Letters from Oxford.

No. V.

TO FREDERICK GOLIGHTLY, ESQ.

M-College, Tuesday Evening.

4

YOUR praises, my dear fellow, quite overwhelm me; however, since you appear to have derived some amusement from my late communication, I will take up my pen at the point where I laid it down, and extract for you the remaining pages of the Diary, so as to complete the week. In the meanwhile, accept my warm thanks for your lively and humorous description of last Sunday Evening's Promenade. I assure you it has been a subject of no small regret among your friends, that you have never favoured "The Etonian" with those "Sketches on Windsor Terrace" which you gave notice of at one of the Club meetings. What a bustle would there have been among the Old Maids and Young Coquettes. Why the mere alarm has produced no trifling consequences. The Perfumer positively told me that his trade in rouge had much fallen off; and I could not help observing, as I took my last turn with you up town before I left for Oxford, that the Misses C had taken down at least two flounces and a furbelow. Indeed I expect this summer that you will see several of the tradesmen's wives going with their children into the fields for a little fresh air, instead of sending the little dears to bed out of the way, and dressing themselves for the Terrace. En passant, let me know whether that flaming red bonnet is out this season. Portentous comet! But I had forgot the Diary.

Thursday Morning, Nine o'clock.-Breakfast party at Sterling's room; rather frightened at first, for I found three or four B. A.'s; among whom I recognized two class-men. Conversation found its level after the first cup of coffee. There was an animated discussion on the Peterborough Questions and a certain article in the "British Critic." I quite shuddered with horror at an idea which was broached in several quarters. Mercy upon us! that any one at Oxford should venture to hint that a Bishop might be fallible. The question was being debated with temper, when our attention was suddenly directed to a short fat personage, who had been hitherto hid behind the tea-pot on our Host's right hand, and seemed too much occupied by a leg of a chicken to take any part in the discussion. This gentleman, to

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my great relief, argued vehemently on the side of orthodoxy, and stated his opinion on the degree of power which it was but reasonable should be left to the discretion of the Bishop. thought," said he, "this controversy had been finally set to rest by that admirable work of the learned Tomline against Calvinism. The book appeared to be decidedly directed against the Evangelical party in our Church, and was unanswerable in its arguments." Here there was an interruption from another gentleman, whose name I could not learn:-" You cannot, sir, be aware that Mr. Scott, the Author of an edition of the Bible with comments, has long ago answered his Diocesan. It must, however, be regretted by all those who are anxious for the welfare of the Church, that any thing like party spirit should be excited in her bosom by the imprudence of misguided zeal. I have heard that when the Bishop of Peterborough wished to induce the other prelates to adopt the test which he had introduced, one of them sent back word, that he thought the Church had left a door open for Calvinism, and he would not be one of the first to shut it.' God forbid! that, while we have so many enemies without, any thing should arise to disturb the harmony which ought to exist within the pale. A house divided against itself can never stand." It was now that I ventured to interpose a word, by suggesting that Bishop Tomline had been of late much occupied with his "Life of Mr. Pitt." Sterling observed that the polemics were getting warm, and turned the conversation by asking me several questions about Mr. Sumner.-Mem. Commission Martin to procure "Records of the Creation" and the "Apostolic Preaching" for his Brother.

Quarter to Eleven.-Walked, after Hall Lecture, to Talboy's, to make up a few deficiencies in my book shelves. Fell in love with 66 a Pole's Synopsis ;" and, having heard that one of the present Examining Masters had read through the whole five volumes folio, Latin, previous to going up for his Great Go, was seized with a sudden fit of emulative ardour, and dropped the five guineas for the work. Was examining a " Theodore Beza," when somebody gave me a smart slap on the back. I started, and my friend Williams of E-stood confest. "What, in the name of wonder, Mr. Bookworm," that was the salutation," are you doing here among these musty gentry? my eyes ache at the very sight of them. Don't you know that Eton is playing the University to-day on the Boulingdon ground? Come along, I insist upon it, or I shall have no opinion of your patriotism. Away he dragged me, and a delightful walk it was to the Cricket-field, along Cowley Marsh. [You have of course long ago heard of the events of this glorious day; and have seen, no doubt, various despatches on the subject. To proceed then as

concisely as possible.] The day was beautiful, the match interesting; and it was past Three when I recollected that I ought to have been at private lecture at One. "Never mind," says Williams, who marked my consternation, "You won't be flogged." "I am sorry," I rejoined,—

on.

6 non tamen irritum

Quodcunque retro est, efficiam,' &c.

I will bear the brunt." We did not get off the ground till past Five. Of course it was too late for Hall dinner; and we made up a party of six or seven old Eton men to take a snack at Jubber's, the Pastrycook's. We were strutting up High-street in detached parties, when Williams and myself were stopped by a stout-looking M. A., in velvet sleeves, whom I soon recognized for the Proctor. 66 Gentlemen, are you members of this University?" We assented. "I must insist on your going to your College and putting on your Academicals." Williams stated that we had come in from the country, and we were suffered to pass A snug dinner party;-good soup. The company became rather riotous even before the cloth was removed, and I observed Betty (our waiting girl) whisper something in Williams' ear, as she changed our plates: my curiosity was roused, and my friend informed me, in a low voice, that we were likely to have a disagreeable visitant, for the Proctor had been under the windows and had noticed the party. The cloth, however, was removed in peace, and I took the opportunity to slip away, as I had promised M'Lennox to accompany him to a Subscription Concert at the Music Room. He had been kind enough to procure us tickets from an acquaintance at St. John's; from which College I understood the band of amateurs are chiefly enrolled. This engagement was a lucky one, for I heard next morning that the Proctor had actually made his appearance, and turned the party out into the streets.

On my return home to dress I found a pleasant billet-doux on my table:

"Mr. Le Blanc to write out 250 lines of the Second Georgic of Virgil, for non-attendance at Lecture."

My scout happened to be in the way, and I desired him to step to the Barber's and order this imposition for me against the morrow morning. It was done accordingly, at the moderate charge of sixpence for every hundred lines. So much for the imposition.

At half-past Seven-I made my debut at the Music-Room. The company was rather thin. There were not more than a dozen Gownsmen, all full dressed. The orchestra did not deceive my expectation. The selection from Mozart was good, and the performance (as far as an enthusiastic admirer of music without

science can pass judgment) was spirited and correct. The building is most admirably suited to the purpose; light and elegant, simplex munditiis, and well proportioned. There was one craving void, however;-a little female vanity would have relieved the melancholy sameness of our black gowns. But it is not customary for the dear creatures to attend these select meetings. Left at Ten o'clock, highly satisfied and delighted with my evening's entertainment.

Friday Morning, Seven o'clock.-Bathed in the Cherwell with Sterling. Couldn't for the life of me hit the knack of lying on my back and floating with the stream. At every attempt went to the bottom like a stone.

Nine.-Sterling condescended to take his cup of hyson with me; and, at my request, gave me a lecture on Logic; including several most useful hints for opening the campaign. "I would not have you," said he, "trouble your head with any commentators, or the like. Stick to the text of Aldrich; and if you get that by heart you will do very well. You must not, however, fall to work as a certain person I have heard of, who, being desirous of acquiring the art of reasoning closely, was advised by a friend to study Euclid. Some time after, our philosopher was asked how he liked mathematics, and got on with his problems? "Oh!" replied he, "I have read my Euclid through, but I don't see the good of him." "Read him through already?" interrupted his friend; "and pray how did you read him?" "Just as I would a Newspaper," was the reply. "Have you any idea, Le Blanc, of the practical use of logic? I assure you, that when you can once catch an insight into the scope and aim of the science, a great obstacle has been removed. What pamphlet have you got by your side there?" I handed him No. V. of "The Etonian." He opened the work, and proceeded. "You must know that every argument is resolvable into three sentences or propositions, and every sentence into as many logical words. For instance, take the passage in page 396 :

He (Mr. Bellamy) is not much afraid, for he can hit George to a nicety.'

Here we have an assertion and the reason on which it is grounded. Now for the three sentences:

He who can hit George to a nicety is not much afraid.

Mr. Bellamy can hit George to a nicety.

Mr. Bellamy is not much afraid.

The art of logic, as you must be well aware, teaches us to detect errors in argument; and that portion which you are expected to bring forward in the Little Go, is divided into three parts. The first guards you against mistakes and fallacies in the use of the words of each separate sentence, by teaching you to classify them

under their proper heads: the second is occupied in arranging and digesting the sentences, or propositions, after the same principle: and the third brings all the knowledge you have acquired into practice. Since you are now come to the syllogism, or form of argument exhibited to you in the above instance, this must stand or fall, according to certain fixed and determinate rules, which you are to have as ready at your fingers' ends as your A B C. Do not look so grave. Believe me, you will find logic little better than a bugbear. The very sound at present frightens you out of your wits; but when you have once mastered the task, you will be inclined to laugh at your former fears, and wonder at your simplicity for once harbouring them. I never shall forget the dreadful day when I went up for my first examination. I was trembling and shivering at the prospect of being called upon, when one of the Masters set us all in a titter by requiring a third proposition (what we technically term a conclusion) to the following:

Jack and Jill went up the hill,

Jack and Jill came tumbling down.

Now our mighty difficulty is to discover what we can conclude, or draw by way of argument, from these two propositions, which have been premised or conceded to us. The answer was,

Something that came tumbling down went up the hill.

But I fear I fatigue your attention. Give me another cup of tea.".

Ten till Twelve.-Read some Herodotus for collections. [N.B. This is our denomination for a certain College examination, which takes place at the end of term, before the Warden and Tutor.] Took it into my head to analyze the Persian revenues under Darius, and became so puzzle-pated over my investigations into the relative value of gold and silver, and the Babylonian and Euboic talent, that I threw my book aside in disgust. As I could not settle the account, either Herodotus or I had made a blunder, and I don't like to think it was the former.

Started about One o'clock from the Christ-Church Meadows, on a water excursion to Nuneham. We were a party of two six oars, and had sent on our scouts, in a two-oared boat, with the provisions and crockery-hamper, for it was our intention to take dinner at the lovely Cottage in Lord Harcourt's grounds. As I profess to state plain unvarnished facts, you will excuse all description of the clear blue vault of heaven, and the slight fleecy specks of clouds, which made use of the Isis for their mirror, a they flitted slowly above our heads, and were soon lost in vacan You can very well imagine the groves of sedge shrinking fr the courtship of Zephyr, like a parcel of coy maidens; the be