306 
that if they were not originals and of value, they 
would not have been lodged in the Museum, and 
if they are, why not appropriate a room to them, 
where they might be seen to advantage, by those 
who take pleasure in such representations of the 
celebrated persons of former days? Any informa- 
tion on this subject will be gratefully received. 
REPLIES. 
COLLEGE SALTING. 
In reply to the query of the Rev. Dr. Mait- 
land (No. 17. p. 261.), I would remark, that 
Salting was the ceremony of initiating a freshman 
into the company of senior students or sophisters. 
This appears very clearly from a passage in the 
Life of Anthony a Wood (ed. 1771, pp. 45—50.). 
Anthony a Wood was matriculated in the Univer- 
sity of Oxford, 26th May, 1647, and_on the 18th 
of October “he was entred into the Buttery-Book 
of Merton College.” At various periods, from All 
Saints till Candlemas, “there were Fires of Char- 
cole made in the Common hall.” 
« At all these Fires every Night, which began to be 
made a little after five of the elock, the Senior Under- 
Graduats would bring into the hall the Juniors or 
Freshmen between that time and six of the clock, and 
there make them sit down ona Forme in the middle 
of the Hall, joyning to the Declaiming Desk: which 
done, every one in Order was to speake some pretty 
Apothegme, or make a Jest or Bull, or speake some 
eloquent Nonsense, to make the Company laugh: But 
if any of the Freshmen came off dull or not cleverly, 
some of the forward or pragmatical Seniors would Tuck 
them, that is, set the nail of their Thumb to their chin, 
just under the Lipp, and by the help of their other 
Fingers under the Chin, they would give him a chuck, 
which sometimes would produce Blood. On Candle- 
mas day, or before (according as Shrove Tuesday fell 
out), every Freshman had warning given him to pro- 
vide his Speech, to be spoken in the publick Hall 
before the Under-Graduats and Servants on Shrove- 
Tuesday night that followed, being alwaies the time 
for the observation of that Ceremony. According to 
the said Summons A. Wood provided a Speech as the 
other Freshmen did. 
“ Shrove Tuesday Feb. 15, the Fire being made in 
the Common hall before 5 of the Clock at night, the 
Fellowes would go to Supper before six, and making 
an end sooner than at other times, they left the Hall 
to the Libertie of the Undergraduats, but with an 
Admonition from one of the Fellowes (who was the 
Principall of the Undergraduats and Postmasters) that 
all things should be carried in good Order. While 
they were at Supper in the Hall, the Cook (Will. 
Noble) was making the lesser of the brass Pots full of 
Cawdle at the Freshmans Charge; which, after the 
Hall was free from the Fellows, was brought up and 
set before the Fire in the said Hall. Afterwards 
every Freshman, according to seniority, was to pluck 
off his Gowne and Band, and if possibly to make him- 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 19. 
self look like a Scoundrell. This done, they were con- 
ducted each after the other to the high Table, and 
there made to stand ona Forme placed thereon; from 
whence they were to speak their Speech with an 
audible voice to the Company : which, if well done, the 
person that spoke it was to have a Cup of Cawdle and 
no salted Drinke; if indifferently, some Cawdle and 
some salted Drinke; butif dull, nothing was given to 
him but salled Drinke, or salé put in College Bere, with 
Tucks to boot. Afterwards when they were to be ad- 
mitted into the Fraternity, the Senior Cook was to 
administer to them an Oath over an old Shoe, part of 
which runs thus: Item tu jurabis, quod penniless bench 
non visitabis, &c.: the rest is forgotten, and none there 
are that now remembers it. After which spoken with 
gravity, the Freshman kist the Shoe, put on his Gowne 
and Band, and took his place among the Seniors.” 
Mr. Wood gives part of his speech, which is 
ridiculous enough. It appears that it was so 
satisfactory that he had cawdle and sack without 
any salted drink. He concludes thus : — 
« This was the way and custome that had been used 
in the College, time out of mind, to initiate the Fresh- 
men; but between that time and the restoration of 
K. Ch. 2. it was disused, and now such a thing is 
absolutely forgotten.” 
The editors in a note intimate that it was pro- 
bable the custom was not peculiar to Merton 
College, and that it was perhaps once general, as 
striking traces of it might be found in many 
societies in Oxford, and in some a very near re- 
semblance of it had been kept up until within a 
few years of that time (1772). C. H. Coorrr. 
Cambridge, Feb. 23. 1850. 
“KE. V.,” after quoting the passage given by 
Mr. Cooper from Anthony Wood, proceeds : — 
It is clear from Owen's epigram that there was 
some kind of salting at Oxford as well as at Cam- 
bridge; is it not.at least probable that they were 
both identical with the custom described by old 
Anthony, and that the charge made in the college 
book was for the cawdle mentioned above, as pro- 
vided at the freshman’s expense; the whole cere- 
mony going under the name of “salting,” from 
the salt and water potion, which was the most 
important constituent of it? If this be so, it 
agrees with Dr. Maitland’s idea, that “ this ‘ salt- 
ing’ was some entertainment given by the new- 
eomer, from and after which he ceased to be 
fresh ;” or, as Wood expresses it, “he took his 
place among the seniors.” 
The “ tucks” he speaks of could have been no 
very agreeable addition to the salted beer ; for, as 
he himself explains it, a few lines above, “to 
tuck.” consisted in “ setting the nail of the thumb 
to their chin, just under the lipp, and by the help 
of their other fingers under the chin, they would 
give him a mark, which sometimes would produce 
blood.” 
Before I leave Anthony Wood, let me mention 
