THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



absolutely steel the mind and body against the assaults of 

 fortune, they turn to a good account. They produce an equi- 

 librium in a large body of youths, of vai'ious pedigrees, dis- 

 tinctions, and expectations, and prevent the assumption of those 

 imaginary perfections which swell the hearts of men, and still 

 more of boys, to the great annoyance of their associates. 

 Nevertlieless, the best nature does not yield to chastening and 

 buffeting without some degree of impatience ; and it is to be 

 feared that the sufferings of the generality of boys, at very 

 large schools, in the lower classes of it especially, are greater 

 than commonly imagined. At all events, the first week at 

 Eton is a serious trial to the nerves of a shy or home-sick boy ; 

 a thousand questions are asked, some of them rather difficult 

 to be answered ; answered they must be, or a slap in the face 

 is the consequence. The Eabys, however, made their way 

 among the crowd, and partly for these reasons : — Their name 

 was known as aristocratic, and they were called ' devilish good- 

 looking fellows ' ; — Francis, especially, who had a certain 

 ' knowing look ' about him, according to the language of those 

 days, which soon made an impression : as did also the 

 knowledge of his father being a master of hounds, and of his 

 having brought letters of introduction to Stevens and Jack 

 Bailey, from the well-known Sir John Inkleton, who was 

 considered an ornament to Eton school. Still, all this did not 

 serve him as an indemnity from some of the tricks commonl}^ 

 played off on new-comers, in these licentious days. 



It was the saying of a Spartan king that — ' Boys should be 

 introduced to the arts which will be useful to them when they 

 become men.' Independently of the business of the school, 

 this maxim has always been acted upon at Eton, in the various 

 popular pastimes. Amongst the foremost of these, is the 

 management of the boat, which soon became a favourite one 

 of our hero, whose sculling was excelled by none at the ex- 

 piration of his third year. He was likewise good at cricket, 

 quoits, backsword playing, and other manly games ; and above 

 all at foot])all, inasmuch as few could beat him at kickino- 

 shins. Andrew was also a good cricketer; and by his mild, 

 unassuming manners, together with the reputation he ac(|uired 

 as a scholar, he soon became as popular as his brother in tlie 

 society in which he moved. 



It is not my intention to follow the llabys through all tlu' 



77 



