intellectual density which finds it difficult to squeeze through the narrow portal which admits to the privileges of a Bachelor of Arts. As Mr S. himself, being a sporting man, described it, it was "a very close run indeed;" not that he considered that circumstance to derogate in any way from his victory; he was rather inclined to consider, that, having shown the field of examiners capital sport, and fairly got away from them in the end without the loss of his brush, his examination had been one of the very best runs of the season. In virtue whereof he was now mounted on the arm of an easy-chair, with a long chibouque, which became the gravity of an incipient bachelor better than a cigar, and took upon himself to give Thornhill (who was really a clever fellow, and professing to be reading for a first) some advice as to his conducting himself when his examination should arrive. "I'll tell you what, Thornhill, old boy, I'll give you a wrinkle; it doesn't always answer to let out all you know at an examination. That sly old varmint, West of Magdalen, asked me who Hannibal was. 'Aha!' said I to myself, 'that's your line of country, is it? You want to walk me straight into those botheration Punic Wars; it's no go, though; I shan't break cover in that direction.' So I was mute. 'Can't you tell me something about Hannibal?' says old West again. 'I can,' thinks I, 'but I won't.' He was regularly flabergasted; I spoilt his beat entirely, don't you see? So he looked as black as thunder, and tried it on in a fresh place. If I had been fool enough to let him dodge me in those Punic Wars, I should have been run into in no time. Depend upon it, there's nothing like a judicious ignorance occasionally." "Why," said Thornhill, "'when ignorance is bliss' (that is, when it gets through the schools), ''tis folly to be wise.'" "Ah! that's Shakespeare says that, isn't it? I wish one could take up Shakespeare for a class! I'm devilish fond of Shakespeare. We used to act Shakespeare at a private school I was at." "By Jove!" said somebody from behind a cloud of smoke--whose the brilliant idea was, was afterwards matter of dispute--"why couldn't we get up a play?" "Ah! why not? why not? Capital!" "It's such a horrid bore learning one's part," lisped the elegant Horace Leicester, half awake on the sofa. "Oh, stuff!" said Savile, "it's the very thing to keep us alive! We could make a capital theatre out of the hall; don't you think the little vice-principal would give us leave?" "You had better ask for the chapel at once. Why, don't you know, my dear fellow, the college hall, in the opinion of the dean and the vice, is held rather more sacred of the two? Newcome, poor devil, attempted to cut a joke at the high table one of the times he dined there after he was elected, and he told me that they all stared at him as if he had insulted them; and the vice (in confidence) explained to him that such 'levity' was treason against the '_reverentia loci!_'"