Septennial Act 1716 Septennial Act 1716 The Septennial Act 1716 (1 Geo 1 St 2 c 38), also known as the Septennial Act 1715, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. It was passed in May 1716. It increased the maximum length of a parliament (and hence the maximum period between general elections) from three years to seven. This seven-year ceiling remained in law from 1716 until 1911. The previous limit of three years had been set by the Triennial Act 1694, enacted by the Parliament of England. The act's ostensible aim was to reduce the expense caused by frequent elections.
How It Is crawls through endless mud, recalling his life separated into three distinct periods. The title is Beckett's literal translation of the French phrase, "comment c'est" (how it is), a pun on the French verb "commencer" or 'to begin'. The text is divided into three parts: "before Pim" - the solitary narrator journeys in the mud-dark until he encounters another creature like himself thereby forming a "couple". His journey is abundant with recollections from his life above, including reminiscences of a woman and of his parents. "with Pim" - the narrator is motionless in the mud-dark until he is abandoned by Pim.