Welsh Journals

Graduation Dap, Rowmber nf 1902* The ceremony was the second of its kind in the history of the College. It was a fitting sequel to the magnificent and im¬ pressive ceremony of the Installation at Carnarvon. That was the tribute of a people to its Prince, through their University; this, the quiet consummation of the efforts of those students seeking to do honour to their University and the fatherland. Such the preamble. The College Hall had been beautifully decorated. The choir and orchestra had been given a specially exalted position, in order that their strains might all the more easily cleave the learned atmosphere. On each side of the choir, were two sections of students—one fair to behold, the other leather-lunged. The centre of the Hall, the scene of many an academic struggle, was now covered by the velvety red cloth of peace. Here the graduands were to become graduates. Here the Latin, sonorous, soft, easy, and rusty, was to remind one of Erasmus and Bologna. In the counter gallery were seated relative and friend, clergy and laity. The real ceremony began with the advent of the University Court. It was perhaps a coincidence that they entered to the strains of the "Pilgrim's March." They were preceded by two long stewards who, marching in iambics, gingerly fingered billiard-cues in the right hand. The Court themselves marched in spondees and trochees, with an occasional caesura. The'Old Hundredth ' is sung full-throated by the assembly, and the Registrar reads the names of those who are to receive degrees. Now we are in full swing. The first class Honours people are cheered to the echo. They come up in batches. We cheer all alike, with a slight accentuation in the case of our own students. The various charac¬ teristics of the graduands give unlimited scope for quips and light jokes. Reminiscences of camp are frequent; cooks are requested to'fall out,'and the admonitions to ' Uress by the right' were