The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-25
OXFORD.
CURIOUS OLD CUSTOMS OF THE CoNsERvA-
TIVE UNIVERSITY.

The University of Oxford (which is, per-
haps, take it for all in all, the most con-
ssrcatice spot ON the face of the habitable
globe has many curious old customs, es-
tablished centuries ago, and to which the
glorious weather. beaten city clings with
tenacity. Queens College founded in 1910
by Robert Eglesfield, confessor to Queen
Phillippa, consort of Edward IT'D has
two or three of these ancient CUSTOMS
Everybody likely to read these pages has
heard Of the ceremony Of bringing in the
boar's head on Christmas day at this col
lege. while carol, partly in English,
partly in Latin, is sung. 1t is not, there
fore, necessary for us to give detailed
account of that ceremony, or to quote that
oft-repeated carol. But there is another
yet more curious custom praeticed at this
college on New Years Day, of which, per-
haps, many of our readers have not heard.
This it is:-On that day the Bursar of the
college (the gentleman appointed to receive
and disbursc payments presents to every
member of it threaded needle, saying,
"Take this and use thrift" The words
aaguilc ct ft-needle and thread-form a
sort of pun on the name of the founder of
the college, Eglesfeld.
University College, which claims to be
the oldest in Oxford, and to have been
founded by Alfred the Great (although
Merton is the college that can produce the
oldest title-deeds, has very curious GUS
tom. This is called "chopping the tree, I"
and the performance of it is as follows
On Easter Sunday the cook of tile college
adorns small tree, or good sized bough
of large one, with wreaths and flowers,
and places it in Or near the buttery. The
members of the college all dine in the hall,
according to the University custom. After
dinner each member, from the master of
the College down to the youngest under
graduate present, as he leaves the hall
chops at the tree with small axe placed
there for the purpose. Then comes the
gist of the whole business: the cook (all
the college cooks are men-cooks) stands by
with plate in his hand, into which every
member of the college after he has had his
"chop" at the tree, drops a fee. This fee
is, for the head Of the college (termed
master, y half guinea; for the fellows,
five shillings each; and for the undergrad
yates, half a crown. The custom must be
truly delightful one for the cook, and
probably was originally instituted to fur
nisll an adequate income for that important
functuary; just as at Eton it was once the
custom to collect sum of money termed
"salt, to defray the expenses of the cap
tain of the school, when he went up to the
University. Oxford cooks, it may be re-
marked, are important personages, receive
large salaries and perquisites, and very
often acquire comfortable fortunes.
The College of All Souls has a quaint
custom called "hunting the mallard." 1t
is said that, when the college was originally
founded lin 1887 by Henry Chickhele,
Bishop of St. David's, and afterwards
Archbishop of Canterbury the workmen,
in digging for the foundations, unearthed
from drain a splendid mallard. This was
caught, roasted, and eaten mot much
among so many,) and was seized upon as
the pretext for instituting college "cus-
TOM" Accordingly, ON the 14th of Janu-
airy, which is the foundation day, the cook
procures the largest and finest mallard to
be had for money, and when it is introduced
a song is sung, the burden of which Isl
40 swapping, swapping mallard."
Magdalen College founded in 145G by
William of Wayntieet, Bishop of Winches-
ter, and Lord High Chancellor) has far
more pleasing and picturesque CUSTOM
On the Is. of May, at o'clock in the
morning, the choristers of that society
Sixteen in number) ascend the splendid
tower of the college, and there usher in
May day with songs, to the great delight
of all who assemble to hear them. As we
have listened to this performance ourselves
in our undergraduate days, we can speak
from experience as to the pleasing effect of
the "ring" of the pure boyish voices on
the soft morning air.-Belgraria.