headed by marshal Holliday and old Jack Smith, united their forces, and following the vehicle, opened a passage into the very centre of the battle, where they had for some time to sustain the perilous attacks of oaths, and blows, and kicks from both parties, until having fairly wedged themselves between the combatants, they succeeded by threats and entreaties, and seizing a few of the ringleaders on ~256~~both sides, to cause a dispersion, and restore by degrees the peace of the city. It was, however, some hours before the struggle had completely subsided, a running fight being kept up by the various straggling parties in their retreat; and at intervals the fearful cry of Town and Gown would resound from some plebeian alley or murky lane as an unfortunate wight of the adverse faction was discovered stealing homewards, covered with mud and scars. Of my college friends and merry companions in the fray, Tom Echo alone remained visible, and he had (in his own phraseology) _dropped his sash_: according to Hudibras, he looked "As men of inward light are wont To turn their opticks in upon't;" or, in plain English, had an _invisible_ eye. The "_disjecta fragmenta_" of his academical robe presented a most pitiful appearance; it was of the ragged sort, like the _mendicula impluviata_ of Plautus, and his under habiliments bore evident marks of his having bitten the dust (i.e. mud) beneath the ponderous arm of some heroic blacksmith or bargee; but yet he was lively, and what with blows and exertion, perfectly sobered. "What, Blackmantle? and alive, old fellow? Well clone, my hearty; I saw you set to with that fresh water devil from Charwell, the old Bargee, and a pretty milling you gave him. I had intended to have seconded you, but just as I was making up, a son of Vulcan let fly his sledge-hammer slap at my _smeller_, and stopped up one of my _oculars_, so I was obliged to turn to and finish him off; and when I had completed the job, you had bolted; not, however, without leaving your marks behind you. But where's Eglantine? where's Transit? where's the Honourable? By my soul the _roue_ can handle his _mauleys_ well; I saw him floor one of the raff in very prime style. But come along, my hearty; we must walk over the ~257~~field of battle and look after the wounded: I am desperately afraid that Eglantine is _booked inside_--saw him surrounded by the _bull-dogs_--made a desperate effort to rescue him--and had some difficulty to clear myself; but never mind, ''tis the fortune of war,' and there's very good lodging in the castle. Surely there's Mark Supple with some one on his back. What, Mark, is that you?" "No, sir--yes, sir--I mean, sir, it's a gentleman of our college--O dearey me, I thought it had been a proctor or a bull-dog--for Heaven's sake, help, sir! here's Mr. Transit quite senseless, _take notice_--picked him up in a doorway in Lincoln-lane, bleeding like a pig, _take notice_.