The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-17 00:00:00

VISIT OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS
OF WALES TO OXFORD.

(PROM OUB SPECIAL REPORTER.)

OXFORD, TiIII6DAY.
After my telegram was despatched yesterday,
the Prince and Princess issued from the Deanery,
and proceeded to an awning in the Quadrangle,
where the distribution of prizes for beat shoot-
ing by the University Vo-unteers took place.
Here there was a very brilliant assemblage,
who lined the four sides of the square. Her Royal
Highness the Princess of Wales distributed the
prizes, and here that charm of expression and I
grace of manner which so won all beano on her
triumphal entry into the metropolis were displayed
to admiration. She wore a mauve silk dress, with
a grey shawl to protect her from the damp, her
bonnet being white, with a wreath of green leaves.
When some little incident occurred to call forth a
smile or to bring a rosy tint to the cheek, nothing
could surpass the charm and the naireti of her ex-
preesion. Canon Stanley wow close to the Prince. The
Princefrequentlyspoke to him,and the Princess shook
hands with him. Amongst those present at the
distribution of prizes we noticed Earl Granville,
the Duke of Newcastle, Sir C. Wood, the Bishop
•of Oxford, dm. The University Volunteers, about
. 250 ;iron* were drawn up in front of the awning,
and a-their purple caps, purple stockings, and grey
dress, they presented a very fine appearance. By
the desire of the Prince they went through several
Imanoeuvres, which they executed in splendid style.
Nothing could exceed the accuracy and precision
of their movements, and were they to appear on a
great field-day it would not be saying too much
for them that they would suss even the "Devil's
Own" in appearance and evolution. During
the march past the band played. The volunteers
then drew up in line and presented arms. The
Prince seemed greatly pleased with the appearance
of the corps. The following is the list of prizes :
Prince of Wakes Caw--Sergeant Medlicott, Ch. Ch.
Colonel Bowyer's Cup.—Mr. Moony, Univenity.
Rifle presented by Sergeanta—Mr. Honey, Enter.
/title prei-nted by Bev. Mr. Tyrwhltt. - Corporal Allen, B.N.C.
Sergeant Middleton will receive a Cup won by No. 6 Company.
Picture.—No. 1 Company, Sergeant Campbell, Ch. Ch.
„ No. 2 Company. Sergeant Davis, Jesus.
„ No. S Company, Sergeant Stonhouer, B.N.C.
No. 4 . ompany, Mr. Walker, Unlvendty.
„ No. 6 Company, Mr. Ricketts, St John's.
No. a Company. Sergeant H. N....worthy, Maidake.
Another wine, celled a Second Prize, promoted by Captain
Porter, will be presented to Sergeant O. Norsworthy, of Magda.
Mn, the winner.

This portion of the day's fetes terminated at
about half-peat one. Their royal highnesses then
partook of luncheon. Shortly before 3 o'clock a
procession was formed at the Deanery, headed by
the Earl of Derby as Chancellor of the University,
and walked to the Sh eld onion Theatre, where the con-
ferring of the degrees and the delivery of the congas-
tulatory odes was to take place. The first stone of this
celebrated building was laid in 1664, and the cost
of the structure, as well as of the fitting of it up,
was defrayed by Archbishop Sheldon, from whom it
derives its name. The ground plan of the theatre
was taken from that of Mareellua, at Rome. The in-
terior is 80 feet by 70, and its arrangement is such
that it is said to be capable of holding 3,000 persons
with convenience. We cannot say bow many tickets
were issued on the present occasion, but we can
vouch for the fact that there was the most incon-
venient and distressing pressure possible. The I
millinery of Sir Christopher Wren's day does not
so dwell in our memory as to be able to say whether
crinolines were worn in his time, but there
never was such an effort made to compress hoops
into infinitesimal dimensions. Bat hard as was
the case with the ladies, it was far worse with the
visitors, &c., on the floor of the theatre. Whether
the Oxford professors of mathematics wished to
solve a problem as to the compressibility of matter,
or whether they simply over-estimated the "fine
geometrical proportions " of the theatre, we cannot
say, but there was not one amongst the densely
packed assembly of gentlemen and masters of arts
who did not feel most uncomfortable during the
couple of hours they remained is the building. It
is well known that the students of Oxford
avail themselves of these celebrations to vent
their political and academical likings and
mislikings. The galleries of the theatre
were filled with the younger alumni, who
never ceased to vent their predilections or other-
wise as suitable occasion presented itself ; but
there was less invention in the cries of this year
than on former occasions. The " Queen," the
"Prince of Wales," the "Princess Alexandra," of
course came in for rounds of applause, as did also
the Earl of Derby, Mr. Gladstone, and Mr. Dis-
raeli. Amongst the earliest arrivals within that
portion of the theatre which was kept for the
Prince and Princess and the distinguished visitors
were Count Bille, the Danish Minister ; the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, and Dr. Wynter, Presi-
dent of St. John's College.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the Princess of Wales
entered the theatre, and she immediately became
the object of a moat overwhelming ovation. The
cheers were repeated over and over again, and it
would seem as if the stentorian lungs of the students
would never cease. The Princess bowed and smiled,
and seemed exceedingly pleased at the enthusiastic
reception she got from all sides. There were three
cheers given for " Denmark," and three for the
"King of Greece," which evidently were most
grateful to her feelings. Mr. Kingsley's name was
also called. Shortly after the Prince of Wales and
the procession entered, the Prince accompanied by
the Earl of Derby as Chancellor. The Prince was
dressed in a general's uniform, over which be wore
the red gown of a D.C.L, bolding a student's cap
with gold tassel in his hand. He was also greatly
cheered. The Earl of Derby wore the Chancellor's
gown richly embroidered, and with his cap on
looked the very type of • severe academician.
The theatre was now full, and the sight
it presented was remarkably splendid. The rich
robes and varied costumes of the "Academics old
and new," the tiers of ladies in their bright silks,
and the phalanx of visitors and students which
crowded the ground floor and the galleries, pre-
sented an almost unequalled sight. Opposite the
Prince and Princess were full length portraits
of George IV., the Emperor of Russia, and
the King of Prussia. After the cheering sub-
sided, the Earl of Derby rose and read in
Latin the names of those who were called at
this special oongregation to the degree of
Doctor of Civil Law, " bonoris cause." These
included his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
Earl Spencer, the Earl of Mount-umbe, Lord
Harris, and General Knolls. The Earl of Derby
then delivered a Latin oration, in which he referred
especially to the Prince and Princess of Wales. In
referring to the latter, his lordship made pointed
allusion to the personal beauty of the Princess,
and the expressions " egregite forme et pulchritu-
dinis," the "niter oculorum," were readily caught
up in the theatre and applauded to the echo. But
why, said his lordship, need I praise her in words ?
and then added, ea ipso claret. This happy allusion
to the personal presence of the Princess as the com-
plete evidence that the orator had only spoken the
truth, was received with repeated applause, for its
truth was felt on every side. The Princess herself,
who seemed to be quite aware of the meaning of
this and the other allusions to her, smiled and
smiled again. There is a popular joke sometimes
heard about Lord Derby's want of learning, but he
spoke on this occasion a long and classic Latin
oration, which was exceedingly well composed, and
which probably not a second person in the empire
would have delivered with so much ease and fluency.
It was not read, but spoken from memory, and
it is no small proof of the noble lord's versatility
that he could have committed to memory so lengthy
an oration without faltering at a single word. The
two students who delivered the English odes in
honour of the occasion were completely beaten by
the Chancellor in the art of committing to
memory what he bad to say. At the close