She was welcomed by a deputation from the University at Godstow Bridge and at Bocardo by the civic authorities, who there yielded up to her the city mace, and presented her with a gilt cup and forty pounds of gold. A Latin oration at the North Gate and a Greek oration at Carfax were delivered. The Queen thanked the orator in Greek, and was then escorted to Christ Church. For three days Disputations were held in the royal presence in S. Mary's Church. Elizabeth was a good scholar, one remembers, taught by Roger Ascham, and she really seems to have enjoyed this learned function. On the last day, at any rate, so keen was the argument and the Queen's interest in it, that the disputants "tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky," so that the lights had to be lit in the church. At the end of the Disputations a Latin oration was delivered in praise of the Queen and her victories over the hosts of Spain and the Pope. "Tuis auspiciis," the peroration ran, "Hispania Anglum non vidit nisi victorem, Anglia Hispanum nisi captivum." Loud cries of "Vivat Regina" resounded through the church. Elizabeth was pressed to reply. She pretended to hesitate, suggesting that the Spanish Ambassador, or Leicester, or Cecil should speak for her. The courtiers were wise enough to bow dissent. At length she rose, and her opening words contained a happy allusion to the growing darkness: "Qui male agit odit lucem"; "Dominus illuminatio mea," she might have added. Some relaxation was provided for Her Majesty in the shape of Latin and English plays which were acted in Christ Church Hall "upon a large scaffold erected, set about with stately lights of wax variously wrought." The Latin play was entitled "Marcus Geminus and Progne"; the English play "Palamon and Arcite," written by Mr Richard Edwards, and acted, we are told, with very great applause. "In the said play was acted a cry of hounds in the Quadrant upon the train of a fox in the hunting of Theseus, with which the young scholars who stood in the windows were so much taken, supposing it was real, that they cried out 'Now, now. There, there. He's caught! He's caught!' All which the Queen merrily beholding said 'O excellent! Those boys in very troth are ready to leap out of the window, to follow the hounds.'" The play, indeed, was considered to surpass "Damon and Pythias," than which they thought nothing could be better. The acting of plays of this kind and in this manner at the Universities as at the Inns of Law on occasions of high festivity throws considerable light on the development of the Elizabethan drama. The University Wits, as they were called, began at this period to lay the foundations of English fiction in their "Tales"; the early English drama received its classical tone and form from them also. For John Lyly, George Peele, Thomas Lodge and others were Oxford men.