of an egg to the usual buttery commons. From his frequent long walks, his habits of observation, and easy, familiar intercourse with farmers, artisans, and others, Mr. Crowe, among other kinds of practical information, had acquired a skill and tact in judging of timber; consequently he acted for New College as their Woodman1. In that character he attended annually at the marking of such trees as were of proper age and condition to be felled in the woods of Stanton St. John, when his judgment (as well as his trenchant manner of expressing it) was duly appreciated. I remember his preaching a sermon on 'the barren fig-tree,' when he strikingly reminded the New College part of his auditors of his office at the College wood, by the emphatic manner in which he every now and then thundered out 'Cut it down, cut it down,' &c.

Mr. Crowe, as it may be readily supposed from what has been said, was not very attentive to externals, such as matters of dress; dining one day at Magdalen, he was asked by a friend why he appeared in his cassock as well as his gown; 'Why, in truth (he replied) I have no cloth breeches in Oxford, so I put on these petticoats (which I keep here for St. Mary's) to hide my old leathern shorts 2. I used to hear an anecdote told of the Public Orator, that, once when (acting

1 The 'Woodman' was then, I believe, a regular agent of the College in connection with the bursarial department. It is recorded of his cotemporary, T. Warton, the Laureat, and the Historian of English Poetry, that he was (like Mr. Crowe) not averse from the company and conversation of persons of a mean rank and education, with whom he would sometimes drink his ale and smoke his pipe. I do not think however that Mr. Crowe (like T. Warton) ever attended at an execution, disguised in a carter's dress!

2 Conversing one day with a friend about his family, he cheerfully observed, 'Well, you know; "God feedeth the young ravens," and so He will, I trust, the young Crowes.'

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for the Regius Professor of Law) he had to present (for an Honorary D.C.L. Degree in the Theatre) a foreigner who was a distinguished warrior, and had begun, as usual, 'Insignissime Vice-Cancellarie et vos egregii Procuratores, præsento vobis virum hunc bellicosissimum,'-on looking round to take his hand he found that the hero, attracted by something in his rear, had faced to the right about! The awkward incident was instantly and happily turned to rhetorical account,—' virum, aio, qui nunquam antea tergiversatus est.'

The ready wit, of course, told upon the whole Theatre, especially upon the gallery, while the distinguished general (also of course) took it all as a studied compliment to himself1.

1 I am bound to confess, that I have lately found this or a very similar story told of Dr. South, in the Gentleman's Magazine. In conclusion of this Chapter, I may add that it would be very easy (though not advisable) to introduce other University characters,' both those of whom a great deal, interesting and amusing, might be said; and still more, those of whom some one thing or saying might be recorded, as for instance, Mr. S-1, of St. John's, invented a piquant sauce, still called by his name in the College kitchen!' But, non locus hic est 'pluribus umbris.'

CHAPTER XI.

Semper ego auditor tantùm ?'-Juvenal.

University Sermons and Preachers.

Few persons probably have heard more sermons than I have; of course I shall be told 'that I ought to be, in proportion, the better for them;' I only rejoin, that I hope I am not the worse, notwithstanding, having conscientiously tried hard to consider it as a peculiar privilege, and not merely an official necessity.

During my Undergraduate days (that is from 1802 to 1806) I went to St. Mary's whenever a great gun' (as we called a noted preacher-not necessarily a Canon) was expected to fire away (as was then the wont) at a methodistical or a dissenting target. I heard also Dr. Tatham, Rector of Lincoln, preach his famous two hours and a half sermon1, in defence of the genuineness of the disputed verse

1 In the course of his argument, as he grew warm with his subject, he more emphatically than charitably wished all the German critics (or 'Jarman,' as he pronounced it) at the bottom of the " Jarman " Ocean.' In charity, I presume that he only meant their writings; and as neither Porson's cutting and overpowering Reply to Travis, nor Turton's answer to Burgess, on the disputed passage, incurred the Doctor's imprecations, I presume they had not then appeared.

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in St. John's first Epistle, 'There are three that bear witness,' &c. Long as the sermon was (and I have not overstated the time), few, if any, left the church till the conclusion1; so strangely attractive was the mixture of learning and coarseness. Some persons however had better have left him to his second hour-glass,' especially one old Head of a College, who was said never to have recovered from the effects of the long sitting.

Dr. Tatham had previously established his reputation by his Bampton Lectures, entitled 'The Chart and Scale of Truth;' but he scarcely ever resided in Oxford, preferring a rough country-life, farming his own glebe, and breeding (what he really prided himself upon) his own pigs. Of course he seldom appeared at the Hebdomadal meetings; but when he occasionally dropped in, he produced an effect like that of a bomb falling inside a battery,-a panic and a hasty packing-up of papers ensued, a cessation of discussion, and postponement of 'the question,' with a whisper (it was said) of something about 'The devil over Lincoln 3!'

1 The conclusion was to this effect:-'I leave the subject to be followed up by the "larned" bench of bishops, who have little to do, and do not always do that little.'

2 He was sometimes seen, on a market-day, opposite his College gate-way, mounted in a cart and helping to land safely a couple of fine hogs of his own breeding. In later life, indeed, though his fine countenance and bright eye never lost their expression of power and selfreliance, his costume and appearance were so suited to his favourite pursuit, that he was not in much danger of being taken for a Doctor of Divinity and Head of a House.

3 In 1810, Dr. Tatham formally accused the Board' of‘holding meetings in an artful, collusive or smuggling manner.' The Board, in June of that year, ordered a Case to be prepared for the opinion of Council, as to legal proceedings against the Rector, under the statute 'De famosis Libellis.' Dr. Tatham defied them; I am one,' he said, 'with every one against me.' No action was brought against him.

In Chapter IX some observations occur on the subject of the Bampton Lectures; a few more words may nevertheless be allowed here. The very idea of an individual occupying the University pulpit for eight Sundays in Term-time (there being not more than twenty-one or two unclaimed Sundays in the academical year), and that individual addressing a necessarily shifting congregation through three successive Terms, may well be called preposterous'. What is called 'The Preaching-turn' does not come round to a clerical M.A. early enough to prevent him (being tired of waiting for it) from removing his name from the books 2;' while, at the same time, and from the same cause, our Select Preachers have not a sufficient number of turns to work out their proposed subjects. The answer to all this is of course, 'The University has accepted the Rev. John Bampton's bequest, nay, has enrolled his name as a Benefactor; we cannot therefore help ourselves.' But have not much greater invasions into Benefactors' wills and wishes been recently made? and, surely if the wording of the bequest is all that stands in the way of any modification or curtailment, a Convocational or even a legal remedy might be found 3.

1 Such an offer of endowment, if made now, would be rejected, or at least be modified, so as not to exclude other talented preachers, and prevent other important subjects from being ventilated in their season. What, for instance, can be more unseasonable than addressing the last of eight lectures on what is called Commemoration Sunday, to a crowd of visitors, who have heard none of the previous discourses?

2 This old custom of calling up preachers from the country, though pleasing in theory, is a failure in its results. Even when a clever man and good preacher comes up to take his turn, being a perfect stranger he attracts no juniors, and very few seniors, to St. Mary's. The days have long since gone by when it was felt to be a duty to attend the University sermons in compliance with the Statute.

3 The remarks here freely made apply to the Lecturers generally,