ith
uncovered heads and by themselves ("Mundus ab immundo venit
separandus"); under the penalty of two blows they are required to keep
silence ("quia vox funesta in judiciis audiri non debet.") The bajan
who has patiently and honestly served his time and is about to be
purged, is given, in parody of an Inception in the University, a
passage in the Institutes to expound, and his fellow-bajans, under
pain of two blows, have to dispute with him. If he obtains licence,
the two last-purged bajans bring water "pro lavatione et purgatione."
The other rules of the Abbot's Court deal with the duties to be (p. 114)
performed by the youngest freshman in Chapel (and at table if servants
are lacking), and order bajans to give place to seniors and not to go
near the fire in hall when seniors are present. No one, either senior
or freshman, is to apply the term "Domine" to a bajan, and no freshman
is to call a senior man a bajan. The Court met twice a week, and it
could impose penalties upon senior men as well as bajans, but corporal
punishment is threatened only against the "infectos et fetidissimos
bejannos."

At Aix, a fifteenth-century code of statutes orders every bajan to pay
fees to the University, and to give a feast to the Rector, the
Treasurer, and the Promotor. The Rector is to bring one scholar with
him, and the Promotor two, to help "ad purgandum bejaunum," and the
bajan is to invite a bedel and others. Dispensations on the ground of
poverty could be obtained from the Rector, and two or three freshmen
might make their purgation together, "cum infinitas est vitanda," even
an infinity of feasts is to be avoided. The Promotor gives the first
blow with a frying-pan, and the scholars who help in the purgation are
limited to two or three blows each, since an infinity of blows is also
to be avoided. The Rector may remit a portion of the penalty at the
request of noble or honourable ladies who happen to be present, (p. 115)
for it is useless to invite ladies if no remission is to be obtained.
If the bajan is proud or troublesome, the pleas of the ladies whom he
has invited will not avail; he must have his three blows from each of
his purgators, without any mercy. If a freshman failed to make his
purgation within a month, it was to take place "in studio sub libro
super anum"; the choice between a book and a frying-pan as a weapon of
castigation is characteristic of the solemn fooling of the jocund
advent. The seizure of good