THE PETERITE Vol. XXXII
SEPTEMBER, 1940
No. 295
EDITORIAL. It is with infinite pleasure that we again sit down to write the Editorial for " The Peterite " this term. It gives us a comfortable sense of power and authority to guide the editorial ink across the editorial paper. It lifts us out of ourselves. Imprimis, we are " we " now (0 bliss! to be first person plural instead of a paltry singular). Secundo we represdnt the power of the press (to ourselves, at any rate). We sit here and comfort ourselves with the beautiful things writers have said about the pen being mightier than the sword (utterly disregarding, of course, the things which great soldiers have also said about the sword being mightier than the pen). Sir Thomas Browne, for example, once said, " I had sooner stand in the shock of a basilisk than in the fury of a merciless pen," and this fills us with a just pride (although at the back of our mind we are annoyed at our stupidity in persisting in the thought, despite positive knowledge to the contrary, that a basilisk is a sort of long thin stone thing with four sides and a point at the top). We feel like Jove with his bundle of thunderbolts as we skim our merciless pen over the paper; we imagine lightnings flashing from our nib, thunders rolling as we turn our justly famous editorial wit against some poor mortal; and we do like to indulge ourselves a little, so bear with us, dear reader, if we seem lost in our flights of fancy. All too soon must we return to earth. The soulless are already grumbling at what they, in their condition, poor barbarians, term " waffle." Off with the motley, then, to work! A term is to be chronicled! The Summer Term is in many ways the most pleasant term of the year, and this has been no exception. Good weather has prevailed throughout most of the term, and many an enjoyable hour has been whiled away in the baths, sun-bathing and looking at the more energetically-inclined besporting themselves in the water, or watching a game of cricket in the heat of the afternoon. And, for the boaters, there has been the joy of long trips up the river, and the pleasure of an " easy " that only one who has rowed for many a long minute can know. The Summer Term then, is not like its little brother, the Easter Term, event-packed, but slower, and more dignified. Events, however, are not lacking. One outstanding event is to be reported; worthy of a new paragraph this! We will hide it from you no longer—we have won the White Rose Cup! At least, the first four have won it, but such is our joy in seeing it gazing benevolently down in all its silvery splendour, upon Big Hall, that we are quite transported. The School has never won the cup before (its full title is the White Rose Challenge Cup for Junior-Senior Fours), and we are justly proud of this year's First IV for creating boating history. We heartily congratulate them! To turn to cricket, this term marks the fiftieth anniversary of the First Eleven fixture with Ampleforth, and it was suggested that the match of half-a-century ago should be replayed, as far as possible by those who took part in the original match. Unfortunately, in present circumstances this was impracticable, though we hope that the project may be carried out in the future. 1