The Oxford Degree Ceremony   By: Joseph Wells (1855-1929)

The Oxford Degree

Ceremony

By

J. Wells

Fellow of Wadham College

Oxford

At the Clarendon Press

1906

HENRY FROWDE, M.A.

PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

LONDON, EDINBURGH

NEW YORK AND TORONTO

PREFACE

The object of this little book is to attempt to set forth the meaning of our forms and ceremonies, and to show how much of University history is involved in them. It naturally makes no pretensions to independent research; I have simply tried to make popular the results arrived at in Dr. Rashdall's great book on the Universities of the Middle Ages , and in the Rev. Andrew Clark's invaluable Register of the University of Oxford (published by the Oxford Historical Society). My obligations to these two books will be patent to all who know them; it has not, however, seemed necessary to give definite references either to these or to Anstey's Munimenta Academica (Rolls Series), which also has been constantly used.

I have tried as far as possible to introduce the language of the statutes, whether past or present; the forms actually used in the degree ceremony itself are given in Latin and translated; in other cases a rendering has usually been given, but sometimes the original has been retained, when the words were either technical or such as would be easily understood by all.

The illustrations, with which the Clarendon Press has furnished the book, are its most valuable part. Every Oxford man, who cares for the history of his University, will be glad to have the reproduction of the portrait of the fourteenth century Chancellor and of the University seal.

I have to thank Dr. Rashdall and the Rev. Andrew Clark for most kindly reading through my chapters, and for several suggestions, and Professor Oman for special help in the Appendix on 'The University Staves'.

J.W.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE

THE DEGREE CEREMONY 1

CHAPTER II

THE MEANING OF THE DEGREE CEREMONY 19

CHAPTER III

THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE DEGREE CEREMONY 34

CHAPTER IV

THE OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY 50

CHAPTER V

UNIVERSITY DRESS 64

CHAPTER VI

THE PLACES OF THE DEGREE CEREMONY 79

APPENDIX I

THE PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD 93

APPENDIX II

THE UNIVERSITY STAVES 94

INDEX 97

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE ORIGINAL SHELDONIAN Frontispiece

THE UNIVERSITY SEAL To face p. 1

(The seal dates from the fourteenth century and is kept by the Proctors.)

THE CHANCELLOR RECEIVING A CHARTER FROM EDWARD III To face p. 19

(From the Chancellor's book, circ. 1375.)

MASTER AND SCHOLAR To face p. 34

(From the title page of Burley's Tractatus de natura et forma .)

THE BEDEL OF DIVINITY'S STAFF To face p. 50

PROCTOR AND SCHOLARS OF THE RESTORATION PERIOD To face p. 64

(From Habitus Academicorum , attributed to D. Loggan, 1674.)

THE INTERIOR OF THE DIVINITY SCHOOL To face p. 79

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I

THE DEGREE CEREMONY