Formerly the Dean of the college kept the Bachelor-fellows at
disputations in the hall, sometimes till late at night, and then to
give, them a black-night (as they called it;) the reason of which
was this:--"Among many other famous scholars of this college, there
were two great logicians, the one _Johannes Duns Scotus_, called
_Doctor Subtilis,_ Fellow of the college, and father of the sect of
the Realists, and his scholar _Gulielmus Occam,_ called _Doctor
Invincibilis,_ of the same house, and father of the sect of the
Nomenalists; betwixt whom there falling out a hot dispute one
disputation night, _Scotus_ being the Dean of the college, and _Occam_
(a Bachelor-fellow therein,) though the latter got the better on't,
yet being but an inferior, at parting submitted himself, with the rest
of the Bachelors, to the Dean in this form, _Domine, quid faciernus?_
(_i. e._ Sir, what is your pleasure?) as it were begging punishment
for their boldness in arguing; to whom _Scotus_ returned this answer,
_Ite et facite quid vultis_ (_i. e._ Begone, and do as you please.)
Hereupon away they went and broke open the buttery and kitchen doors,
and plundered all the provisions they could lay hands on; called all
their companions out of their beds, and made a merry bout on't all
night. This gave occasion for observing the same diversion several
times afterwards, whenever the Dean kept the Bachelor-fellows at
disputation till twelve o'clock at night. The last black-night was
about 1686."
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