confidence, and replied, 'A MS. of Babrius,' I could only reply, 'Ah! Babrius.' But on this occasion, whether it was from a desire to investigate the relations between paleness and gentility, or from some deeper, unconscious reason, I accepted; only I avoided the necessity of a room in college by proposing myself to a friend whom the process of time has raised to some eminence in the University. The first moment of any notable importance in the visit was the scrutiny of the diagrams hung by the porter's lodge, setting forth the tables and places of the guests. I was told afterwards that the arrangement of this plan had cost the Dean of the College many anxious days and sleep-broken nights. First, the Calendar had to be consulted, to make sure that contemporaries were placed together, for a generation in university life is but three or four years. Then there was the effort to recollect who used to be friends, and whether they had since had any public quarrel. Happily I found myself well neighboured. Meanwhile, on all sides, I heard: 'Don't you recognise me?' 'Is it X. ?' (sometimes Can it be X. ?') and then the slightly pained 'Of course.' I was delighted that I had come, though I should have been even better pleased to have watched the scene unobserved. It was extraordinary how through the uninteresting face of a perfect stranger there would break suddenly the unmistakable likeness of an old companion— 'the same, yet not the same '-whom it was a

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rejuvenescence to welcome. I was wondering how it was that I alone had escaped this defeat of Time, when I was rudely undeceived. 'I have been puzzling ever so long,' said a voice, 'to make out who the dickens you could be; and then I saw your ear twitch, and I said it must be old' (giving me a nickname I had not heard for a quarter of a century). 'Do you remember how I poured the water-jug over your head that morning you wouldn't get up, when we were going to ?' And then followed a chain of reminiscences in Miss Bates's most associational manner, as we walked through the quadrangle to hall. Then presently, 'Have you generalised yet? You wouldn't be old — if you haven't generalised.' 'Well,' I said, 'I haven't been here much more than ten minutes; but, as far as I have seen, I should say the diplomatists have changed least-I suppose their profession obliges them to treat their face as a mask and avoid all superfluous play of emotion; the lawyers have all fattened that would come naturally from eating terms; and the clergy have grown grey and careworn, no doubt from the cares of the other world and the deceitfulness of poverty.'

The dinner was excellent-was it perhaps because cooking at the universities is still a tradition, and is not yet promoted into the rank of a fine art, like. painting and poetry, with professors and lectures? I would willingly print the bill of fare were there not

a risk that it might fall into the clutches of some Radical editor, not a university man, who would agitate for a new commission to investigate the expenditure upon college Gaudies. If such an agitation were ever started, it would be best met, in my opinion, by a proposal to confer degrees ex officio and honoris causa, upon all editors of journals, and so admit them within the range of the genial influences that radiate from every college buttery. An American visitor-and Oxford in the Long Vacation is a New America-had stopped me, a few minutes before, outside the College Hall, arrested by what he described as 'the cunning smell from the kitchen,' and put many questions about ways and means, which I answered in as much detail as I could, being pleased with his epithet; and quite of his view as to the tempting power of

Meats of noblest sort

And savour, beasts of chace, or fowl of game,

In pastry built, or from the spit, or boil'd
Gris-amber-steam'd.

I have always thought that the most dehumanising office open to civilised man is that of archdeacon; but I have seen even an archdeacon so far reconciled to humanity by the insinuating smell of a college Gaudy as to fling a ballad afterwards to the brightening moon. I did not forget, before going home that night, to give a glance round to see how far the evening's society would warrant my lady's judgment

that pallor was a sign of gentle birth, and I am pretty sure that a poll would have returned a plain negative; on the other hand I am bound to admit that, as I met the company in chance ones and twos the next morning, I thought there might be something in it. I felt a little pale myself.

In two days was to come the Encænia, and, as my host was hospitable, and the interval afforded an opportunity of visiting some of the many libraries, I determined to remain. In Queen's Library, which was new to me—a magnificent building, with a plaster ceiling and much Gibbons carving-I fleeted many hours carelessly. Here, as long as a very polite senior Fellow could occupy himself at my elbow, I was allowed to delectate my hands with turning over the first four folios of Shakespeare and a 'Paradise Lost' of the first title-page; and when other duties called him away I was graciously allowed the run of the Theology without surveillance. The book that most attracted my cupidity was a little manual of devotions compiled by Cosin for the English and Protestant ladies of Henrietta Maria's court, in order that they might have a book to hold in their hands, and not be out-faced by the French and Popish ladies with their 'Hora.' I observed that, while the tomes of St. Thomas were kept carefully free from dust, those of his antagonist Duns were left to the decoration of the spiders. I was a little surprised that the controversy between these two schools of divinity should

still persist, even in Oxford; and of course the presence of spiders' webs may have been merely a complimentary emblem appropriate to the Doctor subtilis. In the Bodleian, while studying the curiosities in Duke Humphrey's Library, it was my chance to become something of a curiosity myself. A royal party was in act of being conducted round by the librarian, and as the functionary passed me he said, with a wave of the arm, 'These are students engaged in research,' or some such phrase. I did my best, for the honour of the University, to give in to the illusion-pushing it, in fact, so far as to ask a question of one of the gentlemen who sit in little cabinets and put their learning at the service of inquirers. But I found this was going too far. With exquisite suavity, after cautioning me to speak lower, the learned gentleman made a note of my question, looked at it, turned it inside out, and showed me that in many places it would not hold water, if, indeed, it was not altogether futile. I was much struck and interested, amongst other things, by the employment of children in this ancient library to fetch the books for the readers. It seemed, in Milton's phrase, to 'smooth the raven down' of the Dark Ages till they smiled. I was much interested, also, to see two learned gentlemen enter, within a few minutes of each other, who were engaged at the moment in an animated but perfectly polite controversy in the weekly press; and it occurred to me that.