The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-13
"MALLARD DAY"

Among the many quaint observ- ances of the ancient colleges and schools of England not the least amusing is "Mallard Day." the spe- cial festival of the undergraduates and alumni of All Souls College, OK ford. It is celebrated on the four teenth of January by a great merry making general frolic, but this year owing to the war and to the fact that the date falls on Sunday, it has been decided to dispense with the custom ary frivolity.
 "Mallard Day. orates nothing more important than the find ing of rnallard in a drain in the year 1437, when workmen were dig ging a foundation for the college buildings. A contemporary account of the incident has been preserved, and 1t ist worth reprinting because of it's quaint English
 "Whenas Henrye Chichele, the late renowned archbishope of Cantorberye, had minded to founden a colf1dge in Oxenforde, for the hele of his soule and the soules of allS those who peryshed in the wares of Fraunce, fighteing valiantelye under our most gracious Henrye the fifthe, moche was he distraughten concerning the place he myghte choose for thilke purpose. Him thinkyth some whylest how he myghte place it withouten the eastern porte of the citie, both for the pleasauntnesse of the meadowes and the clere streamys therebye runninge. Agen him thinkyth odir whylest howe he mote builden it on the northe side forl the helefuV ayre there coming from the fieldes. Nowe while he doubeth thereon he dremt, and behold there appereth unto him one of righte godelye parsonage, sayi1le and advise ing as howe he myghte placen his col lidge in the high streete of the citie, nere unti the chirche of our blessed ladie the Virgine, and in witnesse that it was sowthe, and no vain and deceitful phantasie, wolled him to lave the first stane of the founda- tion at the corner which turneth to- wards the Cattys Strete, where in delvinge he myghte of a suretye finde la schwoppinge mallarde imprisoned in the sinke or severe, wele yfattened and almost ybosten. Sure token of the trivaunce of his future collidge.~~
 "Moche doubteth he when he awoke on the nature of this vision, whethyr ne mote give neQ0 thereto or not. Then advisyth he there with monie doctors and learnyd clerkys, who all seyde howe he oughte to maken trial upon it. Then comyth he to Ox4 enforde, and on a Caye fixed, after masse, seyde, proceedeth he in sol- emnee wyse, with apades and pick axes for the nonce provided, to the place afore spoken of. But long they had not digged ere they herde, as it myghte seme, within the wam of the earthe, horrid strugglinges and flut- teringesg, and anon violent quaak- inges of the distressyd mallarde. Then Chichele lyfteth up his hondes and seyeth Benedicite, Sc. &c Nowe when they broughte him forth, be- hold the size of his bodie was as that of bustarde or an ostridge And mech wonder was thereat; for the lycke had not been scene in this 1onde, ne in onie odir.'
 However much of truth there may be in this ancient tale, it is certain that All Souls "Collidge" has fully justified the token of the rivaunce'' and the college men do well to honor the mal- lard-even if some of the latter day sceptics among them have suggested that the good Archbishop may have had some excellent reason to suspect that the fattened bird would be found in the spot where he dug-some req son more substantial than a dream!