148 Mr. Field's Memoirs and Opinions of Dr. Parr. [^FEB. 



to obtain the mastership, he quitted Harrow, and set up a rival establish- 

 ment at Stanmore, which did not answer his expectations. From thence, 

 he went to Colchester, and from thence again to Norwich at both 

 which places he encountered disappointment. And from the last, he 

 went to his well-known and favourite residence Hatton, where he 

 remained nearly forty years, and where his extremely useful and respect- 

 able life eventually terminated. 



In the course, however, of these changes, the biographer is not idle ; 

 and we learn that it was shortly after his quarrel at Harrow, that the 

 doctor entered into the holy state of matrimony. Having taken Stan- 

 more-school, Mr. Field says, the doctor discovered, " that it was desira- 

 ble that a female superintendant should be placed at the head of the new 

 establishment /' and therefore married (rather suddenly) " Jane/' only 

 child of " Zachariah Marsingale, Esq., of Carleton, in Yorkshire/' 

 &c, &c. ; which union, as " it was indeed a match of convenience, rather 

 than of love (from great unsuitableness of temper) never was the 

 source of much connubial felicity." 



Nevertheless, the doctor recollecting the example of the wise Socrates, 

 was enduring and jocose ; and about this time first clothed himself in the 

 " huge wig/' which, " with the aid of features marked with age even in 

 youth/' made him appear a considerably older man than he actually was : 

 and, on one occasion, gave rise to an admirable pleasantry from Sir Wil- 

 liam Jones ; who said to Parr, " Upon my word, Parr, you are a Jine 

 fellow ! if you should have the good luck to live forty years, you may 

 stand a chance of overtaking your face !" This, our readers will admit, 

 we are sure, to be a most excellent and inimitable jest. But a story, 

 even still more humorous, follows, of a chambermaid at " the Hercules' 

 Pillars, Piccadilly," who being called after a jollification to wait upon 

 some party to bed who was older than Dr. Parr actually mistook the 

 latter for the oldest ! " No, Sir," said she (curtseying respectfully), 

 and casting a side glance towards the gentleman in the large wig " I 

 hope I know my manners better than that too : being taught to respect 

 age, I must attend that gentleman first" moving towards Dr. Parr, who 

 was the younger man ! ! ! By a strange omission for which our author, 

 we think, is almost accountable the name of this amusing and well- 

 instructed bed- warmer is omitted. But we need scarely add, that " a 

 loud laugh followed" the sally. In fact, it is in mere compassion to the 

 risible muscles of our readers (which we shall have to tax farther as we 

 go on), that we forbear to extract the whole details of the story. 



At Stanmore, the scholastic discipline of Dr. Parr (on his own account) 

 is described ; and it seems to have been a little eccentric. He flogged 

 his pupils vigorously from time to time ; but allowed them to hold 

 " morning breakfast parties /' " evening conversation parties j" and 

 sometimes even " more convivial meetings attic symposia :" a course, 

 which Mr. Field candidly admits did seem to imply " some want of due 

 vigilance on the part of the preceptor." Our feelings, however, are 

 comforted by the assurance, that " no intemperance no indecorum no 

 rude or riotous mirth every disgraced the scholars of philosophy and of 

 Parr!"* (p. 99). 



The practice of boxing Dr. Parr encouraged in his school it seems, 

 against the opinion of his reverend biographer ; and we confess we are 



* From a note, added to page 91, we regret to say this does not appear to have been 

 invariably the case. The scholars even of " philosophy and of Parr" used now and 

 then to get drunk in the alehouses about the neighbourhood. 



