALGLISH.
Vice-Captain—Miss HUGHES.
Secretary—Miss HARVEY.
Secretary—Miss TUTIN.
There have so far been two meetings of this Society. At the first was read a selection of Chesterton's poems, followed by two or three of Walter de la Mare. There was a lively discussion. At the second meeting there were read poems of Elroy Flecker. A further' meeting will be held during Term, when there will be a reading and discussion of Alfred Noyes. M. HARVEY (Sec.)
Weather and colds have been a serious hindrance to hockey this Term ; in fact, beyond vigorous running round the garden or field, there has been practically none. In the latter part of the Michaelmas Term the First XI began to feel more sure of itself and combined better. Unfortunately, owing to colds, the team has never yet played all together, and consequently has had no real opportunity of testing itself. Great keenness on the part of beginners has continued, and there is every prospect that when the weather improves the znd XI will really find its feet. First XI. : G. Lloyd ; A. Nichols, *N. Tutin M. Attlee, *M. Verini, *L. Howell ; K. Gibberd, G. Pocock, *G. Jones, M. Shufeldt, *H. Hughes. Matches : v. St. Hugh's, lost 5-3 ; v. Lady Margaret Hall, lost 3—I ; v. Milham Ford School, won 5-1 ; v. Dons and Graduates, lost 3—I. There have been no matches as yet in the Hilary Term.
TENNIS CLUB.
Captain—L. M. B. HOWELL. Secretary—N. TUTIN. Treasurer—M. ARMSTRONG. Owing to the condition of the courts there has been very little play this Term. L. M. B. Howell has been admitted as an Associate to Central.
THE ART CLUB. Miss Burrows has very kindly consented- to, lecture this Term on Italian Art. The first meeting of the Club was held in the second week of Term ; the subject being ' Giotto and His Age.' The lecture was a very interesting one, showing how the spirit of the Renaissance reacted upon Art, so that painting and sculpture escaped from the rigidity of the Middle Ages and became humanised and life-like. Miss Burrows showed us many illustrations, some of which, such as Giotto's ' Translation of St. Francis,' caused great amusement. An expedition to Christ. Church was made on Feb. loth to look at paintings of the Early School in the Library, and also to see the Cathedral. The second lecture, Donatello and the Fourteenth Century,' is to be held in the fifth week of Term.
OXFORD HOME STUDENTS. NEW STUDENTS. Phyllis W. Alden, Oxford High School. Marie E. A. Clark, Convent of the Assumption, New York. Marjorie A. Cosens, Froebel Institute, West Kensington. Eleanore F. A. Geach (Mrs.), Cardiff High School. Kathleen. M. Myers, M.A., Madras University.
DEBATING SOCIETY.
President—D. DALGLISH. Vice-President—M. HICKEY. Hall Member—R. DACOMBE. Secretary—C. FITZ GERALD. At the last debate of the Michaelmas Term, instead of Public Business, Dr. Parkinson addressed the Society on her recent experiences in Serbia and Berlin. The first debate of the Term was a sharp practice ; the speakers were drawn mainly from the first year, and showed considerable promise. The discussion was spirited and the average level of the debating better than usual. C. FITZ GERALD (Sec. ).
J. Robin (Sister Ignatius), St. Joseph's Convent, Abbeywood , S. E . Anna Sandeman, Convent of the Holy Child, Mayfield. EXAMINATION RESULTS, FEB., 1917. Gladys Baines, Geography Certificate, with distinction. Margaret Powell, Geography Certificate.
THE FRITILLARY.
II0
DRAMATIC SOCIETY.
During Michaelmas Term we met three times and read ` Twelfth Night' and Horace Vachell's Quinney's ' and ' Searchlights.' This Term there has been only one meeting of the Society when ' The Tempest ' was read ; we have since met only at rehearsals for the entertainment that took place at Cherwell Edge on Tuesday, Feb. loth. The programme included : i. Two old English Folk-Songs, Widdicombe Fair ' and ' Lord Rendal.' 2. The Rehearsal,' a Comedy by Maurice Baring. 3. Two Songs, words by Paul Verlaine, music by Miss H. de G. Simpson, O.H.S. 4. Song, ' Kismet,' written and composed by Miss H. de G. Simpson, O.H.S. 5. ' Between the Soup and the Savoury,' a Farce.
It has been proposed that the entertainment shall be given at various hospitals, as was done last year with considerable success. We hope to meet once more before the end of Term. The present members are Miss Rochford (Pres.), Miss Simpson (Vice-Pres.), Miss Dawson (Sec.), Miss Butter, Miss Oakley-Hill, Miss Webster, Miss Fox, Miss Biggs, Miss Ward, Miss Clapham.
HOCKEY CLUB.
The Hockey Club was revived with Miss M. James as Captain, at the end of last Term. Owing to the severe frost no practice has taken place during the first half of this Term.
PARKER AND CO., OXFORD.
0. C. CLAPHAM
(Sec.).
I.—The management of the Fritillary shall be in the hands of an Editor and five Committee members in the Michaelmas and Hilary Terms, and an Editor, Sub-Editor and five Committee members in Trinity Term. II.—The Editor shall be elected by the votes of the Colleges and Halls at the end of the Hilary Term, and shall act as Sub-Editor during the Trinity Term. III.—The five Committee members shall be elected, one from each of the Colleges and Halls, at the end of the Michaelmas Term, and shall come into office in the Hilary Term. IV.—There shall be a Treasurer, who shall be referable to the Editor and Committee, and who shall be elected at the end of the Trinity Term and come into office in the following Michaelmas Term. V.—No member shall, for the future, be eligible for prizes who has at the time of entry been non-resident for more than a Term.