The sun., 1902-01-26

| VIZ
table OF the fellow or gentleman commoner
whom they served. 1t was also the busi-
ness OF scholars on the foundation TO wait
| In hall on the Fellows by turns.
, Az matter Of fact the position OF SER
vitor at Oxford In the eighteenth century
was not felt as a degradation by the 'oc-
cupant. because, as a rule, he had come
from very humble walk OF life Thus,
when Sir John 'Birkenhead entered as a
servitor at oriel. his brother was common
trooper. Bishop Robinson was sent up
through the kindness Of his patron from
the plough. First servitor at Brase-
nose. he became fellow Of Oriel. an envoy
to Sweden, and Bishop In turn OF Bristol and
London. The scholarships which he founded
at Oriel attest his gratitude to the Uni
versity. The celebrated Whitefeld was
the son OF tavern keeper at Gloucester
To quote his own words. Il put on my blue
apron and my snuffers, washed mops,
cleared rooms and In one word. became
professed and common drawer for nigh
a year and half at the expiration OF
which time his mother hears that there is
n possibility OF admission at Pembroke
College. Oxford. and enters him there as
servitor. Samuel Wesley. tho father
OF the Wesleys who we're TO change the
whole state OF religion In England, was the
son Of an cjected and starving noncon-
formist minister: when. at the age Of six
teen, he walked to Oxford and entered
himself as servitor at Exeter College.
his whole worldly wealth amounted
to no more than e. Ies Yet, after sup
porting himself during his whole uni
utth
his friends save trivial hve shillings. be set
OF TO London to make his plunge into life
with a capital increased to fi0l5s. Five
shillings seemed TO have been no uncom-
mon allowance TO a servitor OF the time.
When, beginning the ascending scale,
we come TO the Oxford freshman we en-
counter no greater difference between
the novice OF I7eo and the tyro OF hun
dred years later, than existed between the
hoop Of the ono period and the crinoline
OF the other Their costume and manners
might differ; but they blushed with the
same verdancy, passed through the ordeal
OF the same mercl' p. ridicule. and devel-
oped into much the same characters.
With the aid OF some contemporary
sketches, Green was able TO gain a pretty
distinct conception OF the eighteenth
century freshman. we see," he says,
'the public school man just freed from
the rod OF Busby's SUCCESSORS. strutting
about town for a week or two before en-
trance. courting his schoolfellows' envy
with his new suit Of drugget, his pair OF
trim ruffies, his new bob wig and brazen
hilted sword staggering ct coffee houses,
and giving himself a scholars airs at the
bookshops. We see the country greenhorn
mounted on an easy pad, trotting with
father and mother along the Oxford road;
or meet In the High the rough country
farmer. with his equally unkempt hopeful.
staring moodily about In 'linsey- -woolsey
coats. greasy sunburnt heads Of hair. clouted
shoes. yarned stockings, tapping hats
with silver hat bands. and long muslin
neckcloths wrlng with red at the bottom
They are domineered over by the butler,
overawed by the tutor. and introduced
by the latter to a parcel OF honest. merry
fellows who complete their initiation by
carrying them drunk to bed for three or
four nights together. They are awakened
by the bell at six and bestow pardonable
malediction on the servitor who bids them
tumble into chapel with heads reeling from
the last nights debauch. A few weeks
anu uney dre sNakktIulk III NutH H'N
bob wigs and Oxfopdmade shoes. drigget
supersedes linsey -woolsey. and worsted
stockings the yarn, and n month or two
sees them metamorphosed into complete
smarts, 'd---g the old country puts. /
their fathers, with twenty foppish airs |
and gesticulations Nothing is more
curious than the great change Of habits Z
with respect 20 early rising since the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries. Milton !
rose at four In the morning even after he /
lost his sight. for the purpose Of study. |
Hobbies. when at Oxford. wac remarkable |
for the early hour at which lac got up War |
ton. who would saunter and chat all day. |
rose in the early morn To study Al the |
very close Of the ei ghteenth century Shelley's |
biographer asserted that. while many ~ I
the wholesome usages ~ antiquity hai 7
oeAs.s.d at Oxford. that of early risif = I
saill fingered from his subsequent state
ments Il seems 20 have b"en thought. even 1
a. that time. a piece ~ gross indol"noe 90
rrmsin Ia l..d after seven in the morning. h
no matter at what hour the sl.ep~r migl /
hsve reiired Ia rosl
IT, the eighteenth century the class -
gentleman -oommoners which b. nov rap.
IDLY decAyins. was IN iis fullest ,lgor
Ili.s- young men we're alloNod to dine
siihsr ~ith tho Fellnss. 80 a. q ssuarai"
ahls ~ their osb. their college Dhafs's
~.fo double thpHo II aA ordinary mrmll.r
ald iilrHy even m1r' than lirupor iuuat.
~ their pusilion ss'snis tn haze iaIn o..
Owed them Etey trmpaiion tu idlrurss
sac. IA faoi thf0sn o. their SAy insy
-aro told plainly thai 1 sas uoi fYf mon
u thsb fortune a. mind oIrfolsas N
.iudious tho gentleman -o1mmahof aas
Auntsd 9Th t.ulns 'mufuss add q heavy
s.aklah fsllos n be siEs Nas sod.
no Ielloss you'd forgive sfsfy dol.H
luanuY and sHm,lss even sissnlUr ffsm
nsfnihs olapei oihians ssssfs soiH
nsfts on 40 40 81 fanilrn,ar .H..a
nai.sf 81 usfufi afs col Anasu ~
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Iai snitlHIf.sE ..fi.IH..HI HaH sI..I
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