A “GREEK” CLASS.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 47, 24 July 1874, Page 4

A “GREEK” CLASS.

[Abridged from the “ Scotsman.”] Professor Blackie’s Greek classes in the University of Edinburgh were closed on Friday, the 18th April, in the time-honored manner. Eleven o’clock was the hour appointed for the proceedings to commence, but for some time previous the well-filled class-room presented a most animated appearance, the students amusing themselves by shouting popular choruses, stamping with their feet on the floor, and beating the desks with their sticks, while those in the back seats lent variety to the fun by sending down occasional showers of peas upon the luckless occupants of the front benches. The entrance of a large number of ladies gave the students an opportunity of displaying their enthusiasm for the sex ; and somewhat later, when Professor Blackie, accompanied by Dr Muir, Dr Taylor, Dr Bedford, and several other gentlemen, entered, there was a tremendous Outburst of cheering, which culminated in fi"general uproar. The class-room then was densely packed, large numbers of students having to stand in the side passages. Professor Blackie, on silence being somewhat restored, appealed to those who had any common sense to help him to pnt down that noise without wit, which some were indulging in ; and he warned them that, if any peas were thrown, this should be the last public distribution of prizes which would take place under his auspices. Continuing, he said : This is a meeting in which there is to be a certain amount of talking—[great laughter] -it is necessary, therefore, that there should be—(interruption, during which one of the students played on a small trumpet, which emitted a squeaking sound, and caused great laughter) a certain amount of silence on your part if there is to be talking on ray part to any purpose, —[Cheers, and the playing of the wind instrument, followed by laughter and cries of “put him out.” The natural and spontaneous outburst of applause—[cheers]—when the prizes are delivered, or when anything particularly good is said, is just what one would expect from the lungs of hearty and healthy students—[renewed cheering]—but as previous experience has taught us—[“ Oh, oh,” laughter, and stamping with the feet] —that there are a few persons who intrude into this meeting for the sheer purpose of making animal noises—[“ Oh, oh,” hisses, and uproar]—l have to intimate that the only consequence of such noises will be to cause this meeting to collapse into nothing, [Cries of “ No, no.” In the meantime 1 request one of our keepers of order —[hisses; and as the “keeper of order’’ascended to the back benches, loud cries of “ Turn him out ” were raised, followed by a great disturbance] —I say, continued the learned Professor, if he should happen to fix by a glance of his eye—[laughter] —upon any individual who is not fit for the society of scholars and gentlemen [continued laughter]—he will take that gentleman by the cuff of the neck and drag him out—[Cries of “ Let him try it,” hisses and interruption]—a proceeding which I am perfectly sure will be most satisfactory, not only to the audience of civilised ladies and gentlemen—[great laughter]—but to a great majority of the students—[hear, hear] ninety-nine out of every hundred of whom are ashamed of such puerile and insensate proceeding [“ Oh, oh,” and stamping.] Now, do be quiet, like good b'ys.— [Laughter.] We arc to wind up the epic poems— [ A Voice: “ Wire in,” and laughter.]

Reminding them that they were before genteel society—[“Oh ”]— and saying that they would not go on until they behaved like gentlemen and ceased those interruptions, the Professor sat down in his chair, amid loud shouts of laughter ; but the students again showing signs of penitence, he resumed. I have, be said, to wind up what I may call the epic poem of the session—[“ Oh, oh ”1 by what vve should call, not a farce, not a tragedy, but what we must therefore call a comedy, in five acts.— [Laughter and cheers.J The first act shall consist [lnterruption, a fantasia on the penny trumpet, and laughter.] I assure the gentlemen here present that they will lose a great part of the enjoyment of this meeting—[laughter]—if they interrupt the flow of my sentiments. [Great laughter, followed by stamping and shouting, in the midst of which the Professor once more took his seat, declaring that ho would not go on.] After making an appeal to their feelings of sclf-rcspcct not to behave in such a manner before a public audience, he proceeded : —The first act of what I would call my closing comedy consists in the distribution of prizes to the students of the second class according to their several merits. The second; act * shall consist in the recitation of a poem by a distinguished member of the third class. [Cheers, and cries of “ Name.’’] The third act shall consist of the distribution of prizes to the students of the first class. The fourth act will consist in a certain scene to be enacted between Rev Mr Gunston and my excellent and respected tutor, Mr Keith. (Here another uproar took place, caused by another performance on the trumpet.) The Professor appealed to those standing near to turn the delinquent out ; and some one, to keep up the fun, opened the door, upon which a large number of students, who had been clamorous for admission, rushed in, amid great laughter. Silence being again restored, the Professor said—l certainly did not expect, when I wished to meet my students in a friendly and kindly way, that you would make such an unmannerly and childish exhibition of yourselves. There are several distinguished strangers here from London and other places, and I am perfectly sure they will carry away a very strange report. (“No, no.’’) You know perfectly well they will. (Laughter.) Now sit quiet for one miuute. The fifth act, if you allow me to go so far—[“Yes, yes,”]—is'to consist of a valedictory address by Professor Blackie. [Loud cheers.] It shall be the last address of the kind I will ever deliver—[“No, no”] —if I I do not see manifest signs of amendment in the conduct of certain persons—[Hear, hear.] May I request Dr Muir, our great benefactor [cheers]—and one of the most learned Sanscrit scholars in Europe—[renewed cheers] —the founder of the Sanscrit Chair in the University of Edinburgh, and no doubt, as such, the founder also of a great school of philology in Edinburgh, which shall be known in the east and in the west of Europe [cheers] may I request him to do me the favour to distribute the prizes as the names shall be read out in order ? Dr Muir then distributed the prizes, the learned professor all the while keeping up a running comment upon the subjects for proficiency in which the rewards were given, and upon the merits of some of his students. Several interruptions of course took place, in reference to one of which the professor said that he should be happy to see the day when it would be said of the University of Edinburgh. as it had been well said of Oxford, “ That whatever they do not make there, they certainly do produce gentlemen.” [Hisses and uproar.] On the second class prizes being distributed. the wind instrument again was the occasion of a tremendous uproar, which called forth from the Professor an appeal to the meeting to rid itself of this petty nuisance. Resuming, he said —I am now going to read you an original poem by Mr Archer —[cheers] —not the poem which gained the prize, but a native outburst of academic genius, fitted to the time and place. In the course of some further remarks about the author of the poem the Professor was urged to begin reading it, and ultimately loud cries of “ Sing it ” were yelled through the room. The Professor, who managed to read the poem half through, was frequently interrupted by suggestions and various noises, but the uproar culminating at this point, he threw the MS. away, and sat down in his chair, saying that he would not read another line. He then asked the tutor to go on with the distribution of the prizes to the junior class.— [Cries of “Poem.”] No, no; it is your fault that the poem is not finished, not mine. (Here the occupants of the back seats set up a loud imitation of weeping and wailing, which occasioned great amusement for some time) ; The prizes having been delivered to the first class, the learned Professor said he now left the stage free for those who wore to be the performers in the fourth act of the comedy—he meant the Rev Mr Gunston, as representing the first class, and his tutor, Mr John Keith. The professor accordingly descended from the academic rostrum, and took his seat among the students, but he had scarcely done so, when immense merriment was caused by the discovery that Mr Gunston was not present. Mr Todd, at the request of the Professor, then ascended the platform, and in a neat speech presented Mr Keith with the Aldine edition of the British Poets, complete in forty-two volumes, as an acknowledgment of the value they placed upon his services as tutor. Mr Keith shortly replied.

The curtain having fallen upon the fourth act, the professor again resumed his place on the rostrum, and was greeted with cries of “finish the poem.” I will answer you, lie said, in one word —“Too late”—[Cries of “ That’s two words,” and laughter.] I shall now proceed, if you choose to allow mo, with the fifth act of the comedy, consisting of a valedictory address by Professor Blackie [Laughter and cheers.] I promise you—and I think I may say so without offending the instinctive modesty of nature—[laughter] —it will give you as much pleasure as Mr Archer’s poem, and perhaps a little more. [Great laughter.] Now here you are The Professor then recited a somewhat lengthy and lively epic. Throughout the delivery of the poem, which was declaimed by the professor with great fire several amusing scenes occurred. Mention of the Duke of Edinburgh’s marriage evoked a tremendous outburst of enthusiasm ; but, on reference being made to the Lord Provost, Bailies, and other officials in connection with the torch-light procession, the “ loyal student lads” gave vent to their pent-up feelings of indignation at the attempt that was made by their civic rulers to interdict the procession, by hissing and hooting very heartily for some

considerable time, Referring to Sir Alexander Grant and University extension, the professor interjected the remark that Sir Alexander was a hard-working principal. There was no man who attempted the art of begging, in which clergymen excelled particularly— [laughter]—and he believed the ladies also more particularly—[continued laughter]—who did not know what a difficult thing it was to bring together £IOO,OOO out of pockets that were very closely buttoned. The lines :

“ As our good Principal, when he, Kipping his coffee or bohea were greeted with great laughter and bantering shouts of “brandy,” “toddy,” followed by the strains of the musical instrument previously mentioned, and general uproar. The professor laughingly remarked that they must imagine this scene to belaid in the quiet time of the evening, when the postman came to the door with the last delivery of letters —about half-past seven or eight o’clock—so that they would see at once that the principal would not be drinking toddy at that time. The explanation was received with much laughter. The learned professor at this stage requested the reporters, if it was consistent with their conscience, to report as little as possible of the folly of “those silly young gentlemen”—a remark which was met with counter requests on the part of the audience to report every word. Again, the allusion to the “ shabby Whigs ” brought about one of the noisiest scenes of the forenoon. Students with Liberal proclivities hissed, Tories shouted approval, and the cheers and counter cheers for some time were perfectly deafening. To quiet the agitation, the professor remarked that this was not a political meeting ; it was only fun. At the close, a call for Three cheers for Professor Blackie ” was heartily responded to ; and the students then separated, after singing “ Auld Lang Syne.”