Feb 1882

THE

PETFIRITEI VoL . IV.

FEBRUARY, 1882 .

No . 26.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Hatred reigns between two cities of the east seas and the west : " Let no trader pass betwixt us," such their synod ' s stern behest.

And to-day th ' s Syracusan in our town shall find his bale, Though the prince and court assembled listen pitying to his tale.

Two fair sons his wife had borne him, but in shipwreck, years agone, With the wife one parted from him, and the other left alone, Come to manhood, forth had sallied seven summers since to find Haply, if he might, his brother ; and Aegeon left behind, Weary, wife nor child remaining, of his lonely lingering lot, Here in turn had sought the seeker, woeful that he found him not.

Baby servants twin Aegeon for his babies twin had bought ; They had parted at the shipwreck and the one the other sought.

Each had followed still his master ; one to Ephesus had come, While the other long had lived in Syracuse, Aegeon ' s home, Till his master roamed the world round, when he joined him on his quest, And together slave and owner sought their brothers east and west.

So to-day they come together, little dreaming of the truth, Where their brothers live in plenty, and Aegeon dies in ruth ; For in sooth this Syracusan, save a friend the bail can give, By the law of the Ephesians hath but little time to live.

Here begin the mazy Errors ; here our Comedy is found, But I may not stay to tell you all the blunders that abound.

How the wife of the Ephesian claims his brother for her mate, While the real husband lingers knocking vainly at his gate; How to one a chain is given while the other ' s sued for pay ; How the crowded mass of Errors thickens ever through the day; Till at last a merry ending all the mystery shall explain, Pairs of brothers be united, husband joined to wife q ¢ain .

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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.

In the days how long departed, where the eternal city stands Looking in her sombre silence lonely o ' er the lonely lands, There, when Rome was full of glory and her sons were full of life, When they joyed to do her service, when they loved the battle-strife, There old Plautus wrought this fable of two brothers like in face, And the simple folk to hear it gathered in a public place ; Swart and sturdy men and women, all unlettered, there they came, Laughed and wondered at the fiction, high extolled their poet ' s fame.

Then in ages how long after, in another land how far, Rose another poet mighty, took the tale to make or mar : And, my Shakspere, England 's poet, this to-night your praise shall be, That you made the old tale better and a fairer thing to see ; That you shed a tender beauty o ' er the rude and boisterous mirth, Like the Springtide ' s robe of verdure on the nakedness of earth ; Like the sheen on winter branches, standing gaunt against the sky, When the sunset floods the meadows and the pale moon glimmers high.

J . H . P. The Theatricals took place on Tuesday, December loth . Though the Old Boys did not muster in such numbers as might have been hoped, perhaps their apparent fewness was partly due to their being the sole occupants of the centre of the Hall.

We observed there J . H . Collinson, A . Moss, E . H . Greenhow, F. W. Greenhow, G . E . Crawshaw, R . Pitching, T . Halliwell, J . Griffith, and F . T . Griffith.

To begin with, we must congratulate the School upon the way in which they had got up the decorations of the room, and in particular upon the very tasteful shields disposed around, recording the various voyages of " Our Shakespearian bark ." and upon the new scene painted for Act V, representing the Abbey Gate . These were the work of W . E . Brockbank and F . W . Chapman, and the audience testified their approval of their efforts by a hearty burst of applause as the curtain ' s rising disclosed the new scenery to view.

Indeed the spectators made up in appreciation for lack of numbers particularly in the scene in which Pinch ' s incantations are answered by the vigorous attack of Antipholus, when a general melde ends in the capture of the latter.

We here give a caste of the play : Solinus, Duke of Ephesus . . W . E . Brockbank.

Aegeon, a merchant of Syracuse . R . C . Wilton.

Antipholus of Ephesus ) twin brothers, and ( 'L . E . Stevenson. sons to Aegeon Antipholus of Syracuse and /Emilia \V . J . P . Kaye .

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS,

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T. English. twin brothers, and attendants on Dromio of Syracuse ) the two Antipholuses F . E . Robinson.

Balthazar, a merchant . A . Peters.

Angelo, a goldsmith . . F . R . Brandt.

First Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse . C . Johnson.

Second Merchant, to whom Angelo is a debtor F. W . Chapman.

A . Melrose.

Pinch, a conjurer An Officer W . Martin.

Aemilia, wife to Aegeon, an abbess at Ephesus M . D . Taylor.

R . Crawshaw.

Adriana, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus Luciana, her sister H . W . Rhodes, Luce, servant to Adriana C . P . Green.

E . B . Marshall.

Hostess of the Porpentine Of the actors we have no hesitation in awarding the highest praise to Stevenson, whose representation of the character of Antipholus f Ephesus was marked by clearness and decision in delivery, with a thorough grasp of the meaning of his words . In particular we must commend him for the perfect way in which he spoke his long speech in the final act, beginning with the words " My liege, I am advised in what I say, " which never once flagged throughout its length of forty lines . He well brought out the slight difference which the Master' s hand has introduced beside the similarity of these two brothers, making the brother of Ephesus more choleric than his counterpart of Syracuse . His faults are a disposition to certain peculiar gestures, especially with his legs, producing in certain scenes where he wishes to express astonishment a certain backward strut, which is not very agreeable to look at, and a sing-song tone, especially remarkable in a long speech.

We must congratulate the school on finding two competent actors sufficiently alike in size and features, to be painted for the two twin brothers—and the difference was really slight .

We may notice here what seemed to us a slight incongruity . When in Act V, Scene I, Antipholus E . rushes in newly escaped from bonds, he comes in wearing his sword as usual.

His brother was also well rendered, though in the long sentences he showed a tendency to disappoint us by tailing off—if our readers understand—towards the end . His face and gestures of astonishment when hailed by mistake for his brother, were good, conveying a general idea of one who felt bewitched . He possibly suffered from nervousness on the night, as he was better at rehearsals.

The character of the Duke, which it must be remembered is not the less hard because it is not the leading one, was well taken by Dromio of Ephesus

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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.

Brockbank, who was better in the last scene than the first, where he had to combine sympathy and dignity in a manner that was rather difficult, especially under the circumstances . We cannot, however, think that august dignity suits him as well as desperate villany, which he looked and played to perfection the year before as Don John, where, though a duke, he had a brother to plot and rebel against.

The two Dromios were both well represented, though the resemblance was not so striking as in the case of their masters, nor did the fearful daub of paint that was put to hide the difference of feature, add to the effect . English especially had much of that " irresistibly and gravely comic" manner of look, and voice and gesture, which we are glad to see we have not lost with our old actors.

Those who saw the scene where he answers a succession of his master ' s questions, e .g . " Certes, she did ; the kitchen vestal scorned you, " will know what we mean . R . C . Wilton looked the old man to perfection, though there was a trifle too much joviality about the looks of one whose woes " were to end with the setting sun " in execution . He had a difficult part, there can be no doubt . To open the play with a dolourous tale of some I io lines, with hardly any break, were a task for a finished actor, and we fear he hardly gave the impression of being moved by deep emotion . Though such restraint would do honour to his self-control in real life or in saving lines, we fear it was out of place when the display of these feelings is one of the chief objects of his appearance. Like the Duke, he only comes on the stage again in the last scene, and here his faults come more into prominence, not because he is really worse, for we believe he really shows a little more life there, but because emotion is more called for . He stands for a considerable time next to the person he has been seeking all the world over, without showing any eagerness or curiosity , without moving to attempt to address him, without a gesture to show that he was restrained by his chains . Surely some emotion was possible, even if he was handicapped by the arrangement of that scene ; but of that more hereafter . When he addresses his son and servant afterwards in the words " I am sure you both of you remember me, " he might have chanced to meet them at an evening party a few days before for all the emotion he displays.

Of the minor characters we wish we had space to speak at more length . The goldsmith was noticeable in the scene of his altercation with Antipholus of Ephesus, ending with An/ . L . You wrong nc n .rcli I . . >uy -4n e. Von wrong me mere, tiir, in denying it .

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His part seemed to suit him here . Pinch ' s scene was well carried out, and the incantations were very happily planned.

And now for the ladies, whom we have somewhat ungallantly— following the programme—made to yield that place to which they are proverbially entitled . We think them very fair all round . Perhaps, R . Crawshaw was not energetic enough for the scolding wife, Adriana .

Indeed, when she has to show passion, as in the scene when finding Atipholus E . in the market-place, she greets him with the words "Ay, ay, Antipholus, look strange and frown, &c .," and in her conversation with her sister, in which her passion leads her to apply to her husband the epithets " deformed, crooked old and sere, ill-faced, worse-bodied, shapeless everywhere, vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind, stigmatical in making, worse in mind, ' epithets which her real love (existing underneath the passion which carries her away involuntarily) leads her to disclaim im neliately afterwards, though at first the actor called a certain amount of passion into play, he sank almost immediately into a calm and gentle placidity, which would better befit the sister. Indeed we think Crawshaw and Rhodes might have exchanged parts with advantage ; the latter certainly showed mort fire and animation . We have heard it said, however, and with greae justice, we think, that, taken as a whole, the ladies have hardly ever shown so thorough an understanding of their parts . The Hostess cf the Porpentine was suitably performed by E . B . Marshall, who hadf let it be remarked, the difficult task of delivering a soliloquy, unpretentiously performed in a manlier most creditable . C . P. Green made an exemplary servant maid.

Perhaps the only point that calls for at all adverse criticism is the arrangement of the last scene, where something like overcrowding occurred . In a play which is in the main farcial, which depends for its interests on a succession of incidents which, clearly understood, form in their connection a train of irresistibly comic effect, it is necessary that each incident, as a developement of the plot, should be strongly accentuated—most distinctly marked and free from anything like confusion—it should be overdone rather than allowed to pass without making a strong impression . As there is a great number of such incidents rapidly succeeding oneanother in this final scene, it is necessary that each actor or set of actors, after they have said their say, should retire from notice, ready indeed to come forward again if this be necessary, but not conspicuous, so as to distract the attention of the audience from the main current of the story . Much room might have been saved, we believe, by making the guards retire into the wings, so as to be all but invisible . If we seem to dwell more upon faults than upon merits, let no one suppose it is from any ill-nature . Readers

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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.

will remember the fatality supposed to be attached to "faint praise," and to our minds flattery carries a still more damning evidence . We desire to render every tribute of praise to the energetic efforts made by every actor, and we might add by all concerned in the working of the Theatricals down to the humblest helper, to understand their duty, and—to do it . They had difficulties to contend with, amongst others, in the loss of the " heroine " of four consecutive years, as well as of other valuable assistants and actors . In noticing faults we may say that we only act the part of the north wind, which, we have somewhere read, is the best friend of the Northward bound . For us to attempt any adequate mention in praise of Mr . Yeld, without whom the Theatricals could not exist, would be sheer impertinence . We only desire here to give proof that we do not wish to see the St . Peter ' s Amateur Dramatic Club yet rest on its laurels, or the School to give up one of its rnost valuable forms of literary education . The arrangements were carried out by a Committee and Staff whom we give below, mentioning that the " Rink " band throughout the evening discoursed most enchanting music.

COMMITTEE :

H . C . B . Clayforth, C . I . Williamson,

L . E . Stevenson, R . C . Wilton,

HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER :

A . Peters.

L . T . Crawshaw.

E . W . Clayforth.

THE STAFF.

Stage Manager Prompter Under-Prompter Property Man Super-Master Master Carpenters

. G . Yeld, Esq. E . W . Clayforth.

C . H . Steavenson.

H . C . B . Clayforth.

L. E . Stevenson.

1 L . W . Pickles. (.

H . G . Joy.

The New Scenery was by W . E . Brockbank and F . W . Chapman.

The Dresses and Properties as usual by Samuel May, Costumier, Bow-street, London .

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THE PROFESSOR. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE I26 .)

CHAPTER IV. Quis te, juvenum confidentissime, nostras Jussit adire domos ?

HEN I awoke from the pleasant dreams that had made my sleep happy, it was with a stifled sense of bewilderment that I looked around me . [The sailor appears to have dreamt of his early home, but I was unable to trace exactly the spirit of his dream, seeing that unlike his waking impressions it alone had left an unblurred impression upon the brain .—PROF. There is a strange agitation apparent in the Professor ' s writing here ; as though painful memories had been awakened by the little he was able to decipher in this organic record . But of this further on.

Suffice it to say, that he appears at the time to have stifled emotions which he thought to be foolish, for he adds a sceptical note in his usual hard and matter-of-fact style on the absurdity of dreams, the strange combinations which the brain will form in slumber, and the utter irrationality of taking any note thereof .—] I was at once roused to myself by the gnawing pains of hunger, and when he who seemed to be my host came up, I raised my hand towards my mouth, a sign which he appeared not to understand : this indeed was only natural ; for, as I found, their nutriment was drawn entirely from the atmosphere,—a somewhat scanty sustenance at first for a hungry sailor, though no doubt well fitted to people of their character and life . The difficulty of breathing felt through my slumbers, rather diminished as I stood up, though gills were at first an uncomfortable appendage. As I looked around me I saw I had passed the night in what might have been called a rude hut, or indeed a byre such as on the moorlands shelters sheep in winter, here partially excavated from the ground, which was of a bituminous nature, and when dry, as it scarcely ever was, of the consistency of gutta-percha.

My host was full of attention . His gestures showed his eagerness, under which ill-nature might have suspected a lurking desire for riddance of me, to bring me forth into the open ; but indeed I could hold no such suspicion, inasmuch as he was at no

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THE PROFESSOR.

trouble with me. Howbeit, we came forth, and he, meeting a gathering of his neighbours, with benevolent eagerness pressed on me the services of one of them . Their faces seemed all set the same way and as we met more with the same bent, I conjectured that some gathering of the people was in progress, but to what end I knew not.

With trembling eagerness I followed my guide, fearful lest my own fate might be in consultation . However, it proved otherwise . As we advanced I had leisure to look at and admire the scene around me, as the valley with its hills rising to the dome above widened into a prospect which might have been dreary but for the ever deepening density of the atmosphere with its moving murky hues. The crowd ever deepened, and my present guide, who differed from my former entertainer in being less demonstrative but more ready with his tongue, kept up a continuous though one-sided conversation in his then seeming uncouth language, which, mingling with the lively talk of the rest, created the unpleasant impression that a waterfall was rushing down close behind my back . As we proceeded, the walkers more and more used their membranes to upbear themselves and mc, as the ground became softer and softer, while ever and again I was suddenly borne aloft in the air,and unconsciously found myself drinking in therefrom, in imitation of the inhabitants, the nutriment I stood in so much need of.

Indeed the assiduity with which those around me pressed this service upon their comrades became in time somewhat troublesome . Likewise my guide ever entrusted me to some new companion, doubtless feeling his own powers of entertainment exhausted . In sooth, it is a benevolent race, ever eager to do good, to see that good is done to which it feels itself unequal, to give others the pleasure of benevolent action ! In course of time I reached their meeting-place .

J .V.

SCHOOL LETTER. HE School re-opened on the 26th of January, and with the new term have appeared several new faces . The numbers of the School are, we fancy, slightly increased . We have, however, to mourn the loss of three members of the Fifteen, H . C. B . Clayforth, who has

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SCHOOL LETTER .

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gone to take up his residence at Worcester College, Oxford, E . A. Line, who has gone to be crammed for the Woolwich Exam. and F . Ware, who, having successfully passed the Preliminary Law Examination, has gone to take his place at a lawyer ' s desk . We are glad to see that decisive steps have been taken to start Football this term, contrary to our wont, and we believe one or two matches have been arranged.

Owing to the exceptionally mild weather, several boats have commenced to practice for the races, which will be rather earlier than usual this year . As far as we can see, the school-house will hold its own against its rivals in both the Senior and the Junior Fours . The Rev. T. Adams ' s Junior will probably bid hard for the first place, but will scarcely, we fancy, manage to obtain it . In the Seniors Sculls W . E. Brockbank,the School-house representative,will have many supporters, being much superior to his rivals in strength . For the Junior races generally, there will be keen competition . The day fixed for the Scratch Races is Saturday, the 1st of April ; Old Boys wishing to enter are requested to send their names in to W . Kaye at least a fortnight before .

J . B.

FOOTBALL. v . YORKSHIRE WANDERERS. This match was played on the School ground on November 12th.

The School kicked off, and the ball was returned into touch . The first point was scored by the Wanderers after ten minutes' play, the School being compelled to touch down . On being dropped out the ball struck one of the Wanderers' forwards and bounced back, but Brockbank, getting possession, by an excellent run carried the ball to the enemies twenty-five flag, where, after some smart passing, Stevenson got the ball and secured a try . The kick, which was entrusted to Crossley, resulted in a goal . After the kick off, H . C . B . Clayforth got the ball and passed to Williamson who got in, but the Wanderers disputed the try, alleging that the ball was passed forward . After half-time our forwards carried the ball to their twenty-five flag, but J . A . Wylde by a magnificent punt, relieved his side . Soon after this they secured a try, which, however, was not allowed . At this period of the game, Stevenson, Brockbank, and Kays came forward with good runs, just when they were needed, as the Wanderers were pressing the School hard . About five minutes before time the Wanderers' half-backs passed to Wylde, who dropped a splendid goal, thus equalizing matters . Among the forwards

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FOOTBALL.

E . W . Clayforth, Chapman and Peters again shone forth, while in addition to the above mentioned, Crossley at back distinguished himself by his brilliant collaring. It is our opinion the School would do much better if they could prevail on their half-backs to pass a little more.

For the Wanderers J . A. Wylde at three-quarter back did a great portion of the work, playing excellently in every division of the game.

YORKSHIRE WANDERERS :—G . F . Wylde, back ; H . Walker, J . A. Wylde, three-quarter backs ; ; A . Walker, S . W . Scott, half-backs; C . F . Holmes, K . E . Verschoyle, C . J . Whyte, M . Hall, E . Fletcher, C . H . Hatton, G . Beard, W . Hancock, R . H . Barron, forwards. v . ST . JOHN'S TRAINING COLLEGE. Resulted in a victory for St John ' s by a goal and three tries to nil.

Most of these were scored in the last half of the game,since after halftime the superior weight and speed of St . John 's began to tell . The goal was dropped shortly before call of time. v . THORPARCH. Resulted in a win for Thorparch by a goal and two tries . This must not be taken as any criterion of the respective merits of the teams, as the game was carried on much more in the Thorparch half than in St . Peter ' s, and was entirely owing to the speed of their masters.

A match was arranged for December loth against the Old Boys, but six only appeared . The deficiency was supplied from the remainder of the School and junior members of the team . The match was a complete failure, and resulted in an extremely easy win for the School.

L . E . Stevenson (Captain) .—Three-quarter back . Was decidedly the mainstay of the team, making the best use of his strength, was especially good at handing off, reliable place kick and collarer.

H . C . B . Clayforth .—Three-quarter back . Collars well . Can play back.

W . J . P . Kaye .—Full back . Very safe collarer . His drop-kicking and punting were of very great use to the team.

W . E . Brockbank .—Three-quarter back . Has , much improved.

One of the best runners in the team,making the best use of his speed and dodging powers . Collared well at times.

C . Williamson .—Half-back . A hard working player, generally well on the hall . Picks up well.

L . S . Crawshaw .—Half-back . Should play less for himself and more for the team . Fairly quick runner, but should pass more.

Played well in some matches .

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A . Peters.—Decidedly the best forward in the team, being always well on the ball.

E. W . Clayforth .—A very good forward . Plays well on the ball, and dribbles well.

F' . W . Chapman .—A good forward . Plays well on the ball.

Kicks and collars well.

H . J . Joy .—A useful forward, working hard . Can play back.

F. Ware .—A very good forward . Dribbles well.

A . F . Wade .—A heavy forward . Does good service in the scrimmage.

R . C. Wilton .—Forward . Is too fond of running . Should dribble more.

H . Crossley .—Full back and forward . Plays extremely well for his size . Good collarer . The surest place kick in the team.

E . A . Lane.—A good forward . Plays well on the ball.

OXFORD LETTER. HIS Term is undoubtedly the dullest of the year . Christmas festivities are by no means a good preparation for the utter dearth of amusement which follows them . The "Eight " is really almost the only topic of general interest : I wish I could give a better account of it . The crew are strong enough for the most part (one of them not long ago worked his passage home from Sydney !) but want finish . Probably in another week we shall see a great improvement in that respect . For details of their practice I must refer you as usual to Field and Land and I!'ater The river swarms with Torpids, most of them very rough as yet . Baskett rows in the Queen ' s Torpid, Wade in the Balliol Second . Daniel is coaching with his wonted energy.

To turn to Football :—We have not yet got over our disgraceful defeat by Edinburgh University last Term : the team is weaker now than it has been for some years . What a shame it is that Oxford is not allowed to have an A . D . C ! One O . P . has been making praiseworthy efforts to form one, and has succeeded in getting about sixty names . The present " Vice, " however, is very much opposed to the scheme ; so, as he goes out of office in October, the attempt to form • the A . D . C . is practically postponed until then.

The Saturday evening concerts still flourish, and are much appreciated by the working classes .

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OXFORD

LETTEIe

Cuthbert Bede, the famous author of " • Verdant Green, " is to give a Lecture on " Modern Humourists, " on Friday next . This, with the exception of two or three Ballad Concerts and the " Philharmonic, " is the only entertainment this Term.

Canon Wilberforce and Sir Wilfrid Lawson were very fine the other evening on the Temperance Question.

I hear the Hon . G . C . Brodrick, Warden of Merton, intends to contest Oxford shortly in the Liberal interest.

There is a great agitation in Oxford to prevent the Gas Company from obtaining a monopoly of the Electric Light, which is shortly to be introduced . Alas for the city of spires ! (or Spiers ?)—Tramways and Electric Light, Electric Light and Tramways . My feelings overpower me, so please excuse more at present .

MuLTINOMIAI,.

We cannot quite agree with our correspondent as to the weakness of the O . U . F. C . ; on the contrary we may point to the defeat of Blackheath, mentioned in our letter for December, as a decided proof to the contrary .—ED.

CAMBRIDGE LETTER. Cambridge, /Y'hru<u}' StI'I, 1882.

HE Tripos Lists which have lately come out, Mathematical, Theological, Moral Science, Law, History, and Natural Science, have naturally been of primary importance with us ; and the more so, inasmuch as some of them are the last of their Race . But here I would raise my voice against the too common, but erroneous notion that we have seen the last Senior Wrangler : and as I think it would not be foreign to the object of our Cambridge Letter, I shall venture to digress, in order to attempt to give some idea of the change which has come over the Mathematical Tripos . It has been, until now, divided into two parts (i .) the three days, or elementary part, on which alone the gaining of honours depends ; and (ii .) the advanced part.

Now there are three parts, of which I ., the first, is the same as before, so that (ii .) above, now consists of two parts, II ., III . The List will come out in June on the result of parts I . II., and the names will be in order of merit, as before : the Wranglers only will be allowed to go in for part III ., on the results of which they will be placed in three sections, the names in each section being in alphabetical order .

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CAMBRIDGE LETTER.

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Now it has been said that the Senior Wrangler on parts I . H . may not be the best man really : and I admit the justice of the may . but practically the range of subjects in parts I . II . is wide enough, and the Examination severe enough, to bring the best Mathematician to the front 19 times out of 20 : while of the improvement to the Tripos educationally, there is no doubt.

Let us now turn our steps to the river : we find it crowded with tubs and eights, and at present the raw material is certainly unpromising . But it is wonderful what six weeks careful practice and coaching will do to turn out a respectable boat in the Races.

The ' Varsity Eight can. hardly be said as yet to be made up the changes at this early period of practice being frequent : but it is' even now sufficiently clear that our eight will be decidedly superior to the one we sent to Putney last year, though as to our chances of the race nothing can be prophesied : it is too soon to attempt that.

Football, and Athletics are getting into full swing again, though no College matches are played this term at Football, but only University ones.

We have seen Mallinson, Douglas and Eyre on the river, but must wait until the next letter to tell you where they are likely finally to row . We are sorry to hear that Griffith (we don ' t know his initials : he is commonly called Jeck) may not be able to conic up at all this term, owing to an accident : he obtained his colours at Football last term for Clare.

The two names which appear in the Tripos Lists will no doubt be in another place : but we must congratulate R . W . Taylor on his excellent position .

M . x.

POETRY. THE FARMER'S LOOK OUT. Joyous and ruddy he springs, like t'ie Sun, from his saffron bed With its sheeting unbleached and coarse, and its cot-edit green and red, And many another bright hue of satin and silk ablaze, Artfully fitted and patched by his wife in their courting days.

There she lies buxom and blooming, sleep-loosed when her master at ose, And gone is the bass-clef music that played from her stertorous nose.

Open the casement he flings with its lead-glazed diamond pane, Eager to read the sky and examine the iveath r-rock ' s vane .

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POETRY.

Morning his crisp gold locks ere while begrizzled and gray Dyes in the new-lit Sun—fair pledge of the coming day ; Crystal and opal in one on herb, and flower, and tree, Glitters the freshening dew, pure drink of the bird and the bee ; Glimmers the pebbly brook and whispers ripple to ripple, Where the troutlet darts and leaps, and the wagtails lave and tipple ; Where swiftly in streak of blue the king-fisher skims his way, And myriad circling gnats in frolicsome squadrons play.

Proudly enthroned aloft in his warm and leaf-wreathed bower Merrily carols the thrush ; the blackbird sweeter and lower Whistles his mellow refrain : nor intunable discord rings : Each his alternate part in glorious anthem sings.

The tuner warblers blend bright music . The skylark alone Carries his tribute close to the foot of the heavenly throne.

Fairly the cornflower decks green-wheat with a steed of blue, And the thistle pales before the brilliant poppy ' s hue, And delicate harebells droop in the meadow ' s serried ranks, And the roses paint the hedges and the ivy covers the banks.

Revel the thick flanked kine in pasturage high to the knees,— Plenty of fat to give, plenty of butter and cheese : Horses and sheep and -- I " have plenty to eat and drink, " The casement closes soft, and he goes to work and drink .

E . P. A.

A DAY'S WALK. T the request of one of your Editors I have been induced to take up a pen with the object, as he put it, of giving you something "spicy . " I may as well tell you at the outset that anything approaching spice is beyond me ; but if I give you a plain, unvarnished description of my experiences during a day's walk, it will fill up a page or two in the Pcterite, which is, I believe, all that our hard-working Editors require.

It was on a lovely morning in June that L— and myself set off on a little excursion from the town of Whitehaven, so called, I believe, on the hers a non /weirdo principle, for of all the black holes it is possible to conceive, Whitehaven, on a rainy day especially, is the blackest. We determined to save our legs for the first part of the journey, which was through the uninviting district of Cleator Moor and Frizington, redolent of greasy ha matite, and accordingly took tickets—parliamentary, on

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A DAY ' S WALK,

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principle--to the small railway station of Yeathouse, about eight miles distant from our starting place, which distance it took us about an hour to accomplish, such is the speed of the trains in this district : in fact, it is not unusual for people who are in a hurry to get out and walk . Hu' c', :cr, we arrived there at last, and, after a brisk walk of four miles through fields and short cuts known only to the initiated, we arrived at the Angler's Inn on the shores of Ennerdale Lake . The sight of the lake itself roused all my piscatorial ardour, and for two or three seconds I half wished we had not a long walk in prospect, but were quietly seated in some old tub, whipping away for the trout for which the lake is so famous . My companion, who has no soul for the "gentle craft," was of course prompt to remind me of the old adage, generally attributed, I believe, to Dr . Johnson, touching the worm and the fool, &c ., quite oblivious of the fact that as I was a fly-fisher, this trite saying did not apply to me . He said, however, that the moral was the same ; and seeing it was useless to discuss the matter further, we adjourned to the Inn to rest a few minutes and quench our thirst which, even at that early hour, was considerable. After doing so, and stowing a couple of bottles of soda water in our pockets, we started off again up the side of the lake, and (as it was just about half-past eight o'clock) we paid a visit to some friends who were doing the truly rural for a few weeks at a farm house on the edge of the lake, just as they were sitting down to breakfast . Of course they were delighted to see us, and we reciprocated the feeling, especially as the inner man profited largely by the visit . Truly a Cumberland breakfast is not to be despised with its fresh butter, cream and eggs, oat bread, ruin butter, smoked ham, &c ., and we did full justice to them all .

(TO BI? (( N I'IXf1El

NOTES AND ITEMS. J . H . Pig-gin, of Trinity College, Oxford, obtained a first class in Classical Moderations.

S . J . J . S . le Maistre, of Keble College, obtained a third in the same Examination .

16

NOTES AND ITEMS.

Rev. F. Watson, late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, was appointed an Examiner for the Special Examination in Theology for the Michaelmas Term.

R. W . Taylor, of Trinity College, Cambridge, has been placed second in the first class of the Law Tripos.

C . Kitchin, of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, was in the third class of the same Tripos.

P . H . Flower passed nineteenth out of forty successful candidates for admission to Woolwich R . M . A. F. K . Hattersley is this year the winner of the Balfe Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, London, The Scholarship is open to the United Kingdom, for musical composers under 21 years of age.

The Plumptre Prize Essay and the Commoners Conington Prize for Latin (value £5), at University College, Oxford, has been awarded to W . B . Worsfold.

A . Hodgson has passed the Final Examination of the Incorporated Law Society.

On Sunday, December 18th, 1881, in York Minster, A . H. Griffith, of Clare College, Cambridge, was ordained Deacon, and licensed to St . Silas, Sheffield.

W. O . F . Campbell, Esq., was ordained Deacon, and licensed to St. Sampson's, York.

J . R . Husband, of Christ's College, Cambridge, and Curate of St. Mary's, Hull, was ordained Priest.

A . Gorham, Scholar of Trinity College, Dublin, took his degree in November last, having been placed second in the Examination for Classical Degrees, winning a Gold Medal . He also gained the Fifth Gold Medal for Moral Philosophy.

P . L . Newman, of Christ's College, Cambridge, is nineteenth Senior Optime in the Mathematical Tripos.

Rev. F . Watson, of St . John's College, Cambridge, has been appointed Halsean Lecturer for the coming year.

We have been allowed an opportunity of seeing the new Library Catalogue brought out by the diligence and energy of the present Librarians . It shows an improvement upon its predecessor of 1878, in the fact of its being numbered, and bears marks of being compiled with great care . We should, however, like to point out that it repeats one or two of its predecessor's mistakes, especially the serious one of ascribing K . O . Muller's works on " The Dorians " and " Eumenides," and his " The Literature of Ancient Greece," to Max Muller.

The Captain of the boats requests us to insert the following : " I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the following subscriptions from Old Peterites for the boat-house :—E . Moore, 1os . ; F. W . Greenhow, 5s . ; E . Wilson, 5s. ; G . H . Wade, 5s.

To the Editors of the Peterite.

AV. KAYE. "