66 66 66 66 "literature may be more accurately cultivated amongst us ; "that by calling the younger Students earlier and more frequently to a trial of industry, occasions of idleness and "sloth may be avoided; that by the distribution of the plan of the Studies into several Examinations, industrious youths may attain to greater proficiency in the several departments of polite literature; that a place may be "found for some Studies to which at present due regard seems scarcely to be paid in the academic course; and, "finally, that more abundant fruit may be derived from the "lectures of the Professors ;-the University has been pleased to repeal the Statutes decreed on this subject in "A.D. 1830 and A.D. 1840, and to ordain this Statute in "their place." 66 66 This Statute has now become the law of the University, and has already come into operation as regards the first Examination, or " Responsions," but will not take full effect till the Easter Term of 1853. We proceed to speak of the Three Examinations in order, so as to show the changes effected, and the improvements intended. The Responsions as altered in 1850. I. The First Examination, called "Responsions," instituted (as above stated) in 1808, has acted beneficially on the majority of Students. To young men who come up well prepared from school it offers no difficulties. If, therefore, the number rejected is great (and it amounts sometimes to no less than one-fifth of the candidates), we must infer that the young men have either been ill taught at school, or have been allowed to forget what they learnt there, rather than that the ordeal itself is severe. Till the year 1850, all that was exacted from a Student at about the middle point of his academical career was that he should show a grammatical knowledge of portions of one Greek and one Latin author (as, for instance, four Greek plays, and half of Horace), and an acquaintance with three books of PREVIOUS EXAMINATION. 269 Euclid, or with part of Aldrich's Compendium of Logic. He was also required to translate a passage of English into Latin, an exercise which in most cases was very ill performed. We now reprint a paper, issued, as was understood, by the present Vice-Chancellor, containing a list of the subjects to be required of Candidates at the Responsions, under the new Statute. First Examination or Responsions. Every Candidate will be required to offer to be examined in : : 1. One Greek Author, which may be selected from the following: HOMER-Five Books. THE DRAMATISTS-Any two Plays. HERODOTUS-Two Consecutive Books in the 1st vol.; or three ditto in the 2nd vol. THUCYDIDES-Any two Consecutive Books. XENOPHON ANABASIS-Four Books. 2. One Latin Author, which may be selected from the following: VIRGIL-Georgics, or Bucolics and Three Books of the Eneid, or Five Books of the Æneid. HORACE-Any three Books of the Odes (regarding the Epodes as a Book of the Odes), and De Arte Poetica, or Satires and De Arte Poetica, or Epistles and De Arte Poetica. JUVENAL-The whole, except the 2. 6. 9. Satires. TERENCE-Any Three Plays. LIVY-Any three Consecutive Books. SALLUST-Bell. Jugurth. and Catil. CICERO-In Verrem I. and II., or Catiline Orations four, or Any four other Orations, or Three Books of the Tusculan Disputations, or 3. Euclid-Books I., II. or Algebra-to Simple Equations inclusive. 4. Arithmetic, viz. : Vulgar Fractions. Decimal Fractions. The Rule of Three. And their Application. [Translation of English into Latin is to be retained as before.] The first Responsions under the new Statute will commence on Monday the 3rd of Feb. 1851, when all the Candidates will be required to go into the Schools for the Translation into Latin, and for Questions in Euclid, &c. The last Responsions under the existing Statute will commence on Wednesday the 19th of Feb. 1851. The improvements effected in the Responsions are, that the Examination is to be passed at an earlier period; that Arithmetic and Algebra are introduced in place of the very insufficient acquaintance with Logic before required; that the same papers deliberately drawn up are to be set to all Candidates; and that the same books must not be presented again at future Examinations. The quantity of text required. is indeed diminished; but the improvements just mentioned will make the Examination really more effective. The Second or Intermediate Examination. II. The Second or Intermediate Examination, called the "First Public Examination," is entirely new. We reprint a paper, explaining its requirements, similar to that given in the case of Responsions. The Statute directs that each Candidate be examined in : I. The Four Gospels, with special reference to an accurate knowledge of the Text. II. One Greek and one Latin Author, at least, of which one must be a Poet, the other an Orator; but not the same Authors as were offered for the Responsions, unless in the case of Candidates who offer to be examined in four Authors at least, e. g. In Greek: HOMER-Iliad, or Odyssey, Six Books. THE DRAMATISTS-Any three Plays of Eschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, or Aristophanes. INTERMEDIATE EXAMINATION. PINDAR-Olympic and Pythian Odes. De Corona, or Olynthiacs with Philippics, or Olynthiacs with the Meidias, 271 or any other Orations of equal length in the aggregate. ESCHINES in Ctesiphontem. or in Catilinam I.-IV., with In Murænam, or Pro Lege Manil., Archia, Milone, or any other Orations of equal length in the aggregate. [III. Translation into Latin:]— IV. Logic, or Euclid, three Books, with the First Part of Algebra. Candidates for the higher Honorary Distinction in Litera Humaniores may be expected to offer to be examined in Four Greek and Four Latin Authors; including primarily Homer and Virgil, Demosthenes and Cicero, e. g. HOMER-Iliad, or Odyssey, twelve Books, ÆSCHYLUS-Any five Plays. SOPHOCLES-Any five Plays. EURIPIDES-Any six Plays. ARISTOPHANES-Four Plays. PINDAR. DEMOSTHENES De Corona, with Eschines In Ctesiphontem, or other Orations of equal length in the aggregate. VIRGIL. HORACE. LUCRETIUS. TERENCE-Four Plays. PLAUTUS-Four Plays. JUVENAL-The whole, except Satires 2.6.9. CICERO-Orations against Verres, or any eight other Orations of equal length in the aggregate. TACITUS-Six first Books of the Annals, or the Histories. LIVY-Any six consecutive Books. Candidates for the higher Honorary Distinction will be examined in Logic. Candidates for Honorary Distinction in Disciplinis Mathematicis will be examined in Pure Mathematics. [Translation into Latin and Greek is required of Candidates for Honours, and the writing of Greek and Latin verses encouraged.] The intention of this new Examination was, in the case of Candidates for Honours, to promote accurate and elegant Scholarship, and to divide the labour which had before been accumulated at the Final Examination. It was also expected that the institution of this additional Examination would promote industry during the second year. The names of all Candidates thought worthy of distinction are to be arranged in two Classes, the alphabetical order being followed in each Class. The names of Candidates who have merely satisfied the Examiners are to be printed in a third Class, also in alphabetical order. The Final Examination, as altered by the Statute of 1850. III. The new Final Examination does not come into operation till 1853. In the absence of official information we give the following summary of that part of the Statute which refers to this Examination, with some conjectures as to the text books, and the extent of the knowledge likely to be required : The Final Examination really implies two distinct Examinations which are to be passed before different Examiners. Every Candidate for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts is required to pass in two out of four |