SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS.

LITERATURE.

ANSWERS.

POETRY.

1st. The meaning of "outwatched the Bear" is to watch till the constellation Bear disappeared; that is, to remain watching till that constellation was set.

2d. Mercury is thrice great Hermes.

3d. The meaning of the passage "unsphere the spirit of Plato," is to break open as it were, the spirit of Plato.

4th. The Poet, in order to unfold what worlds, or what vast regions hold the immortal mind which has left the fleshy body, wishes to unsphere the spirit of Plato, and the reason why he chose Plato for that purpose is, that Plato has taught the immortality of the soul, and therefore the Poet has very properly fixed upon him for this purpose.

5th. This passage, "a true consent with planet or with element," means a just agreement or coincidence with planet or with element, and this observation is just, because the Poet says, that the power of demons has a true consent with planet or with element. The power of demons is apt to do evil, as the evil influence of planets which, according to superstitious notions, is considered as ominous.

6th. Let gorgeous tragedy come in scepter'd pall; for some time, presenting before the stage, either any thing regarding Thebes, or the Pelopidæ, or any thing respecting the tale of ancient Troy, or that which, in modern times, has improved the buskined stage. 7th. This passrge is taken from Milton's Il Penseroso.

DEGUMBER BISSWAS.

1st.

PROSE.

"But indeed the accent had need be upon carefully." This passage is explained as follows: The author is here speaking of learning, and therefore, he says, that the accent had need be upon carefully that is, the word is to be used carefully, lest a little and superficial knowledge of any thing is to be understood by the word learning, as such knowledge often happens to pass for learning. This passage brings to my mind a couplet of Pope, which is somewhat similar to it.

"Little learning is a dangerous thing,

Drink deep or taste not the Pyarean spring."

2d. The word wadeth is figurative here.

3d. The author compares Alexander the Great to the Astronomer or the Philosopher, who meditates upon the univeral frame of nature.

The fights and services mentioned in the letter out of Greece, are compared by Alexander to the battle of the frogs and mice, that is, they are trifling and of every little importance.

4th. The scythe is compared to the faults of the man, who tries to colour and hide them, and the whetting of it, is compared to the amendment of those faults.

5th. This is taken from Bacon's advancement of learning.

DEGUMBER BISSWAS, 1st Class.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

On the effects produced on the fortunes of different nations and of mankind in general, by the individual characters of remarkable persons: illustrated from history.

All histories concur in showing us, that the fortunes of every nation depended more or less on the character of some individuals. Whether we consider the rise, the progress, or the sudden fall of a nation, or their improvement in any way, in each of these stages, the hand of some single person, acting in some way or other, is often visible. It is true, that a single person, without the assistance of subordinate hands cannot found a city or conquer a nation; but it is no less true, that a body without a head is of no use. Though Lord Napier was obliged to have recourse to inferior abilities in addition to his own, to make the Table of Logarithms, it does not follow from that, that without his superintendence the same work would have been performed; but that he, without their help could have done it if he had time, none can doubt. Hence of all changes that occur in any country the source immediate or remote, may be traced to some individual.

There are different ways, in which individuals can exercise their influence on the fortunes of nations. A conqueror can benefit man by encouraging colonization or by facilitating communication with different nations. Hence considering the advantages which mankind reaped by the foundation of Alexandria by Alexander the Great, as a means of communication between the different nations of the then known world, for carrying on trade, we can conceive what an immense influence, the character of a single person had on the affairs of nations at large. The instance of Epaminondas shows most strikingly what effect the exertions of an individual can produce on the fortunes of a nation. The Theban power rose and fell with him. The free and republican spirited Romans who sacrificed their most illustrious citizen, Julius Cæsar, to their suspicion of his assum

ing absolute power, were rendered extremely slavish by Augustus. Washington was the man who obtained the independence of the American colonies. Many are the examples of this class of men; we know a Tamerlane, a Mahomet, a Shivajee, &c., men endowed with extraordinary abilities, and distinguished for being the authors of alteration, (in human affairs,) as extraordinary.

A legislator has an influence on the fortunes of his fellow creatures by his laws which as they are good or bad, produce a corresponding effect on them. Thus we see Solon restored order and harmony to Athens, and increased the happiness of the citizens. Lycurgus made his subjects warlike and brave, but by prohibiting commerce and learning he greatly injured

them.

of the European nations, and Some men there are who from great changes in the affairs of

There is another class of men, upon whom the fortunes of men greatly depend-the discoverers of countries. The discovery of America, which was the work of a single man, enriched some opened to them a new field for commrce. religious enthusiasm, become the cause of men, as Mahomet the Prophet. It was he and he alone that raised the Arabs from a state of insignificance, to be a conquering and famous nation. Hence we find, that both in ancient and modern times, the fortunes of nations and of mankind in general, had greatly depended on the individual characters of remarkable persons.

NOBINCHUNDER DOSS.

HISTORY.

ANSWERS.

1. The thirty tyrants held their sway in Athens about the year 404, B. C. The immediate circumstance which led to this sway was the utter defeat of the Athenian fleet under Conon in the battle of Egospotamos. At this time Athens became a province subject to Sparta, and governed by thirty tyrants named by Lysander, who was then at the head of the Spartan affairs. Of the names of the thirty, the following I recollect at this moment--Theramenes Critias, Allytus, Dinocertus, &c. Almost all the thirty tyrants rendered their names hateful throughout Athens by their cruelties and atrocities, but Theramenes did not partake in their crimes; he always denied his assent to their plans, a circumstance which made those wretches seek his destruction, and which they ultimately effected through the assistance of Lysander, The character of Theramenes, says a historian, deserves our admiration. He was noble in his principles, upright in his conduct, and deliberate in his councils. He was a good citizen, an affectionate husband, and at least

a tolerable ruler. He had, says the celebrated historian Rollin, the misfortune of becoming one of the tyrants. Had he remained a private man, his character would have been unstained. Critias after the death of Theramenes, became at the head of thirty tyrants. But they were not long to continue, the noble Thrasybulus, excited by the love of his country, overthrew the tyrants by an Act usually called the Sister Act of Pelopidas.

God and matter are

2. Plato's idea of the origin of evil, was that God created no such thing as evil, it originates in the depravity of man's mind when it searches after spurious ways for happiness. In his dualistic system he taught that two principles eternally opposite, differing not only by their essence but they have no common principle to unite them. He maintained the immortality of the soul. In his dialectic system he taught that truth is only discernible by the understanding. That the knowledge of things depends more or less upon our perception. The Platonic philosophy differs from the Epicurean in this respect. Epicurus taught that God and matter are not only connected in their essence, but that every particle of matter proceeds from him.

3. The Macedonian kingdom in Syria ceased after the defeat of Antiochus by Scipio Asiaticus about two hundred years before the Christian era; it then became a Roman province.

4. The army of Alexander in their passage from the Indus to Babylon visited the Indian ocean. The fleet in which his army sailed was commanded by Nearchus. It steered from Attock to Babylon. The sea rejoined the land force on the banks of the Tigris.

5. The most striking difference between the character as rulers of Trajan and Hadrian consisted in this, that while the former attempted to extend the limits of the empire by new conquests, the latter was of opinion, that the empire should be bounded within the limits prescribed by the judicious policy of Augustus: he therefore restored the provinces lately conquered by his predecessor. It is said, that Trajan could scarcely remain. three months together in the capital, whereas his successor always remained

at Rome.

6. The licentious and atrocious conduct of Heliogabalus had entirely disseminated the minds of the Pretorian guards, who were then the sole disposers of the empire. He was governed by his mother, a woman of infamous character, and this circumstance put a flame to the rage of the already provoked guards, and terminated in the elevation of Maximin.

7. The beginning of the reign of Diocletian was remarkable, for the victories gained by him over the Panonians, and over the barbarians who infested the northern part of the empire. While Diocletian was thus victoriously carrying his arms, he astonished the world by abdicating the throne of the world, and preferring to retire as a private man into his native

country of Dalmatia. The event alluded to as similar to one of the events in the history of Charles V. of Germany, was his abdication.

9. The principal events in the reign of Henry VII. of England, were the plots of Lambert Simnel, instigated by Simon, Bishop of Oxford, who counterfeited the Duke of Warwick, his failure and imprisonment; and of Perkin Warbeck, who gave out himself as Richard Duke of York, son of Edward IV., his intended war with Charles VIII. of France, and preparation for that event. The latter circumstance would have deserved no mention had it not been for the fact that he levied taxes, (particularly that which is known in history by the name of benevolence abolished by the statute of Richard III., a measure which rendered that tyrant popular,) under the pretence of the French war. The constant aim of Henry was to check the exorbitant power of the nobility; it was a policy wise indeed, since it saved the kingdom from the aristocratical tyranny, but his motive was selfish. His reign was the termination of the middle ages, and with him begins the constitutional history of England. It was in his time that the passage round the Cape of Good Hope was discovered by Vasco de Gama, and the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus took place. The police throughout the greater part of the reign of Henry was in a disordered state, and not much care was taken.

10. The civil wars broke out in the time of Charles I. from the circumstances of raising ship-money, of levying benevolence, and several other taxes not voted by the Parliament. This breach of the constitution was sufficient to raise a spirit of opposition, and the parliamentarians began to show symptoms of resisting the king in his proceedings. The unfortunate king doomed to pay dearly for the faults of his predecessors, paid no regard to the remonstrances of the nation. The people at last made a petition to the king, called the petition of rights, and compelled him to sign it. But Charles violated the deed which he signed. Now the popular fury knew no bound, and thus broke out the civil war of England. The Court of Star Chamber was a Court composed of Judges elected by the King, to take cognizance of matters such as out of ordinary course of things. The Judges continue in their office according to the pleasure of the King.

11. The principal events in the reign of Queen Anne was the union of England and Scotland in jurisdiction. The French war, in which the Duke of Marlborough made himself conspicuous, by the glorious victories of Blenheim, Malplaquet, and Ramillies.

The succession to the throne was settled to the Elector of Hanover, the grandson of Princess Sophia, daughter of James I.

The principal statesmen of this period were Haily, the Duke of Oxford, Bolingbroke, and several others.