I
ILLUMINATE. To interline with a translation. Students illuminate a book when they write between the printed lines a translation of the text. Illuminated books are preferred by good judges to ponies or hobbies, as the text and translation in them are brought nearer to one another. The idea of calling books thus prepared illuminated, is taken partly from the meaning of the word illuminate, to adorn with ornamental letters, substituting, however, in this case, useful for ornamental, and partly from one of its other meanings, to throw light on, as on obscure subjects.
ILLUSTRATION. That which elucidates a subject. A word used with a peculiar application by undergraduates in the University of Cambridge, Eng.
I went back,… and did a few more bits of illustration, such as noting down the relative resources of Athens and Sparta when the Peloponnesian war broke out, and the sources of the Athenian revenue.—Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 51.
IMPOSITION. In the English universities, a supernumerary exercise enjoined on students as a punishment.
Minor offences are punished by rustication, and those of a more trivial nature by fines, or by literary tasks, here termed Impositions.—Oxford Guide, p. 149.
Literary tasks called impositions, or frequent compulsive attendances on tedious and unimproving exercises in a college hall.—T. Warton, Minor Poems of Milton, p. 432.
Impositions are of various lengths. For missing chapel, about one hundred lines to copy; for missing a lecture, the lecture to translate. This is the measure for an occasional offence…. For coming in late at night repeatedly, or for any offence nearly deserving rustication, I have known a whole book of Thucydides given to translate, or the Ethics of Aristotle to analyze, when the offender has been a good scholar, while others, who could only do mechanical work, have had a book of Euclid to write out.
Long impositions are very rarely barberized. When college tutors intend to be severe, which is very seldom, they are not to be trifled with.
At Cambridge, impositions are not always in writing, but sometimes two or three hundred lines to repeat by heart. This is ruin to the barber.—Collegian’s Guide, pp. 159, 160.
In an abbreviated form, impos.
He is obliged to stomach the impos., and retire.—Grad. ad
Cantab., p. 125.
He satisfies the Proctor and the Dean by saying a part of each impos.—Ibid., p. 128.
See BARBER.
INCEPT. To take the degree of Master of Arts.
They may nevertheless take the degree of M.A. at the usual period, by putting their names on the College boards a few days previous to incepting.—Cambridge Calendar.
The M.A. incepts in about three years and two months from the time of taking his first degree.—Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng. Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 285.
INCEPTOR. One who has proceeded to the degree of M.A., but who, not enjoying all the privileges of an M.A. until the Commencement, is in the mean time termed an Inceptor.
Used in the English universities, and formerly at Harvard College.
And, in case any of the Sophisters, Questionists, or Inceptors fail in the premises required at their hands … they shall be deferred to the following year.—Laws of 1650, in Quincy’s Hist. Harv. Univ., Vol. I. p. 518.
The Admissio Inceptorum was as follows: “Admitto te ad secundum gradum in artibus pro more Academiarum in Angliâ: tibique trado hunc librum unâ cum potestate publice profitendi, ubicunque ad hoc munus publicè evocatus fueris.”—Ibid., Vol. I. p. 580.
INDIAN SOCIETY. At the Collegiate Institute of Indiana, a society of smokers was established, in the year 1837, by an Indian named Zachary Colbert, and called the Indian Society. The members and those who have been invited to join the society, to the number of sixty or eighty, are accustomed to meet in a small room, ten feet by eighteen; all are obliged to smoke, and he who first desists is required to pay for the cigars smoked at that meeting.
INDIGO. At Dartmouth College, a member of the party called the Blues. The same as a BLUE, which see.
The Howes, years ago, used to room in Dartmouth Hall, though none room there now, and so they made up some verses. Here is one:—
“Hurrah for Dartmouth Hall!
Success to every student
That rooms in Dartmouth Hall,
Unless he be an Indigo,
Then, no success at all.”
The Dartmouth, Vol. IV. p. 117.
INITIATION. Secret societies exist in almost all the colleges in the United States, which require those who are admitted to pass through certain ceremonies called the initiation. This fact is often made use of to deceive Freshmen, upon their entrance into college, who are sometimes initiated into societies which have no existence, and again into societies where initiation is not necessary for membership.
A correspondent from Dartmouth College writes as follows: “I believe several of the colleges have various exercises of initiating Freshmen. Ours is done by the ‘United Fraternity,’ one of our library societies (they are neither of them secret), which gives out word that the initiation is a fearful ceremony. It is simply every kind of operation that can be contrived to terrify, and annoy, and make fun of Freshmen, who do not find out for some time that it is not the necessary and serious ceremony of making them members of the society.”
In the University of Virginia, students on entering are sometimes initiated into the ways of college life by very novel and unique ceremonies, an account of which has been furnished by a graduate of that institution. “The first thing, by way of admitting the novitiate to all the mysteries of college life, is to require of him in an official communication, under apparent signature of one of the professors, a written list, tested under oath, of the entire number of his shirts and other necessary articles in his wardrobe. The list he is requested to commit to memory, and be prepared for an examination on it, before the Faculty, at some specified hour. This the new-comer usually passes with due satisfaction, and no little trepidation, in the presence of an august assemblage of his student professors. He is now remanded to his room to take his bed, and to rise about midnight bell for breakfast. The ‘Callithumpians’ (in this Institution a regularly organized company), ‘Squallinaders,’ or ‘Masquers,’ perform their part during the livelong night with instruments ‘harsh thunder grating,’ to insure to the poor youth a sleepless night, and give him full time to con over and curse in his heart the miseries of a college existence. Our fellow-comrade is now up, dressed, and washed, perhaps two hours in advance of the first light of dawn, and, under the guidance of a posse comitatus of older students, is kindly conducted to his morning meal. A long alley, technically ‘Green Alley,’ terminating with a brick wall, informing all, ‘Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther,’ is pointed out to him, with directions ‘to follow his nose and keep straight ahead.’ Of course the unsophisticated finds himself completely nonplused, and gropes his way back, amidst the loud vociferations of ‘Go it, green un!’ With due apologies for the treatment he has received, and violent denunciations against the former posse for their unheard-of insolence towards the gentleman, he is now placed under different guides, who volunteer their services ‘to see him through.’ Suffice it to be said, that he is again egregiously ‘taken in,’ being deposited in the Rotunda or Lecture-room, and told to ring for whatever he wants, either coffee or hot biscuit, but particularly enjoined not to leave without special permission from one of the Faculty. The length of his sojourn in this place, where he is finally left, is of course in proportion to his state of verdancy.”
INSPECTOR OF THE COLLEGE. At Yale College, a person appointed to ascertain, inspect, and estimate all damages done to the College buildings and appurtenances, whenever required by the President. All repairs, additions, and alterations are made under his inspection, and he is also authorized to determine whether the College chambers are fit for the reception of the students. Formerly the inspectorship in Harvard College was held by one of the members of the College government. His duty was to examine the state of the College public buildings, and also at stated times to examine the exterior and interior of the buildings occupied by the students, and to cause such repairs to be made as were in his opinion proper. The same duties are now performed by the Superintendent of Public Buildings.—Laws Yale Coll., 1837, p. 22. Laws Harv. Coll., 1814, p. 58, and 1848, p 29.
The duties of the Inspector of the College Buildings, at Middlebury, are similar to those required of the inspector at Yale.—Laws Md. Coll., 1839, pp. 15, 16.
IN STATU PUPILLARI. Latin; literally, in a state of pupilage. In the English universities, one who is subject to collegiate laws, discipline, and officers is said to be in statu pupillari.
And the short space that here we tarry,
At least “in statu pupillari,”
Forbids our growing hopes to germ,
Alas! beyond the appointed term.
Grad. ad Cantab., p. 109.
INTERLINEAR. A printed book, with a written translation between the lines. The same as an illuminated book; for an account of which, see under ILLUMINATE.
Then devotes himself to study, with a steady, earnest zeal,
And scorns an Interlinear, or a Pony’s meek appeal.
Poem before Iadma, 1850, p. 20.
INTERLINER. Same as INTERLINEAR.
In the “Memorial of John S. Popkin, D.D.,” a Professor at Harvard College, Professor Felton observes: “He was a mortal enemy to translations, ‘interliners,’ and all such subsidiary helps in learning lessons; he classed them all under the opprobrious name of ‘facilities,’ and never scrupled to seize them as contraband goods. When he withdrew from College, he had a large and valuable collection of this species of literature. In one of the notes to his Three Lectures he says: ‘I have on hand a goodly number of these confiscated wares, full of manuscript innotations, which I seized in the way of duty, and would now restore to the owners on demand, without their proving property or paying charges.’”—p. lxxvii.
Ponies, Interliners, Ticks, Screws, and Deads (these are all college verbalities) were all put under contribution.—A Tour through College, Boston, 1832, p. 25.
INTONITANS BOLUS. Greek, [Greek: bolos], a lump. Latin, bolus, a bit, a morsel. English, bolus, a mass of anything made into a large pill. It may be translated a thundering pill. At Harvard College, the Intonitans Bolus was a great cane or club which was given nominally to the strongest fellow in the graduating class; “but really,” says a correspondent, “to the greatest bully,” and thus was transmitted, as an entailed estate, to the Samsons of College. If any one felt that he had been wronged in not receiving this emblem of valor, he was permitted to take it from its possessor if he could. In later years the club presented a very curious appearance; being almost entirely covered with the names of those who had held it, carved on its surface in letters of all imaginable shapes and descriptions. At one period, it was in the possession of Richard Jeffrey Cleveland, a member of the class of 1827, and was by him transmitted to Jonathan Saunderson of the class of 1828. It has disappeared within the last fifteen or twenty years, and its hiding-place, even if it is in existence, is not known.
See BULLY CLUB.
INVALID’S TABLE. At Yale College, in former times, a table at which those who were not in health could obtain more nutritious food than was supplied at the common board. A graduate at that institution has referred to the subject in the annexed extract. “It was extremely difficult to obtain permission to board out, and indeed impossible except in extreme cases: the beginning of such permits would have been like the letting out of water. To take away all pretext for it, an ‘invalid’s table’ was provided, where, if one chose to avail himself of it, having a doctor’s certificate that his health required it, he might have a somewhat different diet.”—Scenes and Characters in College, New Haven, 1847, pp. 117, 118.