Shakspeare and Shakspeare Societies On English Composition and other matters It is particularly requested that articles intended for insertion be written legibly and on one side only of each half sheet. As a guarantee of good faith, it is essential that the name of every contributor should be made known either to the Secretary, Each contributor will be made responsible for correcting the The Authors of "The Magic Stream" and "Sir Edgar Wood- "ville" are thanked for their contributions: but the length of both pieces renders them scarcely admissible in a periodical of this The Committee regret to decline the excellent paper of F.C.W., but are compelled to adhere to their promise, in the prospectus, The contributions of "Sumpter" and C. A. F. are declined with thanks: that of S. is reserved. It is hoped that M. and W. M. T. will forward something for the next number, though their present contributions are hardly is thanked for his valuable researches: their form however is not suited for the general reader; and the same remark applies to the paper "Light and Truth." The lines entitled "The Return" arrived too late for present THE year 1858 will form a most important epoch in the History of the University of Cambridge. During this year the reforms from within, and the reforms from without, will first assume a definite form and existence, and from the deliberation with which the former are being effected, and from the free discussion to which the latter have been and will be subjected, it may reasonably be hoped that the University will attain to a still higher degree of efficiency. The first and most obvious remark that is made by men who have left Cambridge ten or twenty years, is, that the reform is wholly uncalled for: a little more knowledge, and a little more reflection, will speedily modify such an assertion.-Precisely the same remarks are applicable to this innovation also, the starting up of this Periodical in St. John's College. It is wholly uncalled for; a mere whim; certain to fall through in a term or so; are some of the most tenderly expressed opinions with respect to "The Eagle," and the most considerate for the feelings of the unfortunate innovators, which we have heard from those who on the ground of its novelty cannot heartily approve of it; whose worst wish is that it may speedily die a natural death. To others it appears to strike at the foundation of all University morality;-that Undergraduates should write, and perhaps publish; that Undergraduates should think of writing any thing, except of course translations and bookwork, is a proposition subversive of all decency, and not to be viewed without horror. To both we would reply that the fact of its existence proves that there is at least an imaginary call for it; and the cordiality with which it has been welcomed by a large body of subscribers, and the promptitude with which contributions to its pages have been forthcoming, shew that, if it is a whim, it is a whim B shared by many. With regard to the probability of its continuance, a word or two may be said. "How long "do you think it will last, Mr. Editor?" is a question that has often been asked in the tone with which a very important and searching remark is usually made:-"well, "well! exitus acta probat; we shall see in a year or two." Now there is a dangerous plausibility in this, which may be thus exposed. It is assumed that success in a gross and material sense is our object; this being not a pecuniary speculation, the success, it is argued, must lie in its continuance; in the next place, by a very convenient sophism, success in this matter is made the test of its being right or wrong; convenient, because it saves the trouble of forming any opinion on the subject; a sophism, because an old and good practical proverb is wholly misapplied. The objections of one or two obstructives are practically two-fold: first, you cannot write; secondly, you ought not to write; and these merit a separate consideration. When a man has something to say, he will soon find without much trouble a way to say it: whence it appears that the inability to write proceeds from vacuity of the brain, or want of something to write about. Now if this is literally true, if in deed and in truth no man in St. John's College has anything he wants to say, this is surely very lamentable. Verily we should clothe ourselves in sackcloth and walk softly, instead of strutting about in caps and gowns, the external signs of a thoughtful Student. If this is indeed true,— Grace to boot! Of this make no conclusion; lest you say Your queen and I are devils, whispers Alma Mater in our ears in the words of Hermione ; and we dare not disobey her: for indeed the extent to which such an assertion is true, suggests very unpleasant reflections on the nature, extent, and depth of our educational system, reflections on its expansive power or the want of it, reflections whether there is no ground for the charge of quackery against us, in our attempting to heal all mental diseases, to purify all intellectual veins, and strengthen all spiritual constitutions with one Universal Pill. We pass on to the second point, which is of greater practical importance. "No more Senior Wranglers for "St. John's! our First Class men will become Second Class "men, our Wranglers will be Senior Optimes, Lady Margaret "will weep over the degeneracy of her Sons." We cannot help feeling that all this is exaggerated; the frightful consequences are very imaginary: for there are numbers of men who have ample leisure even in term-time for the production of an essay; and surely none to whom the vacations do not bring the time and the peace of mind that an author longs for. On the vacations then we mainly rely; for nothing could be further removed from our wishes, than to interfere between a man and his reading, so as to prejudice his college interests. It is in the full belief that this undertaking will provide a field for the energies of those for whom the ordinary reading possesses no charms, and open a Campus Martius for our lustier athletes to disport themselves upon, when disengaged from sterner conflicts, where instead of wearying themselves by their wrestlings, they will gain the suppleness and manysidedness which will ultimately prevail; in the belief too that this is no metaphor, but sound matter-of-fact, that we have set on foot a Magazine, and dared to give it the name of the mighty bird, the attendant on the Saint whose name we bear. If a man is disposed to waste his time, innumerable facilities for his so doing have been already thoughtfully provided; and undoubtedly we furnish one more facility; if any one wishes to avail himself of it, let him half finish a carelessly written essay on some ill digested subject with which he has no concern; but we utterly repudiate the notion that the writing of papers, notes, and poetry, is synonymous with wasting of time, if they give proofs of reflection and judgment. Assume the position that we are to give ourselves wholly and solely, body and soul, I had almost said, to the attainment of University honours, yet we can make our ground secure; adopt any other view of our life and position here, so it be a consistent and reasonable view, and we shall not fear to stand its test: but if exercise in careful writing on well considered subjects, which is perhaps the highest and healthiest exercise, difficult to beginners, yet which must be begun, and is the best test of talent and education, is of no value, we have no ground left to stand upon. Here then we may cease this apologetic strain, and add one or two words in explanation of what we hope and intend, with the good will of our contributors, to accomplish. We should like to see "the Society of the Eagle" established on the same footing as the Boat Clubs or Cricket |