New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
Nrxv WORK. TR1RI1NE ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT-

lecting "supplicats." or petitions tor degrees
signed by heads OF colleges. the bedell handing
them 10 the proctors. who then and there certify
in Latin words TO their acceptance. Then the
father OF the senior wrangler-"fathers' have
TO be dons who are members of the university
Senate-takes his distinguished "son" by the
hand and presents him to the vice in brief
Latin speech prescribed for the purpose The
son" then kneels before the vice and puts UP
his two hands in the attitude of prayer shown
on many old tombstOnes and brasses and the
vice, taking the candidates hands in his, says, in
Latin: by the authority committed to me l ad-
nit thee to the title Of Bachelor Designate in
Son and of the Holy Ghost" After the senior
wranger all the other honors men go through
the same ceremony In their class order. and then
the poll" in prescribed order Of colleges be-
ginning with Kings and Trinity and ending
with Sidney Sussex and Downing
The formula OF admission, however has been
somewhat modified within the present century.
1t used to be not ito the title OF Bachelor Desig
nate" but "to answer the question" cad re-
spondenduru quastioni"). Nobody at Cambridge
knew exactly what the question was. and yet IL
was certain that at some time or other in the
history Of the university bachelors designate
had TO answer a question No doubt the ques-
ton" was nothing more nor less than the objec-
ton raised In the public disputaton against
thesis which every bachelor designate had 70
defend before he could take the hood that
marked him an unqualified and full-nedged
"Baccalaureus in Artibus."
For even now the bachelor designate-eyen the
great senior wrangler himself-cannot wear the
hood Of his degree until his inauguration" He
may stand before his admring friends In
b. A. gown, but the white Cambridge hood he
can only put on on the last day Of Michaelnas
term-a few days before Christmas. That was
in primitive times the occasion when the ques-
ton" had TO be answered. There has never been
any pretence at a public deputation in arts since
four generations ago, when Shilleto, the famous
scholar poked his scholarly fun at the whole
business in a witty attack Oh Paleys doctrine OF
suicide, making Latin puns which confounded
the canon against self-slaughter" with the khi'
ing Of pigs All that the bachelor designate has
TO do nowadays is to possess his bachelors gown
and his soul In peace until the last day OF
Michaemas term brings him the right TO wear
his hood-if ne chooses 10 buy one
But this long process of admission 10 title
not to the degree-with the interval before in
auguration this and the custom by which
b. A. whose standing entities him TO become
NJ A must first be an "inceptor'-a commencer
and then wait until the end Of next Trinuy
term to become NJ A. "by creation" sheds ilght
on the term Commencement The commence
ment was evidently the bachelors entry upon SIX
months of training at the hands OF an intellect
ual coach" with a view 10 answering the
question" before Christmas.
So America has inherited from Cambridge ~
Cambri ige in her day inherited from Paris anu
Paris from Bologna And the words boys use Il
New-York to-day are the shadows Of things uon'
ND 4