The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-25 00:00:00

SKETCHES FROM THE OXFORD
COMMEMORATION.

The triennial "C uninemoration '' at (Word has drawn
together A brilliant assemblage of rank and fashion. The
marquis of Salisbury. who wilo Installed on Toesday, In sue.
cession to the late Earl of Derby as Chancellor, was at-
tended by his two little sone as trainbearers, an arrangement
at once novel and interesting. T amity-two honorary
degrees were conferred. The follaving interesting sketch is
given by the correspondent of the Daily N, tre
The great event of Tuesday miming was the in-
stallation of the Marquis of Salisbury as Chancellor of
the University in the Sheldonian Tneatre. Every inch
of ground was packed. The upper circle swarmed
with undergraduates, the lower circle and the organ
gallery bloomed with ladies arrayed in glories of inns
Inn or of silk; the orchestra filled the apace beneath the
organ; the floor was full of strangers and Bachelors of
Arts.
During the three-quarters of an hour which inter-
vened between the opening of the doors and the corn.
mencement of the ceremonies, the undergraduates did
their best to amuse the company. Providentially, or
perhaps by arrangement with the authorities, a stranger
had come in a light coat. Offended propriety, speaking
from the uppsr circle with a thousand mouths, soon
found him out. "Takeoff your coat, sir." 'You had
better go out at once." "Will you oblige me with your
name and college." Thus was the offender saluted. Some
one, wearied with the monotony of exclamation, began
cheers for the ladies. Niue., the "ladies in blue" and
the "ladies in white," received immense applause.
The "Examiners" were started, but did not ob-
tain serious notice. The advent of the orchestra ex-
cited cheers for " the fiddle," and more heartily, for
"the tiddler." Again attention is directed to the man in
the white coat. "Sit down, sir." "Sit on his head."
"Kick him out." "Stand not on the order of your
going, but go at once." Thus is the public character
saluted. Another, more charitable, or perhaps sarcas-
tically, suggested, "Give him a D.C.L." The hint
waa roc-dyed with rounds of clapping. 0 ,Pantry again
becomes eloquent. "The unmarried ladies," and 'the
ladies unattached," are received with welt one shouts.
"The Chancellor," "Mrs. Chancellor." "all the littlo
Chancellors ;" "the Vice," "Mrs. Vice," "all the
little Vices," are aucceseively propounded.
Now a man in a straw hat enters the arena. "This is
too bad." 'Why don't you blush, sir." A youth from
the other side suggests, "lie can't." Every one ad-
mits the hypothesis as a relief. "Gladstone is sug-
gested tentatively. Liberals clap, Tories and the un-
political majority groan and hire. "Mr, Disraeli" re-
ceives mixed praise and blame. " Nark wood" is
groaned unmercifully, as being both malicious and
inconsistent. By-and-by resident doctors of music
in their gorgeous robes of state appear in view. " Dr.
Stainer" retiree from sight, overwhelmed with a justly
magnificent reception. "The Proctors " are not vig-
orously taken up. the name of "Mr. Short is not criti-
cised at length. Evidently Mr. Deane," in spite of the
terrors of his office, is not unpopular.
"The Prince of Wales" finds some favourers and
se m. c-nsors in the gallery. " The Princess. of Vales"
pleases all, while "The Bret of the Royal Family"
adds completeness to the set of salutations. Time
would fail to tell of the ehou's accorded to "Mice E.
Wynne," to "Mr. Ruskin," to the "'Varsity Eight,"
and many other eights, to "The Harvard Four," to
"Sir 11. Pairriar," tar "Mr. G. Hardy," to "Canon
!Achim," to "testalnurß " last and not least to, "our
noble selves." Uridergdiduate favour was not largely
extended to "Boh Lowe," to "Mr. Mill," to "Healer,
M.A.,'• although somebody plaintively demanded "one
cheer more for the MA ," or to a roan in a green tie,
who at the last moment appeared on the rcene.Angry
voices associating together "the man in the straw hat,"
"the man in the li. ht coat," and "the man with the
green tie," inquired, "When shall you three meet
again ?" Plaintive entreaties were addressed to the
Professor of Logic to take these three out, or to pose
them with hard problems.
Eleven o'clock puts an end ta these pleasantries.
The doors are swung wide open ; the esquire bedels
bearing their insignia of office precede the Chancellor,
the train of whose magnificent robe, weighty with
brocade of gold, is borne by his two little sons—no
slight or inartistic addition to their father's dignity.
Prince Hassan, the Heads of Homes, the Bishop of
Oxford, Mr. Gathorne Hardy, Sir W. Ileathcote, Mr.
Beresford Hope, and a host of celebrities, clad in
bright scarlet, follow behind them. When the sing-
ing of the national anthem by the orchestra had
concluded, the Chancellor, in a clear voice, declares
the object of the Commemoration ; he proposes se-
parately each candidate for the ebigree of doctor of
civil laws, and both the doctors and the masters who
form the venerable Convocation signify their ascent.
Next, Dr. Bryce, the successor of Travers Twice, com-
mences his duties of introduction, and well and akil-
hillydoes he fulfil his task. After a respectful welcome
to the Chancellor, he solicits in excellent Latin, clearly
pronounced, a degree for his Grace the Duke of Argyll,
as a friend to religion and liberty, a known writer, an
excellent orator, a sagacious stateeman, and a wise
councillor. His Grace is cheered, admitted, and once
more cheered.
His Grace the Poke of Northumberland is shown to
be of noble and ancient lineage, to have served as Lord
of the Admiralty, and to be a generous builder of
churches. The learning, veracity, and honour of Count
Hompesch are next avouched. All these does the
Chancellor welcome with appropriate speeches, making
kindly mention of Earl Bathurst, when his turn comes,
ea " dear to me and to my college."
Upon the Bishop of Peterborough, whom all raptu-
rously cheered, the Professor of Civil Law, bestowed
discriminating criticiam, making genial reference to his
eloquence, his gravity and his wit. As the lofty and
erect form of Sir William Bovill advanced within the
Barrier, it was seen how well the wordsjustitito yranat

eolumtn applied in every sense to him ; and his recep-
tion woe proportionately enthusiastic.
The right hon. S. Ward Hunt, and Lieut-General
Jonathan Peel came nexe. Dr. Ball, who succeeded,
met with an ovation, and when the Marquis of Salis-
bury greeted him as fora, difoisor ecelesite in
txtretnis, the cheers were- again and again renewed.
More enthusiasm, if p .epible, was displayed upon
the introduction of Sir Edwin Landeeer ; tir in
arte pingendi celeberrimus, said Dr. Bryce.
Welcomed by the Chancellor as Muses it em thou
Britannieis carittiine, be took his seat amidst
deafening plaudits. Fall justice aloe was done
to the special claims of Sir William Armstrong,
Sir Frangis Grant, Sir James Alderson, famed
alike in medicine and mathematics; Sir Thomas Dating
Hardy, and the Rev. Alfred Barry. A warm recep-
tion was accorded by many in the theatre to the Rev.
Nathaniel Woodard, who was next invested with the
degree. To him did the Chancellor give an especially
cordial greeting as to one "who had done so much
through so many years to propagate the faith of God."
Of Mr. Ilerman Merivale, Professor Bryce declared
that he was honoured both in India and in Europe;
a favourite of two continents was clapped accordingly.
The Professor of Civil Law expended all his ekill in
his eulogy of Mr. Matthew Arnold. Each touch of
the panegyric of that "son worthy of his father" was
taken up with the loudest approval. As a critic of
Homer, as the po,seisor of an exquisite ntyle, as
a poet, as a writer on grave subjects, as one
who fitly sustained the "holy and venerable name
of Arnold," he was presented upon this occasion
to the Chancellor. Vs hen this " most create man"
ascended the steps of the platform, the very roof
re-echoed with the approval of the gods. The re-
maining gentlemen to whom degrees were granted
were Henry Reeve, Esq., registrar of the privy
council, who smiled much when addressed as "moat
powerful in the republic of lettere,"J. P. Gainiot, Enq.,
James Eergusson, Eaq' and Charles Siemens, E,q.,
"Granted to us by that laud which is the mother of
the sciences," said the Chanciellor, in admitting him
within the circle. . . . . _ .

.....
After this certain verms of the congratulatory ode by
Sir F. Doyle, 13art. Profeasor of Poetry, were sung to
the 11111tlie of Sir F. A. Ouseley. A waggish under-
graduate, seeing that Dr. Corfe would conduct, cried,
'Let us now have ssme Curie mixture." The ode, as
a whole, is a very striking one. The first verse, which
was rendered by the full choir, runs :
Now let us praise our famous men;
With melodies whose eager night
Throbs through the living air as light.
With all that music lendeth, when
Sweet harp-like voices thrill and float
Above the organ's thonclecnote,
Die faintly off, then soar ages :
Sd let us praise our famous men.
_ .

The next stanzas were not sung. They allude with a
graceful force' which is sometimes pathetic' to the late
Lord Herbert, Lord Elgin, and Sir G. C. Lewis, and
the late Earl of Derby.
And sadly now at last we meet
Again, the place of one to till,
Whose knightly heart no more shall beat,
Whose sliver voice Is still.
At this point Miss Edith Wynne took up the strain in
a isolo rendering which well corresponded with the
meaning of the words:
Hard, Cecil, hard, for those who seek
A coming age to shape, like thee:
Still, if the soul within grow week,
Look back, look back in faith and see,
How amid threatenii,g clouds, that hung
Erewlitle, around each honoured name,
On the storm a very heart were flung
The rainbow lights of fame.
•
When Spain's uncounted keels essayed
to cru4h the foul of our w ild sea,
Even as her brooding power had weighed
Upon the spirit of the free;
Who ',tows not how the people rose
As the deep rises In its Sow,
Lifting the great like foam, that shows
An ocean's strength below/
So moved thy sire i light, above
The mighty wave of England'. heart;
One with it, brightene•l by it, love,
Too wise to dream of life apart.
Seek than, as he sought, to make Fame
An echo of wife thoughts, a glow
That, like some keen electric flame,
Sways pulsing to and fro.
So shalt thou face the struggle stern
That lies before thee on thy way,
Anti victor thus, or vanquished, earn
A wreath more hunks than the bay.
So shalt thou lind that other feet
Tread other path. to the saute end,
And, under one high influence, greet
Each true man ais a friend..

Miss Wynne sang with much sweetness, but with
even more intelligence and sympathy. Both she and
the choir were listened to with great attention, and
loudly applauded at the end of their revective Parts.
The recitation of the con;ratulatory Odes concluded
the morning's Convocation.