Part 9 (1/2)

”I am, indeed,” said our hero, to whom a new world was opening.

They had now turned round by the west end of St. Mary's, and were pa.s.sing Brasenose; and Mr. Larkyns drew Verdant's attention to the brazen nose that is such a conspicuous object <vg069.jpg> over the entrance-gate. ”That,” said he, ”was modelled from a cast of the Princ.i.p.al feature of the first Head of the college; and so the college was named Brazen-nose.+ The nose was formerly used as a place of punishment for any misbehaving Brazennosian, who had to sit upon it for two hours, and was

--- * A name given to Worcester College, from its being the most distant college.

+ Although we have a great respect for Mr. Larkyns, yet we strongly sus- [footnote continues next page]

[70 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]

not ~countenanced~ until he had done so. These punishments were so frequent that they gradually wore down the nose to its present small dimensions.

”This round building,” continued Mr. Larkyns, pointing to the Radcliffe, ”is the Vice-Chancellor's house. He has to go each night up to that balcony on the top, and look round to see if all's safe.

Those heads,” he said, as they pa.s.sed the Ashmolean, ”are supposed to be the twelve Caesars; only there happen, I believe, to be thirteen of them. I think that they are the busts of the original Heads of Houses.”

Mr. Larkyns' inventive powers having been now somewhat exhausted, he proposed that they should go back to Brazenface and have some lunch.

This they did; after which Mr. Verdant Green wrote to his mother a long account of his friend's kindness, and the trouble he had taken to explain the most interesting sights that could be seen by a Freshman.

”Are you writing to your governor, Verdant?” asked the friend, who had made his way to our hero's rooms, and was now perfuming them with a little tobacco-smoke.

”No; I am writing to my mama - mother, I mean!”

”Oh! to the missis!” was the reply; ”that's just the same.

--- [cont.] pect that he is intentionally deceiving his friend. He has, however, the benefit of a doubt, as the authorities differ on the origin and meaning of the word Brasenose, as may be seen by the following notices, to the last two of which the editor of ~Notes and Queries~ has directed our attention:

”This curious appellation, which, whatever was the origin of it, has been perpetuated by the symbol of a brazen nose here and at Stamford, occurs with the modern orthography, but in one undivided word, so early as 1278, in an inquisition now printed in ~The Hundred Rolls~, though quoted by Wood from the ma.n.u.script record.” -~Ingram's Memorials of Oxford~.

”There is a spot in the centre of the city where Alfred is said to have lived, and which may be called the native place or river-head of three separate societies still existing, University, Oriel, and Brasenose. Brasenose claims his palace, Oriel his church, and University his school or academy. Of these, Brasenose College is still called in its formal style ' the King's Hall,' which is the name by which Alfred himself, in his laws, calls his palace; and it has its present singular name from a corruption of ~brasinium~, or ~brasin-huse~, as having been originally located in that part of the royal mansion which was devoted to the then important accommodation of a brew house.” -~From a Review of Ingram's Memorials in the British Critic~, vol. xxiv, p. 139.

”Brasen Nose Hall, as the Oxford antiquary has shewn, may be traced as far back as the time of Henry III., about the middle of the thirteenth century; and early in the succeeding reign, 6th Edward I., 1278, it was known by the name of Brasen Nose Hall, which peculiar name was undoubtedly owing, as the same author observes, to the circ.u.mstance of a nose of bra.s.s affixed to the gate. It is presumed, however, that this conspicuous appendage of the portal was not formed of the mixed metal which the word now denotes, but the genuine produce of the mine; as is the nose, or rather face, of a lion or leopard still remaining at Stamford, which also gave name to the edifice it adorned. And hence, when Henry VIII. debased the coin by an alloy of ~copper~, it was a common remark or proverb, that 'Testons were gone to Oxford, to study in ~Brasen~ Nose.' ”

-~Churton's Life of Bishop Smyth~, p. 227.

[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 71]

Well, had you not better take the opportunity to ask them to send you a proper certificate that you have been vaccinated, and had the measles favourably?”

”But what is that for?” inquired our Freshman, always anxious to learn. ”Your father sent up the certificate of my baptism, and I thought that was the only one wanted.”

”Oh,” said Mr. Charles Larkyns, ”they give you no end of trouble at these places; and they require the vaccination certificate before you go in for your responsions, - the Little-go, you know. You need not mention my name in your letter as having told you this. It will be quite enough to say that you understand such a thing is required.”

Verdant accordingly penned the request; and Charles Larkyns smoked on, and thought his friend the very beau-ideal of a Freshman. ”By the way, Verdant,” he said, desirous not to lose any opportunity, ”you are going to wine with Smalls this evening; and, - excuse me mentioning it, - but I suppose you would go properly dressed, - white tie, kids, and that sort of thing, eh? Well! ta, ta, till then. 'We meet again at Philippi!' ”

Acting upon the hint thus given, our hero, when Hall was over made himself uncommonly spruce in a new white tie, and spotless kids; and as he was dressing, drew a mental picture of the party to which he was going. It was to be composed of quiet, steady men, who were such hard readers as to be called ”fast men.” He should therefore hear some delightful and rational conversation on the literature of ancient Greece and Rome, the present standard of scholars.h.i.+p in the University, speculations on the forthcoming prize-poems, comparisons between various expectant cla.s.s-men, and delightful topics of <vg071.jpg> a kindred nature; and the evening would be pa.s.sed in a grave and sedate manner; and after a couple of gla.s.ses of wine had been leisurely sipped, they should have a very enjoyable tea, and would separate for an early rest, mutually gratified and improved.

This was the nature of Mr. Verdant Green's speculations; but whether they were realized or no, may be judged by transferring the scene a few hours later to Mr. Smalls' room.

[72 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]