Part 1 (2/2)
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Civil Law or of Medicine
Bachelor of Divinity
Master of Surgery
Bachelor of Civil Law or of Medicine (and of Surgery)
Doctor of Letters or of Science[3]
Master of Arts
Bachelor of Letters or of Science
Bachelor of Arts
Musical degrees
It sorees at once (ie BA and MA); this 'unusual distinction', as local newspapers adenerally due to the unkindness of exaed the ordinary BA course by repeated 'ploughs' In these cases the lower degree is conferred out of order before the higher
The sarees; they are fourfold, and are repeated for each separate degree or set of degrees Here they are only described once, while ree are noticed in their place; but it is important to remember that the essentials recur in each adless repetition of the same ceremonies This repetition was once arace' to be taken separately, and the Proctors 'walked' for each candidate Degree cereth, although the nu was only half what it is now
[Sidenote: (1) The _Supplicat_]
The first forree One of the Proctors reads out the _supplicat_, ie the petition of the candidate or candidates to be allowed to graduate; this is the duty of the Senior Proctor in the case of the MAs, of the Junior Proctor in the case of the BAs; for the higher degrees, eg the Doctorate, either Proctor may 'supplicate'
The form of the _supplicat_ is the same, with necessary variations, in all cases; that for the MA iven as a speciationi Doctoruentiuio _C_ qui complevit omnia quae per statuta requiruntur, (nisi quatenus cum eo dispensatum fuerit) ut haec sufficiant quo admittatur ad incipiendue, Bachelor of Arts, who has completed all the requirements of the statutes (except so far as he has been excused), asks of the venerable Congregation of Doctors and Regent Masters that these things may suffice for his admission to incept in the same faculty')
This form is at least as old as the sixteenth century, and probably inal form it set forth ree (cf cap ii) After each _supplicat_ has been read by the Proctor, he with his colleague walks half-way down the House; this is in theory a for of the votes of the MAs present When the Proctors have returned to their seats, the one of theue irace) to have been granted'
('Hae gratiae concessae sunt et sic pronuntiamus concessas') The Proctors' walk is the ree cerehter It should, however, be maintained with the utmost respect; for it is the clear and visible assertion of the democratic character of the University; it iht to be consulted as to the admission of others to the position which he hiination has invented afor it, which certainly was not contemplated in its institution; it is currently believed that the Proctors walk in order to give any Oxford tradesainst the degree of a defaulting candidate 'Verdant Green'[4] was told that this was the origin of the ominous 'pluck', which for centuries was a word of terror in Oxford; in the last half-century, it has been superseded by the h' There is a tradition that such a protest has actually beenmemory and certainly it was threatened quite recently; a well-known Oxford coach (now dead) informed the Proctors that he intended in this way to prevent the degree of a pupil who had passed his examinations, but had not paid his coach's fee The defaulter, in this case, failed to present hi' did not take place
[Sidenote: (2) The Presentation]
The second part of the ceremony is the presentation of the candidates to the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors; this is done in the case of the higher degrees, Divinity, Medicine, &c, by the Professor at the head of the faculty[5], in the case of the MAs and BAs by the representative of the college
The candidates are placed on the right hand of the presenter, ith 'a proper bow' ('debita reverentia') to the Vice-Chancellor and the Proctors, presents the; that for the MA is as follows:--
'Insignissiii Procuratores, praesento vobis hunc Baccalaureum in facultate Artium, ut admittatur ad incipiendum in eadem facultate'
('Most eminent Vice-Chancellor, and excellent Proctors, I present this BA to you for admission to incept in the faculty of Arts')