Part 6 (1/2)

CHAPTER VI

THE PLACES OF THE DEGREE CEREMONY

The University of Oxford confers its degrees in three rooms, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Divinity School, and the Convocation House; the choice rests with the Vice-Chancellor, and now that, in the last year or so, degree-days have been made less frequent, and there are consequently more candidates on each occasion, the place is often the Sheldonian

This is a great improvement on old custos which was designed for the purpose, and it is also the only one which gives room for the proper conduct of the ceree

[Sidenote: The Sheldonian]

The Sheldonian, therefore, commonly known in Oxford as 'The Theatre', will be spoken of first, although it is the last in date of construction It is a reatest a Oxford's many episcopal benefactors, and also of the architectural skill of her most eminent architect, Sir Christopher Wren

Down to the time of the Civil War, the cererees were conferred, had taken place in St Mary's; but the influence of the Puritans was beginning to affect all parties, and was causing the growth of a feeling that religious buildings should not be used for secular purposes John Evelyn, who gives us our fullest account of the opening cereht 'indecent' that the Act should be held in a 'building set apart for the immediate worshi+p of God'[30], and this was 'the inducen to the Royal Society in 1663, and it had been much coe, and it was his first public building, but he was already known as that ' scholar', and he fully justified the Archbishop's confidence in hireat was this that Sheldon told Evelyn that he had never seen the building and that he never intended to do so Wren showed his boldness alike in the style he chose--he broke once for all with the Gothic tradition in Oxford--and in the skill hich he designed a roof which was (and is) one of the largest unsupported roofs in England The construction of it was a n

[Sidenote: Its Dedication]

The cost of the whole building was 25,000, as Wren told Evelyn, and architects, even the greatest of thens; but other authorities place it at 16,000, or even at a little over 12,000 At any rate, it was felt to be, as Evelyn writes, 'coes, and doubtless exceeding any of the present, as this University does for colleges, libraries, schools, students and order, all the universities in the world' We may pardon the enthusiasm of one as hiers and other coathered for the Dedication The ceremonies lasted two days (July 9 and 10, 1669), and on the first day extended 'froht'; we are not told how long they lasted on the second day They consisted of speeches, poeaiety wherein our acadeht; there was 'music too, vocal and instrumental, in the balustrade corridor opposite to the Vice-Chancellor's seat' And those who took part had areat preacher, South, was Public Orator; a were Tillotson, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the first to introduce Modern English into the style of the pulpit, and Compton, who, as Bishop of London, took so prominent a part in the Revolution

[Sidenote: The Roof Paintings]

Not the least conspicuous feature in the new building was the paintings by Robert Streater, which had been especially executed for it In accordance with the idea of Wren, ished to imitate the uncovered roofs of Greek and Ro of the flat roof within, is represented as open' Pepys, ent to see everything, records hoent to see these pictures in Streater's studio, and how the 'virtuosos' ere looking at theht 'them better than those of Rubens at Whitehall'; 'but,' Pepys has taste enough to add, 'I do not fully think so' This unmeasured admiration was, however, outdone by the contemporary poetaster, Whitehall, who ends his verses on the paintings,

That future ages elo,

lines in which the grammar and the connoisseurshi+p are about on an equality The paintings are on canvas fixed on stretchers, and hence have been re purposes o (1899-1901) There are thirty-two sections, and the whole painting measures 72 feet by 64 Unfortunately the subject is rendered difficult to understand, because the most i 'The Expulsion of Ignorance', is practically concealed by the organ; the present instrument was erected in 1877

[Sidenote: The Sheldonian Press]

Sheldon's building was designed for a double use It was to be at once the University Theatre and the University Printing Press, and it was used for the latter purpose till 1714, when the Oxford Press was ned by Sir John Vanbrugh The actual printing was done in the roof, on the floor above the painted ceiling The Theatre is for this reason thethe first half-century of its existence In one respect Archbishop Sheldon was so unlike most Oxford benefactors that hisenough to give a handsos; they too often leave to others the charge ofthese; but Sheldon definitely informed the University that he did not wish his benefaction to be a burden to it, and invested 2,000 in lands, out of the rents of which his Theatre inal donor and to the ever liberal Dr Wills of Wadham, who supplee on the University revenues

[Sidenote: The Restoration of the Sheldonian]

Unfortunately these repairs have been carried out with more zeal than discretion Even in Wren's lifetierous (1720), but the Vice-Chancellor of the tih not to consult a rival architect but to take the practical opinion of working masons and carpenters, who reported it safe Nearly 100 years later the same alarm was raised, whether with reason or not we do not know, for no records were left; all we do know is that the 'restorers' of the day took Wren's roof off, reer cupola, and generally did their best to spoil his work It is only necessary to compare the old pictures of the Sheldonian with its present state to see how in this case, as in so lories have suffered froness to let well alone

[Sidenote: The History of the Sheldonian]

The Sheldonian was not in existence during the period when University history was most picturesque Its associations therefore are nearly all acade to those who take part in thereat world Perhaps the most romantic scene that the Sheldonian has witnessed was the Installation of the Duke of Wellington as Chancellor in 1833, when the whole theatre went ate, Joseph Arnould of Wadham, declaimed his lines on Napoleon,--

And the dark soul a world could scarce subdue Bent to thy genius, chief of Waterloo

The subject of the poem was 'The Monks of St Bernard'

But the enthusiasreat, and the poetry far superior, when Heber recited the best lines of the best Newdigate on record:--

No ha; Like so

Majestic silence