276 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2nd S. No 66., Apeil 4. '57. 



victim-brides, and the horrors of the scene ; and, 

 at the expense of his character as a Latin scholar, 

 he declares that this Latin is so difficult properly 

 to render into the vernacular, that " scarcely any 

 one understood it." If this really be so, there are 

 more things to complain of than the want of mu- 

 sical education in that University. Latin as well 

 as music has yet to assume "its proper dignity 

 and position : " and I trust the present Professor 

 of Music, " who is doing all in his power to remedy 

 the one defect," will find some earnest labourer 

 like himself who will spare no pains to accomplish 

 some amelioration of the other. It is clear the 

 Oxford Musical Doctors are '■'■ inceptores in arte 

 musical Ineeptio, is actus incipiendi ; and incep- 

 tor is he who performeth the act ; but inceptur 

 ap. sequioris CBvi scriptores is also an incendiary, 

 and therefore, I take it, the Hebdomadal Board do 

 not intend by the use of this word to maintain 

 that their doctors in music are beginners in that 

 art ; but that they are super-eminently distin- 

 guished by the Jire and spirit of their '•^solemn 

 musicke." It is pleasant to find that the learned 

 Board are not, after all, so superficially acquainted 

 with the Latin tongue ; and that they have thus, 

 let us hope intentionally, brought to light the true 

 meaning of the old term solennis musica, or, as it 

 was in the old books, solennis missa — a style of 

 composition which all candidates for these degrees 

 were desired to adopt. 



There can be no doubt that the honourable and 

 learned Board acted with every wish to do justice. 

 In olden days the studies for the Master of Arts' 

 degree included seven arts, and music was one. 

 Degrees were given in each particular branch of 

 study : there were Bachelors of Logic, Bachelors 

 of Grammar, Doctors of Rhetoric, Doctors of 

 Arithmetic ; but the Master of Arts was the 

 highest degree of all. No doubt, in the minds of 

 the Board, this distinction still remains ; and in 



fact, M.A. of Coll., Oxon., virtually admits 



it : for, says he, at the last Commemoration, the 

 present Professor of Music refused to robe him- 

 self in the virgin-white and warm blush of a 

 Musical Doctor, and indued himself in the gown 

 and hood of an M.A. I see also that Loggan, and 

 all recognised authorities, agree that Musical 

 Bachelor is the lowest and most inferior degree, 

 and that Musical Doctor is beneath M.A. Indeed 

 the licence given to the graduate, " admitting him 

 to the privilege of reading any of the musical 

 books of Boethius," seems but a miserly corbeille 

 to so much modesty, satin and blush. Further- 

 more, if money be any test in this matter, I find 

 there is an enormous difference between the sum 

 paid for the musical degree and that for the 

 divinity degree : three pounds for music ; one 

 hundred and four pounds for divinity, when the 

 graduate accumulates compounds, and is non- 

 resident. Now as to dress. 



The dress of an Oxford Doctor in Music is 

 a gown of rich white damask silk, with sleeves 

 and facings of crimson satin ; hood of the same 

 materials, and a black velvet cap, and bands. 

 That of Cambridge is a gown of rich white da- 

 mask silk, the sleeves lined with crimson satin ; a 

 cap of velvet, with gold tassel, and bands. No 

 mention is made of any baton, but Ackerman has 

 given him a roll of music. On reference to the 

 costume of the Doctor in Divinity, we find him 

 much more protected against the severity of our 

 summers; for he is allowed an under- garment, a 

 sash, a scarf, gloves, shoes with buckles, decent 

 silk stockings ; the zuchetta, or scull-cap, with the 

 cappella or three-cornered hat, flattened a la gibus, 

 and sewn upon the zuchetta. In these days, this 

 union of the two is called the trencher. The 

 Doctor in Divinity rejoices in four dresses. Doc- 

 tors in Law and Physic have only three, thus 

 described : — 1. A gown of scarlet cloth, sleeves, 

 and facings of pink silk. 2. A habit of scarlet 

 cloth, faced, and linetl with pink ; a hood of 

 scarlet cloth, lined with pink ; a black velvet cap ; 

 and for ordinary use, — 3. A common doctor's 

 gown of black silk ; he may wear the cap of velvet 

 or the trencher. The pink is described as shot 

 with violet. The colour intended is the imperial 

 purple, which would be better gained by the com- 

 bination of crimson and ultramkrine. The ordi- 

 nary habit of the old English musician was of pale 

 blue cloth, over which, on high days, he wore a 

 cope or gown of scarlet cloth ; and it must be in 

 the recollection of many, that, at the three last 

 coronations, the Court Composers appeared in 

 such scarlet robes. No doubt the white silk gown 

 with red facings, now adopted by the Universities, 

 is a combination of the surplice of the quireman 

 and the Court robe of the musician. At Rome, 

 the musician wears a habit -(sub-tunic), or sottana 

 of imperial purple, an under-dress, with buttons 

 from chin to feet ; over which is the rochetta or 

 lace dress under the manteletta. 



The Archbishop of Canterbury may, if it be his 

 pleasure, direct the Cantuar Doctor to wear the 

 combination dress of the surplice and scarlet robe, 

 or one more useful and scholastic. A much better 

 dress would be the scarlet cloth gown and hood, 

 with facings of imperial purple, with a blue or 

 purple soutane ; the sash of the same colour, with 

 gold tassels. Ackerman has pictured his Doctors 

 of Music (as Chalons does his ladies) in a draught 

 all-a-blowing ; but on reference to the old por- 

 traits, such as those of Drs. Heyther and Gibbons, 

 we see the artists have done their best to conceal 

 the absence of the soutane. The modern picture 

 of Dr. Dupuis is after the same manner ; and, 

 although his costumier has tied him up comfort- 

 ably under the cliin, he looks very cold, and afraid 

 to move, lest he should show his inexpressibles, or 

 soil his satin. The present cap, or benetta, is ugly 



