Entrance Prizes in Composition.

DR. LONGFIELD.

Translate the following passage into Greek Prose :

Of these dark omens and prophecies the most remarkable was, the warning of the Chaldæan priests, who apprised him, soon after he crossed the Tigris, that it would be dangerous for him to enter Babylon, and exhorted him to remain outside of the gates. At first he was inclined to obey; but his scruples were overruled, either by arguments from the Greek sophist Anaxarchus, or by the shame of shutting himself out from the most memorable city of the empire, where his great naval preparations were now going on. He found Nearchus with his fleet, who had come up from the mouth of the river, and also the ships directed to be built in Phoenicia, which had come down the river from Theapsakus, together with large numbers of sea-faring men to send aboard. The ships of cypress-wood, and the large docks, which he had ordered to be constructed at Babylon, were likewise in full progress. He lost no time in concerting with Nearchus the details of the expedition into Arabia and the Persian Gulf, by his land force and naval force co-operating. From various naval officers who had been sent to survey the Persian Gulf, and now made their reports, he learnt, that though there were no serious difficulties within it or along its southern coast, yet to double the eastern cape, which terminated that coast-to circumnavigate the unknown peninsula of Arabia and thus to reach the Red Sea-was an enterprise perilous at least, if not impracticable. But to achieve that which other men thought impracticable was the leading passion of Alexander.-GROTE.

DR. INGRAM.

Translate into Greek the following passage :

The crimes held most atrocious are sacrilege and high treason. The generals before you are accused of none such. But if the decree of Cannonus is, in your opinion, too mild for them, let the law against sacrilege and treason be your guide. Even so each will have his separate trial: a day for each will be divided into three parts: in the first you will inquire and determine whether there is cause for putting the accused upon trial; the second will be allotted to the accusation; the third to the defence. Let it be recollected how lately Aristarchus, the most obnoxious of those who overthrew the democracy, and who afterward, in his flight from Athens, performed the signal treachery of betraying Enoe to the Thebans, even Aristarchus was allowed his day, and even to choose his day, for his defence. Will you then, Athenians, who were so scrupulously just to one whose treason was so notorious, and whose conduct so grossly injurious, will you deny the common benefit of the laws to those who

have so signally served their country? Will you break down the barriers of that constitution by which hitherto individuals have been safe, and by which the commonwealth has become great, for the purpose of delivering to the executioner your meritorious generals, covered with the recent glory of the most important victory that has been gained in a war of twenty-six years? If you would consult the justice, the honour, or the safety of the commonwealth, you will rather reward them with crowns, their due as conquerors, than, yielding to the malicious arguments of wicked men, condemn them to an ignominious death. To what therefore I have at present to propose I trust you cannot but assent: it is, "That each of the generals be separately tried, according to the provisions of the decree of Cannonus."

DR. LONGFIELD.

To be translated into Greek tragic trimeters :

DECIUS. Cæsar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Cæsar;
I come to fetch you to the Senate-house.

CESAR. And you are come in very happy time,

To bear my greeting to the Senators,

And tell them that I will not come to-day;

Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falser:

I will not come to day;-tell them so, Decius.

CALPHURNIA. Say he is sick. CESAR. Shall Cæsar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,

To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?

Decius, go tell them Cæsar will not come.

DECIUS. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,

Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so.

CESAR. The cause is in my will,-I will not come;

That is enough to satisfy the Senate.

But for your private satisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know.

Calphurnia, here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt, to-night she saw my statua,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it;
And these does she apply for warnings, and portents
And evils imminent; and on her knee

Hath begg'd that I will stop at home to-day.

SHAKESPEARE.-Julius Cæsar.

DR. INGRAM.

Subject for Greek Iambic Trimeters.

Ulysses relates to Alcinous the adventures of himself and his companions in the island of Circe.

GREEK ANAPAESTIC VERSE,

MR. TYRRELL.

THE flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay,

Tempts and then flies;
What is this world's delight?
Lightning that mocks the night
Brief even as bright.

Virtue, how frail it is!

Friendship too rare!

Love, how it sells poor bliss
For proud despair!

But we, though soon they fall,
Survive their joy and all
Which ours we call.

Whilst skies are blue and bright,
Whilst flowers are gay,

Whilst eyes that change ere night
Make glad the day;

Whilst yet the calm hours creep,
Dream thou-and from thy sleep
Then wake to weep.

DR. INGRAM.

Translate the following passage into Latin :

Men are valiant and industrious when they fight for themselves and their country they prove excellent in all the arts of war and peace, when they are bred up in virtuous exercises, and taught by their fathers and masters to rejoice in the honours gained by them: they love their country when the good of every particular man is comprehended in the public prosperity, and the success of their achievements is improved to the general advantage: they undertake hazards and labour for the government, when it is justly administered; when innocence is safe, and virtue honoured; when no man is distinguished from the vulgar, but such as have distinguished themselves by the bravery of their actions; when no honour is thought too great for those who do it eminently, unless it be such as cannot be communicated to others of equal merit; they do not spare their persons, purses, or friends, when the public powers are employed for the public benefit, and imprint the like affections in their children from their infancy. The discipline of obedience, in which the Romans were bred, taught them to command: and few were admitted to the magistracies of inferior rank, till they had given such proof of their virtue as might deserve the supreme. Cincinnatus, Camillus, Papirius, Fabius Maximus, were not made dictators that they might learn