subs. phr. (Winchester College).—A College prefect in full power, appointed for one week. He keeps order in school, reads the lessons in chapel, takes round ROLLS (q.v.), and assists at floggings. He is absolved from going UP TO BOOKS (q.v.) during his term of office. The prefect of hall need not act as BIBLE-CLERK unless he likes, and the prefect of school may choose any week he pleases; the rest take weeks in rotation, in the order of their Chambers in College. Hence BIBLER (or BIBLING), a flogging of six cuts on the small of the back, administered by the head or second master. So called because the person to be operated upon ORDERED (q.v.) his name to the BIBLE-CLERK (q.v.). BIBLING-ROD = the instrument with which a BIBLING (q.v.) was administered. It consisted of a handle with four apple twigs in the end, twisted together. It is represented on ‘Aut Disce.’ It was invented and first used by Warden Baker in 1475. It is not used now. BIBLING UNDER NAIL = a BIBLING (q.v.) administered for a very heinous offences after an offender had stood under NAIL (q.v.).
1866. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 103. Order was kept during school hours by the BIBLE-CLERK and Ostiarus, two of the Præfects, who held these offices in rotation—the former lasting for a week, the latter for one day only. They paraded Shool armed with sticks, and brought up to the Head and Second Masters (who alone had the power of flogging) the names of the delinquents which had been ‘ordered’ for punishment; the names of the more heinous offenders being confided to the BIBLE-CLERK, the others to the Ostiarus.
1866. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 109. The first time a boy’s name was ordered, the punishment was remitted on his pleading ‘Primum tempus.’ For a more serious breach of duty, a flogging of six cuts (a BIBLER) was administered, in which case the culprit had to ‘order his name to the BIBLE-CLERK,’ and that individual, with the help of Ostiarus, performed the office of Jack Ketch.
1866. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, s.v. NAIL. TO STAND UP UNDER THE NAIL. The punishment inflicted on a boy detected in a lie; he was ordered to stand up on Junior Row, just under the centre sconce, during the whole of school time. At the close of it he received a ‘BIBLER.’
1866. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 109. If a boy was detected in a lie, or any very disgraceful proceeding—a rare occurrence, I am happy to say—he had to stand up in the centre of Junior row during the whole of the School time, immediately preceding the infliction of the flogging; this pillory process was called a BIBLER UNDER THE NAIL.
1864. Blackwood’s Magazine, xcv., 73. [At dinner] portions of beef were served out to the boys … the BIBLE-CLERK meanwhile reading a chapter from the Old Testament. Ibid., 87. An hour … is expected to be employed in working under the superintendence of the BIBLE-CLERK, as the præfect in daily ‘course’ is termed, who is responsible for a decent amount of order and silence at these hours.
1864. Blackwood’s Magazine, xcv., 79. Underneath is the place of execution, where delinquents are BIBLED.
1864. Blackwood’s Magazine, xcv., 72. It need hardly be said that it [the rod] is applied in the ordinary fashion: six cuts forming what is technically called a BIBLING—on which occasions the Bible-Clerk introduces the victim; four being the sum of a less terrible operation called a ‘scrubbing.’
1878. H. C. ADAMS, Wykehamica, 59. There appears to have been no regular BIBLE-CLERK … From this, it has been inferred that the institution of these offices must have been subsequent, and (some think) long subsequent, to the Founder’s time.
1887. H. C. ADAMS, Wykehamica, s.v. NAIL, the central sconce at the east and west ends of the school were so-called. A boy who had committed some unusually disgraceful offence, was placed there during school, previously to being ‘BIBLED.’
