Assembly of the University, at which the candidates for the higher degrees of the year were said to 'commence' in those degrees. The University long vacation of three months then began.

It may be stated that the order of the curriculum, a very important item of the University career, which students had to comply with at Cambridge, in the Faculty of Arts, lasted over seven years. The first part covered the undergraduate period, extending from the date of admission to the obtaining the B.A. degree; and the second, the period of Bachelorship to the attainment of an M.A. degree.

According to the statutes, as they were then, four years' course of study, that is, twelve full terms of residence in a college, was necessary for the attainment of the B.A. degree, and each year of the four had its appropriate studies. During the fourth year of this period, and generally in the last term, the students who had qualified were required to keep two 'Acts,' or 'Responsions,' and two 'Opponencies,' in the public schools. These proceedings were arranged as follows:

At the beginning of the academic year, one of the Proctors obtained the names of the students in the different colleges who were desirous that year of competing for the degree of B.A. Soon after the commencement of the Lent term each of these aspirants received notification that in about a fortnight's time he would have to appear as 'Respondent' in the Public Schools. This notification

informed him that he must furnish three propositions, generally of a moral or metaphysical nature, which he was prepared to maintain in debate. Three students of equal standing, from other colleges, were then elected by the Proctor to appear as 'Opponents.' On the day appointed the Respondents and Opponents met in the Public Schools, and under the presidency of a Master of Arts, and in the presence of an audience of graduates, began the discussion.

A Latin thesis on the selected subject was read by the Respondent, and was answered, to the best of his ability and in the best Latin he could command, by one after the other of the Opponents. When all the speakers had finished they were dismissed by the President, or 'Moderator' as he was called, with such remarks on their performance as he deemed necessary, and the 'Act' was over.

When a student had passed through two of these exhibitions of argumentative skill he underwent an examination by the officials of his own college, and, if successful, was 'sent up' as a candidate for the B.A. degree. The selected candidates from all the colleges were then examined for three days, usually in the week before Ash Wednesday, in the Public Schools, before the Proctors and other members of the University. Those who succeeded in passing this examination were furnished by their colleges with a supplicat to the Vice-Chancellor and Senate, praying that they might be admitted ad respondendum quæstioni. A few days later the candidates from

each college, headed by one of their Fellows, went up to the public schools, where they had to answer questions out of Aristotle's Prior Analytics, and then became determiners.' Between then and

'

Palm Sunday they underwent a further course of exercises, and on this last-named day their probation ended, and they were pronounced Bachelors of Arts.67

Needless to say that many of the students never attained to this dignity, but after a year or two forsook the University for other occupations. It is a proof of Marlowe's perseverance, as well as ability, that he passed through the ordeal successfully, and in 1584, apparently as early as it was possible for him to have done so, obtained his B.A. degree. The Grace Book thus records the fact: 'Chrōs. Marlyn, ex coll. corp. chris. was admitted ad respondendum questioni.' His supplicat spells the name Marlin.' Thos. Harris signs as Prelector.68

Although there were, as already pointed out, certain vacations at Christmas and Easter, it was not usual for the students to leave the University at those times. The difficulties of travelling, and, probably, the youth of most of the collegians, caused the enforcement of much strictness in residence, and it was only during the long vacation that scholars from far-away homes had a chance of visiting friends or relatives. Archbishop Parker had, indeed, made a proviso in his agreement with Corpus Christi College that none of his scholars was to be absent

FOR THE YEARS 1583-4

SHOWING THE B.A.'S OF THAT YEAR IN THEIR SENIORITY.

MARLOWE IS NO. 199

PLATE XV.