The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-04

surdity. as when plain drink is called
q dram of bale This is affectation and
nothing more.
People live so much more comfortably
now than the PEOPLE lived in the days
even Of Shakespeare and Great Eliza
beth" or in the time of Milton. little
later who fed on oat meal porridge when
at Cambridge University. Oxford Uni
versity, England, is now publishing his
tories of its colleges. You must know
that the great and ancient university is
composed of a great many colleges, more
than twenty in number. So the history
of each is being written and published
The last two are Merton and New Col
lege. Merton College owes its existence
to Walter de Merton, who was born
about A. D. 1900. He became a great
ecclesiastic. and founded the college bear
ing his name 1864 The manners and GUS
toms were queer then. All conversa-
tion at meals was carried on in Latin.
Cheese seems to have been the chief
article of food often. Merton is particu-
larly distinguished for boating, cricket,
and foot ball. / suppose the greater
schools were famous for learning and
intellectual exercises. New College was
founded later, in 1879. The poor student
was allowed one shilling a week for his
food-luxurious living that He was not
allowed to pawn his clothes or sell them
within five years. After wearing them
for four years he might bestow them on
a junior student or fellow. There was but
little religious instruction. From three
70 cf1 cd
and there was no fire, and the windows
were unglazed On the floor was straw,
but each student had a bed All games
were prohibited. 1t had rot yet come to
pass that athletics were q part OF the
educational curriculum, or foot ball
had been introduced to perfect learning,
and make experts stand at the foot of
classes as is the case often now in fore
most Northern Institutions of learning,
as is reported. 1t was bad form" for
students to walk alone. Rich men in
medieval days were often liberal and
beneficent. William de Wykeham was
an ecclesiastic, but he founded q college.
But poor or imperfect as the colleges
were they supplied education for many
able, eminent men. Roger Bacon, Duns
Scotus and William of Ackham were
trained at Merton.
1t is rather strange than otherwise
that some later-day critics speak in al
most contempt of Sir Walter Scotts once
so famous poems. You would suppose
frcm dim offhand judgments that Scott
was common place scribbler of verse,
who once had popularity, and most
strangely, but under advancing taste 60
save the MARYLAND a finer, more crlti-
cal insight the beauty and dash
and fire of "Marmion,' and THE
Lay of the Last Minstrel" and 1.-The
Lady of the Lake" had gone glimmer-
ing like q school boys dream, the Won
der of an hour" But there are still
living thousands of readers who believe
Scott to be q very true and delightful
poet, who without the perfection OF
form of Tennyson, or the meditative pro-
fundity OF Wordsworth, or the intense
dramatic vigor of many CT the greatest
poets, is a writer OF poetic genius, OF
abundant ardor, of the most dashing
spirit. reminding one more of Homer than
OF any other modern, full of action and
glow, and entitled to the admiration in
which he is held by his own cultivated
countrymen, and by lovers of poetry the
world over The Edinburgh Review Ga
Whig organ) declared that the Last
Minstrel" was childish. and "Marmion'
of no special merit. But living critics OF
superior endowments, like Salisbury and
Lang, have high appreciation and nc