d
in Oxford, called "chopping at the tree." On Easter Sunday a bough is
dressed up with flowers and evergreens, and laid on a turf by the buttery.
After dinner each member, as he leaves the hall, takes up a cleaver and chops
at the tree, and then hands over "largess" to the cook, who stands by with a
plate. The contribution is, for the master half a guinea, the fellows five
shillings, and other members half a crown each. In like manner, at Queen's
College, which stands opposite University, on Christmas day a boar's head is
brought into the hall in procession, while the old carol is sung--

The boar's head in hand bear I
Bedecked with bays and rosemary,
And I pray you, my masters, be merry.
Qui estis in convivio,
Caput apri defero,
Reddens laudes Domino.

While on New Year's day the bursar presents to every member a needle and
thread with the words, "Take this and be thrifty." We have not been able to
obtain a statistical return of the standing of the Queen's men in the books
of the tradesmen of Oxford as compared with members of other colleges, but we
recommend the question to Mr. Newdegate or some other Oxonian figure monger.

This college was founded by Philippa, queen of Edward III. It was directed
by the statutes that there should be twelve fellows and seventy poor
scholars, who were to be summoned to dinner by the sound of a trumpet; when
the fellows, clothed in scarlet robes, were to sit and eat, while the poor
scholars, kneeling in token of humility, were to dispute in philosophy. The
kneeling, disputing, and scarlet robes have been discontinued, but the
trumpet still sounds to dinner. There are usually about 300 members on the
books of this college.

Lower down the High-street is All-Souls, whose two towers are picturesque
centres of most views of Oxford. The buildings are various in character and
merit, and well worth examination. The grand court was designed by Hawksmoor
rather on the principles of a painter than an architect; he wished it to make
a good picture with the existing buildings, and he succeeded. All-Souls is
composed entirely of fellows, who elect from other colleges gentlemen whose
qualification consists in being "bene nati, bene vestiti, et moderater docti
in arte musica."

With so easy a qualification as that of being well born, well dressed, and
able to sing the Old Hundredth Psalm, Old King Cole, or Kilruddery, it may be
imagined that All-Souls has never done