Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-03-04
MADISON'S DIPLOMA.
THE OREGONION'S TRANSLATION
VERY INACCURATE,

W. - toSNINSGH WV
VERY INACCURATE.
The standards" Professor Gives
a Literal Translation and Cor
reefs Some of the Errors in That
of its Big Contemporary.
In late issue, the Oregoniam pub
fishes Photographic reproduction of
James Madison's college diploma re-
Gently brought to light from the
musty archives of the Congressional
library, at Washington. This docu-
ment is written in Latin upon parch-
ment, in scrip hand, skillfully EN-
bellished with pen and ink hourishes
and runs as follows:
PRESSES EFT CURAToREs.
Collegii Neo- Caesariensis omnibus ct
singulis has literas lecturis.
Salutem in Domino.
Notum sit quod nobis placet auctori-
tate regia Diplomatic commisso, Jacobum
Madison, candidatum primum in Artibus
Gradum cOmpetentem Examine sui.
ficiente praevio appreciate Titulo gradu-
que artium liberalium Baccalaureati
adornare: cujus sigillum commune
COllegii Neo-Caesariensis huic Mem
branae affixum nominaque nostri sub
scripta Iestimonium ferunt
Datum Aulae Nassauae, in Nova
Caesarea, septimo Calendas Octobris,
Ammo Aerae Christi, Millesimo Septin-
gessimo ct septuagesimo primo.
JoANNEs WTTHERsPoON, Praeses.
Gilielmus Franklin.
Richard Stockton,
GeOrgeius Bryan,
Gulielmus p. Smith, c..
JOannes Rogers, O"' "'''e''
Gulielmus Livingston,
Jacobus Caldwell,
Jeremias Halsey.
After a few historical scraps relative
to the venerable fourth President of
the United States, the Oregonian gives
the following translation of the d.
plOma:
PRESIDENT AND CURAToRs,
OF the College of New Jersey, to all and
every one who may read these let
ters-
Be it known that it pleases us with
diploma, by regal authority committed
to adorn JAMES MADISON, competing
candidate in the first degree of arts. APP
proved by previous examination, with
the title and degree of bachelor of the
liberal arts, of which the seal of the
college of New Jersey affixed to this
parchment and our names subscribed
bear witness.
Dated Nassau Hall. 9TH day Of DC.
tober, Year Of Our Lord, l77I.
The signers are President Joannes
WitherspoOn, Curators Gulielmus Frank
lin, Richard Stockton, Georgeius Bryan,
Gulielmus p. Smith, Joannes Rogers.
Gulielmus Livingston, Jacobus Caldwall
and Jeremias Halsey.
Now while this, in the main, is a fair
rendering of the original, tits defective
in several instances and wholly ut
variance with the truth in giving the
date Of the instrument. Readers are
left to reconcile the defective points
themselves, but the error in the date
is too serious a matter to pass by with
out correction.
The Oregonian translator installing
the true import Of the words septimo
calendds Octobris, makes the date to
be October 7, It'll. Now this is no less
than twelve days in advance of the
real date.
1t is we'll known that the Romans
did not count the days of their months
cOnsecutively. But from three fixed
points in the month, the Calends, the
Nones, and the Ides.
After passing one of these points,
the Roman fixed his date by desig-
mating the number of days which in
tervened between the day of his writ
ing and the next fixed point in the
month. The Cdlends always repre-.
scented the first day of the month, the
Nones the fifth, and the Ides the
thirteenth, except in March, May,
July and October, when the Nones fell
on the seventh, and the Ides on the
fifteenth. Thus, literally translated,
the date of Madison's diploma would
be, "the seventh day before the first
day of October" that is, the twenty.
fifth day of September. 1t should be
observed that, according to Roman
usage, both the 25th of September and
the LIST of October are counted in to
make the seven days. The commence
ment of the College of New Jersey where
young Madison graduated, was held
on Friday. Sept. Is, I'LL, and the
President of that institution knew
what he was about when he caused the
graduates diplomas to bear the same
date.
New Jersey College was founded in
1746 by the Presbyterian Synod Of
New York. Its first commencement
was held in l74S at Newark; but Oh
the completion of Nassau Hall, sc
named in honor of William III, the
college was removed 10 Princeton the
seat Of the Theological Seminary
As fitting close, and for the benefit
of curious readers / here append al
literal a translation of Madison.
diploma as the quaint original will
reasonably bear.