6 MEMOIR OF 



discovering the outrage, would lose no time 

 in resenting it. 



"Who tore this book?" demanded Bulteel, 

 coming in soon after, and viewing the pages of 

 his new Gradus scattered on the school floor, 

 like autumn leaves that strew "the brooks in 

 Vallombrosa." 



"I did!" responded Russell, defiantly, as he 

 doubled his fists and prepared for the imminent 

 encounter. 



"Then take that," said Bulteel, acting on 

 the principle that "the first blow is half the 

 battle," and hitting him like a flash of lightning 

 on the most prominent feature of Russell's 

 face. 



A sharp and severe encounter then followed. 

 Russell, however, at length prevailed, winning, 

 as he would call it, his first spurs, and at the 

 same time securing ever after the unqualified 

 respect of his antagonist as a foeman worthy 

 of his steel. 



Soon after he had attained his fourteenth 

 year, John Russell was removed to Tiverton 

 School, then under the able mastership of Dr. 

 Richards, a disciplinarian strict as Draco, who, 

 by the success of his tuition and the obedience 

 he enforced, elevated the standard of his school 

 to a rank equal to that of Reading or Sherborne 

 in their best days. Nor were the worthies of 

 Devon slack in availing themselves of these 



