172 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



THE UNIVERSITIES.- 



OXFORD.-^I. 



-L 



THE advantages offered by the University of Oxford are avail- 

 able to two classes of persons namely, those who do, and 

 those who do not, become members of it. A practical account 

 of the University, written from a popular point of view, natu- 

 rally embraces the following heads : 



I. Advantages offered, to Unmatriculated Persons. 

 The Local, Middle-Class, or Non-Gremial Examinations. 



II. Advantages and Conditions of the University Curriculum. 



i. The course open to students described in the University 

 statutes as non ascripti, more commonly known as unattached 

 students. 



ii. Private halls. 



iii. Collegiate education. 



I. THE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS. 



These Examinations, which were instituted by a statute 

 passed, after much discussion and careful revision, in 1858, 

 have for their object the award of certificates of merit to such 

 candidates, of either sex, as satisfy their requirements, which 

 may serve as some introduction and recommendation for their 

 holders on entering into trade, mercantile pursuits, or other 

 avocations in life. There are two classes in these examinations 

 one for senior, and one for junior candidates. For the seniors 

 there is no limit of age ; but successful candidates under nine- 

 teen receive certificates conferring the title of Associate of Arts, 

 while successful candidates over nineteen receive pass certifi- 

 cates only. Junior candidates must be under sixteen years of 

 age. There are also higher examinations, restricted to women. 



The subjects in the last papers obtainable arc given in 

 parentheses when necessary, as a fair sample of the average 

 examination. The subjects vary, but the leading principles of 

 the examination remain unchanged. 



BEGULATION8 FOB JUNIOR CANDIDATES. 



The 1st day of July is the limit which determines the 

 eligibility of junior candidates of either sex for admission. 



For the convenience of candidates two examinations are 

 usually held, one in June and one in July. 



(i.) Preliminary Subjects. 



Every candidate will be required to satisfy the examiners in 

 1. Beading aloud a passage from some English author. 2. 

 Writing from Dictation. 3. English Grammar and Composi- 

 tion, including passages for parsing, paraphrase, and explana- 

 tion ; together with a short English Composition. 4. Arithmetic : 

 Numeration, the first Four liules, simple and compound, Re- 

 duction, Vulgar and Decimal Fractions, and the single Rule of 

 Three. The quality of the handwriting and the spelling will 

 be taken into account. 



(ii.) Optional Subjects. 



In addition to the above necessary subjects, without proficiency 

 in all of which no certificate will bo awarded, candidates will be 

 required to satisfy the examiners in three at least of the follow- 

 ing nine subjects, namely : 1. Religious Knowledge. 2. English. 

 3. Latin. 4. Greek. 5. French. 6. German. 7. Mathe- 

 matics. 8. Mechanics and Mechanism. 9. Chemistry. No 

 candidate will be examined in more than six of these. All can- 

 didates must be examined in at least one of the divisions of Re- 

 ligious Knowledge, unless their parents or guardians object to 

 this part of the Examination. 



1. Beligious Knowledge. (a) The First Book of Kings ; 

 (6) the Gospel according to St. John, or the Gospel according 

 to St. Matthew ; (c) the Acts, i. xii. ;* (d) the Catechism. 



Opportunity will be given for showing knowledge of the 

 Greek Text of the New Testament. 



No candidate will pass in Religious Knowledge who does not 

 satisfy the examiners in two of these divisions. No candidate 

 will be examined in more than three. 



2. English. (a) The Outlines of Greek History from 510 404 

 B.C., with special questions on the Persian War, and the Out- 

 lines of Roman History from 509 242 B.C., with special ques- 

 tions on the First Punic War ; (6) the Outlines of English His- 

 tory from the Norman Conquest to the Battle of Waterloo, with 

 special questions on the period from 1603 1643 ; (c) Shake- 

 speare's " Julius Caesar ; " (cl) Physical, Political, and Commer- 



* The books given in (a), (b), and (c) vary from year to year. 



cial Geography. An Outline Map of some special country will 

 also be given to be filled up. 



No candidate will pass in English who does not satisfy the 

 examiners in two of the four divisions (a), (6), (c), (d). No 

 candidate will be examined in more than three of them, or be 

 allowed to take (a) and (6) together. 



3. Latin. Passages will be given from a prose and a verse 

 author (as, for example, Caesar, " Bell. Gall." iii., iv., and Ho- 

 race, " Odes " iii.) for translation into English, with gram- 

 matical and general questions. Candidates may take either of 

 the two authors, but no candidate will be examined in both. 



An easy passage from some other Latin author will be set for 

 translation into English. A few easy English sentences to illus- 

 trate common Latin constructions, and a short passage from 

 some English writer will be given for translation into Latin. 



4. Greek. Passages will be given from a prose and a verse 

 author (as, for example, Xenophon, " Cyropsedia," iv., and 

 Homer, " Iliad " i.) for translation into English, with gram- 

 matical and general questions. Candidates may take either 

 of the two authors, but no candidate will be examined in both. 



An easy passage from some other Greek author will be set for 

 translation into English. 



5. French. A passage will be given from a standard French 

 author (Quinet's " Lettres a sa Mere ") for translation into 

 English, with grammatical and general questions. A passage 

 from a French newspaper will be set for translation into Eng- 

 lish, and English sentences for translation into French. 



6. German. A passage will be given from a standard German 

 author (Schiller's " Historische Skizzen '') for translation into 

 English, with grammatical and general questions. A passage 

 from a German newspaper will be set for translation into 

 English, and English sentences for translation into German. 



7. Mathematics. No candidate will pass in this subject who 

 does not show a fair knowledge of Euclid, Books i. and ii., and 

 of Algebra to Simple Equations, including Addition, Subtrac- 

 tion, Multiplication, Division, Greatest Common Measure, Least 

 Common Multiple, Fractions, Extraction of Square Root, and 

 Simple Equations containing one or two unknown quantities 

 and problems producing snch equations. 



Questions will also be set in the following subjects : (1) 

 Higher Arithmetic; (2) Euclid, Books iii., iv., vi. ; (3) Quad- 

 ratic Equations, Progressions, and Proportions ; (4) Plane Trigo- 

 nometry, including Solution of Triangles, and the use of Loga- 

 rithms ; (5) Mensuration. No credit will be given for a slight 

 knowledge of any of these subjects. The answers should be illus- 

 trated by diagrams, where these can be introduced. Euclid's 

 axioms will be required, and no proof of any proposition will 

 be admitted which assumes the proof of anything not proved in 

 preceding propositions of Euclid. 



8. Mechanics and Mechanism. The questions will be of an 

 elementary character, extending, in Statics, to the Composition 

 and Resolution of Forces, the determination of the Centre of 

 Gravity in simple cases, and the Mechanical Powers ; in Dyna- 

 mics, to Impact and Collision, the Motion of Falling Bodies, and 

 Attwood's Machine ; in Hydrostatics, to the Pressure of Fluids, 

 acd the ordinary Hydrostatioal and Pneumatical Instruments. 



The answers should be illustrated by diagrams, where these 

 can be introduced. 



9. Chemistry, including the elementary facts of Chemistry, as 

 illustrated by the following elements and their combinations: 

 Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Chlorine, Iodine, Sulphur, 

 Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Iron. 



There will also be a practical examination in the analysis of 

 simple salts (consisting of one acid and one base). Candidates 

 must satisfy the examiners in the practical examination in order 

 to pass in this subject. 

 (iii.) Candidates may also offer themselves for examination in 



1. a. Drawing from the Flat. 



b. Drawing from the Solid, with light and shade. 



2. Music. Questions will be set on Notation, Intervals. 

 Scales, Time, and Rhythm, Signs and Marks of Expression, the 

 Common Chord and its inversions, the Dominant Seventh and 

 its inversions. A short and simple figured bass may be given to 

 be harmonised in accordance with elementary rules. 



The results of the examination held in June and of that held in 

 July are combined, and the names of all the successful candidates 

 are published in one list, arranged in three divisions ; those in the 



