PEPYS AT CAMBRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 104, 3 May 1924, Page 16

PEPYS AT CAMBRIDGE

STORIES .TOLD AT AN ANNIVER-

SARY DINNER.

The Master and Fellows of-Magdalene College, Cambridge, recently held a dinner in Hall in honour of the anniversary of the birthday, 292 years ago, of Samuel Pepys; the diarist, states a correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian." Pepys was a scholar of Magdalene., and it was to the college that he bequeathed his library of 3000 volumes, which included the original of the famous diary. For years now Magdalene College has honoured the uniqv work of Pepys by a birthday dinner, at which an eminent literary man has proposed the toast of his memory. Proposing "The immortal memory of Samuel Pepys," Mr. Edmund Gosse said the only thing distinctly known about Pepys as a member of the college was that he was "admonished for being scandalously over-served with drink the preyious mght." "I feel sympathetically towards him for that," said Mr. Gosse, because I myself have discovered that 1 have been surreptitiously over-served to-night, and I hope that no one of my fellow-guests will have to-be admonished to-morrow." People who talk about poor old Pepys' should remember that he was only 26 when he commenced his diary. He continued it for ten' years and then relinquished it perhaps because £■ !i stl? m u P°n his eyes> ba* more probably because he was bored by the idea ot continuing it any longer. Pepvs was what we would to-day call a brilliant young Civil servant:'* ihe Master of Magdalene (Dr. Benson), proposing "The Guests," told a story of Jowett. He was asked at a cortam function who was the lady sitting between the two bishops. "It must be Susannah," replied Jewett. (I/ Jn d laughter.) Dr. Benson told another good story of Mr. Bridgeman, who was once, he recalled, a master at Eton and very. loyal to the co]lege An «*»£ rowan, ,n a moment .of expansiveness'; once said to Mr. Bridgeman, "I suppose we may both of' us say that a special ™° V, 1, den<e r etches"over.Eton and Harm» f ?/, Bndgem.an refiected a -mo-' ment and then said, "I don't suppose Harrow 0" H* eV6n hea^ of narrow. (Laughter}. Eton SP t °?? ing> t th6 Head Maste* of who 1° » St°ry °? an ™°Je of his who had the rare distinction of' being m a Cambridge boat, which sank wf cherished the distinction for years untH Then bv S oDly-tWO °f the crew -Liien by a curious combination of cir cumstances, another Cambridge bo^t head mTsf - *'T UD°X' COD^ded the