April 1881 by StPetersYork

THE

PFTERITE. Vol . . III .

APRIL, 1881 .

No .

2o.

OXFORD JESTHETICISM. T is not my intention (I believe it is the correct thing to begin an article with stating what it is not the writer ' s intention to do) to enter upon any general discussion of aestheticism . Not that I am prepared to say that even some explanation of the term might not be without its use to some of the readers of the Pcteritc. I well remember one worthy subscriber (peace be with him ! he wears a gown now, and, for anything I know to the contrary, dotes on blue china and peacock's feathers), who, from an allusion in the Oxford letter of this Magazine to " an aesthetic pipe, " innocently entertained for some considerable time a vague idea that estlicticism had something to do with smoking . I must confess, too, that I was myself once rather hard put to it at school to find a definition without the aid of Dr . Johnson, when I was suddenly attacked by the house " boots, " who wanted to know, with many apologies for the liberty he was taking in asking the question, if I could tell him the meaning of a word—he couldn ' t remember what, but it was something like " energetic, " " phonetic," or " fanatic," though not exactly any of them . I afterwards discovered that he had been decorating his sanctum with some prints, and that some one had told him he was growing esthetic . Unable to divine whether this was a compliment or an insult, he had come to me for a solution of his doubts. But, by way of informing the reader what I am not going to do, I have made a rather lengthy digression . Let me say, then, what my intention is . It is merely to set down a few of the current stories relating to the development of a phenomenon of the times on the banks of the Isis .

OXFORD ESTHETICISM.

Readers of Punch (and who does not read Punch?) have lately got quite to expect in each new issue some scorching sarcasm either of the pencil or the pen levelled at the extravagances of the disciples of aestheticism . Most of the references have been to London drawing-rooms, but lately Oxford has not come off altogether unscathed . Thus Undergraduates who favour the adornment of the peacock's feather, have been reminded of the fate of the daw (he was "plucked," ) and a prospectus of an imaginary aesthetic journal was concluded with the announcement that "this will be the only journal allowed to lie on the tables of the Oxford Union ." It may be well to warn any Peterites who are coming up for scholarships, that Oxonians do not invariably wear their hair long, and that the ' Varsity crew has not, up to the present time, substituted the lily for the old-fashioned beef-steak as a staple article of diet . There is possibly a considerable amount of myth in the stories which are told of Oxford aestheticism. Blue china and peacock's feathers are, no doubt, to be found in a good many rooms ; unkempt locks and intense countenances are to be seen here and there ; and in a certain Oxford magazine printed on hand-made paper, with the tastefullest of outsides and the mournfullest of insides, a young poet prays in language worthy of a Postlethwaite " When the maenad Passion In Bacchic mirth Would find or fashion A heaven on earth ; Then calm me, raise me, To bear my part, Who serve and praise thee, Spirit of Art . " But stories about incense wafted from censers held in the hands of forms clad in priestly drab, which move to and fro before a bust of Shelley, while they murmur incantations in an unknown tongue to the tinkling of a Russian wolf-bell : well, these stories may be very pretty, but we may accept them cum arauo sails . Mr. Shrimpton's window, where Oxford caricatures (most of them terribly Philistine) are wont to be exposed, contains one or two rather good picture-stories . In one a young xsthete, accompanied by a senior man, has gone in quest of

OXFORD ./E8THETICIbM .

lodgings . The former has espied in the landlady ' s kitchen an old china plate, and, tenderly handling it, is addressing it in a strain of rapturous eulogy ; all this much to the amazement of the good woman, who is represented as turning to the senior man and exclaiming in an audible whisper—" Beggin ' your pardon, sir, but be you the young gentleman ' s keeper ?" A story about a Magdalen man who (I think I am right in saying) meditates shortly blessing the world with a book of a sthetic poems, is too good to be lost . His criticism on Mr . Irving's acting in The Cup was as follows :—" Both legs are consummate —the right is the richer poem . " At one of the Colleges it is said the votaries of high art cut each other's hair ; that is, on the very rare occasions on which they seem to find it necessary to perform the operation. But, however much truth there may be in these and other stories which are floating about, of this we may be certain, that athleticism is still more powerful at Oxford than aestheticism. And we may be glad that it is so . Athleticism carried to excess, the delight in strength without any further aim, may be rather boyish than manly ; estheticism carried to excess is neither manly nor boyish, it is enervating and effeminate . Yet, purged of its extremes, the more general diffusion of artistic taste and feeling, which is now unquestionably taking place, is a great and glorious movement ; and if we see something in Oxford of the follies and extravagancies which always accompany great movements, we see much that is praiseworthy and good . Let me quote a few lines from a periodical which I mentioned before, by way of showing that Oxford Undergraduates sometimes do not lunch on lilies, but write on them very sweetly and gracefully : " Rose and lily, white and red, From my garden garlanded, These I brought in hope to grace The perfection of thy face. Other roses, pink and pale, Lilies of another vale, Thou bast bound around thy head In the garden of the dead ." LITTLE ALEXANDER .

WHAT I FOUND IN A MANUSCRIPT. EING a dabbler in Hebrew, and wishing to read other works in that language than the Bible, which I had read through, I communicated with Bernard Quaritch, and in a few days he sent me down several copies of old Hebrew manuscripts, which he " had picked up cheap ." Not without considerable diffidence I send a translation of one of these to the Editors of the Peter tc ; for, I think, it will interest many in the School, as going to prove undoubtedly the existence of Debating Societies among the Jews. (The original MS . which still exists, I might add, is referred by some good authorities to a time some years after the return from captivity, about the time of Ezra or Nehemiah) . The 1\IS. begins abruptly :

" Now there was at that time at Nakyak-tsyock a school of the prophets : and its fame had gone afar into many lands : the same was ruled by many priests and rabbis, learned men, and, lo, it was visited by the high priest ' s brother . And the young men of the school said one to another, ` Let us gather together and consider the things of this country, whether they be rightly governed, or wrongly governed . ' And they agreed ; and they did gather together the congregation week by week, for every week one day, and appointed then officers. "And after much time their hearts were wearied : and they said, ` Is it a small thing that we are constrained to spend an hour week by week, Back week an hour ? \Vhat profiteth it the councils of the nation ? ' So they ceased and came no more. " But, after some time, many rose and reviled them, saying, ` Why do ye no longer consider the things of this country, whether they be rightly governed, or whether they be wrongly governed ? \Vhat meaneth this ? ' and they were wroth : and they did write letters, many in number, and full of wrath, to the little book which was read in the school of the prophets month by month . Then were the company sore afraid, because that many thus upbraided them : and they said one to another ` \Vhat shall we do ? We are ashamed to delay thus any longer, neither consider any more the things of this country, whether they be rightly governed, or whether they be wrongly governed . ' Then rose up one of them and said, ` I will tell you what we must do . Let us gather many together, and those things which our fathers did, the same let us do . ' So they gathered many together, and met week by week, in each week one day . But

WHAT I FOUND TN A MANUSCRIPT .

first they did choose them officers to rule them and keep them in order . And to one they said (10, his name was as it had been a monstrous beast) ` Be thou our king ; and we will serve thee and obey thine ordinances . ' And others said, `Nay but and if he die or do depart from our midst, there will be none to rule in his stead . ' And they seemed to speak well, and they chose them another to rule in his stead if peradventure he could not be present with them : lo, his name was as it had been as light as air. "And lo, these two were of the city of Kirjath-sepher, and ruled the stores of that city . But they said, ` Let us choose another also in the stead of him whom we have lost (his name was as it had been an hog caught in a snare) . Let us choose a scribe to write down all that we say when we consider about the things of this country, whether they be rightly governed or wrongly governed .' And they chose them one ; and his name was as he had been made of wicker. " And these were the names of all the others in that company, each in his own order :—Balaam ; he was the son of that prophet ; was he not rebuked by his ass ? And the next was he whose name was as it been a long tube of clay . And the next was he whose name was as he had had a lame leg . And the next was he whose name was as it had been a short tube of clay . And the next was Cephas . And the next was he whose name was as it had been one of the pliant trees which grow besides the waters of Babylon . And the next was he whose name was as if a man had loosed off his shoes and walked in a stream having his legs bare . Lo, the same was the brother of him who had been king before . And the next was Shorek-kan, which is, being interpreted, William John . Another name he had, and it was as it had the letter Caph . The next was as a by-way, and but few men walk therein . The next was an Amorite . Was he not a son of the heathen who dwelt among the uplands ? Yet they spared him and let him live . The next was Louised the son of Crown ; the same was a mighty man. " Others were there, ten in number : and lo, the mightiest among them were lean (which is, being interpreted, John) : and his other name was as he had been a vegetable growing in a garden : and he could speak much and well . Another was there whose name was as he had been made of ground wheat or barley : the same was to be a man of war. [The next I can make nothing of, the letters being illegible—Translator].

"Another was there, a son of that prophet that was given to the lions : lo, his brother had also been king . And there was another whom they appointed but would not come . For they said `Come

WHAT I FOUND IN A MANUSCRIPT.

with us and consider the things of this country, whether they be rightly governed or wrongly governed . ' But he said, ` Nay, I cannot come, for I have much learning to get for me that I may shine as the sun in all his glory, when cruel men make a sport of me, and tempt me to answer their questions .' And lo, his name it was as it had half man and half horned cattle. " These, even these were the mightiest of all them that gathered together. And they debated every man with his neighbour. And they became men, mighty in speech and words, till there were none like them as thou comest from Dan even unto Beersheba . And this was the first thing on which they did consider, even on this did they debate : that--" Here the MS . again becomes illegible . But we may conclude that the young debaters did not confine their eloquence to the discussion merely of political subjects, for we find further on this motion—that " spirits do walk on this earth and visit the sons of men," which was introduced by " him whose name was as he had been light as air . " One or two words may want explanation . Nakyak-tsyock means the town of cliffs or rocks, so, I suppose, it is equivalent to our Clifton . Kirjath-sepher ., it is perhaps unnecessary to say, means the City or Place of Books, Caph, of course, corresponds to our letter K . BEBI.

NOTES AND ITEMS. The Boating Committee give notice that there will be a race of Scratch Fours on Tuesday, April 12th, for which O . P .'s are invited to enter. We regret to say that the School Chapel has just lost its organist, MR . A . SAMPLE, who has served it faithfully for about three years , The Choir have presented him with a testimonial and address . Mr. Sample's place is to be taken by J . H . CoLLINSON. The REV . C . WILKINSON was ordained priest at Ripon recently. We are sorry to have to announce the death on Thursday, March 3rd, of MR . FAIRLESS BARBER, of Brighouse, F .S .A ., F .R .H .S ., Hon. Sec. of Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Association, &c. The Treasurer ' s address till April 23rd, will be Everingham Rectory, near York . The next number will be published the last week in May .

OXFORD LETTER. T seems almost incredible that a month has already passed since I last braved the verdict of the critical readers of the Peterite. Such is the effect of hard work ! We have comfortably passed over the not too lively Lent Term . Some Colleges went down last Saturday, and others depart this week . I must again refer you to Field and Land and Water for accounts of the Crew and their training : they would have gone to the Thames sooner, had not Buck, of Hertford, been a candidate for the " Senior Mathematical," which, however, he failed to secure, carrying off Lady Herschel ' s Prize by way of consolation . It is truly refreshing in these degenerate days to see mind and muscle thus united ! The Crew will be the guests of Mr . Grenfell (ex-President of the O .U .B .C .), at Taplow Court, previously to the race, where they will enjoy the consummation of art in the way of beef-steaks under the auspices of a cook who perfectly understands the vexed question of training diet . On the whole, our prospects are as good as ever. At the Union, " the youngest of the Postlethwaites " proposed that Punch should be discontinued in retribution for his caricatures of the " Revival of Art and the Renaissance of Learning ." Happily the enterprising "Esthete was only supported by some eleven or twelve votaries of the Peacock's Feather . The subject of the " Higher Education of Women " was again mooted, and met with favour. The Choral Concert was a great success, as usual. We hope to see a good number of Peterites up for Scholarships, and wish them all success. O.P's. will be glad to hear that the two places gained by Queen's Torpid were largely due to Mr . J . H . Daniel ' s indefatigable coaching in all weathers . We have had splendid weather here lately, and rather fear changing this for a more northerly climate . Forgive a letter which is neither " Intense, " nor " Utter, " nor yet " Awfully Quite . " I am no Kyrlite. By-the-way, I derived a vast amount of unwsthetic enjoyment from watching the performances of a Punch and Judy show which favoured Oxford with a visit the other day . Many were the contemptuous glances showered upon me, yet, strange to say, I was not annihilated, and wishing everybody a pleasant Vac ., I am, ever yours,

March

21, 1881 .

MULTINOMIAL.

P .S .—I deeply regret to hear that an ardent politician among the O .P's . up here was recently proctorized on his way back from the Union, where he had been recording his vote against the Government .

CAMBRIDGE LETTER. Canzurirlge, March

22714

I88I.

HE University Crew, on the occasion of their first appearance

T upon the Thames this year, seem to have had very unpropitious

weather : but I am glad to say the general impression they gave seems to have been on the whole favourable . Mind you—I do not say it is probable—but we may take a rise out of that there Oxford ' Varsity Eight yet ! The crew since last month has improved beyond expectation, while Oxford, from the papers, do not seem to have done much else but stand still : though, be it added—Oxford are still the favourites . However—as by the time this is published, it will only want about a week of the race—further remarks will be needless. The University sports take place this week, just too late for one to be able to estimate our chance for " the odd event . " I am afraid we shall not shew up quite so well as in past years, though Lucas at the Too yards, Macaulay at the Quarter and High Jump, and Storey with the Weight, ought to be able to hold their own. The Senate, I am glad to see, has adopted by an overwhelming majority the proposals submitted to it as regards the admission of women to the University Examinations : is it not a fact that Durham is going still further ? Fancy your wife writing B .A . after her name ! The Lent Races have been the principal object of interest since my last letter : but I am sorry to have to record that the number of Peterites rowing this year has considerably fallen off : when we remember that two years ago no less than five were in their College Boats at the same time, it was very creditable to the School. Mallinson, of Christ ' s, rowed bow of the second boat, which went up two places ; I hope the School will send us up some rowing men next October. The Lent Term is now drawing to a close : the usual round of Concerts, popular and classical, and entertainments, have to day been brought to a climax by ye world-renowned exhibition " Sanger' s Circus " : Procession at 1 .o p .m . each day : with a man (vide handbills and advertisements) who drives 40 horses . As a change from Joachim, Charles Hal1t and Norman Neruda, this is exhilarating : and I anticipate a row this evening on Midsummer Common . It is a remarkable fact, but the University man, if he can get up a row, generally does ; it ' s the nature of the animal, you know .

SCHOOL LETTER. F course, we are all full of boating this term, and my predic-

O tions, at the time of writing, seem likely to be fulfilled . The Sixth already have beaten the Civil, and the Civil the School, but that is about the only important race yet finally decided . Probably, as I said in my last, the School House will win both Senior and Junior. It becomes now an important question, and indeed it is often asked—what are we to do with the Boat House ? There are all sorts of wild schemes floating about, but scarcely one seems satisfactory. The main cause of the question is that it is rumoured that the York Regatta will not take place again—mind it is but a rumour, and the Peterite will not be responsible for the statement. The Confirmation was held on Monday, March 21st, at St. Michael-le-Belfrey ; there were not many, compared with the numbers I have known, from the School. There are one or two entries for that incomprehensible Ackroyd this year from the School . We may hope the examiners will have a little more spare time to look over the papers than on a previous occasion. Editors forbid me to write much, though I might say more. Therefore, adieu ! JAMES CRAWLEY .

THE BOAT RACES. The Annual Boat Races, or (to express it more graphically in the words of `our special correspondent ' ) The Aquatic Contests, commenced on Wednesday afternoon, March 16th . For the benefit of Old Peterites I may briefly review the course . The distance still remains the same, from the old Cat Ditch to Lendal Bridge . 0 . P.' s also will have loving recollections of the White Railing, which has not yet succumbed to wind and tide, though the late floods did their utmost to uproot it ; and it still looks down as if in jeering mockery on toiling forms as they glide past, where first winds are lost and the goal seems far away (at least to the losing crew) . Here it is the race is generally decided, where the crew on the farther side of the river makes a desperate bid for victory, aided by that insidious monster the current, which sweeps round the curve and rattles away under the farther arch of the Scarborough Bridge .

THE BOAT RACES.

With regard to the entries : there has, I regret to say, been a great falling off in the number of entries for the junior races . Only two boats have entered for the Pairs, and three for the Sculls . And why is this the case ? Simply this. There is a great want of a spirit of enterprise amongst the junior boys . They think, or act as if they thought that the only object of racing was the winning of prizes; the majority of them giving not one thought to self-improvement and to the upholding of the future of their School in that invigorating exercise which the Masters are all so eager to promote . The entries for the senior events are greatly increased,—five entries for the Pairs, six for the Sculls, and eight for the Canoes : the number of Fours remains as before. There has been a violent agitation racking the School lately, causing great party spirit and energetic canvassing, and the question of the advisability of giving up the usual prizes and being content with pewter cups instead of silver, sacrificing some little for the good of the School instead of pot-hunting (in this case they are silver pots hunted for), has again risen from the grave it has been allowed to slumber in for two years. It is with unmitigated satisfaction that I substitute for a paragraph recording a decision in favour of " Prizes as before, " an announcment that on March 25th (just as this number was going to press), a meeting was held of those who had either already won finals or had still a chance of winning, and they decided, in a manner highly honourable to themselves, to give up a certain proportion of their prize-money. The first race on Wednesday Afternoon was : JUNIOR SCULLS .--FHnsr HEAT. v. J . Wilson. M . D . Taylor . This was a very exciting race, though it was generally thought that Taylor would win very easily . Beginning with a long even stroke, whilst his opponent rowed more jerkily, Taylor gradually drew ahead, but, when off Marygate, caught what is generally known as a " crab, " and Wilson drew up level . An exciting scramble took place to Lendal Bridge, but Taylor finally won by barely a length . The loser pulled very pluckily throughout. The School next raced the Civil. SCHOOL . v. CIVIL. bow P . H . Flower . bow H . W . Wood. 2 A . F . Wade. 2 J . C . Daniel . 3 T . Halliwell. 3 G . W . Bulman . str. F . W . Greenhow . str . G . W . Baldwin. cox . N . Stephenson . cox . R . C . Haynes .

THE BOAT RACES.

The boats, after the word of command was given, kept level until the boathouse, when the School began to draw ahead, and when the bend was reached they were a length to the good, daylight being just visible between the boats. Baldwin then put on a desperate spurt, and, rowing a quicker stroke than the School, and aided materially by the current, the Civil drew up level and shot through the Scarbro' Bridge nearly a length ahead, finally winning by a length and a half. Baldwin especially deserves praise, for the way in which he exerted himself. The races for the afternoon closed with the first heat of the Senior Pairs. v. bow W . E . Brockbank. bow G . H . Eyre . str . L. S . Stevenson. str. F. T . Griffith . cox . S . J. Chadwick. cox . J . Wilson . Little remains to be said about this race, except to mention that Stevenson ' s boat was quite out-paced by Griffith ' s, which from the first drew ahead and won with plenty in hand by five or six lengths. Thursday, March 17th . The afternoon was beautifully fine, and spectators on the bank had the satisfaction of witnessing two splendidly contested races. The opening race was the FIRST HEAT OF THE CANOES.

G . H. Eyre . v. J . C . Bailey. This race was somewhat curious . Immediately after the start, Eyre with short-sighted policy dashed straight across the river into his opponent's water, and, seeing Bailey in the way, shouted to him to get out of the way . Bailey politely but firmly declined to acquiesce, and Eyre, doubtless with the kind intention of favouring the spectators with an idea of the mode of sea-fights in the days of old, charged his boat with bloodthirsty and unmitigated ferocity ; but Bailey took his revenge by claiming the race on the ground of the foul, and was hailed as winner . This fiasco finished, the next race was the SECOND HEAT OF THE SENIOR PAIRS.

bow P . H . Flower. v. bow T . Halliwell. . Baskett str . W . J . P . Kaye. str . B . G . M . . N . Stephenson . cox . S . J . Chadwick. cox Viewing the two boats before they start, we see that the strength of the first boat lies in the muscular energy of the renowned stroke, the muscles of his arms and legs plainly visible as he steps into his boat ; whilst the strong point in the latter boat is their even balance of weight and power . But now they are off, Baskett rowing a quick

THE BOAT RACES.

stroke, and Kaye a long swinging stroke . At the bend Baskett's boat was two lengths ahead, but the current here began to tell, and, making the utmost of his opportunity, Kaye dashed up with a quickened stroke, and the two boats shot through the the Scarborough Bridge on even terms . An exciting race ensued to Lendal Bridge, first one boat, then the other, showing foremost, and when the Bridge was reached it was impossible to tell which was first . Baskett then made his final effort and was leading by about two feet, when he was seized with cramp in his arms, and his oar dropped from his hands, and Kaye ' s boat passed the winning post in advance. The concluding race was the SECOND HEAT OF THE CANOES,

Baldwin . v. Wade. This race had been looked forward to for some time previously as likely to be very evenly contested, as it was universally known that Wade was no tyro in the art of canoeing . And the event proved the truth of it ; for side by side the pair raced until Lendal Bridge was almost reached . Loud shouts were raised on the bank for the future member of the " University of Hull . " But to no avail . For Baldwin passed the winning post a length ahead.

SATURDAY MARCH

I9TH.

JUNIOR PAIRS,—FINAL HEAT. bow C . H . Steavenson . v. bow M . D . Taylor. N . Stephenson. str . C . Johnson . str . cox . A . Daniel. cox . T. Harland . The former crew were the heavier pair, but as the latter crew were supposed to pull more evenly together and in better form, the result of the race was unexpected . Stephenson ' s boat got a little the best of the start, but this little advantage he entirely nullified by losing his oar and consequently fell a trifle to the rear . Johnson and Steavenson then pulled well together, and their opponents ' boat, partly owing to the bad steering of the cox, who seemed to think it absolutely necessary to hug the opposite bank, was slowly but surely outdistanced . At the Scarborough Bridge they were more than a length to the bad . Here, however, they quickened up and slightly diminished the distance, but Johnson ' s boat finally won by one and a half lengths. A Four-oar Race was the next on the programme .

773E BOAT RACE 'S.

CIVIL. v. G . H . Eyre . bow H . W. Wood. 2 A . F . Wade. 2 W . J . Kaye . 3 3 T . Halliwell. B . G . M . Baskett . str . F . T . Griffith . str . G . W . Baldwin. cox . R . C . Haynes . cox . E . Clayforth . This was a foregone conclusion and was fully justified by the result. The Civil were outdistanced from the first, and had not gone more than a hundred yards when No. 2 was seen standing straight up in the boat waving his oar majestically (?) in the air . There are two solutions of this curious proceeding . Either he was hanging out signals of distress at this early stage, or else he fondly supposed the race was over, and the Civil had won ! The race was virtually over, and the Sixth, splendidly stroked by Griffith and rowing with a long even stroke and steady swing, took their opponents ' water at the corner and passed under Lendal Bridge, winners by six lengths and plenty to spare . The Sixth are therefore winners of the School Fours . It may be interesting to know that out of the fourteen fellows in the Sixth there are twelve who are boating this season. Two canoe races followed . Griffith first raced Baskett, but did not seem quite at home in his canoe . The pair raced along on even terms until Marygate was reached, when Baskett drew ahead, and Griffith, foreseeing the inevitable result, ceased paddling, and, folding his arms and laying his paddle across the canoe, sat smiling like patience iu a monument, forming an impressive tableau to numerous spectators on the bank. The next race was Kaye . v. Stevenson. Stevenson gradually assumed the lead, but under Lendal Bridge he approached too near to Kaye, and the latter fouled him from behind when about five yards from the winning post . Thus Kaye won on the foul . SIXTH FORM .

bow

THE DEBATING SOCIETY. On February 12th a meeting was held, the motion being brought forward by W . Kaye, viz ., that " this House considers the Duke of Wellington superior as a General to Napoleon I . of France . " The Mover sketched the career of our great General, laying, of course, the greatest stress on the Peninsula campaign ; and taking exception to Napoleon that he was guilty of terrible blunders which no great

DEBATING SOCIETY.

General could have made ; whereas, he contended, Wellington had never made any considerable blunder during the whole of his career. Baskett opposed, of course, and contrasted the Italian campaign with the Peninsular one unfavourably to Wellington, depreciating Waterloo . This roused the ire of most present, and the debate became lively . Baskett went on further to argue that a man who in so few years conquered the whole of Europe, was infinitely superior to the man who merely conquered Spain with the goodwill of the inhabitants . The other speakers were Griffith, Flower, Douglas, Eyre, and Brockbank, nearly all of whom supported the motion . As was to be expected, the motion was carried by 14 to 8 : we fear, however, that many thought it incumbent on them to vote for Wellington, because they were English. A Committee of four was appointed to revise the old, and form new rules, which were then to be submitted to the House. The Society met on Saturday, March 5th,* when B . BASKETT moved—" That it would be better to be altogether unprepared for war, than to keep up such a ruinous system as we have at present . " In an able and forcible speech he described the destruction and desolation that ever follows in the train of war, and urged the necessity of settling national disputes by arbitration . G . H . Eyre replied, defending the practice of war, by showing that on many occasions war has been absolutely necessary, and he thought that it would be so again . The debate was then adjourned. The discussion was resumed on Saturday, March 12th, and was opened by EYRE, who spoke in opposition to the motion . He was followed by Kaye on the same side . H . H . Spink said that as the debate had resolved itself into a discussion on War " and " Peace, " he supported the motion, though he thought his friend Baskett took a somewhat narrow ground . After reviewing the three principal positions that were held with regard to the subject, Spink appealed to the House to support the motion, as in so doing he felt sure they were expressing their truest convictions . For in voting for it, though admitting to the full the necessity of fighting when truth and justice demanded, they expressed their deep horror of and indignation against war, as such . Let him vote against the motion who took a savage delight in the thought of mangled bodies and shattered limbs. On the other hand, he who hoped, even though it were with a hope against hope, that the time would come when " danger ' s troubled night departs, and the star of peace returns," should signify it by * We have received no report of intermediate meetings .—En .

DEBATING SOCIETY.

voting in favour of the motion . Eyre and Kaye replied, begging the House not to be led away by Spink's speech, but to oppose the motion . The President (Griffith) then addressed the House. Thereupon Eyre proposed as an amendment—that " the existence of a standing army is desirable," which was unanimously agreed to.

CORRESPONDENCE .-QUERIES AND ANSWERS. " When Greek meets Greek Then comes the tug of war, " should strictly be one line . The actual words, too, are " When Greeks joined Greeks then came the tug of war ; " and they occur in Nathaniel Lee ' s " Alexander the Great, " Act iv . sc. 1 . M . G. " We are weary in heart and head, " &c. Pilcox will find these lines in Swinburne ' s " Songs before Sunrise ." The poem in which they occur, " The Pilgrims, " is one in which sense bears a much larger proportion to sound than is usual with that erratic singer . HOWARD. " Whom the Gods love die young . " The original of this is a fragment of Menander, UV 06 OEOG Yl GA0110- 6V d7rOO1/7,0'KEG VEOS Plautus translated it, Quem di diligunt adolescens moritur . L . A. " Whom the Gods love, die young, was said of yore, " will be found in " Don Juan, " Canto iv. st . 12 . They are a translation of " Quem B. di diligunt, adolescens moritur . " Plaut . Bacch . " Scarbro ' warning, " is a very old expression, and various definitions are assigned to it . Heywood derives it from a summary mode of dealing with thieves in Scarboro ' : Fuller to the surprise of Scarboro ' Castle by Thomas Stafford about 156o . But it is said by far greater authorities to be derived from the sudden rising and overflowing of a little brook called the " Skyreburn " in Kirkcudbright . In fair weather it is just sufficient to drive a water-wheel ; but in rainy weather it rises with incredible rapidity, and becomes a large river. It is not hard, then, to conceive of an Englishman mistaking " Skyreburn warning, " for " Scarboro ' warning ; " and with a Yorkshireman, one might say, judging from the present time, it would be certain to be so transformed . J. C.

QUERIES AND ANSWERS.

The " Borrowed Days " are the three last days of March, it being the popular belief in olden times that March borrowed' them of April, in order to destroy some young sheep against whom he entertained a grudge . This probably arises in the same way as the forced explanation of the ancients of the " Great Bears . " " It probably," says an authority, " arises from the observation of a certain character of weather prevailing at the close of March ." They are like the Faoilteaclz of the Highlanders which occur between February II and 15 : and it supports the explanation above given, that if stormy weather prevails it is counted a favourable omen for the coming year. Can any one tell me who was the author of " The Vicar of Bray ?'' K. Will any one give me the history of Charles Edward Sobieski Stuart, Count d ' Albanie, who died a few weeks ago ? L . B. Who are John and Richard Roe, whom you find in almost every old legal document ? Are they a fiction ? If so, what purpose do they serve ? J . C . S. Where do these lines occur ? " Oh, I'll leap up to my God —Who pulls me down ? See Where Christ's blood Streams in the firmament ! One drop would cure my Soul—one half drop," &c . B . B. X would like to know where the line occurs, " Oft may the spirits of the dead descend . " Can any one tell me when a dot was first used over the letter i, and the reason for such use ? ANTIQUARY.

MEDITATION. When the waves upon life 's ocean High are raised by stormy wind, Oh, how sweet to make the harbour And the sheltered calm of mind. There we rest our tiny vessel Safe from blast and surging wave ; There we gain a moment ' s leisure Bringing strength the storm to brave ; There the strong soul torn with trouble, One brief hour, all wrongs forgot, In some happy contemplation Finds new strength to face his lut .