BALLIOL DONS 151 



There is a wonderful change from school to university 

 life, and whether the sudden change is for the better may 

 be doubtful, but I must say I vastly preferred the Balliol 

 dons to the Rugby schoolmasters. Not a single one of the 

 dons was a bad sort even from my point of view. The 

 master " Jowler," as he was called I always liked, 

 though he was an inscrutable being with a habit of saying 

 in a few words something that deprived you of any capacity 

 to answer. 



Moreover, on a first introduction he got badly on the 

 nerves of the nervously inclined, for he would, at the 

 outset, look into vacancy and say little or nothing. This 

 presumably was to draw out your powers of initiating a 

 conversation, but it was a rather dreadful ordeal, for 

 the fear of saying something foolish was ever before you, 

 but when once you had broken the ice he was kindness 

 itself. Other dons that I really liked were T. H. Green, 

 R. L. Nettleship, J. L. Strachan-Davidson and F. de 

 Paravicini. The last-named was a by no means indifferent 

 horseman, and as such he was a rarity at Balliol. Strachan- 

 Davidson and Nettleship were capital fellows both, and 

 the latter, who died all too young, inspired in me a perhaps 

 self-regarding esteem because he appreciated my Latin 

 verses. 



My first rooms were on the top floor in the corner of 

 the quad, to the left of the Master's house, and my first 

 scout was a large, fleshy man named William, who was 

 interested in racing, and also in providing you with a 

 full supply of every comestible that you did not want just 

 as term was ending. Somehow in those tunes one did not 

 realise how primitive the old college rooms were. Bath- 

 rooms were unknown, and a bath in your room with a can 

 or two of cold water had to suffice. 



But it was fine to be your own master, so to speak, 

 and have your own servant instead of a fag. Then you 

 could have your own wine and other drinks without fear 

 of any higher authority, and very early did I lay in my 

 supplies of what in my immature wisdom I deemed good, 



