Facetiae Radlienses e responsis per examinations factis extracta St Peter’s College 1869

Scripture exam

Q. Explain … Roman taxation

A. It probably means that they looked unlearned and ignorant because of their dress. Perhaps they were rather scantily dressed

Q. Explain …. Eucharist

A. A Eucharist was a type of hermit. Led a devout life

Latin exam

Q. Translate ‘who prohibits us from making walls’

A. (after the paper was returned marked wrong) I have got quis not quid in my book, Sir!

Q. Write a short account of Alexander the Great.

A. (by Witherby minor) Alexander was a Persian he was a great man for fighting. At length he died from drinking too much.

French exam

Q. Write out in full the verb ‘avoir’

A. Present: j ous, tu ous, il ous, nous oum, vous out, ils our

A. Imperfect: J oura, Tu orar, Il oura, Nous orions, Vous oriery, Ils orions

Roman history exam

Q. Contrast the Roman and Phoenician character

A. The Phoenicians spoke an entirely different language to the Romans (that was why we have no writing of theirs because the Romans could not understand so they tore it all up or burned it)

Shakespeare exam – Merchant of Venice

Q. Paraphrase and explain with comments: ‘There are a sort of men, whose visages do cream and mantle like a standing pond;’

A. ‘There are certain men whose faces Do cream and mantle like a stagnant pond;’

English History exam in 1872 (a bad year for history)

Bristowe minor ‘The knights Templars were something like teatottlers are now’

Gunning minor ‘The meaning of the Statute of Treason is the Law of Treason’

Collings ‘Edward II was a nice man. 1312-1327. Edward III 1327-1347 he wasn’t a very nice man’

Collings ‘Gaveston was a great friend of Edward III. Spencer was a little friend of Edward III. Mortimer was a great enemy of Edward III. Baliol was a little enemy.’

Q. Who was George I

A. George Ist Pope of Rome sent St Augustine to the court of Egbert King of Kent to convert the Saxons Angels

Geography

‘Norway is very rough, rockery and wild (in most places)’

‘A glacier is a beautiful floating block of ice, all the colours of the rain-bob, floating in the Atlantic, very often with polar bears on them’

‘The highest mountain in Switzerland is Snowden’