354 LIFE AT DOWN. /ETAT. 33-45- [1853, 



extremely glad to get your letter. I had intended a couple 

 of months ago sending you a savage or supplicating jobation 

 to know how you were, when I met Sir P. Egerton, who told 

 me you were well, and, as usual, expressed his admiration of 

 your doings, especially your farming, and the number of ani- 

 mals, including children, which you kept on your land, 

 Eleven children, ave Maria ! it is a serious look-out for you. 

 Indeed, I look at my five boys as something awful, and hate 

 the very thoughts of professions, &c. If one could insure 

 moderate health for them it would not signify so much, for I 

 cannot but hope, with the enormous emigration, professions 

 will somewhat improve. But my bugbear is hereditary weak- 

 ness. I particularly like to hear all that you can say about 

 education, and you deserve to be scolded for saying " you did 

 not mean to torment me with a long yarn.'" You ask about 

 Rugby. I like it very well, on the same principle as my 

 neighbour, Sir J. Lubbock, likes Eton, viz., that it is not 

 worse than any other school ; the expense, with all drv., &c., 

 including some clothes, travelling expenses, &c., is from ^no 

 tO;i2o per annum. I do not think schools are so wicked as 

 they were, and far more industrious. The boys, I think, live 

 too secluded in their separate studies ; and I doubt whether 

 they will get so much knowledge of character as boys used to 

 do ; and this, in my opinion, is the one good of public schools 

 over small schools. I should think the only superiority of a 

 small school over home was forced regularity in their work, 

 which your boys perhaps get at your home, but which I do 

 not believe my boys would get at my home. Otherwise, it is 

 quite lamentable sending boys so early in life from their home. 

 ... To return to schools. My main objection to them, 

 as places of education, is the enormous proportion of time 

 spent over classics. I fancy (though perhaps it is only fancy) 

 that I can perceive the ill and contracting effect on my eldest 

 boy's mind, in checking interest in anything in which reason- 

 ing and observation come into play. Mere memory seems to 

 be worked. I shall certainly look out for some school with 

 more diversified studies for my younger boys. I was talking 



