 Anyone feeling a sconce was deserved would be required to ask for its imposition (often in a "scholarly" language such as Latin or Ancient Greek).Should their request be granted a large vessel, usually full of beer, would be called for and the offender would have to attempt to drink it down in one go (perhaps while standing on the table).The amount of a sconce varied from at Corpus, Oriel or Jesus, up to at St John's.