CHILDHOOD. 21 



attention to Philip, whose curious cleverness in certain un- 

 famih'ar directions began from this time to be more and 

 more a subject of local talk. In spite of his mother's 

 absence of education, she knew the value of book-learning, 

 and the aptitude which her second son showed induced 

 her to make peculiar sacrifices for his advantage. She 

 was determined to give him a chance of acquiring some 

 knowledge of Latin, and \\\ January, 1823, she contrived to 

 get him admitted into the well-known school at Blandford. 

 Of his brief stay in this school not many memorials exist. 

 But one anecdote may not be thought too trivial to relate, 

 because it illustrates the early development of the boy's 

 independent curiosity in all matters connected with 

 literature : — 



" One day, when we boys were out walking on the 

 " Wimborne Road, and had just come to the opening 

 "of Snow's Folly and Hanger Down, an elderly 

 " gentleman with a long beard met us, and gathering the 

 "elder boys around him, began to question us about 

 "learning. He pulled an Eton Latin Grammar from 



"his pocket, and turning to the example ' nee hujus 



" 'existimo, qui me pili a:istimat,' asked us to explain 

 " it. Several, in an instant, construed it, correctly enough, 

 *' ' Nor do I regard him this, who esteems me not a hair.' 

 "'Yes,' said our bearded friend, ' that is the translation, 

 "'but I want the meaning; what is meant by this?' 

 "All were dumb, till I, whose curiosity had long before 

 " been exercised on this very point, having guessed out 

 " for myself, unaided, the solution, snapped my fingers at 

 "the word 'this,' as I repeated it to him. He immedi- 

 " ately approved my answer, and praised me before the 

 "others as ' a thinker.' " 



When my father, however, in later years was desired to 

 recall the incidents of this part of his boyish life, he was 



