Chapt. v. Int'entique or a tenebant. 59 



the Deserted Village, substituting their own tyrant for 

 the village school master: — 



"There in his watery mansion skilled to rule 

 "The mighty Mahseer taught his little school.* 

 a k fish severe he was and stern to view; 

 "I knew him well, and each young Mahseer knew; 

 "Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace 

 "The days disasters in his feeding face; 

 * * * * * 



"Full well the busy whisper, circling round, 

 "Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frown'd. 

 "Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught, 

 "The love he bore to feeding was in fault." 



There is no doubt in my mind hut that the large fish 

 is able to make the smaller ones understand that he 

 means to have such and such bait in sight, and that they 

 are not to think of anticipating him. It is quite intelli- 

 gible that he should do it almost without a sign, just as 

 you would intimate to your second gun bearer that you 

 are prepared for the approaching deer or tiger, and that 

 he is to keep motionless. He does not need to be told 



*The emendations are in italics. 



School, Sic in origine. It has been thought best to retain this read- 

 ing, for, in all gravity, there is abundant authority in Shakespere, 

 (Troilus and Cressida) Milton, (Paradise Lost, Book VII.) and in many 

 others, for school being synonymous with shoal, a crowd, say of fish. It 

 is sometimes written scull and skull in close derivation from the Saxon 

 seeol, a crowd; compare also schoolen, to flock together. A shoal of 

 herrrhgs is Still called a scull in Norfolk and Suffolk, and it is as cor- 

 rect to speak of a school of porpoises as to say a flock of sheep, a herd 

 of swine or cattle &c, a crowd of men, a troop of cavalry — all words 

 significant of assembled numbers. 



With the other meaning and derivations of the word school we are 

 not here concerned. 



8* 



