[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 87]

and benefactors, "such as were, Philip Pluckton, Bishop of Iffley;
King Edward the Seventh; Stephen de Henley, Earl of Bagley, and Maud
his wife; Nuneham Courtney, knight," with a long et-cetera; though,
as the preacher happened to be a Brazenface man, our hero found that
he was "most chiefly bound to praise Clement Abingdon, Bishop of
Jericho, and founder of the college of Brazenface; Richard Glover,
Duke of Woodstock; Giles Peckwater, Abbot of Beney; and Binsey
Green, Doctor of Music; - benefactors of the same."

Then there was the sermon itself; the abstrusely learned and
classical character of which, at first, also astonished him, after
having been so long used to the plain and highly practical advice
which the rector, Mr. Larkyns, knew how to convey so well and so
simply to his rustic hearers. But as soon as he had reflected on the
very different characters of the two congregations, Mr. Verdant Green
at once recognized the appropriateness of each class of sermons to
its peculiar hearers; yet he could not altogether drive away the
thought, how the generality of those who had on previous Sundays been
his fellow-worshippers would open their blue Saxon eyes, and ransack
their rustic brains, as to "what ~could~ ha' come to rector," if he
were to indulge in Greek and Latin quotations, - ~somewhat~ after the
following style. "And though this interpretation may in these days be
disputed, yet we shall find that it was once very generally received.
For the learned St. Chrysostom is very clear on this point, where he
says, 'Arma virumque cano, rusticus expectat, sub tegmine fagi'; of
which the words of Irenaeus are a confirmation -