SIE CHAELES LYELL. 249 



got punished for late rising in the morning, and 

 being too late for roll-call. Here, on the contrary ^ 

 a great many of our best sports were at night, par- 

 ticularly one, which, as very unique and one which 

 lasted all the time I was there, I mast describe. It 

 consisted of fighting, either in single combat, or 

 whole rooms against others, with bolsters, These 

 were shaken until all the contents were at one end, 

 and then they were kept there by a girth of string 

 or stockings. This made a formidable weapon, the 

 empty end being the handle, and the ball at the 

 other would hit a good blow, or coil round a fellow's 

 leg, and by a jerk pull him up so that he fell back- 

 wards. . . . The invading party were always to 

 station a watch at the head of the stairs, to give 

 notice of the approach of ' Bluebeard/ for he was 

 particularly severe against this warfare, though he 

 never succeeded in putting it down. He used to 

 come up with a cane, which, as none were clothed, 

 took dire effect on those caught out of bed. He 

 had a fortunate twist in his left foot, which made 

 his step recognizable at a distance, and his shoe to 

 creak loudly. This offence was high treason, not 

 only because it led to broken heads, and made a 

 horrible row in the night, but because Mrs. Bad- 

 cliff e found that it made her bolsters wear out most 

 rapidly.' 7 



Charles grew ill at Salisbury, and was taken 

 home for three months. " I began," he says, " to 

 get annoyed with ennui, which did not improve my 

 iiealtli, for I was always most exceedingly mis- 



