MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 33 



religious instruction, such as it was. We were all driven, much 

 against our will, fifteen times a week to Chapel, where the service 

 was rendered far less irksome than it otherwise would have been, 

 by the singing ; for sufficient qualified voices were found among the 

 host at school to form a choir, which, had I not known the boys, 

 and watched their distorted faces whilst they sang, I might have 

 imagined came down direct from heaven. 



The choir also treated us to a concert of secular music and songs 

 at the end of the half-year, when the excitement culminated with 

 Dulce Domum, in which the lads of the whole school joined, of 

 course at the summit of their voices. The great point aimed at 

 was to make the final syllable of resonemus sound like a pistol, or 

 rather, a cannon shot ; and Old Chang, who sat next to me, would 

 put his head almost between his knees, and when every echo of the 

 chorus had died away, and all were inhaling as much air as possible 

 to commence another verse, he would wildly scream out " mus," 

 as though his life depended on his arriving just in time to be too 

 late, and had adopted sero sed serio* for his motto. It had a very 

 comical effect, and made everybody laugh. I wonder if this conceit 

 has been executed at the Concerts since my time ; or has the march 

 of intellect made the boys consider themselves "a cut above it" 

 now ? 



Naturally I longed to join this quasi-celestial choir, particularly as 

 certain advantages were appended to it, and as I had often given 

 " The ivy green," with much applause at home, I fancied I could 

 sing. Accordingly I presented myself one day before the reverend 

 man who presided at the choir, and in faltering tones informed him 

 what I wanted. But a single glance at my face appeared enough 

 for him to form an index to my throat. He did not tell me that my 

 services were not required, in such courteous terms as — 



" Fusbos, give place ! 

 You know you hav'n't got a singing face." 



* Late, but in earnest. 



