P.C.S.S.

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COLLEGE SALTING.

The money collected at the Eton Montem, now wisely abolished, was called “salt.”  In the {322} Consuetudinarium vetus Scholae Etonensis, taken from a MS. in the library of Corpus, Cambridge, and the Harleian MS. 7044, p. 167., and printed by Professor Creasy in his Account of Eton College, p. 73. (from whose work I take the extract), the following passage occurs, under the head “Mense Januario.”  I would remark, that Montem was changed from January to Whit-Tuesday, about a hundred years since:—­

“’Circiter festum Conversionis Divi Pauli ad horam nonam quodam die pro arbitrio moderatoris’ (ex consueto modo quo eunt collectum Avellanas Mense Septembri), itur a pueris ad Montem.  Mons puerili religione Etonensium sacer locus est; hunc ob pulchritudinem agri, amoenitatem graminis, umbraculorum temperationem, et Apollini et Musis venerabilem sedem faciunt, carminibus celebrant, Tempe vocant, Heliconi praeferunt.  Hic Novitii seu recentes, qui annum nondum viriliter et nervose in acie Etonensi ad verbera steterunt sale primo condiuntur, tum versiculis qui habeant salem ac leporem, quoad fieri potest egregie depinguntur.  Deinde in recentes epigrammata faciunt, omni suavitate sermonis, et facetiis alter alterum superare contendentes.  Quicquid in buccam venit libere licet effutire, modo Latine fiat, modo habeat urbanitatem, modo caveat obscoena verborum scurrilitate, postremo et lacrymis salsis humectant ora genasque’ et tune demum veteranorum ritibus initiantur.  Sequuntur orationes et parvi triumphi, et serio laetantur, cum ob praeteritos labores tum ob cooptationem in tam lepidorum commilitonum societatem.”

It seems that “salting” was a sort of initiation, like that which prevails among our Teutonic brethren, where the “Fuchs” is raised to the sublime degree of a “Brandfuchs,” “junge Bursch,” “bemorstes Haupt,” by successive promotions.  Not improbably in after times, especially at the Universities, like “passing the Line,” it admitted of being commuted for a money payment.  The exact nature of the “salting” at Eton I cannot explain; perhaps your able correspondent, R.O., may afford information on this head.

C.R.  SOC.

College Salting (no. 17. p. 261.).—­I cannot but think that the asking for salt at the now abolished ceremony of the Eton Montem (whence also, as it is said, “Salt Hill” was named) must have been connected with the “College Salting.”  The salt, or money, then collected belonged, as is well known, to the head-boy who had “got Montem,” as it (alas!) was called, and who was about to enter on his career (of course as a freshman) at Cambridge.

I would gladly, if permitted, draw the attention of your correspondents, who are considering the original subject, to the latter, by placing it in juxtaposition with “College Salting.”