Rowlandson's Oxford

Flavia and the orange tree-Dick, the sloven-The President under he

Oxford Encyclop?dia, Terrae Filius, who from the ambush of his anonymit

up her head, and turn out her toes; she is taught from a child not to play with any of the dirty boys and girls in the neighbourhood; but to mind her dancing, and have a great respect for the gown. This foundation being laid, she goes on fast enough of herself, without any farther assistance, except an hoop, a gay suit of cloaths, and two or three new holla

dence-therefo

therefore she

oaths-therefore

wife-and therefore

extremely conspicuous feature of Undergraduate life. In the description of the Smart's day we are told how after chapel he drank tea with some celebrated toast, and then waited upon her to Maudlin Grove or Paradise Garden and back again. Afterwards, when drowning his sorrows at the particular establishment in vogue at the time, the Smart exha

Terrae Filius a most amusing story was related which shows what influence these toasts exercised upon the Undergraduates. She, too, answered to the name of Flavia-whether she were one and the

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d Chapel, from th

e likes you, I myself heard her say in public company, I have been shew'd Mr Such-a-one several times; everybody says he's a man of fire; it is a thousand pities he's such a sloven." Dick was finished. He went home obsessed with the idea, flung his wig into the fire, forgot his studies entirely and swore to see Flavia the very next day. His friends spread a rumour abroad that he had come into money, and his tradesmen gave him unlimited credit. Accordingly he was decked out, in ruffles and all the other paraphernalia, and from that day worshipped at the lady's shrine. In these days such fair Flavias would in all probability be found pulling beer in a public-house, totally devoid of H's, but none the less popular among a certain set. To-day they can be treated with a certain amount of Undergraduate levity, but in the eighteenth century it behoved the contumelious to walk delicately and to be very careful. Amhurst hoisted the danger signal when he related that "not long ago, a bitter lampoon was published upon the most celebrated of these petticoat-

he womenkind of Oxford. His apology for so doing was that "I shall have the misfortunes of numberless young men to answer for, if I c

prudence and precaution could not do this entirely, they made a statute, 'prohibiting all scholars, as well as Graduates or Undergraduates, of whatever faculty, to frequent the houses and shops of any townsmen by day, and especially by night; but more especially houses, which harbour or receive infamous or suspected women, with whom all scholars are strictly forbid to keep c

hope, they need no forcible restraint!) but to prevent them also from neglecting their studies, and entering

mmon whores, any more than against house-breakers and pick

n to believe that they would entertain in their houses such filthy drabs; though it is probable enough that

company with such cattle; and I think it is a scandal to the university to stand in need of

llor and Heads of Cambridge commanding the suppression of women such as those in question. The reason why the good King did not treat Oxford to a similar injunction is, supposedly, that the need for it did not reach the royal ears. It is hinted more than once, too, in the pages of Ter

, my mind misgives me strangely, that I should see an end of all the balls and cabals, and junketings at Oxford; that several of our most celebrated and beautiful madams would pluck off their fine feathers, and

ons were in all too many cases the cause of sending recruits to the ranks of the oldest profession in the worl

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Trick-Sm