THE

P ET RITE.Vor. . II .

OCTOBER, 1880 .

No. 16.

EDITORIAL.

THE Oxford Editors of the Pctcritc feel that some explanationof the late appearance of the October number is due from

them. In all cases a bad excuse is worse than none, so that they

trust the leniency of their readers will admit that theirs is a goodone. The Oxford Term began exceptionally late this autumn,

viz . the 16th, and the Editorial Staff being unfortunately de-prived of the energetic services of Messrs . Chadwick and Moore,is scarcely as yet in working order. They hope, however, infuture, to be more punctual in their appearance.

They must again call the attention of their contributors to the

rule against the insertion of anonymous correspondence . Thename of the contributor is requisite as a guarantee of good faith,but not for publication unless desired.

They regret the absence of the usual Oxford and CambridgeLetters, but hope to print them next month, as usual.

W. M . THACKERAY.

IT would hardly be an exaggeration to say that in any one of

the principal London papers, there would certainly be somequotation from one of Dickens's works : but you may take up tenpapers and not find one from Thackeray . Again, out of onehundred people who have read the whole of Dickens, one might

safely venture to say not ten will have thoroughly readThackeray. Why this is so, is not easily to be explained : butmy purpose in writing this is, to try to persuade some at least of

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W. M . TITACKERAY.

my readers to study the great novelist ; if that object is gained, Ihave no doubt that they will soon learn to regard him with thesame reverential love as I myself.

The first thing that strikes you on reading Thackeray, andstrikes more forcibly than any thing else, is his immense know-ledge of human nature. Never has there been at any time, aman who has had a more complete grasp of humanity in all itsphases . There is scarcely a single incident in his novels, scarcelya single passage in his works, where he is not true to nature.Thackeray never indulges in wild theatricalism : and it is thisthat makes him, probably, less popular with the majority ofpeople than Dickens . It is the same on the stage : the mostabsurd farce will be listened to with infinitely more delight thanthe most exquisite comedy displaying a thorough knowledge ofhuman natur e. Shakespeare's comedies have comparativelydied : while every day you see advertisements of farces whichhave had a long run . I am perfectly aware that one of the greatobjections against Thackeray's works is, that he cannot draw awoman correctly, but I think that any who have studiedThackeray as I have, will come to the conclusion that theobjection is without foundation . Are there not plenty of" Becky Sharp's" in the world ? Lady Castlewood and herdaughter, Helen Pendennis, Amelia Sedley, Mrs . Mckenzie, andin fact all his female characters have their double in real life :and the objection that all his women are insipid angels or wickedgeniuses, cannot be held for a moment when Ethel Newcome ' scharacter is carefully observed : besides, supposing all save thesefew are failures, is not an author rather to be judged by hissuccesses than his failures ?

As a philosophic novelist, he is unparalleled . No one, I think,ever disputes it : even in his worst, or rather least good works,charming passages occur "as thick as leaves in Valombrosafall : " e.g., in the Virginians :

"When cheeks are faded and eyes are dim, is it sad or pleasant, Iwonder, for the women who is a beauty no more, to recall the period ofher bloom? When the heart is withered, does the old love like to re-member how it once was fresh and beat with warm emotions So they fall—the buds of prime, the roses of beauty, the florid harvestsof summer—fall and wither, and the naked branches shiver in thewinter. "

W, M . THACKERAY .

253

This is a " motto of the heart " picked out at random : all hisbooks abound in such passages of unexampled beauty . Fieldingwas the only novelist who came near him in this branch of novelwriting. One more, I open " Vanity Fair " at random and find :

"I know few things more affecting than that timorous debasementand self-humiliation of a woman . How she owns that it is she and notthe man who is guilty : how she takes all the faults on her side : howshe courts in a manner punishment for sins she has not committed, andpersists in shielding the real culprit ! It is those who injure womenmost that get the most kindness from them : they are born timid andtyrants, and maltreat those who are humblest before them ."

In pathos again, who can equal him ? His affecting passagesare more concealed than those of Dickens . You are liable topass them over at first ; and it is that that makes people thinkthat he has the power of moving in a less degree than Dickens.Here are instances (again taken at random) from " Vanity Fair : "

"No more firing was heard at Brussels—the pursuit rolled miles away.Darkness came on the field and city, and Amelia was praying forGeorge, who was lying on his face, dead, with a bullet through hisheart"

(Rawdon Crawley, loquitur to Lady Pitt Crawley) :—" Oh, " said hein his rude, artless way, " you don't know how I'm changed since I ' veknown you, and—and little Rawdy . I—I'd like to change somehow.You see I want—I want to be " He did not finish his sentence,but she could interpret.

Any thing more affecting than the repentance of the huge, oncelibertine dragoon, can hardly be imagined. It is becominghackneyed now to talk of the scene of Colonel Newcome's death,and other passages of the same kind, but they certainly bearcomparison with Dickens at his best . He does not make somuch noise as Dickens : he does not declaim or act : but thevery simplicity, and absence of all dramatical and rhetoricalwriting, produce as great an effect as the utmost efforts of theauthor of the " Christmas Carol " could : and you come awayfrom reading Thackeray with a healthy taste in your mouth,while through a great part of Dickens there is a vein of morbiditywhich sometimes palls . It is often said that Thackeray has notthe power of description that Dickens had . Our author hadrarely an occasion to employ description in the style which hewrote in ; but when he had, he shows that he has plenty of

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W . M. THACKERAY.

power, and there is landscape painting in the "Newcome's,""Vanity Fair," " Irish Sketch Book," &c ., quite equal to any

thing Dickens ever wrote.As a satirist, humourist, and essayist, he is well known to be

pre-eminent. As a specimen of satire, I should quote his

" Essay on Thunder and Small Beer. " His " Snob Papers " are

inimitable. "Collingsby" is a splendid example of slashing satire,where he mercilessly mutilates Lord Beaconsfield.

As a humourist, his " Jcamcs's Diary " is allowed to be thewittiest series of papers that ever appeared in 1'zizzch ; and hisessays arc acknowledged to be among the best ever written :

I need not speak of the " Four Georges" and " English

Humourists, " for they are too well-known to need any eulogy on

my part.As an historical novelist, he has "beaten the world . " In

" Esmond," which I am inclined to think his masterpiece (at leastit is his most polished work), a more complete picture of any

time has never been written . The authors of the grand time of

which he wrote, seem literally to "live, and move, and have

their being . "Few will question its superiority over Dickens's

" Barnaby Rudge, " which many regard as Dickens 's best work.

I must not finish without touching on his mastery of dialogue

writing . For nature in dialogue, Scott and George Eliot are theonly authors who approach him (with perhaps the exception of

the author of " Tom Jones.")His genius was universal, as may be seen if you merely read

the books I have quoted from . The other excellencies ofThackeray I will not dwell upon . The strong manly tone(which, by-the-bye, Dickens wants), the easy vigour, the power,

the splendid satire and charming tenderness appearing in everypage, must delight any reader with a grain of intelligence or true

feeling : and the exquisite finish of his novels and essays must

commend itself to all lovers of artistic beauty.I have, perhaps, said enough : my aim, as I said before, is not

to convince, but to persuade . If any who have condescended to

read what I have written, who are hitherto unacquainted with the" god-like man," will study him, I am satisfied, as will they be also,

I am confident : and if they will go so far as to smother their

philosophic instincts, and believe, on my authority, that, inthis case, the end justifies the means, my object is entirely

gained .

FRED. BAYHAM .

255

THE MEETING OF THE BRITISHASSOCIATION AT SWANSEA.

THIS Association exists for the advancement of science . It

is the first and most famous of the migratory bodies whichmeet annually in some large town . The British Association

never meets in London : the reason is that London is the seat of

the leading scientific Societies throughout the year . London is

the capital of the British scientific world. The British Associa-

tion meets in the holiday part of the year : it was meant to

extend the interest in science in all parts of the three kingdoms :hence it meets in Scotland and Ireland from time to time, as

well as in England . Its leading Members arc little altered fromyear to year, but in each centre it gathers to itself many

Associates, besides its own annual and life Members . There is

no qualification or test of Membership ; there is a subscription.

The funds raised from subscriptions of Members are entirelydevoted to the central purposes of the Association such as thepublication of the proceedings—a thick volume makes its

appearance annually. The largest item of expense is the grant-

ing of money to men engaged in researches : the sum voted isgenerally more than Li000 . The British Association is the

guest each year of some town . The local expenses of the

meeting are generally considerable : these are defrayed entirelyby the locality.

The proceedings of each meeting are in form nearly stereotyped,the matter varies . There are discourses to the whole body on

three evenings, the first being the President's Inaugural Address,which is looked for in the scientific world with almost the interesta Queen 's speech awakens in the political world ; the others are

discourses on some subject of novel or important interest . TheLecturers like to get hold of something they can show by experi-ment, or at least project upon a screen with the oxy-hydrogenlight. Thus at Sheffield, in 1879, Mr . Crookes gave the resultsof his wonderful experiments with radiant matter, which demon-strated for the first time that there is a fourth state of matter

beside the three already known. At Swansea the President'sAddress was a review of the arguments in favour of the unifor-

256

MEETING OF THE BBITlSI1 ASSOCIATION.

mity of the causes which have led to the present conformation ofthe earth 's crust . Professor Ramsay argued that volcanic forces,for example, had not worked more intensely in past geologicalepochs than in the present : and that the same was the case withthe upheaval of mountain chains, the metamorphism of rocks,the formation of salt lakes, the carving and grinding action ofglaciers, and indeed every department of geological activity.On the Friday evening Professor Boyd Dawkins gave a discourseon " I'rima^val Man ;" he finds evidence that men existed in thiscountry at the same time with the mammoth and hairy elephant,and that England was united to the continent at that time. Oneof the chief points of interest was that these ancient cave menhad attained considerable skill in sketching animals and figureson bone and stone implements . These early inhabitants seemto have resembled the Esquimaux . The other evening discoursewas given by Mr. Francis Galton, the famous author of the "Artof Travel, " the subject was " Mental Imagery ;" the first partconsisted of a description of mental visualisation, or "a sort ofseeing with the mind's eye, Horatio :" it was a somewhatfanciful description of the constant association of certain formsand colours with certain numbers . The second part of thelecture referred to a method of superposing photographs ofvarious individuals whereby a typical portrait is supposed to besecured . The individual photographs and the resultant meanwere thrown upon the screen : the typical criminal, which wasthe result in one set of experiments, did indeed look the pink ofvillainy. These evening Lectures and the two Soirees whichwere held in a large wooden building formed the attractions ofthe evenings during the meeting.

The Association every morning breaks up into nine sectionsin which special subjects are considered . These sections areMathematics and Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Anatomy andPhysiology, Zoology and Botany, Anthropology, Geography,Economic Science, Mechanical Science . It would take morethan the whole space of this month's Petcritc to relate thesepapers in detail. Two of the most successful papers were readby Dr. Tempest Anderson, an Old Peterite, first on an improvedHeliograph or Sun Signal ; secondly on an improved instrumentfor measuring the unequal curvature of the eye, and consequentlyfor showing what kind of spectacles are required .

MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION .

2o

Besides these sectional proceedings there are the excursions .The men of science seem to enjoy these with all the zest ofschoolboys. Some excursions proved a formidable day's journey,such as from Swansea to Pembroke Dock ; the Dockyard wasexamined, a large ironclad inspected, a visit was made to theGreat Eastern which has lain useless for five years at Milford,and Tenby was visited on the return journey . Other excursionswere made by steamer to Ilfracombe and Lundy Island, toGower and Worm's Head . Many visits were paid to Copperworks, Zinc works, Tin works, Steel works, Waterworks, and allthe smoky activities of Swansea . One characteristic entertain-ment must not be forgotten, the Dinner of the " Redde Lion'sClubbe, " where the members roar and disport themselves like"wild barbarians all at play :" this takes place under thepresidency of a lion king, the "bones " arc provided by"jackals ;" no science is talked under penalty of a severe fine.The Dinner takes place on the evening of the last working dayof the Association. Some of the readers of this magazine maybe aware that the Jubilee Meeting of the British Association isto be held in York in August, 1881, so that the Association maybegin its second half-century of existence in the same city tvhercits first meeting was held in 1831.

LEAVES FROM LAKELAND.

T7IND reader, bear with me for a page or two whilst I en-deavour to set down on paper some pleasant recollections

of a few happy weeks spent at the English Lakes, and should Ibut bring back to some of my readers who have been there,pleasing memories of scenes long ago visited, or should I arousein others a desire to see for themselves the beautiful works ofnature which I will endeavour (imperfectly though it be) todepict, I shall be fully contented, nay, more than contented.

I had so often heard our English Lakes spoken of so dis-paragingly in comparison with the Scotch Lakes, that it waswith no very high expectations, I confess, that I set out to visitthem .

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LEAVES FROM LAKELAND.

"By all means see the English Lakes before you visit theScotch ; they are not to be compared to them ." Some suchsaying as this I have often heard repeated, and perhaps thespeaker of these words was right, though not in the sense inwhich he meant it . For the English and Scotch Lakes arc not,nor indeed can be compared with one another . The scenerypeculiar to each is totally different . The Scotch scenery issublime, tending to the grand and almost awful . A silentsolemnity seems to steal over the mind as the traveller gazes insilence upon the towering mountains, wild and rugged, solitaryin their silent grandeur . But his feelings as he looks upon thecalm tranquil scenes of the English Lakes are quite different.The quiet, placid lakes lying snugly sheltered amongst the hills ;the wooded sides of the mountains sloping gently down as if tokiss the water ; the lofty tips of the mountain heights lookingdown in calm serenity upon the slumbering waters below, as ifto assure them of peace and undisturbed tranquility ; the trick-ling brooks meandering with rippling music through the glades,chafing indignantly against the stones which bar its course ; theundulating paths sheltered by an awning of thick foliage over-head which almost shuts out the blue canopy of heaven ; allthese arouse a feeling of peace and calm, of rest and repose.Shut out from all the thoughts and cares of the busy world, thetraveller loses himself in admiration of the loveliness of the scenebefore him. He will, with Longfellow, be ready to say :

" Love is ever busy with his shuttle,Is ever weaving into Life's dull warpBright gorgeous flouuers and scenes Arcadian,Hanging our gloomy prison-house aboutWith tapestries that make its walls dilateWith never-ending vistas of delight ."

A trip to the English Lakes will form a bright gem in thecrown of happy memories of by-gone days. It will ever remainstamped upon the mind with an impress never to be obliterated,painted in never dying colours.

" Often would he leave his homeAnd journey far, re-visiting the scenesThat to his memory were most endeared ."

We spent two weeks at Ambleside, which town we made thecentre of all our subsequent excursions . It is beautifully situated

LEAVES FROM LAKELAND .

259

on the side of a hill at a short distance from Lake Windermere,and is happy in possessing a very pretty church . The walksaround are lovely, and many are the mountains bright withbroom and heather, whose summits afford a commanding view ofthe many lakes (from one of these heights no fewer than sixare to be seen), whilst the numerous vallies between themountain ranges, present to the eye new scenes of ever-changingbeauty ; and I know of none prettier than the valley of theRothay, a small stream which connects three lakes, Grasmere,Kydal Water, and Windermere . The road runs for the mostpart alongside of the stream, overshadowed by huge spreadingtrees. Miss Martineau's residence, and Fox Howe, the house ofDr. Arnold, of Rugby celebrity, we pass on the road, and soonthe pretty village of Kydal is seen ensconced amongst treesoverlooking the pretty stretch of water called Kydal Water.Here to the right we catch a glimpse of Kydal Mount,where Wordsworth spent many years of his life. Hereis still unchanged—for change visits but seldom this lovelyvale—the steep shady lane where the poet and his friend Dr.Arnold often walked . This is the scenery which gave such acolour to his poems. Here, too, is the gushing waterfall, tothe music of which, is it too much to suppose, the poet wrotemany of his poems ? And what surroundings could be morefitted to inspire in the breast of the poet that deep under currentof tranquil thought which so characterises him.

But we pass on through a narrow valley skirting Kydal Water,with Nab Scar rising towering to the right, until a sudden bendin the road brings into full view the tranquil lake of Grasmere,with its peaceful village lying almost hidden at the further endof the water—the tower of the old Church standing out con-spicuously, whilst as a back-ground to the scene, dark mountainstower up grand and solitary, one of which forms a shape sofantastic as to resemble according to some, a lion and a lamb ,according to others, an old woman . Wordsworth takes thelatter view, and speaks of " the ancient woman seated on HelmCrag."

But now let us visit the old Church—the Church of the"Excursion ." It can certainly lay but little claim to beauty,being essentially a Church of the olden style, with huge oakrafters across the roof. But it is the Churchyard which more

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LEAVES FROM LAKELA_Nh.

particularly claims the attention of the visitor, and here in a

quiet nook near a running stream, lies one of England 's greatest

poets, William Wordsworth, who was laid to his rest in the Both

year of a long and happy life.

" Being dead yet speaketh ."" The deepest ice that ever froze,

Can only o'er the surface close,

The living stream lies quick below,And flows—and cannot cease to flow ."

SCHOOL LETTER.

THE Term of the year which is perhaps the pleasantest of all, for

the short afternoon School and Theatricals has fairly begun.The play that will probably be played is " Much ado about nothing . "Benedick and Beatrice are taken by Baskett and Hodgson ; Grahame,who has apparently not yet reached that " uncomfortable age when

the voice varies between an unearthly treble and preternatural bass, "takes Hero, and will, we should think, do it well ; Claudio, A. R.Stephenson ; Don Pedro, Griffith ; Don John, Brockbank ; Dogberry,Bailey ; and Verges, perhaps G. Crossley . The Secretary andTreasurer is Baskett ; Griffith, Eyre, Douglas, Greenhow, Peters, andA. R. Stephenson, form the Committee.

The Captain of the Football Team is Baskett ; and Secretary,Douglas . Three matches have been played—Hull, at Hull ; LeedsSchool, and Richmond School at York . The Hull match was a

sickening fiasco which no one who was there seems able to explain :their forwards must have literally carried the Peterites along with

them . The Leeds and Richmond matches were more cheerful : webeat Leeds by a very large score, and the Richmond match was veryeven indeed. Douglas, Bulman, Gay, Bailey, and Grahame, have

covered themselves with glory . The list of matches to be played isgiven in another place. By the way, my friend Baskett bears " hisblushing honours thick upon him ." He is Editor of this veraciousJournal ; Captain of the Team ; Secretary and "Treasurer to theTheatrical Club (was he deluded enough to believe the last office tobe a sinecure ?) ; and he takes the part of Benedick in the play.

The Debating Club has resolved to meet : but when and how isleft to Providence . Some one maliciously suggested that it shouldbe held on Saturday, after the football matches ; the consequence is,

SCHOOL LETTER.

261

it has not been held at all . However, I admire Griffith 's resolutionand determined action in calling a meeting on the first opportunity.

If the Editors will allow me, I should like to take this opportunityof congratulating L. Ryott, and to thank him, he practically beingthe donor of it, for the holiday he has given us.

Two of what Dr . Johnson called the "big men" have left us, G.H. Wade and J. H. Piggin, who have gone, one to Balliol, the otherto Trinity College, Oxford, where they probably will do honour tothe School.

It is a strange coincidence that Gorham and Faussett, who wereFoundation Scholars in the same year, should each get the prize forGreek Prose in the same year in their Universities .

JIM CRAWLEY.

FOOTBALL.

Football commenced almost immediately after we came back, withB. Baskett as Captain and E . A. Douglas as Secretary. Before thefirst out-match, which was against Hull Town Club, several goodhome matches were played . The Sixth form played the School twice,and both times were victorious : the first time with a decided ad-vantage, the second time after a very well contested game, the Sixthobtaining three goals and two tries, versus six tries on the part of theSchool. Rev. J . Adams' House also played the School House, and avery fast game ensued . The School House, however, was beaten back,and when time was called Mr . Adams ' House were left winners bytwo goals, two tries, and two punts out, to one goal and two tries . Itis, however, only fair to remark that the School House played withone man short, and another of their men was disabled during thecourse of the game.

A list of matches is as follows :—Oct . Hull Town Club, at Hull.

9• Leeds Grammar School, at York.

„

16 . Richmond Grammar School, at York.,,

2 3 . Clifton.

30 . St . John ' s Training College, at York.Nov . 13 . Richmond Grammar School, at Richmond.

,,

20 . Clifton Club, at York.

2 7• Hull Town Club, at York.Dec .

4 . Thorparch Grammar School, at York .

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:COOT BALL.

Matches also have to be arranged : one with Durham University;return matches with Clifton and St . John's Training College ; alsothe Old Boys' match .

v . HULL TOWN CLUB.

This match, the first of the season, was played at Hull on October2nd. They collected a splendid team against us, their forwards

playing in a manner almost irresistible and by their very weight

forcing their way easily through the scrimmages . The School, how-

ever, at first played pluckily, but only twice was Hull in danger, anda touch down each time was the result . This was the only advantage

gained by the School during the game, and our first match thus left

Hull easy winners . It is, however, fair on behalf of the School, tostate that Gay, our most reliable back, whose drop-kicking would

have been of great service, was absent, together with A . R. Stephen-

son and F . T. Griffith.

The team is composed as follows :

G. Gay and H. Clayforth, backs ; B. Baskett, G . Bulman and R.Wood, three-quarter-backs ; E. A . Douglas and T . E . Grahame, half-

backs ; F. W. Greenhow, J . C. Bailey, E. Crossley, F. T. Griffith, G.

H. Eyre, forwards.

v. LEEDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

This match was played on the School ground on Saturday, October

9th . The ball was kicked off by F . W. Jones, the Leeds Captain,

and well returned, and play commenced in Leeds twenty-five . Al-

though St. Peter's had the advantage of the wind, and several good

runs were made by Bulman, Baskett and Grahame, Leeds played withmuch spirit, and in the first half-time only two tries were obtained,

by J. C. Bailey and T. F. Grahame, though Leeds was repeatedlyobliged to touch down in self-defence . After half-time Baskett was

soon at work, and despite the determined efforts of F . W. Jones andB. P. Scattergood, amongst the Leeds forwards, and W . Hirst and H.Potter amongst the backs, he succeeded in obtaining three tries, two

of which were converted into goals . Douglas obtained two tries, andGrahame, who played well on the ball throughout the game, and

Stevenson, each obtained one try . Bulman, too, made a splendid run

FOOTBALL .

263

right through the Leeds team, and succeeded in placing the ballbehind the goal post . St. Peter's were thus left winners by threegoals, five tries, and one punt out, to nil.

v. RICHMOND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

Played on the School ground, York, October i6 . This was asplendidly contested game, and both teams worked well . Soon afterplay commenced, the ball, unknown to the School forwards, waspassed back, and Craddock, on behalf of Richmond, made a long run,evaded the School backs, and placed the ball behind the goal posts.A goal was the result . After this St . Peter's played well together,and for a long time neither side gained any advantage . Moore andBrummett then succeeded in getting the ball, and, by dint of judiciouspassing, a try was credited to Richmond ; but the try at goal failed.After half-time St . Peter 's pressed hard upon Richmond, and gra-dually forced them back, until Baskett ran through their forwardsand gained a try, which, however, was not converted into a goal.Baskett soon after gained a try, but it was disputed, and althoughadmitted to be fair by St . Peter ' s Umpire, our Captain, with magna-nimous generosity, gave in to their indignant cries of " the ball washeld," and a scrimmage took place fifteen yards in front of the goal.Greenhow and Bailey worked well amongst the School forwards, andBulman and Baskett behind ; Grahame, as usual, played veryspiritedly, but Douglas, on the whole, played best . For Richmond,Moore, Craddock, and Haggie did good service, and their passing isworthy of notice . Richmond School was thus left victorious by onegoal and one try, to one try.

OBITUARY.

ON 8TII INSTANT, AT SIRI FROM DYSENTERY,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J. J . COLLINS,

COMMANDING 2ND BA'T'TALION 66TH ROYAL RIFLES,

AGED 48 YEARS .

264

CORRESPONDENCE.

To THE EDITORS OF " THE PETERITE . "

DEAR SIRS,—Permit me to direct your attention to the extra-ordinary time of the year at which we hold our Sports . It seems tome that there is everything against that time, except the fact that atmidsummer the School year ends, so that then seems a natural timeto hold them. But, I believe, a concert is proposed to be held everymidsummer, and if that be the case there will be no need for any-thing more to wind up the year with . Moreover, it is the time whenone is supposed to be working hardest ; there is therefore less time fortraining : the weather is no more reliable than at Easter : at Eastermost Schools have their sports. Besides this there is the great ad-vantage that the training for the boat races makes one " fit " forathletics of all kinds, and it is much easier to train in the Easter termthan in the Summer term . It will be colder, true, but we do not(unless I am very much mistaken) perform for spectators to see us, andtherefore if ladies cannot come, because the cold is too great, it willnot matter to us (I say this without meaning any offence to the" professed tyrants of the sex, " and hope I shall not be accused ofwant of gallantry). It seems to me that, if leave could be obtainedfrom the authorities it would be better to have the Sports at Easter.

I am, &c .,NENIO.

To THE EDITORS OF " THE PETERITE. "

DEAR SIRs,—There are two suggestions which I should like tomake with reference to the Fives-court. The first is that wire-workshould be placed on the inside over the two windows and the palingsat the back : this might be done at a very small cost and would havethe effect of making the balls return correctly from the back, whichat present they very seldom do . The other is that money should beraised among those that use the Fives-court and others who wouldlike to join, in order to get a cup or some other prize to be competedfor in the beginning of the Spring Term when as a rule there is adearth of occupations . The adoption of this latter proposal would, I

CORRESPONDENCE .

265

think, raise a fresh interest in the game and probably produce a large

number of competitors.

Hoping these suggestions will meet with some consideration,I am yours truly,

G. H. EYRF.

ROI D' YVETOT.

" There was a king of Yvetot,

Who, little famed in story,

Went soon to bed, to rise was slow,And slumbered without glory . "

IGNORAMUS asks for " the derivation and application of Roi d

Yvetot." Does he refer to the title or the poem of that name ?

If to the title, all I can say is that Yvetot is a town in Normandy

of which the lords had the privileges of having the style of " king,"

and of having a mint and issuing their own coin.One vestige of this ancient kingdom, thanks to a tavern, still

remains for" A wise and worthy monarch's face

Is still in preservation,And, as a sign, it serves to grace

An inn of reputation . "

If the poem is referred to, then I can furnish a little more

information . "It was written by Beranger in the month of May,

1813, and is one of the earliest indications of a political tendency inthat popular French poet," says Mr. Oxenford, to whose book of

French Songs I am indebted for the above translations.

Beranger wrote for Buonaparte, and with satirical poems ridiculedthe governments which succeeded the fall of the Emperor . For these

services he was fined and imprisoned, and lost the appointments in

the Institute and the Academy which had been given to him at theinstance of Lucien Buonaparte .

A. E. C.

Will any one inform me on what grounds rests the extraordinary

theory that Lord Bacon was the author of what are known asShakespeare's works .

" INTENSE . "

Can any one tell me where these lines occur . I have looked throughHudibras and cannot find them ?

" He that fights and runs away

Will live to fight another day."COROMANDEI. II .

266

CORRESPONDENCE.

Author of this quotation wanted :

" We are weary in heart and head, and in hands and feet,And surely more than all things sleep were sweet,Than all things save the inexorable desire,Which whoso knoweth shall neither faint nor weep ."

PILcox.

Will any of the readers of the Peterite give me any information ofthe supposed authors of Junius ' letters .

G . H. E.

NOTES AND ITEMS.

A. GORHAM, Scholar of Trinity College, Dublin, has obtained theChancellor ' s Prize for Greek Prose Composition : the value of thePrize is 12o, and the subject of the essay is " Imperialism . "

In the middle of last month many of our readers will be interestedto know that E . S . Fox, of Corpus College, Cambridge, was ordaineddeacon at Darlington, and licensed to St . Mary ' s, Gateshead.

On September, 16th, E . W . S. CHALLINOR, whom many will re-member, was married at Netherthong to Miss J . H. Dyson, of Holme.

L. A . Ryon. , passed with honours in several subjects in his pre-liminary Medical Examination at Edinburgh.

The Rev. J . ADAMS and Dr . TEMPEST ANDERSON, were appointedas a deputation by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society to attend themeeting of the British Association at Swansea, beginning on August25, 1880 . The same gentlemen were appointed Local Secretariesfor the York Meeting. Mr. ADAMS was elected a member of theCommittee of Section A (Mathematics and Physics), and of SectionC (Geology).

Lieutenant-Colonel J . J . COLLINS, whose death we regret to record,had served with great distinction for many years . He commandedthe 2nd Battalion of Goth Royal Rifles all through the Afghan Cam-paign, including the arduous march with the army under Sir F.Roberts from Cabul to Candahar ; and had behaved so well on alloccasions during the war, that it was rumoured that on his return toEngland, he would be Knighted . He was a Free Scholar of thisSchool in 1851.

We beg to acknowledge the receipt of the Lily, Llandovery SchoolJournal, S . Andrews College Magazine, Ulula.

OXFORD : PRINTED BY W . R . 1IOWI)EN, (), HIGH STREET.