THE AMALGAMATION, 23 



in all probability show better sport. Moreover, Collegers and 

 Oppidans were growing more and more friendly every year. 

 Already nearly all the differences betv/een the two sections had 

 been abolished. It almost looks as if Pound wished that they 

 still existed. ** College must go with the age, for the age will 

 not go with College." It is a sentence which might mean 

 almost anything. The Oppidans had received the Collegers into 

 all their sports, and yet the latter do not seem to have welcomed 

 the change. 



The next development of the proposal appeared in the 

 Chronicle of Nov. 22nd of the same year (1866). Here the 

 leading article was devoted to this purpose, and this is too 

 important not to be quoted in full. Without it, the proposal 

 might, and probably would, have been allowed to '' drop 

 unnoticed " perhaps for a considerable number of years. After 

 a few preliminary remarks, it goes on as follows : 



** Now we may as well begin by stating that our suggestions 

 refer principally to an idea which has been started before this, 

 but has been allowed to drop again unnoticed, although we must 

 say we think the idea a most felicitous one to all parties whom 

 it concerns. We refer to the idea once brought forward, of 

 Oppidans joining their beagles with those of the Collegers — a 

 plan which we think would tend greatly to further and increase 

 the harmony and goodwill that we are happy to say at present 

 exists between these two essential parts of one school. We all 

 know that combination is strength, and we have been delighted 

 t(» watch the gradual admission of Collegers into all the privileges 

 and sports of the Oppidans, beginning with the amalgamation 

 of Lower Club and Lower College at Cricket, the admission of 

 Collegers into the VIII., which occm^ed the same year, and 

 lastly the admission of Collegers into ' the Field ' (one of them 

 having been no insignificant member of a wonderfully good XL) 

 and into all the sports and races which have hitherto been open 

 exclusively to the Oppidans. We have therefore one other 

 arrangement to propose, which, if duly carried out, will complete 

 the bond of unity and harmony between us, and will also, we 

 have no doubt, give universal satisfaction, viz. the amalgamation 

 of the Oppidans' and the Collegers' packs. Its advantages, we 

 think, must be apparent to all ; and we defy its most strenuous 

 and determined opponents, if indeed any such exist, to find any 

 good grounds for defence. We should have all the advantages 

 of a far larger extent of country to hunt over ; and that, if some 

 of the farmers are going to be as reluctant, and we might almost 

 say as disagreeable, as last year, would be no inconsiderable gain 



