>> Early renaissance universtities are quite violent places - many
of
>> them made wearing a sword obligatory - Cambridge still has a
sword as
>> part of dress in its statutes, apparently, although nobody wears
them
>> any more of course.
>There's the old story (probably apocryphal) of a student sitting
the Tripos (exams in
>Cantabridgean-speak), demanding a flagon of ale and bread, which as
a gentleman he
>was entitled under the Statutes of the University, and then three
weeks later getting
>fined for not wearing a sword.
I've heard this story told from about a dozen Oxonians - who of course claim it as part of the lore of their University.
Jeff
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