~~

He ne'er, good man, need pensive vigils keep
To preach his audience once a week to sleep;
On rich preferment battens at his ease,
Nor sweats for tithes, as lawyers toil for fees.'

If Colman had turned parson he would have had a bishoprick long since,
and rivalled that jolly old ancient Walter de Mapes. Then what an
honour he would have been to the church; no drowsy epistles spun out in
lengthened phrase,

'Like to the quondam student, named of yore,
Who with Aristotle calmly choked a boar;'

but true orthodox wit: the real light of grace would have fallen from
his lips and charmed the crowded aisle; the rich epigrammatic style,
the true creed of the churchman; no fear of canting innovations or
evangelical sceptics; but all would have proceeded harmoniously, ay, and
piously too--for true piety consists not in purgation of the body, but
in purity of mind. Then if we could but have witnessed Colman filling
the chair in one of our common rooms, enlivening with his genius, wit,
and social conversation the learned _dromedaries_ of the Sanctum, and
dispelling the habitual gloom of a College Hospitium, what chance would
the sectarians of Wesley, or the infatuated followers even of that
arch rhapsodist, Irving, have with the attractive eloquence and sound
reasoning of true wit?" "Bravo! bravo!"vociferated the party. "An
excellent defence of the church," said Echo, "for which Eglantine
deserves to be inducted to a valuable benefice; suppose we adjourn
before the college gates are closed, and install him under the Mitre." A
proposition that met with a ready acquiescence from all present.{33}

33 The genius of wit, mirth, and social enjoyment, can never
find more sincere worshippers than an Oxford wine-party
seated round the festive board; here the sallies of youth,
unchecked by care, the gaiety of hearts made glad with wine
and revelry, the brilliant flashes of genius, and the eye
beaming with delight, are found in the highest perfection.
The merits of the society to which the youthful aspirant for
fame and glory happens to belong often afford the embryo
poet the theme of his song. Impromptu parodies on old and
popular songs often add greatly to the enjoy-ment of the
convivial party. The discipline of the university prohibits
late hours; and the evenings devoted to enjoyment are not
often disgrac