Page images
PDF
EPUB

have never visited; another, and another; touch them on the subject of their native spot, they will start like gunpowder fired by the match, and in a full explosion tell you all about it.

The same with respect to trade, merchandise, commerce, or the arts and sciences with which any one may happen to be acquainted.

But in travelling in Massachusetts we are put to some difficulty from the law not having determined whether keeping to the right, is right or wrong. In England, the law has determined that the right should be the wrong side, and in an action of damages, a counsel there pleaded as follows:

"My client was travelling from Wimbleton to London, he kept the left side of the road, and that was right. The plaintiff travelling from London to Wimbleton, kept the right side of the road, and that was wrong."

The rule of the road, is a paradox quite,

In driving your carriage along;

If you keep to the left you are sure to go right,
If you keep to the right you go wrong.

But the legislature of the state of Pennsylvania, actuated by a rigid sense of right and wrong, and not being willing to call right things by wrong names, ordered that the right of the road should be the right side, and that the left should be the wrong.

If it is yet to be determined which is the right side in Massachusetts, it would appear that the left side must be the wrong side, and, consequently, I should advise all persons to keep steadily to the right.

Well! now the foolish boy is awake and restored to his college, I will resume the narrative.

I returned to Eton this time with much, too much money; for from this period, when fifteen years of age, I had the command of my father's purse, through his agent, my cousin George Fennell, esq. accountant of the navy pay-office, London. I rushed into extravagancies, but the greatest extravagance was love-Petrarch, Ovid's Art of Love, Rousseau's Eloise, and such things, occupied almost all my attention. I had taken a private room in Eton town, out of the bounds, to which I used to retire to indulge what I then fancied the pleasing emotions of that sweet, that dear, that tender, delicate sensation. While lost one day in the delirium of fancied bliss, one of the boys rushed in upon me and begged me to hide a mutton pye for him, that he had taken from a baker's tray, who was carrying it to the head master of the lower school, and we will feast on it, said he, tomorrow. Gods! what a change, from love to a mutton pye; but there was no remedy; I desired him to put it in my lower closet and take the key; he did so, and in haste departed.

I resumed my contemplations, and finally determined that I could not be satisfied without seeing the dear object of my love again; but how was it to be contrived: my wits were again racked; at last I conceived a plan, which succeeded for the obtainment of leave of absence.

I leaped into a chaise, provided for me, with a friend who accompanied me; but as we dared not to drive through the college, which was the direct road to where we intended to go, we were obliged to take that road which we pretended going; we therefore made a circuit of some miles before we could get into the main way, then drove freely, till at last I was fixed in my aunt's parlour; but, the idol of my heart was no

longer there, and there I could not remain; I started instantly to her mother's with my cousin, who offered to accompany me. They were at home, and in the delirium of youth, I fancied I was happy.

I returned with my cousin Brady to my aunt's, wishing that I was in Vaucluse, that to the giant cave and desert air, I might pour out my sighs; but unfortunately for a lover, I was in a close snug room, with a good carpet and a comfortable fire, two things very unappropriate to the encouragement of love, which they say only breathes its sweetest notes, to woods, to streams, and vales.

The next day I offered her a seat in my gig for an airing; but, unfortunately, my poor hack was one of those which Hobson forced the young men of Cambridge to take, when it happened to be the poor being's turn to be worried.

This Hobson, by the by, was a strange creature: he had a large stable, and would never let a horse, but from the first stall; so that when a horse was let, he would move all the others one stall forward, and when applied to for one, would say, pointing to the first stall, "that or none." Hence arose the common adage, "it's Hobson's choice, this or none."

The hobbling paces of a paltry hack, were illy calculated to my feelings, therefore, we soon returned: I had the pleasure of dining with her, and her mother's friends, and we passed the evening very agreeably. I had ordered my horse at three o'clock in the morning, as I was to attend at six at Eton. I got into the carriage, but finding the dull pace of my poor hack only served to increase my somniferous feeling, I called to him. to go where he pleased, take the right or the wrong

side of the road, and I would leave the safety of myself to him, and take a nap. I did so, till I found he had chosen the wrong, when we were stopped, and locked fast by a post. I started; and finding that it was too dark to extricate myself, I told the poor beast to remain quiet till daybreak, and I would resume my nap. He seemed inclined, and we agreed; he was to slumber on his post, and I to trust to him. At day break I looked around to discover where we were; I found that those delicate sweet songsters, whose notes precede the lark's, who kindly waken the sleeping Londoners with the soft sound of "milk," had gathered all about me. "Where am I?" said I; one girl archly replied, " och by my soul, if you had known before where you were, you would not have been here now!" well: but what part of the town is this? "faith, and a very fine part of the town, where we find good customers for milk!" but which is the way to Hyde park?" Oh!" said she, "if you are going there, your horse must move tail foremost, for his head is turned the wrong way!" Finding that I was only made the butt of their jokes, I extricated my horse, turned round, and pursued my journey.

I arrived at Eton, but so fatigued, that I was obliged to "stay out." A little nursing recovered me, and in a day or two I was well.†

* When a boy is sick at Eton, he goes to his dame's house to be nursed. A list of the names of each, according to his class, is made out, and the attendance of each is marked in school. If any one is found absent, a paper is immediately sent to his dame, to know why he is absent. She puts on the paper his cause of absence, and the nature of his sickness. This is called "staying out."

The lady, whose facinating charms thus enthralled me, is

I was at this time in the fifth-form, the highest to which oppidanes can ascend, the sixth being reserved for collegians, who are called prepostors, from the privilege which is given them to watch over the lower boys, and see that they do not exceed their bounds. It is a situation something similar to that of some of our overseers, whom I have noticed here, who consider their duty to their masters may be moderated when any opportunity of self-interest to themselves occurs; and so, as in all stages of manhood, these privileges were abused: what was called a prepostor's liberty (meaning that he would take no notice of you if he found you out of bounds) was in defiance of his duty, to be bought. I, unfortunately, had money, and there being some in the sixth-form to whom I was attached, William Roberts (before mentioned) particularly, from reverence to his abilities, and who at that time condescended to notice me (from some cause or other, I dare not presume what) a considerable part of the sixth-form permitted me to associate with them. This excited remonstrances and perhaps jealousies on the other part, and the consequences were, as usual, a division into parties. One half, and by far the better half were my friends; the other half my avowed enemies.

One cause of dispute, I presume, was this: I had been in the habit of supplying, at least the lazy part of the sixth-form, with their exercises in verse or prose, when they happened to be otherwise engaged, and, per

now living in the United States, the wife of one of my best and most respected friends; and mother to a large family, the greater part of whom have been my pupils in reading and elocution.

« EelmineJätka »