Grammar at Cambridge, as described by the Elizabethan Esquire
Bedel, Mr. Stokys: 'The Bedel in Arts shall bring the Master in Grammar
to the Vice-Chancellor, delivering him a palmer with a rod, which the
Vice-Chancellor shall give to the said Master in Grammar, and so create
him Master. Then shall the Bedel purvey for every Master in Grammar a
shrewd boy, whom the Master in Grammar shall beat openly in the Schools,
and he shall give the boy a groat for his labour, and another groat to
him that provideth the rod and the palmer. And thus endeth the Act in
that faculty.' It may be added that the Vice-Chancellor and each of the
Proctors received a 'bonnet', but only one, however many 'Masters' might
be incepting. In Oxford likewise the 'Master in Grammar' was created
'_ferula_ (i.e. palmer) _et virgis_'.

[Sidenote: The Disputations at the Act.]

The Oxford M.A. had to show his qualifications in a way less painful,
though as practical, by publicly attacking or defending theses solemnly
approved for discussion by Congregation. These theses were themselves by
no means always solemn, e.g. one of those appointed in 1600 was 'an uxor
perversa humanitate potius quam asperitate sanetur?' ('whether a shrew
is better cured by kindness or by severity'). This question, obviously
suggested by Shakespeare's _Taming of the Shrew_, which was written soon
after 1594, was answered by the incepting M.A.s in the opposite sense to
the dramatist. It need hardly be said that all the disputations were in
Latin. The Doctors too of the different faculties were created at the
'Act' after disputations on subjects connected with their faculty.
Something resembling these disputations still survives in a shadowy form
at Oxford, in the requirements for the degrees of B.D. and D.D. A
candidate for the B.D. has to read in the Divinity School two theses on
some theological subject approved by the Regius Professor, a candidate
for the D.D. has to read and expound three passages of Holy Scripture;
in both cases notice has to be given beforehand of the subject, a custom
which survives from the time when the candidate might expect to have his
theses disputed; but now the Regius Professor and the candidate
generally have the Divinity School to themselves.

All the ceremonies of the 'Act' have passed away from Oxford
completely.[11] They are only referred to here as serving to illustrate
the idea that a new Master was not admitted till he had performed a
'mast