I believe our class was the last one which performed this harmless and highly entertaining ceremony.
One of my classmates, afterward a worthy physician, was a tall man, older considerably than the rest of the class.

He used to wear an old-fashioned blue, straight-bodied coat with brass buttons, a buff vest, and nankeen pantaloons which were said to have come down as an heirloom in his family from a remote generation.

He was addicted to rather a pompous style of speech.

He was very fond of playing the bass-viol, of which he was by no means a very skilful master.

He had, as a subject for his mock part, "The Base Violation of all Rules of Harmony." One Sunday evening he had a few friends with him who were singing psalm tunes to the accompaniment of his bass-viol.