2na S. N» 66., April 4. '57.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



277 



enough, and ia not to be compared to the zuchetta 

 and cappella. The latter of course must be four- 

 cornered when the wearer is a layman ; and three- 

 cornered when a priest, as in the case of the pre- 

 sent talented Professor at Oxford. As to the 

 bands : — What are bands ? I take it, bands are 

 the remnant of the old collar : for on an examina- 

 tion of a chronological series of portraits, it will 

 be found that the round collar by degrees be- 

 comes a square. The square gradually decreases 

 in size, until it dwindles into the relic now called 

 bands. To wear a shirt collar and bands also, 

 appears a little like pig upon bacon ; and of course, 

 where there is a soutane, there could not be a 

 handsomer adjunct than a Vandyck Collar. The 

 very charming portrait of Corelli shows he wore 

 the short soutane, with large bands, and very fine 

 shirt and ruffles. The old baton was made of 

 wood or ivory, set in silver, with a crystal knop. 

 Such is the dress which the Cantuar Doctor may 

 wear ,• as according to precedence, distinctive of 

 his profession, and in keeping with the origin of 

 scholastic costume. Scarlet robe, turned tip with 

 purple ; hood of the same ; purple or blue sot- 

 tana, lace collar, skull-cap and four-cornered hat, 

 purple sash, with gold tassels, and baton as be- 

 fore described. University and scholastic dresses 

 spring from the Church : the very gown of the 

 undergraduate is that of one of the monastic 

 orders. In this matter, the Archbishop posses- 

 ses the same power as the Court of Rome ; and 

 as the dignity in all cases flows- from his Grace, 

 he may clothe it according to his pleasure. 



M.A. (of Coll., Oxon.) asks, What ordef- 



of precedence Cantuar graduates take with regard 

 to graduates in Universities ? To this question I 

 reply, that the Cantuar degree is the highest, be- 

 cause it flows from the fount of all scholastic 

 honour in this countr^, namely. His Grace the 

 Archbishop of Canterbury, who holds such honour 

 by the favour and permission of the sovereign, 

 and is guaranteed its continuance by Act of Par- 

 liament. Musical degrees were given as early as 

 1463, perhaps even earlier; but scholastic degrees 

 sprung from the sanction of the Pope, the then sup- 

 posed sole fount of such dignities. Now in Eng- 

 land the Archbishop exercises the same power as 

 the Pope. By virtue of the grace of the sovereign, 

 Universities, not in themselves founts of honour, 

 grant degrees, but subject to the conditions and 

 obligations of their charters. Henry VIII. de- 

 clined to take to himself the power of creating 

 literary honours, and conferred on the Primate 

 the same powers which the Pope had exercised 

 herein, and he continued also to the Universities 

 what the Pope had previously bestowed. Univer- 

 sities possess delegated powers in these matters ; 

 but the Archbishop is not a legate now, but in 

 himself the fount of these honours. No graduate 

 of a University has any status out of that Univer- 



sity, nor can he appear but as a Visitor in any 

 other University. But should a member of a 

 University, holding an inferior degree, receive a 

 higher degree by the favour and grace of the 

 Primate, he takes the rank pertaining to that de- 

 gree in his own University. The case Dr. Routh 

 mentioned to me unquestionably settles this point. 

 The Musical Doctor of Oxford is permitted a 

 licence to read any of the musical books of Boe- 

 thius as the only result of his exertions ; for there 

 are no prizes to contend for, no scholarships to 

 hold, no exhibitions to secure, and, in fact, for 

 him there is neither money nor renown. As the 

 study and honest profession of music is unattended 

 with pecuniary emolument, it is clear the only 

 reward open to the enthusiast in this divine art is 

 that of honour. Hence it follows that the degree 

 of the Primate is more congenial to the feelings 

 of the artist than the receipt of a piece of parch- 

 ment granting a man liberty to read Boethius ! ^ 

 Oxford and Cambridge are both guiltless of any 

 recklessness in conferring such honorary distinc- 

 tion, or we should at least have heard of a Men- 

 delssohn Mus. Doc. Oxon. ; or a Spohr Mus. 

 Doc. Cambridge. Haydn, I believe, was thought 

 of; there was also a talk of Handel : but he hap- 

 pened to hear of the consequences, and Boethius 

 and the fees frightened him from the field. The 

 present University degree cannot remain as it is, 

 the sequence of exercise without regimen, and a 

 violation of the intention and meaning of the 

 charters. The Universities must produce or au- 

 thorise proper class-books, and determine on spe- 

 cific studies, and certain and definite practice. 

 The other day a new Psalter appeared from the 

 Choragus at Oxford, and he tells us the chants of 

 the old church — probably sung by David to his 

 own Psalms — " induce irreverence ; " and it would 

 seem Professor De Morgan's Query respecting 

 organ tuning, has raised a division in the musical 

 world, to allay which a Musical Doctor, Oxon., 

 assures his readers ati equal division of the twelve 

 semitones "will not do" for the organ, because 

 "Dame Nature settled that at least three genera- 

 tions ago" meaning, no doubt, that this was the 

 opinion of his grandmother. And on Friday last, 

 at Exeter Hall, I was informed in "an Analysis 

 of the Oratorio of Israel in Egypt," that Handel 

 was a dunce and barbarian. H. J. Gauntlett. 

 Powys Place, March 23, 1857. 



Device and Motto (2"'' S. ii. 130.) — Allow me 

 to. suggest in answer to J. J. that the motto on 

 his seal is a Latin one, and that the word " oute " 

 is composed of the initial letters of the four things 

 represented in the seal. The words, I imagine, 

 are otium, quiet or peace, typified by the dove ; 



