haps, the fear that I should devote all my time to those who had adopted me as their associate, enraged the other party. Be that as it may,

One evening I took a walk through Eton town (adjoining the college) in company with a brother student, simply for amusement. We returned to college without having entered a house. On my return, I was called to account by that wretch whom I have before mentioned, and accused, of what I had not done. I, of course, denied it. After much abusive language he ordered me to take off my gown, and prepare for being "taken down."* I told him to beware of what he was about; that he would suffer for it. He ordered me to hold out my hand. I said I would not: but laying it on the table, he having prepared in the meantime the sheet, I told him to act as he pleased, and he would find I would not flinch.

He gave me twelve of the severest cuts that ever boy felt, and when he had completely blistered my hand, I asked him if he had any more favours to bestow? He told me I might go about my business. I went to bed; but not to sleep.

In the morning I went to my dame's; (ladies so called who keep boarding-houses for the boys, and take charge of them in general)-showed her my hand, and

*This practice happily being not known, or at least not practised in this country, it will be necessary to explain the words and the action: "Taking down," was whipping a boy on his hand with different instruments of woollen, or linen rolled up in such a manner, as that the end, directed with particular art, might raise a blister. Sometimes a boy was taken down with a handkerchief, sometimes with his own gown; but the severest punishment was with a sheet.

told her I wished to "stay out."

She nursed my hand; but she had no influence, good as she was, over my mind. So soon as I could get the use of my hand I wrote to my father; told him how I had been treated, and informed him, that if he did not wish to have his son expelled, he would order him immediately home; if not, that he would run away. My father, always too kind, too confident in my rectitude of conduct, immediately made arrangements for my removal. In the meantime my tutor called on me to know, for he had learnt all, why I was proceeding thus. I took my hand from its sling and held it out to him. There were then on it eleven or twelve blisters of about an inch or an inch and a half long, now grown black with the extravasated blood. He said the boys concerned, for there were three, should be punished, if I would consent to stay. I said, "no; my redress should be ample, or I would have none;" and added, that I thought the only way of procuring an ample redress, was by leaving the college. I did so, and went home to my father then at Chatham.

A droll anecdote occurred about this time:~One of the sixth-form boys had stolen a cheese from a Mr. Cranwell in Eton town; but not being able to carry it, and having nobody to assist him as formerly, he rolled it before him to college. The head master (Dr. Davies) somehow or other heard of the circumstance. The boy was one morning reciting a passage in Homer, which respected the punishment of Sysiphus; he had just come to that part where Sysiphus is represented to have raised his stone to the top of the hill: the boy stopt; the master instead of prompting him in the original much admired line, which was

Αυταρ έπειτα πεδονδε κυλινδετο λαός ανειδης.

Looking at him seriously, prompted,

Cranweliow Chesoiio kulindomenow di Etonam.

I must attempt a translation. First line intended for recitation:

"Down strait the unwieldy stone impetuous rolled."

The master, prompting,

"Down Eton rolled poor Cranwell's stolen cheese." The boy was of course confused; and, hurrying immediately, went out of school, to our old friend Cranwell, paid him for the cheese, and the affair was settled.

My father was at this time paymaster of the navy for Chatham, and was, consequently, very much engaged. It was customary for ships of war to anchor at Sheerness, about twenty miles from Chatham, and my father was continually receiving orders from the admiralty to proceed immediately in the yatcht, to pay off the men of war there waiting; on which excursions I frequently attended him. One stormy morning, he was under the necessity of obeying orders, though it was with considerable difficulty they could get the money-chest on board, containing at this time twenty thousand guineas in specie, gold and silver, besides notes. They proceeded, till near one of the men of war the yatcht sprang her bowsprit; the man of war, seeing their distress, immediately sent her tender, with some of her best sailors, begging they would make use of that. My father and the clerks got into it, with the money-chest, but it was in vain; the storm was so great and the waves swelled

so high, that they were obliged to make for Margatedoubtless to the great dissatisfaction of the intended to be jolly sailors-where they happily landed in safety.

My father instantly hired a coach and four, procured arms for each, hired a guard for the outside of the carriage, put the money-chest within, and proceeded for Chatham. This was at a time that foolish fortification jobs (as we have done too often in this country) not for the welfare of the community, but to smooth the palm of an interested individual, were being carried on at Chatham. What man of science did not, on seeing it, laugh at that stupid mass of timber and cord wood, called a battery, erected several years ago at New York; which, luckily for American citizens, a severe frost and the scarcity of wood, produced an order to destroy.

And what man would not have laughed at the works then carrying on at Chatham, under the denomination of Chatham lines. However, there was part of the ditch or fosse not cut away, but left as a road till the drawbridge could be erected: over this my father's carriage had to pass: the driver attempted it: when he had got to about the middle of it, he upset the carriage into the ditch, over a precipice about eight feet deep-though a moneychest, containing twenty thousand guineas in specie, was in the carriage, I am happy to relate that no one was materially hurt. Necessary assistance was, of course, procured, and the result was only a few complaints of stiffnesses the next morning.

Soon after this circumstance, my mother received an anonymous letter, written with the evident intention of influencing her feelings on the subject of my retiring from college-She showed it me-I immediately recog

nised the hand-writing-the letter was well calculated for a mother's feelings, by telling her what a fine boy I was; how great a scholar; and what a pity it was to withdraw me at a time when I was about to reap the honours for my labour, and so on.

Young as I was, I saw through a paltry artifice practised by the head master of Eton college-yes, I say by him.

My mother asked me what was to be done-I told her, nothing; but to let me keep the letter till my father came home-he having again proceeded to pay off the ships.

A few days afterwards came another, in the same hand-writing, which I knew full well; and in a few days after that another-by this time my father had returned. We consulted together, and it was determined we had nothing to do but to keep the letters, they being anony

mous.

In a few days came a letter to my father, in the same hand-writing, avowedly from Dr. Davies, with his sig.

He therein complained of my having left the college, without his knowledge of my cause of complaint; that the affair had made a great noise, and was likely to be attended with considerable injury to the establish. ment; and, therefore, requested my father, if possible, to come with me, assuring him that on our arrival, a meeting of the provost and fellows of the college should be summoned, and that I should have ample redress.

My father asked me if I wished to go-Yes, said I, upon those terms. We accordingly went, accompanied by my cousin, George Fennell. Having noticed our arrival at the inn, we were requested to attend at the