354 LIFE AT DOWN. ^TAT. 33-45. [1853. 



extremely glad to get your letter. I had intended a couple 

 of months ago sending you a savage or supplicating jobation 

 to know how you were, when I met Sir P. Egerton, who told 

 me you were well, and, as usual, expressed his admiration of 

 your doings, especially your farming, and the number of ani- 

 mals, including children, which you kept on your land. 

 Eleven children, ave Maria ! it is a serious look-out for you. 

 Indeed, I look at my five boys as something awful, and hate 

 the very thoughts of professions, &c. If one could insure 

 moderate health for them it would not signify so much, for I 

 cannot but hope, with the enormous emigration, professions 

 will somewhat improve. But my bugbear is hereditary weak- 

 ness. I particularly like to hear all that you can say about 

 education, and you deserve to be scolded for saying " you did 

 not mean to torment me with a long yarn." You ask about 

 Rugby. I like it very well, on the same principle as my 

 neighbour, Sir J. Lubbock, likes Eton, viz., that it is not 

 worse than any other school ; the expense, with all 6^^., 6^^., 

 including some clothes, travelling expenses, &c., is from jQwo 

 tO;^i20 per annum. I do not think schools are so wicked as 

 they were, and far more industrious. The boys, I think, live 

 too secluded in their separate studies ; and I doubt whether 

 they will get so much knowledge of character as boys used to 

 do; and this, in my opinion, is the one good of public schools 

 over small schools. I should think the only superiority of a 

 small school over home was forced regularity in their work, 

 which your boys perhaps get at your home, but v/hich I do 

 not believe my boys would get at my home. Otherwise, it is 

 quite lamentable sending boys so early in life from their home. 

 . . . To return to schools. My main objection to them, 

 as places of education, is the enormous proportion of time 

 spent over classics. I fancy (though perhaps it is only fancy) 

 that I can perceive the ill and contracting effect on my eldest 

 boy's mind, in checking interest in anything in which reason- 

 ing and observation come into play. Mere memory seems to 

 be worked. I shall certainly look out for some school with 

 more diversified studies for my younger boys. I was talking 



