CAMBRIDGE PARTIES,

&c. &c.

DEAR

LETTER I.

WATER-PARTIES.

-There is no period of a man's existence, it is generally observed, to which, in the retrospection of days gone by, he recurs with such peculiar feelings of satisfaction, as the three years passed at the university:often, amid the troubles and vexations of maturer life, will he sigh to reflect upon the times when his whole cares, if cares he had, consisted in rising on a cold frosty morning for lectures, learning an imposition for the proctors, or leaving a wine-party for chapel; and I doubt whether (unless in the felicitous era of the honey-moon) he would not joyfully resign his present prospects, could he once more, with cap and gown, take his place among the undergraduates of the university. As a memento, therefore, of past happiness, and showing the difference of what was, and what is, I have thought that " Letters from Cambridge," elucidating its present manners and customs, would be interesting to you, and might be to others; at any rate I shall amuse myself, and with us, you know, amusement is a main object.

You will think a description of " Water-Parties," at this time of the year, a curious commencement of my correspondence; but the fact is, that, owing to the late extreme mildness of the weather, they have been more frequent during this last month than at any former period of my residence. Both from the pleasure I have formerly enjoyed in them with you, and from being well assured they are parties which give the most favourable idea of Cambridge character and Cambridge manners, I have resolved to commence with them. At breakfast-parties, some men are not quite awake; with others, the thoughts of lectures intrude; at wine-parties, reserve is not always thrown off till the wine has begun to take effect; and, at supper-parties, "I must be in before twelve, or I shall be hauled up before the master ;”"I must go home to prepare for lectures ;"-" I'm dd sleepy;""Well, good night, old boy! I must get up early to-morrow, to hunt;"-are continually grating upon our ears, and marring our comfort. But in water-parties there is no drawback of this sort. The men who form it are in general well acquainted, have a day of comparative idleness before them (in itself peculiarly pleasant, by the by), and are previously resolved to be social and jolly; to blow care to the winds; to be happy; and, as far as they can, to make happy.

Under the influence of such feelings, a party of us, consisting of S-, K—, and G—, of Christ's College; H-, of Clare; B-, of Pembroke; C-, of Jesus; I—, of Trinity, and myself, sallied out on one of the finest days of last week, to man the Glory, a six-oared boat of Cross's. It was a most lovely morning,

"The sun was in the heavens, and joy on earth."

Few of us, I believe, thought much about the sun, but "the joy on earth" we felt; though, like Lambro, we were not philosophers enough to stop and inquire the reason. As we rowed in a leisurely way down the stream, this joy was manifested in various ways, by various characters. B- gave vent to his feelings in a poetical effusion:

"Once more upon the waters-yet once more-
And the waves bound beneath me, like a steed
That knows its rider."

Lord Byron was now handed from one to the other in very fine style; from K—, G—, and I—, I remarked, among others, the following strains :

K-." How gloriously her gallant course she goes!

She walks the waters like a thing of life,

And seems to dare the elements to strife.

Who would not brave the battle-fire-the wreck-
To move the monarch of her peopled deck?"

G-." Oh! who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried, And danc'd in triumph o'er the waters wide*, The exulting sense-the pulse's maddening play, That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way?"

We could see, by the shrewd mathematical face with which I was regarding the blade of his oar, that any thing but poetry occupied his attention; he was, in fact, enumerating the number of strokes given in "t"; and

* Not over wide, by the by.

the newly acquired velocity after each impulse. Cwas rather offended at his observing, he had found it, on calculation, pretty much the same whether C― pulled

or not.

S― began to spout Virgil; but this was voted a bore, as there were one or two in the company who might not understand it. For my part, I moralized; but had got no farther than “immortal man,” when my meditations were interrupted by an "unhallowed sound" of singing. S-, determined not to be outdone in noise, had got hold of the poor Canadian boat-song, and was giving tongue most gloriously in conjunction with C—, and, therefore, lending my assistance, we came the "row" part both with arms and voices very gaily.

Loud was the laughter after each effusion, and numberless the jests which were passed; I should like to transcribe some of these for your edification, but, unfortunately, I am not quite sure they would have so good an appearance in print. Our feelings were then very uncritical. A bad pun may create a laugh, and a good one could do no more; however, this must be the subject of a future paper, and lo! while I am tarrying with you, our boat has arrived at Chesterton locks.

Here, S―, you Christian son of a gun! Come and

You and others may complain that, in the dialogues or exclamations, here and elsewhere inserted, there is neither wit, delicacy, nor elegance. To this I can only answer, that a conversation, composed of these ingredients, would seem either pedantic, or inconsistent with the characters of Cambridgemen. As this is a most true account of the party, and I have inserted nothing which did not actually occur, neither would I put down an exclamation that was not actually made.

apply your fat carcass to this lock."

"That's your sort."

"T-, take care of that oar, and pull it out of the rullucks." <6 Here, give me the boat-hook, and keep off the side." << By jingo, here's F—” "Verily, I'm astounded." "Why, F-, my little minimum! What the plague can have brought you from your sines and cosines, to come rambling upon this' wide wide sea?' You're reading hydrostatics, I suppose, and want to take a practical observation of the motions of bodies and fluids! Well! Mind you don't make a practical illustration of it; for sometimes these said bodies will find the bottom, you know." "You impudent thief! n'importe, il rit bien qui rit le dernier.' I prophesy you'll be heartily sick of your motions, at least those of the oar, before you get fur ; for if you look forward you will observe a party in the Stag, resting on their oars, and waiting, in order to give you the benefit of a good sweating-so look to it." “The Devil they are! come, my boys, have a regard to your characters." stroke." "That will do.". "Now we are even.”

it."

H-, give the "Go

Good-by, professor."

"Incumbite remis."

'Away we go, and what care we
For tumults, treasons, or for wars;
We are as calm in our delight,
As is the crescent moon so bright
Amid the scatter'd stars!"

Not quite so calm, though, either! I must own, I soon began, as F- predicted, to grow weary of these quick motions, and would rather have been meditating upon the fine effect with Lord Byron, than partaking in this calm and gentle exercise: