SCHOOLS 



when he fell down wiped their shoes in his gown. The father came up 

 and removed his son, but the college boys followed them through the 

 close and stoned them there. 



In 1778 George III. visited the school in state and, after his wont, 

 asked many questions. William Chamberlayne (of the Chamberlaynes 

 of Cranbury Park), a scholar, spoke the Latin oration ' Ad Portas,' while 

 Lord Shaftesbury, a commoner, delivered some English blank verse written 

 by Dr. Warton, 1 which reflects small credit on its composer. 



George III.'s visit was the occasion of the 'Trusty Servant ' changing 

 his coat to its present colours. Whether this change was ill-omened, or 

 the Moody story did the damage, certain it is from that year Dr. 

 Warton's star paled. ' Commoners ' sank from one hundred and sixteen 

 to one hundred and five in 1779, and to seventy-seven in 1780, and so 

 downwards to thirty-eight in 1788. It was during this time that Sydney 

 Smith was in college (1782-7) almost contemporaneously with Sir 

 George Rose (1781-6). Sydney Smith is reported by his daughter 3 

 ' even in old age to shudder at the recollections of Winchester : the 

 whole system was then, my father used to say, one of abuse, neglect and 

 vice.' But the account is certainly confused and inaccurate, as Sydney 

 Smith is represented as 'one year Praepositor of the College, and another, 

 Praepositor of the Hall,' and speaks of him as captain of the school, a term 

 unknown to Winchester. An absurd story too is told how he and his 

 brother Courtenay 'received a most flattering but involuntary compliment 

 from their school-fellows, who signed a round-robin to Dr. Warton, then 

 Head-master or Warden of Winchester, refusing to try for College prizes 

 if the Smiths were allowed to contend for them any more, as they always 

 gained them.' Another tale is told of his schoolfellows crowding round 

 to hear him read his mother's letters, so exquisite were they. One is 

 inclined to doubt whether the tale of horror represents anything more 

 than Sydney Smith's humorous exaggerations on the subject of college 

 commons and the awful length of hours before breakfast. A life of 

 misery could hardly have been the lot of one who ' was not only 

 leader in learning, but in mischief,' nor could vice have been the chief 

 characteristic of boys who crowded round to hear another boy's letters 

 from his mother. 



In 1793 came the great rebellion, which produced Dr. Warton's 

 retirement. His biographer, Dr. Wooll, ignores it altogether, and 

 represents his resignation as wholly voluntary ; and the second volume, 

 which would have contained the correspondence relating to this period, 

 never appeared. ' What great events from little causes spring.' The 

 great rebellion at Winchester was due to the band of the Bucks Militia ! 

 It was in the habit of performing in the ' churchyard," or cathedral close, 

 which, it should be observed, is about a hundred yards from college 

 gate. The boys were accustomed to attend the ceremony, a harmless 

 pursuit enough, one would think. The warden thought otherwise, and 



1 Wooll'sLife of Dr. Warton, p. 163. 

 1 Memoir of the Rev. Sydney Smith (2 vols., Longmans, 1855), p. 6. 



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