MY DEAR FATHER, We are both excessively delighted to hear of your intended visit to Eton; for my own part, I never thought that Henry's arguments would have had such power, though he confessed to me that he had tried all he could to persuade you. No doubt he told you of the grand display of oratory, which of course you are bound to applaud. Some have English Speeches, but whether these are given to those who can do most justice to them, or merely to such as are highest in the School, I cannot ascertain. The others have either Greek or Latin ones. Frequently two carry on a dialogue, standing opposite to each other, which I should think must be much more animated and interesting than the common way. For my own part, if I had my choice, my native language would be the very last that I should wish to use in such an exhibition; for in that everybody is qualified to be a critic, particularly the Ladies, who are frequently rather unsparing in their remarks. Now the learned tongues are totally unintelligible to all, except a few good scholars, who may happen to be in attendance; so if you use a few tolerable grimaces you are sure of pleasing, even though you make utter nonsense as far as the words go. I have secured you rooms at the Christopher, which appears to be a very decent Inn, and is within a very few yards of the College, so that staying there would almost answer the same purpose as going to School, for the

Eton Coll. July 24, 1821.

boys are before the windows at almost all hours of the day. We are now exceedingly well qualified to act as your guides upon all occasions, and I flatter myself that we shall show you the Lions to no small advantage. Of course, the grand reason of your coming here is to concert measures about sending Henry into College. It appears to be an excellent plan, particularly as they say that the system is about to be altered, and the trials to be something more than nominal, as in that case he stands a very fair chance of getting off in proper time to King's College. As it is, little children are sent to Eton, really hardly escaped from petticoats, and in a sort of manner predestinated for King's. They work their way up by degrees from the very bottom of the school, being very well contented as long as they can barely obtain their Removes, and looking forward to that as a sort of right, which, in reality, ought only to be given to good behaviour and superior scholarship. This is what strikes me as reasonable, but, like better people than myself, I know nothing of the Statutes, and very little about College in general, though there is much more intercourse between the Oppidans and the Boys on the Foundation than there formerly used to be. One of them is my nearest neighbour in School, and he often assures me that all the stories, which are bandied about as bugbears to terrify all who are intended to wear a gown,

are mere fictions, so I shall take care to caution Henry against be lieving any one of them. By his ac count it appears that the Fagging in College is not at all harder, if so hard, as that which at present he undergoes; that the difficulties are very few, and those easily overcome; consisting more in customs and observances than any real hard ships. He must let you into the secrets by-and-bye, if there are any, which I must take the liberty to doubt; and, as he is of a pretty easy temper, I think the change will make but very little alteration in his happiness. Your resolution was rather sudden, and I think at first alarmed him a little, but I have contrived to laugh off his fears, and I believe he now looks forward to his move with more curiosity than dread. He will still have something to do with his Dame, and I suspect as long as I stay here will be rather an amphibious animal- neither one thing nor the other, The Coronation was, celebrated here as it ought to be, with illuminations and dinners, and gaiety of every description-we all of us drank the health of his Majesty King George the Fourth, secretly hoping, as is natural for so many Schoolboys, that this free ceremony may be of some use to us, and may get us what we all most heartily pray for, an additional week's Holidays. But these are all vain surmisesso many of our schoolfellows attended in various capacities, some as pages, some as spectators, that the benches looked quite empty for a day or two at the time. They talk of a tremendous clearing about to take place at Election, inasmuch as the boys, com

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posing the Upper division of the Fifth-Form, are on the point of departure. I suppose a proportionable number of new ones will arrive, so that in the end nobody will be the loser. I am sorry to say that we shall lose our friend Swinburne, without the smallest doubt. should like very much to make him a present of some book or other, not merely because it happens to be customary to do so, but because I should like to give him some return, rather more solid than thanks, for the many services he has rendered us. One may mark already a good many signs of the approaching Election ;-a large piece of tapestry is hung in the Hall where the grand feasting will soon take place; the College windows are undergoing their annual repair; and every thing is putting on its gayest dress to welcome the expected company. From these preparations it is hoped that you will see every thing to the best advantage. Henry is complaining how long the days seem, and wants to cut out one or two, that he may have you and the Holidays here sooner. Good things as the saying is never come single. We have not had any reason to be particularly well pleased with the weather lately, and I think of all the miserable things that you can imagine, a rainy day at Eton is the very worst. It is so ordered that we can never sit in-doors longer than two hours together, and we are obliged to be present at School, or when our names are called, exactly to a minute, though the very heavens themselves are pouring down. Perhaps snow may be still more annoying, for then a perpetual battle is carried

on with snowballs, and it must be very great luck indeed if you don't receive a ball in your face. But I really think that the little boys delight more in wet, than their betters in sunshine. It is quite amusing to see how industriously they contrive to get into every puddle in their way-how they search out the very dirtiest places, or play at cricket in the middle of a shower, till their ball is reduced to the consistency of a pudding. Nobody ever thinks of wearing a great coat, unless it be alone, and umbrellas are very troublesome things, so most of us every now and then contrive to get a tolerable soaking. I forgot whether I told you that immediately after the last Holidays a Library was instituted, the members of which were to be the Hundred first boys in the School of course; I am not yet in that number, but I very soon shall be, and I assure you I rather look forward to the time, for they get a good many volumes by their own subscription, and many of the Masters and other Gentlemen have sent them very hand some presents. It seems a sort of thing likely to do a great deal of good, and no doubt the bookshelves will be well filled before a very distant period. The encouragement which the project has met with from the best judges, is a pretty evident mark of their opinion-and of course the longer it lasts the greater will be its ad

vantages. Pray give our united loves to our good friends, and believe me, My dear Father, Your's, &c.

S. RASHLEIGH.

P.S. I recommend you by all means to be here by two o'clock on Saturday, for about that time all the great Electors arrive from Cambridge, in very high style, and are received at the College Gate by the Captain, who addresses them in a Latin Oration, in which he takes care to compliment and congratulate all for whom he can find a proper subject, and besides cursorily mentions the events of the year, especially all those in which Eton is anywise concerned. By a good hand such a variety of topics might, one would think, be handled to very great advantage. The boys are not obliged to be present at the principal Speeches, for this sensible reason, that the School is not large enough to hold them and the company too, so directly the the first word is delivered, out they rush, and the Holidays are begun. Henry will be detained a day or two longer, as he must undergo some trials before he can be placed on the list to succeed to the vacancies in College, but I rather imagine they are not very difficult; in fact not so much so as those which determined his place at his first entrance.