THE PRIMATE'S HEBREW PRIZES.

178

The examiners are, the Regius Professor of Divinity, the Professor of Oratory, and Archbishop King's Lecturer in Divinity, with the assistance, in case of written compositions, of the Provost, and such of the Senior Fellows as may choose to attend.

The subjects are selected by the three examiners, and the subject for written composition is announced in the last week of Hilary Term by the Regius Professor of Divinity. Candidates must have attended with remarkable diligence as Candidates Bachelors or Bachelors of Arts, on Divinity Lectures in two terms, which may be any two terms antecedent to that in which the examinations are held; and for extempore speaking or reading the Liturgy, the further qualification of having taken the degree of Bachelor of Arts is required.

The usual mode by which the merit of the candidates is tested on these occasions, is by a number of trials in various parts of the Liturgy; after each trial the number of candidates is diminished. And in order that the candidates should have equal chances in the extempore speaking, and reading the Liturgy, they are only admitted into the room singly, and not until the moment when each is to be put on his trial; still further to prevent any improper communications with the candidates waiting outside, none of the parties in the room are permitted to go out until the final decision is made.

THE PRIMATE'S HEBREW PRIZES.

These prizes were first instituted by a decree of the board in February, 1794, and a fund allocated to encourage graduates to study the Hebrew Language. In the year 1800, Primate Newcombe added munificently to this fund, and his successors in the see of Armagh have continued that good feeling ever since. Originally, the days of examination were at the Hilary and Trinity Terms, and an occasional examination was held for the class of Middle Bachelors, whenever candidates appeared at the end of Michaelmas

THE PRIMATE'S HEBREW PREMIUMS.

174 Term. The premiums were confined to graduates until July, 1830, when further regulations were made defining exactly the times and the business for examination in each of the Bachelor classes. In October, 1835, the following additional regulations were made by the Board.

REGULATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE PRIMATE'S
HEBREW PREMIUMS.

That the Candidate or Junior Bachelor class be examined at the end of Michaelmas Term, in the grammar; at the end of Hilary Term, in the first four chapters of Genesis; and at the end of Trinity Term, in the history of Joseph, contained in Genesis, xxxvii. xli. xlii. xliii. xliv. xlv.

The Middle Bachelor class are to be examined at the end of Michaelmas and Trinity Terms; and the Senior Bachelor class, at the end of Hilary Term, in the Psalms.

It is also provided that the professor may give a certificate, similar to that given for Divinity lectures, to any student who shall attend a course of Hebrew lectures for two years, or six terms, with remarkable diligence, and sufficient answering. That the assistants shall send to the professor, at the end of every term, duplicates of the returns made by them to the senior proctor, and the professor shall enter them in a book to be kept by him as evidence whereon he may sign the certificate. Junior Sophisters may also attend Hebrew lectures, and be examined for premiums with the Junior Bachelor class; and Junior Bachelors who have attended during the Senior Sophister year with the Middle Bachelor class, so as to enable them to complete their two years of Hebrew, at the same time as their divinity terms.

Middle Bachelors, who have attended for two years, can attend a third year with the Senior Bachelor class; and any student who may have attended for three years, shall receive a certificate in which the word triennium shall be substituted for biennium.

BISHOP BERKELEY'S GOLD MEDALS.

175

The scholars who have completed the entire course of Hebrew at the end of their Middle Bachelor year, are excused all attendance at Hebrew lectures during the remaining year of their scholarships.

BISHOP LAW'S MATHEMATICAL PRIZES.

In the year 1796, John Law, Lord Bishop of Elphin, presented a donation of 700 guineas, on the express condition that it should be applied to encourage the study of mathematics according to a scheme which the good bishop drew up himself, and which, with some small alteration made in it, during his own time, remains in all its original integrity and usefulness.

BISHOP BERKELEY'S GOLD MEDALS.

This eminent divine, whose benevolence was only circumscribed by his means, presented 120 guineas and an engraved medal die to the college, for the purpose of establishing annual gold medal prizes, to encourage Bachelors of Arts to continue the study of the Greek language. And in 1752, the Provost and Senior Fellows agreed to give annually for ever, two gold medals, agreeably to the bishop's intention.

These medals are now given to the Middle Bachelors who have attended the lectures of the Regius Professor of Greek with remarkable diligence for two academic years, commencing with the term in which they have taken their Bachelor's degree.

GOLD MEDALS AT THE COMMENCEMENTS.

The origin of the series of medals commenced in 1793, when the Provost and Senior Fellows resolved that a gold medal should be given to such students as shall have answered every examination from their entrance to the taking of their Bachelor's degree,

a Brother to the late Lord Chief Justice Ellenborough.

176 MODERATORS AT DEGREE EXAMINATION.

provided they shall also have got judgments, at each examination, not inferior to one Bene with Valde Benes. This mode was altered in 1816, and then the medals were given, one to the best answerer in classics, and the other to the best answerer in science, at an examination held in distinct courses prescribed for that purpose. These regulations have also been laid aside, and at present, the gold medals, for classics and science, have been superseded by the substitution of Moderatorships with gold and silver medals, in Mathematics and Physics, in Classics, in Logics, and in Ethics.

By the same regulations which substituted the rank of Moderator for the gold medals given formerly at the commencements, the students that have obtained honours in any previous part of the undergraduate course, may offer themselves at the more solemn examinations without appearing at the ordinary examination; but those who have not previously distinguished themselves, must answer at the general examination of their class, and cannot present themselves as candidates for moderatorships, unless they are specially recommended by their examiners for their answering at the ordinary examinations.

Moderatorships are obtainable in Mathematics and Physics; 2d, in classics; 3d, in Ethics and Logics; this arrangement being the order in rank of each department. They are divided into Senior and Junior Moderatorships, besides others, who, though judged worthy of their degree, have not displayed any supe

rior merit.

All who obtain this rank, are placed at the head of their class, and presented to the Vice-Chancellor by the Proctor at the commencements, in the order of their places, &c., &c. The number of moderatorships is about one fortieth of the class of candidate bachelors, and the junior moderators double that of the seniors.

In 1835, the board resolved that a gold medal, similar to that formerly given, should be presented to the first senior moderator in each of the three depart

BIBLICAL GREEK PRIZES.

177

ments, and gold medals, the same as the Berkeley medals, to the remaining senior moderators, and silver medals to be given to the junior moderators.

MEDALS FOR MODERN LANGUAGES.

The board instituted these rewards in 1835, and the examination for this purpose takes place in the Michaelmas Term.

PRIZES IN POLITICAL ECONOMY.

We have seen that this professorship was founded by the Reverend Dr. Whately, Archbishop of Dublin, in the year 1832. And to give a further stimulus to its operations, the Provost and Senior Fellows, in 1837, determined to institute annual examinations in this branch of science, and to offer a prize of £10, and another of £5 for proficiency therein.

The examinations, which are conducted either verbally or by written questions, are held at the beginning of Michaelmas Term, on a day of which notice is given in the preceding term; they are conducted under the direction of the professor of this science. Students in the Bachelor classes, whose names are on the books, are the only persons eligible to offer themselves as candidates. Successful competitors cannot receive a prize at any subsequent examination. The Professor also points out the most proper works to be consulted in this department of the course.

BIBLICAL GREEK (PRIZES).

The Professor of Biblical Greek holds his examination for prizes, in this department, in Hilary Term.

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