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The last time that Helen is seen in Homer is at the visit of Telemachus to the palace of Menelaus. Attended by her three handmaids she

"Entered, semblant to the goddess, golden-spindled Artemis," not passing a "sombre close of a voluptuous day," but in housewifely calm and prosperity, chaste as the undefiled Artemis. Be it remembered, Homer never fails to represent retribution overtaking the wicked. But Helen appears meekly unforgetfully repentant, "going softly all her days," but still in true womanly majesty, honoured and beloved. And not even then without a stroke of divine chastisement, the most touching and most just, that the gods gave her no child after Hermione, the child of her youth. Homer then represents her as acquitted of infidelity by her own and her betrayer's countrymen: it is not for later ages to condemn her, nor to judge her by the standard of a morality eminently Christian.

Much more might be said; but our object will have been gained if our weak words have rectified any misconceptions of the lessons conveyed by the greatest of all works of fiction. In Homer we seem at times almost to catch some faint echoes of Eden, when God walked with man, and sin appears in undisguised ugliness; forgiveness, punishment and repentance were all taught by the prophet-poet, a testimony that God "did not leave himself without witness" in these dark days.

"What are faults, what are the outward details of a life, if the inner secret of it, the remorse, temptations, the often baffled, never ended struggle of it be forgotten?....Struggle often baffled-sore baffled-driven as into entire wreck: yet a struggle never ended, ever with tears, repentance, true unconquerable purpose, begun anew."*

Carlyle's Heroes and Hero-worship, p. 72.

Σ.

CONGRATULATORY LINES TO M. F. T. ON THE

PUBLICATION OF HIS NEW VOLUME
OF POEMS.

MORE rhyming, Tupper? Why Heaven help thee then, Thou worst of poets, but thou best of men!

What is the subject, gentle Tupper, say,

Another trifle in the Proverbial way?

Or are there "fifty million welcomes" more
To swell the fifty millions gone before?

Perhaps again "there comes at pace so swingeing,"
Another "lamp" upon another "engine,"

To wake in the enlightened mind of Tupper,
Poetic thoughts as he walks home to supper?

Is there a second part to "Christabel❞—
Finished by thee not wisely nor too well
Some years ago-where we may hope to see
How Christabel and young de Vaux agree
When married folks and both a trifle older?
I trust he doesn't ever drink, or scold her,
Or stay out very late at night, and she
I hope can pay the bills and make the tea.
And by-the-by allow me here to mention
They have quite forgot to settle Bracy's pension
For striking up Old Hundredth just in time
To save Miss Christabel and help your rhyme,
A natural slip to make in that confusion,
But when you next conclude that sweet conclusion,
Do, gentle poet-Tupper, let us know
Exact how many hundreds young de Vaux
Put yearly in your brother rhymer's purse,
You are so good at figures in your verse,
(As witness all that rhyming calculation
In adding up the "welcomes" of a nation),

And then subtracting what he paid for rent,
What was his income from the five per cent.
A second part you'll soon have thus amassed
Almost as interesting as the last-

But cease my muse this too familiar song,
"To themes sublime sublimer strains belong."

Hail glorious poet of the modern day!

"Ten thousand welcomes" to thy new born lay! Thy words shall glow in hearts of future men When Homer is forgotten-not till then!

E.

OUR CHRONICLE.

THE present term, though an unusually long one, has not been very fertile in events suited for our Chronicle.

The principal fact we have to notice is the appointment of the Rev. Benjamin Hall Kennedy, D.D., late HeadMaster of Shrewsbury School, and sometime Fellow of this College, to the Regius Professorship of Greek. There were four candidates; but the votes of the council of the Senate, the electors on this occasion, were equally divided between Dr. Kennedy and the Rev. E. M. Cope, Fellow of Trinity College. The right of appointment then lapsed to the Vice-Chancellor and the Master of Trinity; and then, their votes being divided, to the Chancellor, who conferred the Professorship. The classical distinctions of the University in times past and present, have been won so often for this College by the scholars trained under Dr. Kennedy, that this appointment, acceptable to all lovers of sound and elegant scholarship, cannot fail to be doubly pleasing to all true Johnians.

In the Mathematical Tripos, our College well sustained its reputation. We had twelve wranglers, of whom eight were in the first twenty, and three, Messrs. Stevens, Humphreys, and Carpmael, in the first six. In the Classical Tripos, which has only just been published, we have five in the First Class; among them the Senior (Mr. J. E. Sandys), and the sixth (Mr. W. A. Cox).

Two Fellowships have become vacant by the marriages of the Rev. J. S. Hoare and the Rev. W. D. Bushell, and another by the death of T. J. Nicholas, Esq.

No appointment has been made as yet to the rectory of Fulbourn, announced as vacant in our last number.

The death, after a very short illness, of the Rev. A. V. Hadley, late Fellow and Tutor of the College, is to many amongst us, a cause of real sorrow. Old pupils will

often think of his energy in work, his kindly disposition, his words of manly and judicious counsel.

His nearest friends know that they have lost one whom they less admired for his rare abilities and activity, than loved for his warmth of heart and generous enthusiasm in the cause of all that is good. The college has seldom mourned the loss of a more sincere and devoted son.

There was no examination of Junior Sophs at Christmas, owing to the change in the time of holding the "Little-go,' which now takes place at the end of the October term.

The lists of the first class for Senior Sophs and Freshmen are as follows:

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Inferior to the above, but entitled to a prize if in the first class at Midsummer:

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