are many special circumstances in which this answer | what was going on around them anent such subjects, is inapplicable or insufficient. had been perplexed and harassed by the respective claims of the various candidates for this distinguished honor, whose names arose one after another to the surface of that kettle of gossip which was perpetually boiling beside the Cam's turgid stream. Now it was a scholar of Trinity who was declared to be the coming man, "The best mathematician, my dear fellow, which Trinity has ever seen," you were confidently informed; rather a bold assertion, convenerable college has produced. Again, amongst a certain section a sizar of St. John's held the sway, but no Trinity man could be found to allow for one moment the merits of any individual belonging to the ancient and perpetual rival of their college. Certainly if a ruggy, unwashed, and unkempt appearance, a pallid, unwholesome-looking countenance, and a general mouldy and seedy exterior are any indications of the brilliancy of the talent withThe record of periodic phenomena made in the in, the individual pointed out to me as the Johnian same district over a series of years is always of in- favorite ought to have distanced all his competitors terest; but contemporaneous records made at numer- for this great university distinction. The names of ous stations, distant from each other, and in which one or two small college men, whose chances were the same kind of observations are made, would be considered to be pretty equally balanced, were also of more interest still. Take, for instance, the first mentioned as those amongst which it was not unappearance of a swift for ten successive years in likely that the senior wrangler might be found. Still twenty stations between the Isle of Wight and nothing certain was known, and unlike the usual Caithness; or the last note of the cuckoo heard course of things in previous years, no one student between the Land's End and the Tweed. Many had sufficiently-to use a sporting expressionsuch trifles, apparently insignificant in themselves," the call of the others" in the public favor, to warbecome of importance when carefully and faithfully recorded, and such a work may be accomplished by those who make no pretensions to be men of science, but are content to call themselves “lovers of nature." | Knapp, in his "Journal of a Naturalist," a fitting companion to White's "Selborne," remarks of the Willow-wren: "It is a difficult matter satisfactorily to comprehend the object of these birds in quitting another region, and passing into our island. These little creatures, the food of which is solely insects, could assuredly find a sufficient supply of such diet during the summer months in the woods and thickets of those mild regions where they passed the sea-sidering the numbers of able men that large and son of winter, and every bank and unfrequented wild would furnish a secure asylum for them and their offspring during the period of incubation. The passage to our shores is long and dangerous one, and some imperative motive for it must exist; and, until facts manifest the reason, we may, perhaps, without injury to the cause of research, conjecture for what object these perilous transits are made." THE SENIOR WRANGLER. A CAMBRIDGE EPISODE. THE senior wrangler of his year is certainly, for the time being, the greatest personage in the university. The proctors are, indeed, small in importance when compared with the gifted youth whose name appears first in the Mathematical Tripos: even the vice-chancellor himself is but a dim light when beheld by the side of that man whose profound knowledge has enabled him to excite the whole alumni of the university in mathematical science. There is a story on record which declares that a certain senior wrangler, upon going to a theatre in London fresh from his triumphs at Cambridge, imagined that the cheers which greeted her Majesty's entrance into her box were an ovation in his honor, and that, standing up on his seat, with his hand upon his heart, he bowed his thanks to the loyal and enthusiastic audience. On the whole I do not think that this youth, whoever he might be, was altogether so deserving of ridicule as may at first appear. Certainly a great gun at his university, which was his little world, as ignorant as a child, probably, of the usages of society, he might well imagine that his fame had travelled as far as the metropolis, and that a display of enthusiasm in his honor was not more than his labor, industry, and talents deserved. But to my tale. For months previous to the episode I relate, rumor with her many tongues had been busy throughout Alma Mater as to who amongst the many excellent and promising mathematical scholars of the year 18should be fortunate enough to bind the laurel-wreath of the senior wranglership around his brows. The minds of those students who, though not happy in a talent for figures themselves, still felt an interest in rant his college or his friends looking upon the result as at all sure. Indeed, a sporting undergraduate was heard to declare "that for the wrangler's stakes he would take the field against the favorites for a pony." By which dark and oracular saying he was supposed to intimate, that he preferred the chances that some student as yet unknown to fame might carry off the prize, rather than those of the men whose names were before the public; and that he was ready to uphold his judgment to the extent of risking, not a small horse, as the dictionary tells us the word "pony" means, but the sum of five-andtwenty golden sovereigns, as the term signifies in the phraseology of the betting ring. Such, then, was the state of affairs with reference to the senior wranglership at the close of the October term in the year to which I allude. - "I thought you would not like to dine all alone, sir, particularly to-day," said old Tom, the porter, as I entered the hall of St. Dunstan's College on Christmas-day, "so I just laid for you at the sizars' table; there is only Mr. Smith beside you in college, but I reckoned as how you might perhaps think that he was better than no company at all." "All right, Tom," I replied, as I crossed the hall to where a small table had been laid for two close to the stove, whose blazing fire burnt cheerful and bright, throwing a warm and comfortable glow over the otherwise gloomy and cold-looking refectory. "As you say, Mr. Smith is better than no company at all, though I doubt if we shall have much in common with one another." "Not likely, sir," said Tom; "not likely that a gentleman like you would have much to say to a poor sizar like Mr. Smith; but they do say he is mortal clever; I knows he reads mighty hard, and I should not a bit wonder if he is not high up amongst the wranglers." Indeed," I observed carelessly, for I felt but little interest in Mr. Smith or his concerns, though not from the reason which the porter seemed to imagine, but because just at that particular time I had plenty of food for my thoughts, in reflecting whether it was possible I could so make up for past idleness as to manage to scramble through the approaching examination for my degree, not indeed in the distinguished company of Mr. Smith, or any other of the great mathematical geniuses, but amidst the Browns, Joneses, and Robinsons of the poll. Well, here comes Mr. Smith, Tom, so let us have dinner," I exclaimed, as I saw a figure, habited in a long gown, and a cap which he wore far at the back of his head, the tassel of which hung streaming like a black cataract of silk down below, now enter the hall, and with a quick, hurried step approach the table at which I was standing. 66 A friend of mine once commenced a poem descriptive of the several groups to be seen between the hours of two and four in the afternoon on that well-known, well-worn university promenade, the King's Parade. I do not think this poem has ever been given to the public, but as a fair description of the manner and appearance of my dinner companion I cannot forbear quoting just two stanzas from it: "Here come two Dons. As though he walked a race. "On problem vast His thoughts are cast, I'll bet he 'll solve it soon; There are to eat Of green cheese in the moon." Whether Mr. Smith had solved the problem, be what it might, upon which his mind was at that moment bent, I do not know; but the sight of me standing in front of the stove in that attitude in which Englishmen so much delight, recalled his thoughts from the moon, if they had travelled so far, to this world below, for he started slightly, and his pale face for he had lifted his head from its stooping position - flushed with surprise at seeing an undergraduate who, he probably knew, was not remarkable either for learning or industry, actually about to dine in hall on Christmas-day. Seeing his look of astonishment, I said, perhaps with a slight degree of patronage in my tone, "Old Tom tells me that you and I are two unfortunates left all alone in our glory in this gloomy old college, at this joyous and festive season. I propose, therefore, if you have no objection, that we should dine together; for it would be truly unsociable if we were to sit down to our meal, each in solitary grandeur at our respective tables.” "O, certainly, I shall be most happy," replied the sizar in a very sweet and gentle voice, as he made a step forward, and advanced to warm himself at the stove, where I had made room for him. It was my turn now to look astonished, for I had never expected tones almost as soft and gentle as a woman to proceed from any one possessing such an uncouth exterior. I looked, doubtless, as surprised as I felt, for Smith rubbed his hands nervously together as, stooping down, he held them to the fire. As he stood in this position, the light falling directly upon his face, showed me, spite of its paleness, and the lines telling of deep thought and hard study, if of nothing else, which it bore, was a very prepossessing one, for the brow was white and lofty, the features regular, whilst a touching expression of tender, gentle melancholy pervaded the whole. But just at this moment dinner was placed upon the table, and I deferred the contemplation of Mr. Smith's countenance until I had in some measure appeased an appetite which an excellent constitution and the cold, bracing weather had gifted me with. During our repast, Smith, though by no means anxious to lead the conversation, appeared ready enough to talk when spoken to, and the soft, sweet tones of his voice fell with such a peculiarly pleasant sound upon my ear that I did my best to draw him out, and encouraged him as much as possible to speak of himself and his studies. He told me that he was reading very hard, indeed he had done so ever since he came up to the university; that he was in great hopes of being able to obtain such a position in the honor tripos as would enable him to obtain a fellowship, and thus provide him with the means of supporting in comfort a widowed mother and invalid sister, who were now almost entirely dependent upon his exertions for the necessaries of life. At the mention of his mother and sister the student's pale, rather melancholy face was lighted up with such a bright, beaming smile, and he spoke with such deep feeling about them, that, thoughtless as I was at the time, I could not help being struck with admiration at the poor sizar's filial and brotherly devotion, and a qualm passed through my conscience when I considered that my own mother and sisters would be but badly off if they had to depend upon my exertions and industry for their support. In return for such confidences as he bestowed upon me, I related to my new acquaintance the difficulties I was in with regard to the approaching examination for my degree, and I declared my firm conviction that, so hard to understand were certain subjects which I had to get up, that it would be perfectly impossible that I could succeed in passing safey through the much-dreaded ordeal. Most good-naturedly my companion offered, if I liked, to endeavor to explain the, to me, obtuse sciences, a knowledge or ignorance of which would tend to decide my fate. He also told me that during the long vacations he had devoted his time to taking pupils, and that he had been very successful in clearing away the difficulties which surrounded those subjects which I so much dreaded, and which I found so hard to understand. So impelled was I towards him by the sweet gentleness of his voice and manner, that, wishing to see more of one who had so irresistibly attracted me, I gladly accepted his offer, and with many thanks declared my readiness to avail myself of his assistance. After our meal was over, I said, linking my arm in his, Come, my dear Smith, let us go up to my rooms and have a glass of wine; you can then explain to me some of those horrid subjects which I have to get up." A return of his nervous, shy manner, which had in a great measure disappeared towards the latter part of our social dinner, seized upon Smith at my proposition, for, hurriedly withdrawing himself from my arm, he said, "O no! thank you, I am much obliged, not now; I have very little time to spare, and wine would only make me sleepy, as I am unaccustomed to any stimulant stronger than tea." "Well," I exclaimed, "your offer of helping me is too good a one for me to lose sight of it, and I am a great deal too ignorant of those things which you have promised to explain to me not to seek your assistance; so if you will not come to my rooms, I | rickety stairs, only lighted by the flickering light of will go with you to yours." At this proposal of mine Smith blushed scarlet, and looked most uncomfortable, whilst in an earnest, imploring voice, he said, "O dear, no! you must not come to my rooms; if I can help you, I will come to you; but-but-" and he paused, as if reflecting for a moment, and then continued, "Well, perhaps there is no time like the present, and a change from constant study and learning one's self to teaching another may refresh and do me good." "To be sure," I said; "nothing like a rest. When I am tired of grinding at Euclid, algebra, and such things, I get on a horse and have a good gallop, and you cannot think how much good it does me." Smith smiled at this remark of mine, whilst he replied, - "I do not think galloping on horseback would be much rest to me, as I should most likely tumble off, for I have never been on horseback in my life." I dare say I looked astonished; for any one to have reached the age of manhood, and never to have been on the outside of a horse, as our set used to call riding, was to my mind a wonder indeed. My companion merely said, in his gentle way, “I have had too much dependent upon my exertions, since my poor father died, to enable me ever to indulge in so expensive an amusement as riding." I led the way to my rooms, and when there insisted upon my tutor, as Smith was now to be, taking some wine, for I felt sure a glass of such good port as I flattered myself mine was, would invigorate and do the pale student good. For the next few days Smith came regularly to my rooms, after dinner in hall; and I had the satisfaction of thinking that the great benefits which his judicious explanations conferred upon me were in some slight measure returned by the good which the single glass of wine (for he would never take more) which I insisted upon his drinking, did him. The eventful day on which the examination for honors commenced at length arrived, and the sizar told me, as he came out of chapel in the morning, that whilst the examination lasted he should be obliged to relinquish his assistance to me. Of course I could not wish my kind instructor to imperil the result of his examination for my sake; but as I thanked him for his past kindness and efforts in my behalf, I said, "I shall be very anxious, my dear fellow, to hear how you get on, so let me know if you possibly can." For the next few days I saw nothing of my newly found acquaintance. Many men who were engaged in the schools then going on, and who had run down home for a few days at Christmas, had again returned to Cambridge; and the college hall, which a short time before, when Smith and I dined together, was so still and quiet, again assumed somewhat of its ordinary noise and bustle. The pale student evidently avoided me; and, without going to his rooms, from which I shrank in consequence of the dread he seemed to have of my doing so, I could not obtain an opportunity of speaking to him. At length I resolved to know how he was acquitting himself, though I was even obliged to violate his wishes, and seek him in the privacy of his own rooms to do so. It was a dreadfully cold night, the thermometer below zero, and the snow and sleet beating in my face, as I crossed the quad to the staircase where Smith's garrets (for the sizars' rooms in St. Dunstan's are worthy of no better appellation) were situated, ascending the creaking old the gas-lamp below. "Bless me!" I exclaimed, as I broke my shin over a coal-box which some careless gyp had left upon the landing,-"bless me, how dark it is up here! I suppose the authorities do not allow the sizars the oil-lamps which burn on the other staircases." After stumbling about in the dark, I at length reached the door of Smith's domicile, rapped, but without waiting to be bidden to enter, opened it and went in. I was certainly shocked at the sight which met my gaze. The room was without carpet or curtains; the furniture consisted of only two chairs and an old table, at which, wrapped in an old, rusty, moth-eaten railway rug, looking paler and thinner than when I had last seen him, my friend was seated, studying by the light of the oil-lamp which he had taken from the staircase, thus accounting for the darkness and the breakage of my shin. Not one morsel of fire was in the grate; indeed it looked, as I found out afterwards was actually the case, as if it had had no fire in it for a long time; the poor sizar begrudging himself the commonest necessaries of life to enable him to send the proceeds of his well-earned scholarships to his widowed parent and ailing sister. Smith started to his feet as he recognized me; the bright flush which had suffused his face on my proposing a few days before to accompany him to his rooms, again took possession of it, as he said, with a touch of annoyance in his tone, though still with the same soft and gentle voice, "O, why did you come here, when I asked you not to do so? This is not kind, when I do not want you." I was conscious that my presence was an intrusion; but, as my motives were pure and honest interest in my new friend's welfare, I felt less awkward and confused than I might otherwise have done. dear fellow," I replied, “believe me, I have no wish to intrude upon you; I was anxious to know how you got on in the examination, and, as you avoided me in public, I am therefore compelled to seek you in the privacy of your own rooms, if I would obtain any information concerning you.” "My The sweet, gentle smile again stole over his face, as, looking at me as though, with his large, melancholy, yet deeply-sunken eyes, he would read my sincerity in my face, he said, "It is very good of you to feel an interest in me. I have done even better than I expected, thank you; and if I can only manage to keep up during the next few days, I shall, I trust, have acquitted myself well; but I do not feel very well, and I have a dread which I cannot shake off lest I should break down before my work is over." As he said this, he placed his hand upon his brow, and sank his head upon the table. "Cheer up, my dear fellow," I said; “you are a peg too low, as some of our men say. You want a short rest; just come over to my rooms and coach me a little; I sadly want it, and the change from one occupation to another will do you good." After a long resistance, as he saw he could not get rid of me on any other terms, Smith consented, and I led him in triumph to my rooms, where I took care that he should get thoroughly warm; which he did with the assistance of a good fire, supper, and some brandy and water. When he became more himself, we read together for an hour or more, as I wished it to appear as, indeed, was really the case that I was the person under obligations, and not him. After our reading was over, taking his hand, I said,"Smith, you cannot think how much good your - judicious explanations of these to me so difficult sub- The excitement which had so long been simmerjects have done me. I feel now, for the first time, ing, with regard to the proud position of senior that I shall get through the examination. You have wrangler, now burst forth into full boil. Numbersaved me the expense of a private tutor, and most less were the reports in circulation relative to the likely the great annoyance of a pluck; you must, event. Now it was that three men had been bracktherefore, allow me to repay you in some slight de-eted equal; now, that the merits of only two had gree the favors you have conferred by permitting been so evenly balanced as to render it impossible me to supply you with lights and fire, until the re- to decide in favor of either. Next, it was confidentsult of the examination makes you independent of all ly asserted that the Trinity student was far ahead future care and anxiety on behalf of your relatives." of all his competitors; again, a noisy Johnian deTears started to the poor student's eyes as I con-clared that the candidate from his college, he knew cluded, and, pressing my hand, he replied, "I feel that what you have said has been said only out of kindness; and, though you really owe me nothing, to refuse your offer would be false delicacy on my part. I accept it, therefore, thankfully as a loan, and I trust that I shall be able in a very short time to repay you." "Never think of repaying me," I said. "You are busy, and of course cannot spare time to come to my rooms; I must therefore come to you; and certainly, though tolerably hardy," and I laughed, "I cannot sit as you do without fire, when the thermometer is below zero." With this remark we parted for the night. No one who has not been present at the reading of the List for by this term the declaration of the result of the examination, both for mathematical honors and the ordinary degrees used to be known can form any idea of the poverty of the ceremony as it was conducted some few years ago. Instead, as may be imagined would be the case on such an important occasion, the vice-chancellor, preceded by the polar bearers, as the esquire bedels were irreverently nicknamed by the undergraduates, and accompanied by the doctors in their scarlet gowns, and the proctors, followed by their bulldogs, as the attendant satellites on these functionaries are called, bearing the university statutes bound in crimson vellum and brass, and carried by a chain, instead of these distinguished officials, proceeding in solemn state to the Senate House, there to read out in loud, sonorous tones the result of the most important examination of the year, whilst the undergraduates stood around in breathless and respectful silence, one examiner, and one only, about eight P. M., hurried, list in hand, to the Senate House, and there, by the light of a wretched candle, which only helped to make the gloom more apparent, and barely served to illuminate the building sufficiently to enable him to read correctly, gave forth those weighty decisions, big with the fate of many of the eager and clamorous youths who flocked around. for a fact, was the learned and fortunate individual. A don, with whom I had a slight acquaintance, and who recognized me amidst the crowd, told me confidentially that he had it from undoubted authority that a hitherto unknown and unexpected student, from a small college, had perfectly astonished the examiners by the excellence of his papers, which were far superior to any that had been sent in for some time, and that he, and he alone, whoever he might be, would be found the first man. My thoughts immediately reverted to my friend Smith; and, wondering whether it were possible that he might be the individual alluded to, I anxiously asked my friend in authority if he knew either the name or college of the talented youth he had been telling me about. He was ignorant of both; so I had to wait for some time in breathless impatience for the reader of the list to appear, having promised my friend to let him know immediately the result of the examination, as he was unable to leave his bed, his delicate frame having succumbed to the intense strain which had been put upon it by his unremitting application and his self-sacrificing privations. At last the welcome sight of a well-known and learned examiner greeted our expecting gaze, and pell-mell. helter-skelter, we followed the bearer of the list into the dirty, ill-lighted Senate House. Being a person of small stature, the reader of this important document was mounted on a chair, and after having requested silence, and fumbled for some time with his papers, for which I could have throttled him, so impatient and excited had I become, he commenced his task. As the sonorous voice of the little man pronounced the name," Smith, of St. Dunstan" as the first on the list of wranglers, a loud cheer broke forth from all the small college men. But I waited for no more; heedless of my own fate, or that of any of my friends, save my newly-made one, I left the Senate House, tore headlong into college, rushed up the steep, narrow, creaking stairs which led to the poor sizar's rooms, three steps at a time, burst open the door, and, breathless with excitement and the pace I had come, sank down on his bed, gasping out, My dear fellow, senior wrangler, senior wrangler!" Smith evidently at first could not imagine what I meant by my wild, disjointed, disconnected sentences, and thought I had taken leave of my senses; but at length, when the truth burst upon him that his labors had been rewarded by the proud position of senior wrangler, he swooned away, and it was with some difficulty, so inexperienced a hand as I was in such cases, I could bring him to himself again. At length, after having nearly drowned him, by pouring the contents of his wash-hand jug, full of icy-cold water, over him, bed and all, he revived, and his first words, on regaining his consciousness, So were, "Thank God! for my poor mother." To be present at this meagre and undignified ceremonial, if it deserved such a name, a few weeks after my evening with Smith, I pushed my way through the crowd of undergraduates who were congregated in front of the Senate House, waiting, with noisy impatience, for the doors to be open, and the list to be read out. The one examiner had not yet made his appearance, his delay being doubt less caused by the difficulty of deciding the fate of some luckless wight, who had managed matters with such nicety as to leave it a subject of considerable doubt in the minds of his examiners whether he had satisfied them or not, and, consequently, whether he should be permitted at that time to pass from an undergraduate to a full-blown bachelor of arts; the final chance being only decided in his favor university gossip declared by the tossing up of a halfpenny, found in the M. B. waistcoat of one of the moderators. Years rolled on: thanks to Smith's judicious instructions, I managed to obtain my degree; and then, having nothing but debts to retain me at Cam successive questions, reminds us of a well-known "Our gudeman cam hame at e'en, And there he saw a saddle horse, How cam this horse here Without the leave o' me?" I ought to say, that I am by no means sure of the correctness of the reading in the original Spanish, nor of the translation of the two last lines of the fourth stanza. I know no authority for the words El Moron,' signifying "The Moor." bridge, I left that seat of learning, took orders, and This official, after the business of the visitation was concluded, took me aside, and informed me that he had the bishop's orders to present me to him. I was ushered into the room where his lordship of Churminster was sitting; but recognizing me at once, he immediately arose, and seizing me by both hands, whilst tears stood in his eyes, he exclaimed, "I am so delighted to see you! I have long wished to know what had become of you, for I wanted so much again to thank you for your thoughtful kindness to the poor sizar of St. Dunstan's, who," and he heaved a sigh, "but for your warm fire and daily glass of wine, would certainly have sunk under the fatigues and hardships he was compelled to endure." I was very shortly after invited to the palace, and spent some delightful days in the new bishop's society, my old friend constantly reverting, with evident delight, to the cold bath to which I treated him whilst recovering from the swoon he had fallen into on hearing the joyful news that he was senior wrangler. It is needless to say that such a man as my friend was not one to be forgetful of past kindnesses, and it was not long before I was promoted to a good living in the bishop's gift, and all because I once dined in hall on a Christmas-day. BALLADS FROM THE SPANISH. THE first of the following poems, like all good ballads, belongs to that class of compositions which suggests far more than it narrates. We may assume that the lady whose fate it describes was married against her will to the enemy of her family (see fifth stanza), and that the stranger knight is her early love, whom she had been compelled to renounce. The mode in which her husband convicts her, by 66 I am quite aware of the fact that the second balof the class to which it belongs. lad cannot be ranked among the highest productions "Blanca sois, señora mia, EDMUND HEAD. Mas que no el rayo del sol," &c. Thou art fair, thou art fair, O lady mine, May I rest unarmed in this bower of thine? And are blackened as if by the furnace-flame, Unarmed, thou need'st not fear; To the mountains of Leon the Count is away; Pray God, that his hounds may in madness die, Whilst thus they are talking, her lord is there, "I was combing my hair, sir, in sorrowful cheer: Because to the mountains to chase the deer Say, whose is yon steed that is standing without, |