A Collection of College Words and Customs Part 36

230.

See COLLEGE BIBLE.

FRESHMAN SERVITUDE. The custom which formerly prevailed in the older American colleges of allowing the members of all the upper cla.s.ses to send Freshmen upon errands, and in other ways to treat them as inferiors, appears at the present day strange and almost unaccountable. That our forefathers had reasons which they deemed sufficient, not only for allowing, but sanctioning, this subjection, we cannot doubt; but what these were, we are not able to know from any accounts which have come down to us from the past.

"On attending prayers the first evening," says one who graduated at Harvard College near the close of the last century, "no sooner had the President p.r.o.nounced the concluding 'Amen,' than one of the Soph.o.m.ores sung out, 'Stop, Freshmen, and hear the customs read.'" An account of these customs is given in President Quincy's History of Harvard University, Vol. II. p. 539. It is ent.i.tled,

"THE ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IT."

"1. No Freshman shall wear his hat in the College yard, unless it rains, hails, or snows, provided he be on foot, and have not both hands full.

"2. No Undergraduate shall wear his hat in the College yard when any of the Governors of the College are there; and no Bachelor shall wear his hat when the President is there.

"3. Freshmen are to consider all the other cla.s.ses as their seniors.

"4. No Freshman shall speak to a Senior[26] with his hat on, or have it on in a Senior's chamber, or in his own, if a Senior be there.

"5. All the Undergraduates shall treat those in the Government of the College with respect and deference; particularly they shall not be seated without leave in their presence; they shall be uncovered when they speak to them or are spoken to by them.

"6. All Freshmen (except those employed by the Immediate Government of the College) shall be obliged to go on any errand (except such as shall be judged improper by some one in the Government of the College) for any of his Seniors, Graduates or Undergraduates, at any time, except in studying hours, or after nine o'clock in the evening.

"7. A Senior Sophister has authority to take a Freshman from a Soph.o.m.ore, a Middle Bachelor from a Junior Sophister, a Master from a Senior Sophister, and any Governor of the College from a Master.

"8. Every Freshman before he goes for the person who takes him away (unless it be one in the Government of the College) shall return and inform the person from whom he is taken.

"9. No Freshman, when sent on an errand, shall make any unnecessary delay, neglect to make due return, or go away till dismissed by the person who sent him.

"10. No Freshman shall be detained by a Senior, when not actually employed on some suitable errand.

"11. No Freshman shall be obliged to observe any order of a Senior to come to him, or go on any errand for him, unless he be wanted immediately.

"12. No Freshman, when sent on an errand, shall tell who he is going for, unless he be asked; nor be obliged to tell what he is going for, unless asked by a Governor of the College.

"13. When any person knocks at a Freshman's door, except in studying time, he shall immediately open the door, without inquiring who is there.

"14. No scholar shall call up or down, to or from, any chamber in the College.

"15. No scholar shall play football or any other game in the College yard, or throw any thing across the yard.

"16. The Freshmen shall furnish bats, b.a.l.l.s, and footb.a.l.l.s for the use of the students, to be kept at the b.u.t.tery.[27]

"17. Every Freshman shall pay the Butler for putting up his name in the b.u.t.tery.

"18. Strict attention shall be paid by all the students to the common rules of cleanliness, decency, and politeness.

"The Soph.o.m.ores shall publish these customs to the Freshmen in the Chapel, whenever ordered by any in the Government of the College; at which time the Freshmen are enjoined to keep their places in their seats, and attend with decency to the reading."

At the close of a ma.n.u.script copy of the laws of Harvard College, transcribed by Richard Waldron, a graduate of the cla.s.s of 1738, when a Freshman, are recorded the following regulations, which differ from those already cited, not only in arrangement, but in other respects.

COLLEGE CUSTOMS, ANNO 1734-5.

"1. No Freshman shall ware his hat in the College yard except it rains, snows, or hails, or he be on horse back or haith both hands full.

"2. No Freshman shall ware his hat in his Seniors Chamber, or in his own if his Senior be there.

"3. No Freshman shall go by his Senior, without taking his hat of if it be on.

"4. No Freshman shall intrude into his Seniors company.

"5. No Freshman shall laugh in his Seniors face.

"6. No Freshman shall talk saucily to his Senior, or speak to him with his hat on.

"7. No Freshman shall ask his Senior an impertinent question.

"8. Freshmen are to take notice that a Senior Sophister can take a Freshman from a Sophimore,[28] a Middle Batcelour from a Junior Sophister, a Master from a Senior Sophister, and a Fellow[29] from a Master.

"9. Freshmen are to find the rest of the Scholars with bats, b.a.l.l.s, and foot b.a.l.l.s.

"10. Freshmen must pay three shillings a peice to the Butler to have there names set up in the b.u.t.tery.

"11. No Freshman shall loiter by the [way] when he is sent of an errand, but shall make hast and give a direct answer when he is asked who he is going [for]. No Freshman shall use lying or equivocation to escape going of an errand.

"12. No Freshman shall tell who [he] is going [for] except he be asked, nor for what except he be asked by a Fellow.

"13. No Freshman shall go away when he haith been sent of an errand before he be dismissed, which may be understood by saying, it is well, I thank you, you may go, or the like.

"14. When a Freshman knocks at his Seniors door he shall tell [his] name if asked who.

"15. When anybody knocks at a Freshmans door, he shall not aske who is there, but shall immediately open the door.

"16. No Freshman shall lean at prayrs but shall stand upright.

"17. No Freshman shall call his cla.s.smate by the name of Freshmen.

"18. No Freshman shall call up or down to or from his Seniors chamber or his own.

"19. No Freshman shall call or throw anything across the College yard.

"20. No Freshman shall mingo against the College wall, nor go into the Fellows cus john.[30]

"21. Freshmen may ware there hats at dinner and supper, except when they go to receive there Commons of bread and bear.

"22. Freshmen are so to carry themselves to there Seniors in all respects so as to be in no wise saucy to them, and who soever of the Freshmen shall brake any of these customs shall be severely punished."

Another ma.n.u.script copy of these singular regulations bears date September, 1741, and is ent.i.tled,

"THE CUSTOMS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, WHICH IF THE FRESHMEN DON'T OBSERVE AND OBEY, THEY SHALL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED IF THEY HAVE HEARD THEM READ."