Scripture-Readings Compulsory For Students Under 17th Century Ruling

Under the rules formulated in 1642 by President Dunster, the undergraduate of Harvard, particularly the poor Freshman, had a rather severe lot. These rules, which were printed in Latin, continued in force until as late as 1743.

As Harvard was primarily a Minister's College, every student had to read the Scriptures twice a day, and was obliged to attend Chapel a like number of times daily, once at six o'clock in the morning, and again in the evening. No student, moreover, was admitted until he was able to read, write, and speak Latin perfectly, and besides being required to have an excellent knowledge of Greek, was never allowed during his College course to use his mother tongue, except in certain public exercises of oratory.

Unlike our modern cigarette-smoking age, tobacco was not allowed except by permission of the President, with consent of the parent or guardian, "and then in a sober and private manner." It was also voted that every student must be in his room by nine o'clock under penalty of a fine, and no one could go to Boston except by special permission, without being subject to a five dollar penalty. In 1656, the President and Fellows were empowered "to punish all misdemeanors--either by fine, or whipping in the hall openly, as the nature of the offence shall require, not exceeding ten shillings, or ten stripes for one offenses." Until 1734, the flogging often took place in public. Some of the early fines were: neglecting to repeat the sermon, 9d; going out of college without proper costume, 6d; and frequenting taverns, not over 1s., 6d. Opening doors by picklocks was also an offense.

There were many "ancient customs" that were lived up to even more strictly than the regular laws, and which were hardest on the first-year men. Among these traditions was one which forbid any Freshman to wear his hat in the college yard, unless it rained, snowed, hailed, or unless he had both hands full. Another hard rule on the freshmen was that they had to furnish bats, balls and footballs for the use of students, to be kept at the "buttery."

A costume was prescribed for all undergraduates which consisted of a "cost of blue gray, with waistcoat and breeches of the same colour, or of a black, a keen, or an olive colour." Freshmen were required to wear coats with plain button holes, and the cuffs could not have any buttons. The second-year men, however, were allowed the privilege of buttons on their cuffs. The coats of the Juniors had "Cheap frogs to the button holes, except the button holes of the cuffs," whereas the Seniors could have "frogs" on all their buttonholes.

Least enjoyable of all to the modern Harvard undergraduate would have been the food and dining facilities. The charge for board at "Commons" was $1.75 a week, and as it couldn't be expected that meat could be served at every meal, the students, therefore, frequently saved some of their meat and with a Cork jammed it against the under side of the table to help out a breakfast the following morning. The food that was not eaten or could not be eaten was shared by a number of pigs, whose sties were near the rear of the dining hall.