Holy Reason! sacred _Nous_! [3]
Thou that hast for ever parted
From the Cambridge Senate House,
Make, O make us valiant hearted!
Wisdom, still residing here,
Calm our mind and chase our fear
While with wild discordant clamour
On our College gate they hammer!
[_Confused Noise without._]
_Hemich. a._ [4] Horrid things! I really wonder
how they ever dared to come,
When they know to base Non-Placets
that we're always Not At Home.
_Hemich. B._ [4] 'Tis a national dishonour:
'tis the century's disgrace.
_Hemich. a._ If the College rules allowed it,
_I_ should like to scratch their face.
_Hemich. B._ Never mind! a time is coming
when despite of all their Dons
We will sack the hall of Jesus,
and enjoy the wealth of John's!
_Hemich. a._ Vengeance! let us face the foe-man,
boldly bear the battle's brunt,
With our Placets to assist us
and our chaperons in front!
[_Alarums; Excursions--special trains for voters._]
(_A violation of the rule_ "Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet" _is
about to commence, when--_)
_Enter_ APOLLO
(_With apologies to Dr V-rr-ll for his profligate character._)
When all too deftly poets tie the knot
And can't untwist their complicated plot,
'Tis then that comes by Jove's supreme decrees
The useful _theos apo mechanes_. [5]
Rash youths! forbear ungallantly to vex
Your fellow students of the softer sex!
Ladies! proud leaders of our culture's van,
Crush not too cruelly the reptile Man!
Or by experience you, as now, will learn
Th' eternal maxim's truth, that e'en a worm will turn.
[1. Transcriber's note: The words "Pheu" and "pheu" were transliterated
from the Greek as follows: "Pheu"--Phi, epsilon, upsilon; "pheu"--phi,
epsilon, upsilon.]
[2. Transcriber's note: The words "otototoi" and "ototototoi" were
transliterated from the Greek as follows: the "ot" pairs--omicron (with
the rough-breathing diacritical), tau; the trailing "i"--iota.]
[3. Transcriber's note: The word "Nous" was transliterated from the
Greek as follows: Nu, omicron, upsilon, sigma.]
[4. Transcriber's note: The "a" and "B" following each "Hemich" were
transliterated from the Greek "alpha" and "Beta", respectively.]
[5. Transcriber's note: The phrase "theos apo mechanes" was
transliterated from the Greek as follows: "theos"--theta, epsilon,
omicron, sigma; "apo"--alpha, pi, omicron; "mechanes"--mu, eta, chi,
alpha, nu, eta, sigma.]