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fellowes would go to fupper before fix, and making an end fooner than at other times, they left the hall to the libertie of the UnderGraduats, but with an admonition from one of the fellowes (who was the Principal of the Under-Graduats and Poftmasters) that all things fhould be carried in good order. While they were at fupper in the hall, the cook (Will. Noble) was making the leffer of the brafs pots full of caw del at the Freshmen's charge; which, after the hall was free from the fellowes, was brought up and fet before the fire in the faid hall. Afterwards every Freshman, according to feniority, was to pluck off his gowne and band, and if poffibly, to make himfelf look like a fcoundrell. This done, they were conducted each after the other to the high table, and there made to ftand on a forme placed thereon: from whence they were to speak their speech with an audible voice to the company; which, if well done, the perfon that spoke it was to have a cup of cawdle and no falted drink; if indifferently, fome cawdle and fome falted drinke; but if dull, nothing was given to him but falted drink, or falt put in college beere, with tucks to boot. Afterwards when they were to be admitted into the fraternity, the fenior cook was to adminifter to them an oath over an old fhoe, part of which runs thus: Item tu jurabis, quod Pennylefs Bench non vifitabis, &c. the reft is forgotten, and none there are that now remembers it. After which spoken with gravity, the Freshman kift the fhoe, put on his gowne and band, and took his place among the feniors.

Now for a diverfion, and to make you laugh at the folly and

fimplicity of thofe times, I fhall entertain you with part of a speech, which A. Wood fpoke, while he ftood on the forme, placed on the table, with his gowne and band off and uncovered.

"Moft reverend Seniors, "May it plefe your gravities, to admit into your prefence a kitten of the mufes, and a mere frog of Helicon, to croak the cataracts of his plumbeous cerebrofity before your fagacious ingenuities. Perhaps you may expect, that I fhould thunder out Demicannon words, and level my fulphurious_throat against my fellowes of the Tyroci nian crew; but this being the univerfal judgment of wee fresh water academicans, behold as fo many Stygian furies, or ghosts rifen out of their winding fheets, wee prefent ourselves before your tribunal, and therefore, I will not fublimate nor tonitruat words, nor fwell into gi gantic ftreins: fuch towring ebul litions do not exuberate in my aganippe, being at the lowest ebb. I have been no chairman in the committee of Apollo's creatures, neither was I ever admitted into the cabinet councils of the Pierian dames, that my braines fhould evaporate into high hyperboles, or that I fhould baftinado the times with a tart fatyr of a magic pen. Indeed I am but a fresh water foldier under the banners of Phoebus, and therefore cannot as yet fet quart-pots or double jugs in battalia, or make a good fhot in fack and claret, or give fire to the piftoletto to bacco pipes, charged with its Indian powder; and therefore having but poor fkill in fuch fervice, I were about to turn Heliconian dragoon. er, but as I were mounting my dapper nagg Pegafus, behold Shrove

Tuesday

Tuesday night arrefted me, greeting me in the name of this honourable convocation, to appear before their tribunal, and make anfwer for myfelf, which, moft wife feniors, fhall be in this wife.

"I am none of thofe May-pole Freshmen, that are tall cedars before they come to be planted in [the] academian garden, who fed with the papp of Ariftotle at twenty or thirtie yeares of age, and fuck at the duggs of their mother the University, though they be high Coluffu[s]'s and youths rampant. "Thefe are they, who come newly from a bagg-pudding and a good brown loaf to deal with a penny-commons, as an elephant with a poor fly, tumbles it and tolles it, and at laft gives him a chop, that tug as hard for a poftmafter's place, as a dog at mutton.

"I am none of the Univerfity. blood-hounds, that feek for preferment, and whofe nofes are [as] acute as their eares, that lye perdue for places, and who good faints do groan till the vifitation comes. Thefe are they that eftcem a tavern as bad as purgatory, and wine more fuperftitious than holy water; and therefore I hope this honourable convocation will not fufler one of that tribe to taft of the fack, [left they] fhould be troubled with a vertigo, and their heads turne round.

"I never came out of the counry of Lapland. I am not of the number of beafts. I meane 'thofe greedie dogs and kitchen haunters, who noint their chops every night with greefe, and rob the cook of his fees, &c."

Thus he went forward with fmart reflections on the reft of the Freshmen and fome of the fervants, which might have been here fet downe, had not the fpeech been

borrowed of him by feveral of the feniors, who imbezl'd it. After he had concluded his fpeech, he was taken downe by Edm. Dickenfon, one of the Bachelaur-Commoners of the Houfe, who with other Bachelaurs and the fenior Under-Graduats made him drink a good difh of cawdle, put on his gowne and band, placed him among the feniors, and gave him fack.

This was the way and custome that had been ufed in the College, time out of mind, to initiate the Freshmen; but between that time and the restoration of K. Charles II. it was difufed, and now fuch a thing is abfolutely forgotten.

Certayne Queftyons, wyth Awnfwers to the fame, concernynge the Myfiery of Maconrye; wrytenne by the Hande f Kynge Ilenrve the Sixthe of the Name, and faithfullye copyed by me John Leylande, Antiquarius, by the Commaunde of bis Highmelle. They be as followethe:

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Anfaw. The Venetians, whoo beynge grate merchaundes, comed ffyrfte fromme the Efte ynn Venetia, ffor the commodyte of marchaundyfynge beithe efte and wefte, bey the Redde and Myddlelonde fees.

Queft. How comede ytt ynn Englonde ?

Anfw. Peter Gower a Grecian, journeydde for kunnynge yn Egypte, and yn Syria, and everyche Londe whereas the Venetians addeh plauntedde Maconrye, and wynnynge entraunce yn al lodges of Maconnes, he lerned muche, and retournedde, and woned yn Grecia Magna wachfynge, and becommynge a myghiye wyfeacre, and ratelyche renowned, and her he framed a grate lodge at Groton and maked manye Maconnes, fomne whereoffe dyd journeye yn Fraunce, and maked manye Maconnes, wherefrom, yn proceffe of tyme, the arte paffed yn Engelonde.

Queft. Dothe Maconnes difcouer here artes unto odhers >

Anfw. Peter Gower whenne he jurneyedde to lernne, was ffyrfte made,andanonne techedde; evenne foe fhulde all odhers be yn recht. Natheless Maconnes have the alweys yn everyche tyme from tyme to tyme communycatedde to mankynde foche of her fecrettes as generally che mighte be usefulle; they haueth keped backed foche allein as fhulde be harmefulle yff they commed yn euylle haundes, oder foche as ne myghte be holpynge wythouten the techynges to be joynedde herwythe in the lodge, oder foche as do bynde the freres more ftronglyche togeder, bey the proffytte and commodytye comynge to the confrerie herfromme.

Queft. What artes haueth the Ma connes techedde Mankynde?

Anfw. The artes Agricultura, Architectura, Aftronomia, Geome tria, Numeres, Mufica, Poefie, Kymiftrye, Governmente, and Relygvonna.

Queft. How commethe Maconnes more techers than odher menne?

Anfw. They hemfelfe haueth allien the arte of fyndynge neue artes, whyche art the fiyrfte Maconnes receaued from Godde; by the whyche they fyndethe whatte artes hem plefethe, and the treu way of techynge the fame. What odber menne doethe ffynde out, ysonlyche bey chaunce, and herfore but lytel I tro.

Queft. What dothe the Maconnes concele, and hyde?

Anfw. They concelethe the arte of ffyndynge neue artes, and thattys for here owne proffytte, and preife: they concelethe the arte of kepynge fecrettes, that foe the worlde mayeth nothinge concele from them. Thay concelethe the arte of wunderwerckynge, and of fore faying thynges to comme, thatt fo thay fame artes may not be usedde of the wyckedde to an euylle ende; that alfo concelethe the arte of chaunges, the wey of wynnynge the facultye of Abrac, the fkylle of becommynge gude and parfyghte withouten the holpynges of fere and hope; and the universelle longage of Maconnes.

Queft. Wylle he teache me thay fame artes?

Anf. Ye fhalle be techedde yff ye be wertbye, and able to lerne.

Queft. Dothe alle Maconnes kunne more then odher menne?

Anfw. Not fo. They only haueth recht, and occafyonne more then

odher

odher menne to kunne, butt many doeth fale yn capacity; and many more doth want induftrye, thatt ys perneceffary for the gaynynge all kunnynge.

Queft. Are Maconnes gudder menne than odhers?

Anfw. Some Maconnes are not so vertuous as fome odher menne; but yn the moste parte, they be more gude then thay would be yf thay war not Macones.

Queft. Doth Maconnes love eidther oder myghtylye, as beeth fayde?

Anfw. Yea verylyche, and yt may odherwyfe be: for gude menne, and true, kennynge eidher odher to be foche, doeth always love the more as they may be more gude.

Here endeth the Queftyonnes and AwnJweres.

Mifcel

Miscellaneous ESSAYS.

Extras from a Difcourfe delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy, on the diftribution of the prizes, Dec. 10, 1771, by the Prefident.

Tby the prefident in this difHE first principle laid down courfe is, that "The value and rank of every art is in proportion to the mental labour employed in it, and the mental pleasure produced by it ;" and he very juftly obferves, that, as this principle is obferved or neglected, the profeffion of painting becomes either a liberal art or a mechanical trade; it either vies with the pect in addreffing the nobleft faculties, or with the upholsterer in furnishing a houfe.

The painter, whofe art is ennobled by the exertion of mind, does not addrefs the fenfe but the foul; and this makes the great-diftinction between the Roman and the Venetian school.

Of the hiftory-painter, this great artift obferves, that no part of his work is produced but by an effort of the mind: there is no object that he can fet before him as a perfect model; none which he can venture minutely to imitate, and transfer, as he finds it, into his great defign.

leaving out peculiarities, and retaining only general ideas, as it produces perfect form, fo it allo gives what is called the great file to invention, compofition, expreffion, and even to colouring and drapery,

He defines invention in painting to be the power of reprefenting, upon canvas, the mental picture which every man forms, when a ftory is related, of the action and expreffion of the perfons employed: and he obferves, that the fubject of this invention, or the ftory from which the mental picture is form ed, which the artist is to exprefs upon canvas, fhould be generally known, and generally interesting; fuch as the great events of Greek and Roman fable and history, and the principal facts that are related in fcripture, which, befides their general hotoriety, are rendered venerable by their connection with our religion.

He obferves, that, in the conception of this ideal picture, the mind does not enter into the minute particularities of dress, furniture, or fcenery and infers, that the painter fhould, therefore, when he comes to transfer this picture from his mind to the canvas, contrive thefe little neceffary concomitant He proceeds to fhew, that the circumftances in fuch a manner,

that

F

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