The Mather Sundial

  The Mather Sun Dial in the court of McCosh Hall, is a replica of the historic Turnbull Sun Dial constructed in 1551 at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. It was given by Sir William Mather, governor of Victoria University, Manchester, England, to ``symbolize the connection between Oxford and Princeton [and] . . . Great Britain and America,'' and was unveiled on his behalf by Viscount James Bryce, then British ambassador to the United States, in 1907. The monumental shaft, rising from a broad base to a height of more than twenty feet, is topped by a pelican, religious symbol of Corpus Christi. Inscribed around the base are these words from Samuel Butler's Hudibras:

``Loyalty is e'er the same
Whether it win or lose the game
True as the dial to the sun
Although it be not shined upon.''

  At one time, the Mather Sundial was the province of seniors, who by custom enjoyed the exclusive privilege of sitting on its steps between classes. For a period, there was even a low shrubbery around its perimeter.

This is adapted from