g6 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



of a walk-over. Far from it ; in a letter, dated 2ist October 

 1866, there is the following : 



I shall come home with a most haggard appearance, the effects 

 of reading for the examination. Besides getting up subjects 

 you have done during the half, you are obliged to take up three 

 extra subjects, such as about 250 pages of some very dry history ; 

 a book of Stanley's on some subject or other ; about 500 Latin 

 lines ; about half an arithmetic book of sums to do, or half an 

 Algebra (always much the latter half) ; some horrid French 

 book to prepare, etc., etc. I think I shall take up History, Divinity 

 and the Lines, although they require the hardest work, but I 

 think I can do them best. 



Thus, there was evidently something to do, and I 

 should perhaps explain that the 500 Latin lines were to 

 be committed to memory. It was the football season, 

 however, and one got plenty of exercise. In the same 

 letter I read : 



I am at present rather sore from the effects of football yester- 

 day ; but what I feel the most is a hack just above my heel, 

 on the sinew, given me by someone of our own side who was 

 standing behind and missed the object he intended to hit and 

 hit me instead. 



It is evident also, from a later letter in the same term, 

 that creature comforts were not neglected, when it came 

 to the usual Saturday night suppers in our studies : 



We had a capital supper of rabbits last night. Only the most 

 aggravating thing was that just as we began, Jex sent for me to 

 let me see my Character, and kept me about half-an-hour discuss- 

 ing who it was to be sent to, and I knew all the time that the 

 ' wittles was cooling," and was not quite certain as to whether 

 they might not all be eaten by the time I came back ; but I found 

 the other fellows had waited for me and the "wittles," being 

 down before the fire, had taken no harm. 



You must send me another hamper soon, as we are just out of 

 provisions. Mind it has plenty in it. 



The Old Rug. match comes off next week. The school are 

 sure to be beaten as there are about 200 great fat old fellows 

 to 80 of the school. 



