THE JUNIOR IN ELECTION WEEK.
“Ad Portas”—“Electors”—“Candlesticks”—“Founders”—Examinations—
“Superannuates”—Medal Speaking—Election Dinners—Effects of Eating
Ice when Hot—Resignation—“Domum”—“Ball”—“Jam Lucis”—“Batlings”—Last
Breakfast.
The last week of the Long half, or “Election week,” was indeed a
“Jubilee” for the Fags, inasmuch as there were no lessons whatever, and
the Præfects were either undergoing their examination or preparing for
it, and consequently too busy to play cricket to any great extent.
On Tuesday, the Warden of New College and the other electors were
received at Middle Gate by the boys, headed by the Præfect of Hall, who
addressed them with a Latin oration (“Ad Portas.”) The Electors were
the Warden and two fellows of New College, (called “Posers,”) with the
Warden, Sub-warden, and Head Master of Winchester. Each of these had in
turn the privilege of nominating a boy for admission into Winchester till
all vacancies were filled, of which there were generally about twelve,
but always many more “Candidates,” (or “Candlesticks,” as they were often
called.) Two fortunate individuals were selected by vote from among such
of the candidates as could prove their descent from the Founder, and were
placed at the head of the list, and got the first two vacancies. They
were called Founders, and had several privileges, the principal of which
was, that two of them were always brought up to the head of the roll at
every election for the first two vacancies at New College; they were also
not obliged to leave (“to be superannuated”) at the age of eighteen, as
all the others were. I have known several cases of Founders remaining
till they were past twenty, and one in particular, who, year after year,
saw other Founders put over his head, till he left in despair at a green
old age; and it was reported that, on one occasion when playing against
Eton at Lord’s, on his making a fine hit, a small voice from the crowd
was heard to call out, “Well hit, Papa, run along.”
[Illustration: THE LATIN SPEECH—AD PORTAS.]
After Ad Portas, the Electors adjourned to Election Chamber over Middle
gate, accompanied by “Semper Testis,” a gentleman in a white hat, who was
never seen except on very solemn occasions, and whose functions it would
be sacrilegious to attempt to investigate.
After a time “The Scrutiny” commenced. This was effected by sending for
the seven senior and seven junior boys, and examining them as to the
internal economy of the College. I don’t think that much information was
often extracted by this operation.
On Wednesday morning the Candlesticks were examined, or rather supposed
to be, as it was merely a form, their seniority on the Roll being
settled by the nomination of the Electors as above mentioned. They had to
try to construe a bit of Latin, and were then asked if they could sing,
and, whatever their answer, had to repeat the words, “All people who on
earth do dwell.”
After this began the Examination of Sixth book and Senior part, which
was a very different affair. They were divided into three parts, called
respectively “Senior, Middle, and Junior Fardel.” It was brought to an
end on Thursday evening with “a Varying”—_i.e._, a short extemporaneous
composition in Latin verse. After the examination was over, there was
great excitement till “The Roll”[12] came down, which gave the names of
those who were to go to New College and enter Winchester. It was always
brought by the Head Porter, Poole, to the window of Sixth, and delivered
to Senior Founder, when loud was the cheering if there was no change in
the roll, or if some very popular individual was promoted, or held his
own contrary to the general expectation.
There were generally about four or five vacancies in New College each
year. The date of a boy’s birth might be of serious importance to him, as
if it occurred just before Election he would be Superannuate, and could
only fill any vacancy that occurred before the Election following; but if
his birthday was three days later, he would not be Superannuate till the
next Election. This was called “gaining a year by Election.”
But other things besides examinations were going on in this eventful
week. On Tuesday there was the Medal speaking in school, when the rows
at the west end of school were filled with an interested audience of old
Wykehamists. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday there were grand dinners
in hall to which all old Wykehamists and many others were invited; the
hospitality was indeed unbounded. The big wigs sat at the high table,
and down the centre of hall was laid a row of tables at which all the
other strangers sat, with the second master at the top. The Candlesticks
sat at Tub mess, presided over by the Bible Clerk for the week; and below
them were the Grace singers, Superannuates, and “Children.” These latter
were appointed by the Electors, who each named one. Their duties were
to pocket a sovereign, and eat a particularly good dinner. The other
boys sat on the south side. The dinner given to them was mutton-pies and
“Stuckling.” This latter is a production which, I am happy to say, is
peculiar to Winchester, and fortunately only to be found there during
two days in Election week. In external appearance and in section it is
similar to a mince pie, and in taste it is something like one that has
been soaked in vinegar, and then kept till it is mouldy. It is made of
chopped beef, currants, suet, apples, and carraway seeds. I have seldom
seen anybody taste it a second time. These rations were, however, scorned
by the boys; and as half the good things from the centre table were
handed over to them, they made up for any past deficiencies in the way
of dinner, in a manner that must have been surprising to the lookers on.
Venison pasty, currant-pies, pea-soup, ham, ducks, cucumber, fish, &c.,
disappeared as if by magic, washed down by libations of “Huff,” (very
strong ale.) The gospel was read by the Bible Clerk for the week after
the first course, and at the conclusion the beautiful grace was sung by
the boys, with the help of the cathedral choristers and singing men.
On Friday the boys had no dinner in hall, where the Dons had it all to
themselves, and afterwards adjourned for wine and dessert to the Warden’s
Gallery, where they complimented each other in the usual after-dinner
style.
All through the week the Fags revelled in cricket on their own account,
and strawberries and cream and ices were supplied in a continual
stream by the Oxford men and old Wykehamists, who resorted to Meads in
considerable numbers. One can get too much of a good thing; for on one
of these days I came up melting with heat from Meads, and going into
chambers washed my hands and face, and consumed a quantity of ice. The
next morning when I awoke I found my pillow saturated with blood, which
had flowed from my nose during my sleep,—this was the only time in my
life that I have ever had a _spontaneous_ effusion from that organ. The
morning following, when I awoke, I felt a strange irritation over my
face and hands, with some symptoms of eruption. I sent for a doctor,
who informed me I had the smallpox. I denied the soft impeachment, as I
felt perfectly well. I was sent home, and my face and hands soon became
one mass of pimples, and, after about a fortnight, all the skin peeled
off, and I recovered with the loss of my complexion, which exchanged its
former peculiar delicate hue for that of boiled veal, which it has ever
since retained.
When a boy was going to leave the School for good, he had to send in
his resignation to the Warden, written on a slip of paper. It ran as
follows:—
“_Ego Robertus Jones omne jus quod habeo aut unquam habui in
hoc Collegio Beatæ Mariæ Winton prope Winton, ætate cogente
(_or_ parentibus volentibus) libenter resigno._”
The last Friday evening of the half year there was a grand celebration
of “Domum” in school, which was adorned with branches and banners. A
military band was engaged, and “Domum” was sung by all the company till
they were hoarse. It was an exceedingly gay and animated affair. Numbers
of ladies graced the school with their presence, and crowds of old
Wykehamists, fancying themselves boys once more, wandered about among
the old familiar scenes. From school the company adjourned to Meads, and
then to the Chamber quadrangle, at each place singing “Domum” louder
than before, till at last the power failed, and the ladies, visitors, and
Superannuates went to recruit their energies for a brief period before
going to the “Domum ball” at St John’s rooms, of which the Superannuates
were stewards, and which was generally kept up with tremendous energy far
into the small hours. The boys’ last breakfast at the George or White
Hart formed an appropriate supper for the most enthusiastic dancers.
After chapel on the last morning all the boys, with the second master
at their head, marched round the quadrangle, singing the beautiful
Latin hymn commencing with _Jam lucis orto sidere_; they then adjourned
to Sixth, where the journey money was distributed, and then went off
rejoicing to the “Last breakfast.”
There was generally an exciting contest between the adherents of
the George and White Hart hotels, as to which should provide this
entertainment. The former generally had the call; but one year, when
some of us had made a particularly good feed at the latter establishment,
we got up a little private canvass before the usual time, and to the
great disgust of the Præfects, who were all Georgists, we carried the
day triumphantly. The expense was defrayed by the boys subscribing the
last three “Batlings,” (_i.e._, the weekly shilling allowed each boy.)
This was rather an illusory coin, for we seldom actually fingered it, as
some one of the College servants generally had a kind of prescriptive
right to a benefit; and whenever Saturday arrived, Præfect of Hall’s
valet was sure to come round to ask the boys if they would give their
batlings to Rat Williams, or Dungy, or Purver, or Long John, or some
other equally deserving individual. The last breakfast was a decidedly
jolly and a very good repast,—in fact, it was a regular dinner, with tea
and coffee instead of wine. Then the inn-yard was full of postchaises
and four-wheelers, with a four-horse coach or two drawn up outside; and
the exulting Junior slipping a shilling into the expectant hand of the
obsequious “Yessah,” stepped proudly into his vehicle, and soon forgot
all the troubles of his first half in delightful anticipation of coming
festivities.
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