“The dress of Commoners is a gown of black prince’s stuff, without sleeves; from each shoulder is appended a broad strip, which reaches to the bottom of the dress, and towards the top is gathered into plaits.  Square cap of black cloth and silk tassel.

“The student in Civil Law, or Civilian, wears a plain black silk gown, and square cloth cap, with silk tassel.

“Scholars and Demies of Magdalene, and students of Christ Church who have not taken a degree, wear a plain black gown of prince’s stuff, with round, full sleeves half the length of the gown, and a square black cap, with silk tassel.

“The dress of the Servitor is the same as that of the Commoner, but it has no plaits at the shoulder, and the cap is without a tassel.”

The costume of those among the University Officers who are distinguished by their dress, may be thus noted:—­

“The dress of the Chancellor is of black damask silk, richly ornamented with gold embroidery, a rich lace band, and square velvet cap, with a large gold tassel.

“The Proctors wear gowns of prince’s stuff, the sleeves and facings of black velvet; to the left shoulder is affixed a small tippet.  To this is added, as a dress, a large ermine hood.

“The Pro-Proctor wears a Master of Arts’ gown, faced with velvet, with a tippet attached to the left shoulder.”

The Collectors wear the same dress as the Proctors, with the exception of the hood and tippet.

The Esquire Bedels wear silk gowns, similar to those of Bachelors of Law, and round velvet caps.  The Yeoman Bedels have black stuff gowns, and round silk caps.

The dress of the Verger is nearly the same as that of the Yeoman Bedel.

“Bands at the neck are considered as necessary appendages to the academic dress, particularly on all public occasions.”—­Guide to Oxford.

See DRESS.

COURTS.  At the English universities, the squares or acres into which each college is divided.  Called also quadrangles, abbreviated quads.

All the colleges are constructed in quadrangles or courts; and, as in course of years the population of every college, except one,[18] has outgrown the original quadrangle, new courts have been added, so that the larger foundations have three, and one[19] has four courts.—­Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng.  Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 2.

CRACKLING.  At the University of Cambridge, Eng., in common parlance, the three stripes of velvet which a member of St. John’s College wears on his sleeve, are designated by this name.

Various other gowns are to be discerned, the Pembroke looped at the sleeve, the Christ’s and Catherine curiously crimped in front, and the Johnian with its unmistakable “Crackling”—­Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng.  Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 73.

CRAM.  To prepare a student to pass an examination; to study in view of examination.  In the latter sense used in American colleges.