of the clock, there make them sit downe on a forme in the middle
of the hall, joyning to the declaiming desk; which done, every
one in order was to speake some pretty apothegme, or make a jest
or bull, or speake some eloquent nonsense, to make the company
laugh. But if any of the freshmen came off dull, or not cleverly,
some of the forward or pragmatised seniors would "tuck" them,
that is, set the nail of their thumb to their chin, just (p. 121)
under the lower lipp, and by the help of their other fingers
under the chin, they would give him a mark, which sometimes would
produce blood."

On Shrove Tuesday, 1648, Merton freshmen entertained the other
undergraduates to a brass pot "full of cawdel." Wood, who was a
freshman, describes how

"every freshman according to seniority, was to pluck off his
gowne and band and if possible to make himself look like a
scoundrell. This done, they conducted each other to the high
table, and there made to stand on a forme placed thereon; from
whence they were to speak their speech with an audible voice to
the company; which if well done, the person that spoke it was to
have a cup of cawdle and no salted drink; if indifferently, some
cawdle and some salted drink; but if dull, nothing was given to
him but salted drink or salt put in college beere, with tucks to
boot. Afterwards when they were to be admitted into the
fraternity, the senior cook was to administer to them an oath
over an old shoe, part of which runs thus: 'Item tu jurabis quod
penniless bench (a seat at Carfax) non visitabis' &c. The rest is
forgotten, and none there are now remembers it. After which
spoken with gravity, the Freshman kist the shoe, put on his gown
and band and took his place among the seniors."

"This," says Wood, "was the way and custom that had been used in (p. 122)
the college, time out of mind, to initiate the freshmen; but between
that time and the restoration of K. Ch. 2 it was disused, and now such
a thing is absolutely forgotten." His whole description, and
especially the parody of the master's oath not to visit Stamford, goes
to show that he was right in attributing the ceremonies to remote
antiquity, and there are indications that the initiation of freshmen
was practised elsewhere in Oxford. Hearne speaks of similar customs at
Balliol and at Brasenose, and an eight