After the breaking-up service in the Abbey, they assembled in School for call-over. The results of Election and the removes were read out, the prizes distributed, the prize epigrams recited by their authors and rewarded with one of the silver pennies that come to Westminster in the distribution of the Maundy. Armed with a birch ("rod"), one of the School Monitors was despatched down the gangway between the lower forms to find and escort to the head master's dais a young offender who paid for his too frequent presence in penal drill by being publicly flicked across the back of the hand. Then the Captain and three School Monitors stood up and in turn were handed the birch which they reversed and gave back to the head master; as soon as they had been discharged of their dignity and duties, the new School Monitors were handed the birch in token of office. At the "_Oremus_" the new Captain knelt facing the school and read the Latin prayers; with the "_Ire licet_" was born a new generation of Old Westminsters. In an interview with the Dean of Christ Church, those who had been elected to the House were told the day on which they had to present themselves in Oxford. CHAPTER II A SETTING AND A DATE "I am the captive of your bow and spear, sir. The position has its obligations--on both sides.... Brainy men languishing under an effete system which, when you take good holt of it, is England--just all England.... If you want to realise your assets, you should lease the whole proposition to America for ninety-nine years." RUDYARD KIPLING: _The Captive_. I The men who in 1914 were of military age, as that definition was used on the outbreak of war, were born at earliest in the middle of the eighties. Queen Victoria was to reign for half a generation longer, Lord Beaconsfield was but lately dead, Mr. Gladstone had ahead of him more than a dozen years of life and one more term as prime minister, and Mr. Parnell was appearing for the first time as the maker and breaker of ministries.