Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green   By: Cuthbert Bede (1827-1889)

BY CUTHBERT BEDE

[NB this e text contains corrections to the Herbert Jenkins edition made by reference to the consolidated version held by The British Library which combines the first editions of each of the three parts originally published 1853 7. Greek letters in the original are rendered in Roman script and designated: "{ }". Italics are indicated: "~". The illustrations are designated "". The introductory remarks below appear only in the Herbert Jenkins edition, not in the several originals.]

[1 ]

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN

[2 ]

WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT

"Let the poker be heated" were the fearful words which greeted Mr. Verdant Green on his initiation into a spoof Lodge of Freemasonry at Oxford. This was one of the many "rags" of which he was the butt during his days at the university.

In this humorous classic there is told the story of a very raw youth's introduction to university life, of fights between "town and gown," escapes from proctors, wiles of bed makers, days on the river, or on and off horseback, and nights when "he kept his spirits up by pouring spirits down."

These amusing experiences and diverting mishaps of an Oxford Freshman need no introduction to a public that has already read and laughed over them many times before.

The great feature of the volume is that it contains the whole 188 illustrations originally contributed by the Author.

[3 ] THE ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN

BY

CUTHBERT BEDE

WITH 188 ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR

HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED 3 YORK STREET LONDON S.W.1

[4 ] A HERBERT JENKINS' BOOK

~Printed in Great Britain by~ Garden City Press, Letchworth.

[5 ] CONTENTS

PART I

CHAP. PAGE

I MR. VERDANT GREEN'S RELATIVES AND ANTECEDENTS ........7

II MR. VERDANT GREEN IS TO BE AN OXFORD FRESHMAN ........14

III MR. VERDANT GREEN LEAVES THE HOME OF HIS ANCESTORS ...21

IV MR. VERDANT GREEN BECOMES AN OXFORD UNDERGRADUATE ....33

V MR. VERDANT GREEN MATRICULATES, AND MAKES A SENSATION ...........................................41

VI MR. VERDANT GREEN DINES, BREAKFASTS, AND GOES TO CHAPEL ...............................................51

VII MR. VERDANT GREEN CALLS ON A GENTLEMAN WHO "IS LICENSED TO SELL" ...................................6l

VIII MR. VERDANT GREEN'S MORNING REFLECTIONS ARE NOT SO PLEASANT AS HIS EVENING DIVERSIONS ...............72

IX MR. VERDANT GREEN ATTENDS LECTURES, AND, IN DESPITE OF SERMONS, HAS DEALINGS WITH FILTHY LUCRE ..........83

X MR. VERDANT GREEN REFORMS HIS TAILOR'S BILLS AND RUNS UP OTHERS. HE ALSO APPEARS IN A RAPID ACT OF HORSEMANSHIP, AND FINDS ISIS COOL IN SUMMER ......92

XI MR. VERDANT GREEN'S SPORTS AND PASTIMES .............103

XII MR. VERDANT GREEN TERMINATES HIS EXISTENCE AS AN OXFORD FRESHMAN .....................................114

PART II

I MR. VERDANT GREEN RECOMMENCES HIS EXISTENCE AS AN OXFORD UNDERGRADUATE .............................123

II MR. VERDANT GREEN DOES AS HE HAS BEEN DONE BY .......126