CHAPTER VI 



College life, with some sketches of men and manners at Oxford, in the latter 

 part of the last century — Bibury Meeting in its palmy days. 



Having assumed the manly gown, we now find tlie young 

 Rabys at the University of Oxford — celebrated for making 

 gentlemen as well as scholars ; one of the two great luminaries 

 of the intellectual world ; and, despite of the cavils against it, 

 one of the brightest jewels in the British crown. We find 

 them occupying handsome rooms in Peckwater, gentlemen- 

 commoners on the books, and with an allowance of £600 per 

 annum to each for their expenses, it being the wish of their 

 father, and also of their uncle, who contributed towards it, 

 that they should not only make a respectable figure in the 

 University, but that they should have no cause for having 

 demands upon them when they left it. Their establishments 

 were suitable to their means. Andrew contented himself 

 with two saddle-horses, passing under the denomination of 

 hacks, and consigned to the care of Seckham, the livery-stable 

 keeper, reserving the entire use of his servant for his own 

 personal wants ; whereas Frank had his two hunters and his 

 hack in a private stable of his own, and looked after by an 

 experienced man, who had been brought up, under Spencer, in 

 the hunting stables at the Abbey. 



And now let me introduce to the reader my hero's college 

 friend, Hargrave. He was the son of a London merchant, 

 educated at Rugby, and therefore totally unknown to Frank 

 Raby previously to their meeting at Christchurch. But they 

 were kindred spirits, and, according with the vulgar phrase, 

 ' soon took to each other.' And there was some similarity 

 in their personal appearance, at least in their personal 

 character. So far fi-om there being anything of the 

 Andrygones about them — the term dandy was unknown 

 in those days, and it would be well that it had never been 

 called into use : they were plain and rather peculiar in their 

 dress, somewluit approaching to the contrary extreme, Avitli 



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