30 MEMOIR OF 



latter simply as beings of an inferior caste, 

 companionship with whom it was his bounden 

 duty to eschew. 



Such was Gordon, a gentleman-commoner 

 of Exeter at that time ; a conceited young 

 spark, whose chief ambition it was to associate 

 with out-college men, especially those of Christ 

 Church, to quote their sayings and doings at 

 every turn, and, in reference thereto, to institute 

 comparisons far from complimentary to the 

 members of his own college. In fact, he was a 

 tuft-hunter, and doubtless suffered as much con- 

 tempt from the men whom he courted as from 

 those whose society he would fain have ignored. 



Denne, on the other hand, was as fine a 

 specimen of manhood as ever stepped in shoe- 

 leather ; independent as Achilles himself, lithe, 

 long-limbed, and of rare muscular development ; 

 he might have taken rank among the Promachi 

 of old, so skilled was he in the use of the caestus, 

 and so powerful was his blow. At Eton he had 

 been contemporary with Ball Hughes, the noted 

 dandy of the 7th Hussars ; with Harris of Hayne, 

 the ally and strenuous supporter of Russell in 

 after days ; and with that far-famed sportsman, 

 Sir Harry Goodricke. Denne was there dis- 

 tinguished as a great football player ; but 

 especially as the avenger of the lower boys, 

 who never failed to find shelter under his aegis, 

 when oppressed by the bullies of the upper 



