“On attending prayers the first evening,” says one who graduated at Harvard College near the close of the last century, “no sooner had the President pronounced the concluding ‘Amen,’ than one of the Sophomores sung out, ’Stop, Freshmen, and hear the customs read.’” An account of these customs is given in President Quincy’s History of Harvard University, Vol.  II. p. 539.  It is entitled,

“THE ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IT.”

“1.  No Freshman shall wear his hat in the College yard, unless it rains, hails, or snows, provided he be on foot, and have not both hands full.

“2.  No Undergraduate shall wear his hat in the College yard when any of the Governors of the College are there; and no Bachelor shall wear his hat when the President is there.

“3.  Freshmen are to consider all the other classes as their seniors.

“4.  No Freshman shall speak to a Senior[26] with his hat on, or have it on in a Senior’s chamber, or in his own, if a Senior be there.

“5.  All the Undergraduates shall treat those in the Government of the College with respect and deference; particularly they shall not be seated without leave in their presence; they shall be uncovered when they speak to them or are spoken to by them.

“6.  All Freshmen (except those employed by the Immediate Government of the College) shall be obliged to go on any errand (except such as shall be judged improper by some one in the Government of the College) for any of his Seniors, Graduates or Undergraduates, at any time, except in studying hours, or after nine o’clock in the evening.

“7.  A Senior Sophister has authority to take a Freshman from a Sophomore, a Middle Bachelor from a Junior Sophister, a Master from a Senior Sophister, and any Governor of the College from a Master.

“8.  Every Freshman before he goes for the person who takes him away (unless it be one in the Government of the College) shall return and inform the person from whom he is taken.

“9.  No Freshman, when sent on an errand, shall make any unnecessary delay, neglect to make due return, or go away till dismissed by the person who sent him.

“10.  No Freshman shall be detained by a Senior, when not actually employed on some suitable errand.

“11.  No Freshman shall be obliged to observe any order of a Senior to come to him, or go on any errand for him, unless he be wanted immediately.

“12.  No Freshman, when sent on an errand, shall tell who he is going for, unless he be asked; nor be obliged to tell what he is going for, unless asked by a Governor of the College.

“13.  When any person knocks at a Freshman’s door, except in studying time, he shall immediately open the door, without inquiring who is there.

“14.  No scholar shall call up or down, to or from, any chamber in the College.

“15.  No scholar shall play football or any other game in the College yard, or throw any thing across the yard.