And the evening shades descended,
Roamed a man forlorn alone.

Sage beside the River slow
Sat the Don renowned for lore
And in accents soft and low
To the elms his love did pour.

"Julia, if my learned eyes
Gaze upon thy matchless face:
'Tis because I feel there lies
Magic in thy lovely grace.

"I will marry! write that threat
In the ink I daily waste:
Marry--pay each College debt--
College Ale no more will taste.

"Granta, far and wide renowned,
Frowns upon the married state;
Soon her pride shall kiss the ground
Hark! Reform is at the gate.

"Other Fellows shall arise,
Proud to own a husband's name:
Proud to own their infants' cries--
Harmony the path to fame.

"Then the progeny that springs
From our ancient College walls,
Armed with trumpets, noisy things,
Shall astound us by their squalls.

"Sounds no wrangler yet has heard,
Our posterity shall fright:
E'en 'the Eagle,' [1] valiant bird,
Shall betake itself to flight."

Such the thoughts that through him whirl'd
Pensively reclining there:
Smiling, as his fingers curled
His divinely-glowing hair.

He, with all a lover's pride,
Felt his manly bosom glow,
Sought the Bull, besought the Bride,
All she said was "No, Sir, No!"

Julia, pitiless as cold,
Lo the vengeance due from Heaven!
College Living he doth hold;
Single bliss to thee is given.

[1] "The Eagle" is the well-known Magazine of St. John's College,
Cambridge.

CLIO FATIDICA.

[NOTE.--The following lines were written to celebrate the 'bump' by
which the Lady Margaret 1st Boat became "Head of the River" in 1871.
On the next evening Professor Selwyn delighted the eyes and the hearts
of all Johnians by sculling down the river to salute the Head of the
River. The title of _psychroloutes_ [*] needs no explanation to those
who know the Selwyns, who are no less renowned as swimmers than as
oarsmen.]

"Tell me, Muse, what colour floateth round
the River's ancient head:
Is it white and black, or white and blue, is it
scarlet, blue, or red?"
Thus I prayed, and Clio answered, "Why, I thought
the whole world knew
That the red of Margareta had deposed the flag
of blue!
Babes unborn shall sing in rapture how, desiring
Close [1] affinity,
Goldie, rowing nearly fifty, overlapped, and bumped
First Trinity.