24 June 2010

Name Days

Ah, my name day. Perhaps readers would care to advise me about the appropriate way of celebrating such occasions. I had better not drink wine all day, as the warm weather would dehydrate me.

Yesterday's Encaenia was enjoyable, as ever. Unlike the dim incompetents in the Congregation for Divine Worship, Mr Orator Jenkyns did nothing but delight with his latinity. He began his Oration for Lord Sainsbury (a wealthy English grocer; it is said that when he was at Eton College, those fellow-pupils untainted by Trade used to claim that he had flour on his hands, and elaborately seek his views on the price of rice) by quoting G K Chesterton's

God made the wicked grocer
For a mystery and a sign
...
rendering it into Latin iambs as
Mercator escae semper a deo factus
Malus scelestus, omen atque portentum ...


Looking behind the wit and the dazzle, one cannot but notice that Honorary Doctorates in Divinity seem rarely nowadays to be conferred. I suspect that this is not so much because Oxford lacks either Christians or broadminded liberals, as it is the result of an implicit unspoken veto wielded by Dawkinsian fascism. Professor Ratzinger will not receive an Oxford honour; but when that secular saint Nelson Mandela was in England some years ago, my recollection is that so many universities - including Oxford - wanted to honour him that the Great Man was not even expected to favour them all with his physical presence ... they sent their Vice-Chancellors or whatever to queue up in a tent somewhere and doctor him (ut ita dicam) one after another.

Encaenia happens in the Shedonian Theatre, a building put up during those brief years between 1660 and the Dutch Invasion of 1688, when England was teetering on the brink of again being part of the European cultural mainstream. In 1716, after the Hannoverian Usurpation, the modern Encaenia was born; it was made clear that the Hannoverian government would exact a violent revenge if the University failed to put an end to its tradition of free speech, so the lengthy 'University Act' had to be controlled and cut down. Hitherto, a witty speaker called terrae filius had uttered frank comments on public affairs. A generation later, only three years after the Prince Regent had nearly succeeded in ending the Rebellion, the Sheldonian housed, in 1749, the last great public demonstration in favour of the Legitimist cause; the noble and gentry leaders of the Jacobite party gathered; the loyal University conferred honorary doctorates upon them; and Dr William King made his famous speech in which the final six paragraphs all began with a great cry of REDEAT (let him return).

If it weren't for the victory of Whig historicism, the Sheldonian would be explained to tourists as the home and shrine of free speech.

8 comments:

The Flying Dutchman said...

Happy Nameday, Father John!

By the way, does the Pope in fact accept honorary doctorates?

Little Black Sambo said...

Is "Hannoverian" a piece of EU correctness or a spelling mistake?

Antient Scholar said...

Honorary Doctorates in Divinity are in the ascendancy in Wales. As Pro-Chancellor, His Grace the Archbishop of All the Faiths in Wales has even self-conferred a DD from the Nantyffyllon Nursery School. For details go to http://llandaffchesterchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/05/archdruid-barry-bard-to-take-over-at.html

Patrick Sheridan said...

Father, you share the same name with my hero John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (a Professor at Merton College), although since he was born on the Octave Day of St John the Evangelist he took St John as his patron (not that his parents would have thought of anything so Romish as to name their eldest son after a Saint)...

Steve Cavanaugh said...

Happy Name Day, Fr.

But wine drinking on the most famous Nazirite of all time would hardly be appropriate.

Better you should indulge in some carob confection, which can be just as festive, and more in keeping with your patron's tastes

Anna said...

Not for Publication: Fr Hunwicke, Happy Feast. Am trying to get in touch with your Devon friend Fr Peter Morgan (I think, if he is somehow involved with the Franciscans in Lanherne). I've been in touch with him and misplaced his phone number. Do you think you could help? Anna@catholicherald.co.uk

Joshua said...

It's a bit late, but still in the Octave:

How about chocolate ants?

bob said...

Do you keep all three? Decollation and Divine?

Or would that be considered greedy?

Interesting info about the Jacobite goings-on.