BIOGRAPHIES IN A NUTSHELL 173 



going on at Dunchurch. One result of this indul- 

 gence was the pentameter : — 



" Lottery primus erat, Nonna secunda fuit," 



Lottery, with Jem Mason up, being first, and The 

 Nun, with William MacDonough up, being second 

 in the Dunchurch Steeplechase of 1840. So great 

 was the love of sport that the Rugby boys subscribed 

 £1^ to the Rugby Steeplechases. But the line had 

 to be drawn somewhere, and the Doctor drew it by 

 forbidding boys to ride themselves. It came about 

 in this way : A boy in the schoolhouse offered to 

 ride any other boy over four miles of fair hunting 

 country, and the challenge was taken up by Mr. 

 Uvedale Corbet, afterwards a well-known Cheshire 

 squire. The race was run from Bilton Church to 

 Newbold Steeple, and resulted in a win for Mr. 

 Corbet. This led to a resolution to have a big race, 

 for which there were several entries. But, though 

 the Doctor had overlooked the match, he threatened 

 to expel every boy who rode in or looked on at the 

 race. Needless to say, no steeplechase ever came off, 

 nor was any ever attempted again. I may mention 

 that before Dr. Arnold's time the Rugby boys sported 

 a pack of beagles, and shooting, or rather poaching, 

 was openly practised. Many of " The Druid's " 

 sport-loving schoolfellows are still alive to 



" Gaze from grand stands with their hair silver-gray, 

 And totter 'neath guns till their ankles give way." 



Yet " The Druid " was not very popular with his 

 schoolfellows, owing to his disinclination to join in 



