inexhaustible source of delight, and such a mind it was that penned _The Address to Mathematics_, in "The Cambridge Tart," beginning-- "With thee, divine Mathesis, let me live! Effuse source of evidence and truth!" PORSON gave a singular proof of his "fondness for Algebra," says the _Sexagenarian_, by composing an equation in Greek, the original being comprised in one line. When resident in college, he would frequently amuse himself by sending to his friends scraps of Greek of a like character, for solution. The purport of one was, "Find the value of _nothing_." The next time he met his friend, he addressed him with, "Well, have you succeeded in finding the _value of nothing_?" "Yes," replied his friend. "What is it?" "Sixpence I gave the gyp for bringing your note," was the rejoinder. The late Professor Vince meeting a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, the next morning after a high wind had blown down several of the fine old trees in the walks, some of three centuries' standing, he was addressed with, "a terrible storm last night, Mr. Professor." "Yes," he replied, "it was A RARE MATHEMATICAL WIND." "Mathematical wind!" exclaimed the other, "how so, Doctor?" "Why you see it has _extracted a great many roots_!" A Johnian one day eating _apple-pie_ by the side of a Johnian fellow, an inveterate punster, he facetiously observed, "HE WAS RAISING APPLE-PIE TO THE Tth POWER:" Another fellow walking down the hall, after dinner, and slipping some distance on _smooth flags_, looked over his shoulder and observed to one following him--"_An inclined plane_." Another Cantab, when a student of Bene't, now rector of H----, Suffolk, sung his song of "divine Mathesis:"-- Let mathematicians and geometricians Talk of circles' and triangles' charms, The figure I prize is a girl with bright eyes, And the circle that's formed by her arms. * * * * * THE CLASSICAL TRIPOS AND THE WOODEN WEDGE. This class of Cambridge honours, for which none can become candidates but those who have attained mathematical distinction, was instituted by a Grace of the Senate, in 1822. As its title implies, it is divided into three classes. The first examination took place in 1824, when the Cantabs were saved the labour of _gestation_, by the last man in the third class being named _Wedgewood_, which was transposed by some wag to _wooden wedge_--and by that _soubriquet_, equivalent to the _wooden spoon_, all men so circumstanced are now designated in the colloquial phraseology of the University. It is but justice to Mr. W. to add, however, that he also attained the high mathematical distinction of eighth wrangler of his year. By the same decree of the Senate A PREVIOUS EXAMINATION