IMPRESSIONS OF OXFORD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 81

IMPRESSIONS OF OXFORD.

By J. Allan Thomson, Rhodes Scholar.

As in the case of most towns, the approaches by rail to Oxford pass through the least beautiful quarters, and give an unfavourable impression. This- is only slightly removed by the journey from the Great Western Station to the Carfax, the centre of the city. Still there are objects of interest to a colonial even in that grimy mile of streets: a grey old Saxon tower, half visible on a tree-covered mound, reminds one of the antiquity of the place, while a canal with its wharf and tow-path is an interesting sight when seen for the first time. The slow lumbering old horse car reminds the visitor that he is in one of the sleepiest of provincial towns. But, indeed, a brand new clanging electric car would disfigure the stately old Hign street into which we now enter. To view the High in all its glory it is better to approach it from the other end. The traveller in olden days caught his first glimpse of Oxford from Headington Hill. Before ..him. rises the tree-en-circTed tower of Magdalen College, one of the most beautiful sights in Oxford. Beyond are churches, with towers and steeples, colleges and chapels, the massive dome of the Radcliffe Camera towering over all. Surely Tennyson must have had Oxford in mind when he descried "many tower'd Cainelot."

Crossing the old bridge of the Cherwell, the traveller would advance up the High towards Carfax. What solid walls of architecture present themselves in that stately curve of colleges- and churches! Venerable old buildings like University and All Souls' Colleges, modern but imposing piles iike Queen's and the New Schools lead one to St. Mary's, the University Church, its spiral columns hung with ivy and Virginian creeper. Behind is a large assembly of university buildings and colleges, of which the most interesting are theßadcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and Old Schools, and the Sheldonian Theatre. Names to . conjure with are these in Oxford circles. But my readers would be tired if I merely mentioned half the wonderful old architectural beauties of Oxford, which give it so distinctive a character amongst English cities.

Besides the scenic beauty of the architecture, Oxford soon impresses the colonial with its evidences of an interesting past. Some of the narrow streets with their old gabled wooden houses, overhanging attics, low courtways, rough-paved streets, and queer names — e.g., the Blue Boar, Holvwell street, etc., transport one with almost 11c exercise of the imagination to the middle ages.

The interiors of the colleges are well worth visiting, the cloistered quadrangles (as at Christ-church) carrying one back to monkish days at once. The lawns and gardens, especially at New and St. John's, are amongst the best known in Europe. Old chapels, halls, and libraries, each with its special piece of interesting history, peculiar staircases, panelled, rooms with ghosts and curious inscriptions, make the New Zealander realise that he does indeed come from the youngest of young countries.

To get to know Oxford, its buildings, its interesting bits of history and tradition, its relics of old masters, is the work of many months or years. The visitor of a day carries off a confused memory of colleges, quadrangles, churches, gardens, and streets. Any colonial visitors should e;ive a week if they wish to get even an inadequate idea of the place. The impressions I am recording are the results of some months, and they are still forming themselves. The place grows on one, and becomes even more homelike and more beautiful to those who call Oxford "Alma Mater."

The town owes much to the University, and would be in a sorry plight without it ; but the University has a very conservative influence on the town. It is opposed to all innovating and modernising ideas, and puts its veto on such improvements as electric trams. The Great Western Railway Company wished to make Oxford its headquarters, but to the disappointment of the town, the university prevented it. What a sacrilege it would have been to have made it such a place as Swindon, which is like four Addingtons compressed into one. Tho country round Oxford is beautiful and fertile, but the town is very low-lying, and suffers much from damp and fo°;.~. Somehow the old monks seemed to like such places,, for Cambridge is similarly situated.

The University of Oxford differs in many ways from that of New Zealand. It is a corporate body, and exercises a certain discipline over its members. The colleges are also corporate bodies, not subject to the University discipline, although each member of the college is also a member of the University. The unit, so to speak, is certainly the college : men are as proud of belonging to their college as to the University. The colleges are all residential, but are also teaching bodies. In olden days each college had a separate staff for ail subjects, but this is gradually disappearing, and now college dons and University professors agree to specialise more and throw open their teaching to the whole University. The University is not only an examining body, but also a teaching body. She has a large array of professors, readers, and demonstrators, many of them still intimately connected with some college as fellow. In science practically the whole of the teaching \s done in the University Museum and laboratories ljy University professors, so that the science man is fairly independent of the teaching of college. The University has theoretically the right of civil and criminal jurisdiction over its members, but now exercises this only in a limited degree. Its officers, the proctors, confine their attention to such oifenceg $s {vpjjearing at certain hours in

the streets without cap and gown, frequenting forbidden places of resort, such as billiard rooms, taverns, and the like, and unseemly behaviour in the streets. They have no jurisdiction in the college grounds. The University still exercises the right of returning two members to Parliament. The undergraduate's dealings with the- University are transacted through his college tutor. It is on record that a colonial graduate, wishing to get some information, called on the registrar. The poor man nearly fainted •at such an un-heard-of and peculiar idea.

Founded at different times and with different ideals, the colleges have a good deal of individuality. Many of them are "on the same foundation " as certain old public schools — e.g., New College and Winchester School, St. John's College, and Merchant Taylor's School. In such cases it generally happens that there are " close " scholarships from the school to the college, and that boys from that school coming up to Oxford will naturally join that college. This in turn leads to a school clique in the- college, which, if strong enough, may spoil the social life of the college for other men. Some colleges, again, are more expensive than others, and attract a wealthier class. In the larger colleges there are generally several cliques, and Rhodes scholars may easily be left out in the cold. In the smaller colleges the chief social distinctions depend on the standing of the men, freshers being of a different genus from second-year men. In the very small colleges there are practically no cliques. When I hear how little some of the other Rhodes scholars like their college, I congratulate myself on my choice of St. John's.

The average undergraduate does not bother himself much about finding out things. He goes to the college his father went to before him, or that his school or clergyman recommends. He is put under the charge of a tutor, who saves him all the trouble of planning out his own course, and he then settles down to pass the time as pleasantly as possible. Most of the Rhodes scholars, being more independent and having some idea of what they wanted, diligently read through such books as the " Blue Liar " (Student's Handbook) , "Statuta et Decreta," etc., and worried dens and officials till they got what they wanted. On the whole, considering the stress laid on residence, Oxford's treatment of foreign graduates is generous. They may take B.A. with honours in two years. Stijl a good deal of friction occurred in getting the various degrees recognised, and some of the American scholars were not successful. In my case a decree had to be passed admitting B.Sc. of New Zealand to the same privilege as B.A. The college authorities I found very liberal. As a rule the college keeps a strict hand on the studies of uadergrads, but in the case of the Rhodes scholars they made great concessions, in order that free play might be allowed to Mr Rhodes's schemes.

It is in her social life that Oxford is unique, and all anticipations were exceeded. Comfortably settled in an airy and well-furnished room, the first night _was marked by a succession of visits from captains and secretaries of the various clubs. Next morning the breakfast table was littered with invitations. "Will you come to breakfast with Smith and myself to-morrow at 8.45 a.m.? — Jones." Later in the week followed invitations to tea and coffee. The hospitable ladies of North Oxford were not behindhand in replying to letters of introduction with invitations to lunches, dinners, and teas. As the fieshers gob used to the idea they began to entertain one another to breakfast, tea, and coffee ; and so the first term was spent in a whirl of social functions, where one met every variety of temperament and character, and got the run of the men of one's own college.

A fearful thing is a first Oxford breakfast. It is the duty of the seniors to entertain all the freshers to one or more of these functions. So, after inquiring at the lodge where Jones's room is, you wend your way thither at 8.45, and find two or three other shy individuals like yourself. Jones pops his head out of his bedroom and says he'll be dressed in a few minutes. Then he comes in and inquires who's who, and introduces you to one another, and then speculates on whether Smith is up. Smith lives in digs, and probably is still asleep, so you all sit down to a huge meal. First a sole apiece, second a large dish of bacon and eggs, with toast and preserves unlimited. Smith , turns up about halfway through, and is hungry. Conversation is rather stiff unless one of your hosts is an old bird, but livens up at the end. After the meal you all sit round the fire and smoke, and wonder when you ought to go. Smith probably gives the signal by begging to be excused, as he has a lecture at 11, so you all file out after him with a " Thanks awfully " to your hosts. Ten minutes afterwards you meet Jones in the quad struggling into a gown as he rushes to his tutor, and you give him a smile of recognition. To your blank amazement he jesses you with a stony look of "don't know you." It isn't etiquette in St. John's for a second-year man to recognise a fresher in public.

Oxford etiquette Is a marvellous thing. It is not etiquette to shake hands with a .man except at the beginning and end of term. The seniors build a wall of etiquette round their own importance. Oxford slang is still more unintelligible to a stranger : "All the Mugger-Taggers were progged in the Giicr coming from the Yugger." Most streets have the definite article, the High, the Corn, the Turl, the Giler (St. Giles). Churches lose the Saint — e.g., Phil and Jim's, Barney's (St. Barnabas). The process for words of ordinary use is fairly simple : the final consonants are changed to double g and er added. Thus Merchant-Taylor becomes Mugger-Tagger, torpid is togger, stranger strags>er, and un'on yugger. But such is the influence of environment that astonishment quickly gives jilace to familiarity, I have almost

lost my impressions of these things — they \anishpd long ago. It is a good thing for the working student that tho terms are so short in Oxford. An average man's day is as follows : — Chapel 8 a.m., breakfast 8.30, lectures 11-1, lunch 1 p.m.. exercise (ekker) 2-4.30, tea 4.30-5, study (perhaps) 5-7, hall (dinner) 7-7.30 p. m. The rest of the evening is taken up with meetings of the union or other societies, theatre, or yarning in other men's rooms over coffee and smokes. Where does work come in? A good day is two hours' lectures and four hours' reading. Some men get in six or more hours' reading, but they miss the distinctive features of Oxford life. The honours men do their serious study in the vacations.

Most colleges have debating and essay societies, and various clubs for special purposes. The Oxford Union Society is an inter-collegiate club, with a clubhouse and debating hall of its own. The house is well fitted up, and has large reading rooms well stocked with all the current papers and periodicals, and has also a very good library. The debates are held once a week, and are generally well atknded. Many English politicians begin their political career on the floor of the union. Mr Gladstone and Lord Salisbury are notable instances. The Rhodes scholars are encouraged to speak and put forward colonial points of view, but too few have so far availed themselves of the opportunity. It is early yet to speak, however, for most of them are endeavouring to acquire freedom in public speaking in the college societies.

The treatment colonials receive at the hands of undergrads. is interesting. Personal peculiarities are readily excused as being due to a colonial education, while any good points in a man are regarded as personal traits. Thus colonials have an easy introduction into Oxford society, provided they do not blow their own horn too loudly.

Undoubtedly the full social and athletic life of Oxford fills a need that our colonial universities do not supply. It is difficult to define what one gets from it. The life is pleasant, and has a danger of encouraging slackness. Judging from its best products, it gives a man more polish in manners, and a greater amount of savoir faire than most men are likely to attain to in the colonies. It brings one into contact with men of every shade of opinion, political, religious, and social, and cultivates an open mind. It has its disadvantages, and England suffers for them ; but they are such in the case of the Rhodes scholar as should be counteracted by his previous colonial life. I am very hopeful about Mr Rhodes's ideals. I do not believe the result will be seen quickly, or at all in many individual cases, but in a century I am confident that Oxford will have inspired into colonial life through the Rhodes scholars some of that breadth of view and patriotism for the Empire that Mr Rhodes desired.