The Battle Of The Pons Trium Trojanorum: A Lay Sung In The Temple Of Minerva Girtanensis Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A A ABCBDEFFE GHIHJKLK AKAKAEA M AKAKKKKK K KKAKKNO M MKOKKAP M AAAAJOA M KKKKOQK A AKAK AKA A KKKKKKKKKKK K KAJAREKKE A EAAAAOKKKO A KKAKAPKP M EEEEKKKK M AEAEESKKKS M KTATOAAAO M AKAKAKKKKK M AAAAPAAA A PUKUEKVK O

A lay sung in the Temple of Minerva GirtanensisA
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NOTE On Thursday February th three Graces were submitted to the Senate of the University of Cambridge confirming the Report of The Syndicate appointed June rd to consider four memorials relating to the Higher Education of Women The first two Graces were passed by majorities of and against and respectively the third was unopposed The allusions in the following lay will probably be understood only by those who reside in Cambridge but it may be stated that Professor Kennedy Professor Fawcett and Sir C Dilke gave their votes and influence in favour of The Graces while Dr Guillemard Mr Wace Mr Potts Professor Lumby Dr Perowne Mr Horne and Mr Hamblin Smith voted against The GracesA
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I-
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Aemilia GirtonensisA
By the Nine Muses sworeB
That the great house of GirtonC
Should suffer wrong no moreB
By the Muses Nine she swore itD
And named a voting dayE
And bade her learned ladies writeF
And summon to the impending fightF
Their masters grave and gayE
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II-
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East and West and South and NorthG
The learned ladies wroteH
And town and gown and countryI
Have read the martial noteH
Shame on the Cambridge SenatorJ
Who dares to lag behindK
When light blue ladies call himL
To join the march of mindK
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III-
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But by the yellow CamusA
Was tumult and affrightK
Straightway to Pater VariusA
The Trojans take their flightK
'O Varius Father VariusA
'To whom the Trojans prayE
'The ladies are upon usA
'We look to thee this day '-
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IVM
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There be thirty chosen FellowsA
The wisest of the landK
Who hard by Pater VariusA
To bar all progress standK
Evening and morn the ThirtyK
On the Three Graces sitK
Traced from the left by fingers deftK
In the great Press of PittK
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VK
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And with one voice the ThirtyK
Have uttered their decreeK
'Go forth go forth great VariusA
'Oppose the Graces ThreeK
'The enemy alreadyK
'Are quartered in the townN
'And if they once the Tripos gainO
'What hope to save the gown '-
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VIM
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'To Hiz the town of OffaM
'Their classes first they ledK
'Then onward to GirtoniaO
'And Nunamantium spedK
'And now a mighty armyK
'Of young and beardless girlsA
'Beneath our very citadelP
'A banner proud unfurls '-
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VIIM
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Then out spake Father VariusA
No craven heart was hisA
'To Pollmen and to WranglersA
'Death comes but once I wisA
'And how can man live betterJ
'Or die with more renownO
'Than fighting against ProgressA
'For the rights of cap and gown '-
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VIIIM
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'I with two more to help meK
'Will face yon Graces ThreeK
'Will guard the Holy TripodK
'And the M A DegreeK
'We know that by obstructionO
'Three may a thousand foilQ
'Now who will stand on either handK
'To guard our Trojan soil '-
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IXA
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Then Parvue MariensisA
Of Bearded Jove the PriestK
Spake out 'of Trojan warriorsA
'I am perhaps the leastK
'Yet will I stand at thy right hand '-
Cried Pottius 'I likewiseA
'At thy left side will stem the tideK
'Of myriad flashing eyesA
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XA
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Meanwhile the Ladies' ArmyK
Right glorious to beholdK
Came clad in silks and satins brightK
With seal skins and with furs bedightK
And gems and rings of goldK
Four hundred warriors shoutedK
'Placet' with fiendish gleeK
As that fair host with fairy feetK
And smiles unutterably sweetK
Came tripping each towards her seatK
Where stood the dauntless ThreeK
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XIK
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The Three stood calm and silentK
And frowned upon their foesA
As a great shout of laughterJ
From the four hundred roseA
And forth three chiefs came spurringR
Before their ladies gayE
They faced the Three they scowled and scoffedK
Their gowns they donned their caps they doffedK
Then sped them to the frayE
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XIIA
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Generalis Post MagisterE
Lord of the Letter bagsA
And Dilkius RadicalisA
Who ne'er in combat lagsA
And Graecus ProfessoriusA
Beloved of fair SabrineO
From the grey Elms beneath whose shadeK
A hospitable banquet laidK
Had heroes e'en of cowards madeK
Brought 'placets' thirty nineO
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XIIIA
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Stout Varius hurled 'non placet'K
At Post Magister's headK
At the mere glance of PottiusA
Fierce Radicalis fledK
And Parvus MariensisA
So they who heard him tellP
Uttered but one false quantityK
And Professorius fellP
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XIVM
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But fiercer still and fiercerE
Fresh foemen sought the frayE
And fainter still and fainterE
Stout Varius stood at bayE
'O that this too too solidK
Flesh would dissolve ' he sighedK
Yet still he stood undauntedK
And still the foe defiedK
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XVM
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Then Pollia NunamensisA
A student sweetly fairE
Famed for her smiles and dimplesA
Blue eyes and golden hairE
Of Cupid's arrows seized a pairE
One in each eye she tookS
Cupid's best bow with all her mightK
She pulled each arrow winged its flightK
And straightway reason sense and sightK
Stout Varius forsookS
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XVIM
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'He falls' the Placets thunderedK
And filled the yawning gapT
In vain his trusty comradesA
Avenge their chief's mishapT
His last great fight is doneO
'They charge Brave Pottius prostrate liesA
No Rider helps him to ariseA
They charge Fierce Mariensis diesA
The Bridge the Bridge is wonO
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XVIIM
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In vain did BencornutusA
Flash lightnings from his beardK
In vain Fabrorum MaximusA
His massive form uprearedK
And Lumbius RevisoriusA
Diviner potent heK
And Peronatus robed in stateK
And fine old Fossilis sedateK
All vainly stemmed the tide of fateK
Triumphed the Graces ThreeK
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XVIIIM
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But when in future agesA
Women have won their rightsA
And sweet girl undergraduatesA
Read through the lamp lit nightsA
When some now unborn PolliaP
Her head with science cramsA
When the girls make Greek IambicsA
And the boys black currant jamsA
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XIXA
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When the goodman's shuttle merrilyP
Goes flashing through the loomU
And the good wife reads her PlatoK
In her own sequestered roomU
With weeping and with laughterE
Still shall the tale be toldK
How pretty Pollia won the BridgeV
In the brave days of oldK
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The ancient name of HitchinO

Edward Woodley Bowling



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