MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 129 



his brawny arms involuntarily keeping time with the anvil rhythm, 

 *' Gemit impositis incudibus JBtna.'" 



History repeats itself; and lately, when I took the chair at a 

 lecture on Bee-keeping given by the County Council at our National 

 School, in connection with the recent Small Holdings Act; instead 

 of a poem we had magic lantern slides, showing the advantages 

 to be derived from the production of honey on the modern system ; 

 and the lecturer threw upon an illuminated sheet the representation 

 of an ideal apiary in Wales, which reminded us of Martin's picture 

 of " The Plains of Heaven," or the home of Pastor Aristaeus in 

 Thessalian Tempe, during its palmy days. Unfortunately, instead 

 of introducing Ceres looking down from heaven with a favourable 

 aspect, as Virgil did, I could only speak of the series of bad seasons 

 which now-a-days, both farmers and bee-masters must contend with. 



How astonished Julius Caesar would have been when first he 

 sighted England, or as he sat before his camp fire at night over 

 Pegwell Bay, watching the Septentriones; had he been told that his 

 commentaries would be reproduced by tens of thousands ; and even 

 after nineteen centuries had passed, form the principal study of 

 little English schoolboys. Horace certainly declared that his works 

 would be more durable than brass; but doubtless it would have 

 pleased him had he been told that quotations from his thoughts 

 would stamp that future variety of his species known as "the English 

 gentleman." And a mirror reflecting what I have written in his 

 honour held up before Virgil's eyes, might not have provoked a 

 frown. 



But however that may be; standing as I did, in the rank of 

 backward boys, it was with no small amount of trepidation that 

 I presented myself for three days' examination at the India 

 House. I was not strong in any subject, but classics formed my 

 weakest point. The first day I was invited to translate the 17th 

 chapter of St. Luke from Greek into English ; and although a 

 fifth form boy would have rattled it off with only an occasional 



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