MEMOIR. xxvii 



kindness was equalled by his noble spirit — his 

 modesty by his high learning and abilities. And this 

 valuable life, difficult as it is to realize it, has been 

 cut short ; — Luke was drowned in the river yester- 

 day, having gone alone, quite contrary to his custom, 

 in a whiff. 1 It seems that he was near half an hour 

 in the water, and dead when taken out. This sad 

 accident, coming so suddenly, must throw a damp 

 over the feelings of many ; and if there is any grati- 

 tude amongst men, there must have been many a 

 sigh for him last night. I heard the news before six 

 o'clock, and it had reached Christ Church some time 

 before, the accident having happened about four. 

 You may imagine my horror when, on entering my 

 rooms to put on my cap and gown for hall, I was 

 met by my scout, and asked if I had heard that Mr. 

 Luke was drowned. In an hour or two I should 

 have been reading with him." 



And now enough may have perhaps been said 

 to give some insight into Frank Oates's life at 

 Oxford, and with one more quotation from his 

 letters, this period of his history shall be closed. 

 His first year at college an attack of illness in 

 early spring had prevented his residence during 

 the summer term at the University, and led to his 

 spending as much of the succeeding winter as the 

 Oxford terms admitted of in Italy, where he 



1 A light out-rigger boat. 



