Sagittulae, Random Verses

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Title: Sagittulae, Random Verses
Author: E. W. Bowling
Release Date: March 17, 2006 [EBook #18009]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
? START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SAGITTULAE, RANDOM VERSES ***
Produced by Al Haines
SAGITTULAE,
RANDOM VERSES
BY
E. W. BOWLING,
RECTOR OF HOUGHTON CONQUEST, AND?LATE FELLOW OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
Si dulce est desipere in loco,?ignosce nostro, blande lector, ioco.
LONDON:
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.,
PATERNOSTER ROW.
CAMBRIDGE: W. METCALFE & SON, TRINITY STREET.
1885.
PREFACE.
A very few of the following pieces appeared in "Punch," during the Consulship of Plancus. The rest have been written by me during the past twenty-five years, under the signature of "Arculus," for "The Eagle," the Magazine of St. John's College, Cambridge. I hope their reappearance will be welcome to a few of my old College friends.
The general reader will probably think that some apology is due to him from me for publishing verses of so crude and trivial a character.
I can only say that the smallest of bows should sometimes be unstrung, and that if my little arrows are flimsy and light they will, I trust, wound no one.
E. W. BOWLING.
CONTENTS.
THE BATTLE OF THE PONS TRIUM TROJANORUM?JULIA?CLIO FATIDICA?ATHLETES AND AESTHESIS?A VISION?A MAY TERM MEMORY?THE MAY TERM?A TRAGEDY OF THE 19TH CENTURY?"NUNC TE BACCHE CANAM"?A ROMANCE IN REAL (ACADEMIC) LIFE?THE SENIOR FELLOW?A VALENTINE?A CURATE'S COMPLAINT?TEMPORA MUTANTUR?SIMPLEX MUNDITIIS?TURGIDUS ALPINUS?THE ALPINE CLUB MAN?THE MODERN CLIMBER?THE CLIMBER'S DREAM?THE BEACONSFIELD ALPHABET?THE GLADSTONE ALPHABET?SOLITUDE IN SEPTEMBER?MEDITATIONS OF A CLASSICAL MAN ON A MATHEMATICAL?PAPER DURING A LATE FELLOWSHIP EXAMINATION?THE LADY MARGARET 5TH BOAT (May, 1863)?IN CAMUM?FATHER CAMUS?IN MEMORIAM G. A. P.?GRANTA VICTRIX?THE GREAT BOAT RACE?LINES BY A CAMBRIDGE ANCIENT MARINER?THE SORROWS OF FATHER CAM?THE COMING BOAT RACE?A BALLAD?AN APRIL SQUALL?BEDFORDSHIRE BALLAD.--I.?BEDFORDSHIRE BALLAD.--II.?BEDFORDSHIRE BALLAD.--III.?BEDFORDSHIRE BALLAD.--IV.
[Transcriber's note: The poems "In Camus" and "Father Camus" appear to be the same poem, the former in Latin; the latter in English. In the original book, they are printed on facing pairs of pages, the left-hand page Latin, the right-hand page English. In this e-text, each poem is together, and are in the same order as shown in the Table of Contents.]
THE BATTLE OF THE PONS TRIUM TROJANORUM:
A lay sung in the Temple of Minerva Girtanensis.
[NOTE.--On Thursday, February 24th, 1881, three Graces were submitted to the Senate of the University of Cambridge, confirming the Report of The Syndicate appointed June 3rd, 1880, to consider four memorials relating to the Higher Education of Women. The first two Graces were passed by majorities of 398 and 258 against 32 and 26 respectively; the third was unopposed. The allusions in the following lay will probably be understood only by those who reside in Cambridge; but it may be stated that Professor Kennedy, Professor Fawcett, and Sir C. Dilke gave their votes and influence in favour of The Graces, while Dr. Guillemard, Mr. Wace, Mr. Potts, Professor Lumby, Dr. Perowne, Mr. Horne and Mr. Hamblin Smith voted against The Graces.]
I
Aemilia Girtonensis,?By the Nine Muses swore?That the great house of Girton?Should suffer wrong no more.?By the Muses Nine she swore it,?And named a voting day,?And bade her learned ladies write,?And summon to the impending fight?Their masters grave and gay.
II.
East and West and South and North?The learned ladies wrote,?And town and gown and country?Have read the martial note.?Shame on the Cambridge Senator?Who dares to lag behind,?When light-blue ladies call him?To join the march of mind.
III.
But by the yellow Camus?Was tumult and affright:?Straightway to Pater Varius?The Trojans take their flight--?'O Varius, Father Varius,?'To whom the Trojans pray,?'The ladies are upon us!?'We look to thee this day!'
IV.
There be thirty chosen Fellows,?The wisest of the land,?Who hard by Pater Varius?To bar all progress stand:?Evening and morn the Thirty?On the Three Graces sit,?Traced from the left by fingers deft?In the great Press of Pitt.
V.
And with one voice the Thirty?Have uttered their decree--?'Go forth, go forth, great Varius,?'Oppose the Graces Three!?'The enemy already?'Are quartered in the town,?'And if they once the Tripos gain,?'What hope to save the gown?'
VI.
'To Hiz, [1] the town of Offa,?'Their classes first they led,?'Then onward to Girtonia?'And Nunamantium sped:?'And now a mighty army?'Of young and beardless girls?'Beneath our very citadel?'A banner proud unfurls.'
VII.
Then out spake Father Varius,?No craven heart was his:?'To Pollmen and to Wranglers?'Death comes but once, I wis.?'And how can man live better,?'Or die with more renown,?'Than fighting against Progress?'For the rights of cap and gown?'
VIII.
'I, with two more to help me,?'Will face yon Graces Three;?'Will guard the Holy Tripod,?'And the M.A. Degree.?'We know that by obstruction?'Three may a thousand foil.?'Now who will stand on either hand?'To guard our Trojan soil?'
IX.
Then Parvue Mariensis,?Of Bearded Jove