THE PRINCE OF WALES, D.C. L.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17106, 30 March 1921, Page 8

THE PRINCE OF WALES, D.C. L.

.. • ; -LIVING UP TO HIS MOTTO. (TBOU OUB OWK CORRKPONDEJT.) I LONDON, February 10. 1 Two days ngo the Prince of "Wales i revisited the sceno of his undcrgraduf ate era at Oxford. His principal ob-' ' ject was to take part in the dedication 1 of a memorial cross erected to those men of his old college at Magdalen—t 200 of them —who fell in the war, and > to lay the eolleso wreaths at the foot ' of the cross. He also took advantage : of the occasion to receivo personally • the Degree of D.C.L., which is the highest honour tho University is able to N oonfer upon him. One who.was there tells that oldworld Oxford was in gala dross to receive the popular visitor. The houses . wero gav with flags, and tho streets 1 packed with cheering crowds, when, at 11.]5, in bright sunshine, the Prince drove slowly down tho historic "High" • in a motor-car, accompanied by the 1 president of Magdalen. It was an historic occasion, as no member of the » Royal house has ever boforo come to 3 receive the diploma of a degree in per- • son. At noon the 'Prince, followed by his suite (which included Sir L. Halsey and Mr 11. P. Hansell, his former t tutor), entered the Sheldonian Theatre, having previously inspected a contin- { gent of tho O.T.C. Convocation made i, a unique departure in that, hut for 8 insignificant preliminaries, it banned \ the classic tongue from its transactions { It was a breaking with immemorial tra- . dition. and; as such, must be approachb ed with consummate delicacy. Wherefore tho Public Orator was moved to ask, "Licetne Anglice. toque?''' and the J undergraduates in tho dizzy heights in I the eaves cheered triumphantly and B ireverently. "Licet," came the re- ) sponso of the Vice-Chancellor, and the ■■• gathering settled down to hear the praises of the Royal visitor sung, not in sonorous Latin, but in toms l . < .°j everyday speech, singularly beautified for their special office, 3 It. was a memorable ' scene. Tho youthful appearance of the Prince, accentuated dv tho voluminous folds of i. his pink and magenta gown, contrasted ; ) strangely, with the white beards of the frave elders who sat immediately round Convocation Speeches. ! The Public Orator (Dr. A, D. G°dley) welcomed him cordially as a "Magdad len man." Since the Prince had rei sided among them, Europe—nay, the I whole world—had been the theatre of tremendous events and unprecedented ,t calamities. The whole fabric of our s civilisation had sustained shocks from which we could but anticipate a long and difficult recovery. On a stage, that which none in history had been more grandiose,, the Prince of Wales had " played his part on the side of liberty " and justice. (Cheers.) "Your name,' ' said Dr. (Jodley, addressing the Prince, t "will ever be assoeiated with some of . the most epio events in history, and I (what touches Englishmen still more nearly) with the most brilliant tri- • umpbs of your country's arms. Serv- : ing with our troops in the field, you \ gallantly maintained the.best traditions , of your Royal house, and the presence in moro than one theatre of * war of the i Heir-Apparent to-the British" Throne - was a perpetual encouragement to our ; armies." (Cheers.V , Referring to the Dominions' tour, Dr. \ Godley said: "The" golden opinions which you appear to have won from all sorts of people everywhere will surely servo as a link to bind England yet more closely to her kinsfolk overseas. > Meanwhile, Oxford, which, has been privileged'to bear some part in your education, feels a legitimate pride in the universal popularity of' an Oxford man." (Cheers.> The' Prince entered j life with a btore of experience such' as »had been granted to few princes. That .experience had not been lightly gained. It had been won always by personal exertions, and even amid scenes of danger. Those who knew the Prince best, however, were aware that to decline danger or hard, work waß a thing wholly foreign to his nature. (Cheers.) His mottor was "I serve," and he was living up to that motto. It was the language not of flattery but of simple truth to say that the King's subjects were loyal to the Prince, "not from principle but from passion." They were convinced that he would retain that place in the hearts of his countrymen. ''To this ancient and faithful university," concluded the Public Orator, "attached by so many links to your Royal house, and for so long the home of youthful years, you are bound by special ties; here, in Oxford, loyalty will ever.be kept akve by the ineffaceable i remembrance of. personal association." An Asset of Empire. The Vice-Chancellor believes that the spirit of Oxford haß : been very helpful to the Prince in his work, and will continue so to be. "May we .also venture to believe that it was partly by. the free, genial, and easy intercourse of college and inter-collegiate life that there were quickened in you the seeds of that power which was given you as a birthright—the power of charming and winning the hearts of men and women, old and young. (Cheers.) The seeds, have ripened, early'; and in your recent world-travels, undertaken to knit more closely the fellowship of our free British peoples, you displayed, that power of emotional sympathy with-varied types of people in such a degree as only genius can attain. We must regard such power in you as- our greatest asset, especially in the doubtful times of the present anct immediate future. For if misunderstanding or mistrust ; arose between us and our friends and kinsmen across the many- seas, ..we) , should have in you the most winning reconciler and master-teacber of the spirit of fellowship and ' good-will. : Therefore it is by no means incongru- [ ous that we should offer you the solemn and ceremonious title and dignity of Doctor of Civil Laws, for civil law is • safeguarded by nothing so much as by 1 that spirit of sympathy and fellow-feel--1 l ing between men of different localities and of different lives and wherever you i travel you strengthen that spirit and ■ leave it as a heritage to be preserved. 1 (Cheers.) Also, the acceptance of this ! diploma serves at least*as a token of J your willingness to join in formal fellowship with us grave elders, as you have hitherto been jojned-in most genial fellowship with the younger members of our university. Old and young, we of all ages and degrees, both men and wo- ' men, give you this day a pledge of our loyalty, admiration, and affection. "There has come down'to us from ancient dnys a dim but sure tradition | of another heir-apparent, once an undergraduate of Queen's College, him 1 whom Shakespeare has ; made known to us as Princo Hal, not a Doctor .of Civil Law, but the hero of'Agincourt, whom • the poet called The tTing of good fcllowes' —a charming phrase that seems, j Sir,-if I may say so, prophetic of yourself, his living descendant," (Cheers.) The Prince, of course, made a happy . response, and told the Vice-Chancellor that he _ had done more than confer on > him a high academic distinction. "You have also bound me* closer to a place j which in two happy years I learned to love, as all good' Oxford men love Oxi ford. (Cheers.) There is a 'saying about Oxford: 'Know you her-secret, nono can utter.' Wo all of us know • that secret, but we cannot put it into ' words, and few of us could ever forget it. But a good deal has happened since I went down. There has been a great war, and consequent universal changes. Even Oxford, supposed to be proof against innovations—(laughter)—has ( changed both externally and internally. i In one important matter at least she J has shown 1 herself moro progressive thau . her sister university. (Loud cheers.) T m#vnm +-h*v ir,A.lnoi/*m a£ nrAfHAn no-nuim.

. bora' of the university. I am very , ■, glad to see so many here to-day.'?' i (Cheers.) These and similar changed ; are all for tho bettor. But there are ! other changes which are sad, and in , ; tho form of irreparablo losses ... lam ! , very glad that the Officers' Training Corps is going so strong. I am very , triad to have served in the corps my. , self, and, although gome of you might. I not believe it, I actually attained tho ' T rank of corporal. (Cheers, and laughj ter.) . ' r Undergraduates from Dominions. I ''Mr Godley has alluded to my won- » dorful visits to tho Dominions and the r Crown colonies. Ho has incurred some. 1 what of a risk by doing that, as it iB. a very favourite topic of mine, and v ' . one upon which I am apt to be rather, . long-winded. (Laughter.) I introduce . it this morning for one reason only. OT j all my many and varied experiences in ' 3 Canada, Australia,. New Zealand, ant! i in many of the Crown colonies, I think, 1 the happiest and most lasting are tho: ' wonderful welcomes which they gave ? mo everywhere; I owe a very great/ j debt throughout the Empire, and ffeol b that I have here an opportunity of re- [ paying a fraction of it. And so, as an' i Oxford man, and as one who his' visited.', at any rate, some "of their homes, t 3 welcome all these undergraduates from . the Dominions and the colonies. I wel- , f come them very heartily, and assure .' { them how delighted I am to know that 3 their numbers are increasing, and I ■ [ hope that when they go down and return to their homes they will tell the \ prospective freshmen out there what a ■ . good place Oxford is, and they can ho j ' certain that Oxford will not fail thant, (Cheers.) ... » "University life is as full and as. p many-sided as any man or woman can f want; more so perhaps than most of 1 us realise until we go down. I can r testify to that myself. But, whatever 1 one may or may not get out of life up J '= here/ there is one thing .that Oxford- j c always given one, is charao* • ter. (Cheers.) In this" very theatre 1 fiftynseven years ago, I think it was, ' one of our greatest Prime Ministers, ■ Lord Beaconsfield, declared that ours Empire was maintained by our ohar- • acter." (Cheers.) t • I Mr Hansell listened attentively to 1 1 the Prince's speech, and snowed hh ' obvious pleasure at the masterly man. ■ ner in which it was delivered. It is ' recognised that the Prince owes much - of fii's splendid oratory totho able and 1 thorough training he received from Mr Hansell. • . ■ ■■■•(■'. i