still is, one of the most exciting
events of College life among those immediately interested, in
which parents and near friends also deeply sympathized with them.
These parts were communicated to the individuals appointed to
perform them by the President, who gave to them, severally, a
paper with the name of the person and of the part assigned, and
the subject to be written upon. But they were not then, as in
recent times, after being thus communicated by the President,
proclaimed by a voluntary herald of stentorian lungs, mounted on
the steps of one of the College halls, to the assembled crowd of
students. Curiosity, however, was all alive. Each one's part was
soon ascertained; the comparative merits of those who obtained the
prizes were discussed in groups; prompt judgments were pronounced,
that A had received a higher prize than he could rightfully claim,
and that B was cruelly wronged; that some were unjustly passed
over, and others raised above them through partiality. But at
whatever length their discussion might have been prolonged, they
would have found it difficult in solemn conclave to adjust the
distribution to their own satisfaction, while severally they
deemed themselves competent to measure the degree in the scale of
merit to which each was entitled."--Vol. I. pp. 328, 329.

I took but little pains with these exercises myself, lest I should
appear to be anxious for "_parts_."--_Monthly Anthology_, Boston,
1804, Vol. I. p. 154.

Often, too, the qualifications for a _part_ ... are discussed in
the fireside circles so peculiar to college.--_Harv. Reg._, p.
378.

The refusal of a student to perform the _part_ assigned him will
be regarded as a high offence.--_Laws Univ. at Cam., Mass._, 1848,
p. 19.

Young men within the College walls are incited to good conduct and
diligence, by the system of awarding _parts_, as they are called,
at the exhibitions which take place each year, and at the annual
Commencement.--_Eliot's Sketch of Hist. Harv. Coll._, pp. 114,
115.

It is very common to speak of _getting parts_.

Here
Are acres of orations, and so forth,
The glorious nonsense that enchants young hearts
With all the humdrumology of "_getting parts_."
_Our Chronicle of '26_, Boston, 1827, p. 28.

See under MOCK-PART and NAVY CLUB.

PASS. At Oxford, permission to receive the degree of B.A. after
passing the necessary examinations.

The good news of the _pass_ will be a s