state of absolute nudity, were put upon a form placed upon the High Table, where they were forced to orate, in prose or in verse—to sing a song, tell a story, or turn a hand-spring—always to be punished for their efforts by some brutal treatment. We learn, from later chronicles, that "under the Commonwealth these Old World jovialities were disused at Merton; and soon afterwards died out." It is to be regretted that New World "jovialities" of the same nature should, under the Republic in America, survive so long and die so hard a death!
The American Undergraduate can, however, be a gentleman, even in his "jovialities"—when he tries. And not infrequently he tries! As was said, one night not long ago at a certain Football Dinner, given to celebrate a great Football victory, when the Toastmaster was peculiarly complimentary to the Poet:
"Oh the toughness of their toughness, when they're tough!
And the roughness of their roughness, when they're rough!
But the toughness of their toughness,
And the roughness of their roughness,
Are not in it with the guffness of their guff."
"Guff" is undergraduate for taffy!
It is not an easy matter now to determine what, or who, were the University Sports before the development of Cricket and Football, and before
