the University began
to put themselves in a posture of defence," and till June 1646, when
Oxford was surrendered to Fairfax, it was a garrison town, the centre
and object of much fighting, and of many excursions and alarms, as being
"the chiefest hold the King had."

Fain would the writer extract almost bodily Wood's description of the
four years' occupation, but some things he cannot forbear from
mentioning, for they throw light on the history of Wilkins' Oxford, and
on the problems with which he had to deal after the war was ended. Mr
Haldane would read with interest and approval how the Oxford
undergraduates of 1642 responded to a call to arms, as he hopes their
successors will respond, if and when need comes.

"Dr Pink of New College, the deputy Vice-Chancellor, called before him
to the public schools all the priviledged men's arms to have a view of
them; when, not only priviledged men of the University and their
servants, but also many scholars appeared, bringing with them the
furniture of armes of every College that then had any." The furniture
for one man was sent by Wood's father--viz., "a helmet, a back and
breast plate, a pike, and a musquet." The volunteers, both graduates,
some of them divines, and undergraduates, mustered in New College
quadrangle, and were drilled in the Newe Parkes (the Parks of our day)
to the number of four hundred, "in a very decent arraye, and it was
delightsome to behold the forwardnesse of so many proper yonge gentlemen
so intent, docile, and pliable to their business." Town and gown took
opposite sides: the citizens were, most of them, ready to support the
Parliament, or the King and Parliament, but not the King against the
Parliament. Long before the Civil War began there were in Oxford and in
the kingdom, as always in our history, though called by different names,
three parties, divided from each other by no very fast or definite
lines; the King's, the Parliament's and the party of moderate men, to
which Wilkins belonged; the Constitutional party in the strict meaning
of the word, who wished both to preserve and reform the constitution. In
those days of confusion and perplexity, when men's hearts were failing
them for fear and for looking after those things which were to come,
many knew not what to think or do. It was a miserable time both for
Roundheads and Cavaliers, and most of all for those who were not sure
what they were. If Hyde and Falkland wavered for a time, how must