102 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



got both ; at least he got the prose and was equal first with 

 Kynnersley for the verse. Gray was second for the verse, who 

 never beat me for a copy in his life ; and Browne quarts, was 

 2nd for the prose, who is not even in the Twenty, but rather 

 low down in the Fifth. 



So much for my stopping away and doing nothing last term, 

 and doing these things when I was in no sort of form at all ! 



I shouldn't mind so much having been beaten by Warner or 

 anyone of that kind, but Browne quarts, whom I never even heard 

 of before, is terrible ! One consolation is, Warner is in the same 

 predicament as myself. I beat him for the verse by being next 

 to Gray, and he beat me for the prose by coming next to Browne 

 quarts. Another consolation is that Browne quarts, must have 

 got his prose done by some Sixth fellow in his House, as no one can 

 ever get an idea of doing it until he is in the Twenty. I made 

 two horrid mistakes in the verse, and one horrid mistake in the 

 prose. This was the effect of my staying away, as I never do 

 such a thing except in the first Copy or two of a term. The worst 

 of it is that I know I could have got it if I had been in practice, 

 and that I could get it now, if it came over again at least I mean 

 the verse ; I am not quite certain of the prose. 



I always hated my own verse for I could see it was not my 

 best, but was still unable to make it better ; the last part I knew 

 was good, for I was beginning to get more into the swing. The 

 whole thing was too long. I could put just as much sense into 

 about half as many lines now. 



When I look at Stuart Wortley's and Kynnersley 's verses I 

 am driven distracted by the certainty that I could do better. 

 As a proof of that, Kynnersley never has got so many marks as I 

 have for a copy ; (he was quite an outsider, but I always liked his 

 verses better than any of the others I read last term), and Stuart 

 Wortley, as you know, has never since I got into the Twenty 

 been anywhere near me for Composition. Added to that he did 

 all his on Good Friday, the last day, which was such an extra- 

 ordinarily short time that no one could have expected him to do 

 anything. I can't think what Warner was about not getting 

 the prose, as he is so very good at it. All together, it is most 

 mysterious. However, I don't care much as there are heaps of 

 the same kind of things to be got in the Sixth, and I shall be sure 

 to get some of them as I don't intend to stop away again. 



Clearly there had come a very salutary lesson over this 

 trifling storm in a teacup which seems to have troubled 

 me seriously. I am sure Lord Stuart of Wortley and the 

 other successful competitors Browne quarts, in particular 



